By Donna Shea & Nadine Briggs
Our work has become infused with positive psychology. A few years back, Nadine would tell me things about positive psychology and mindfulness and my brain would jump to judgement of that “new-age” thinking. I didn’t really get it, and it is such human nature to pooh-pooh what we don’t understand. She was way ahead of the curve. Fortunately, she was tenacious enough to keep those conversations going, and I finally decided to delve in and explore what it was all about.
And all I can say is, wow. Positive psychology is powerful stuff. What amazes me more, is that it really, really works, especially for me as a person who runs on anxiety. It isn’t about always being happy and positive. Crap happens. What I have found through using its tenets, is that it is MUCH easier for me cope with things are tough. It’s because, through the use of positive psychology, you can (and this is scientifically proven) strengthen the positive “muscles” in your brain. Literally, rewire it.
Positive psychology, when paired with cognitive behavioral science (we have certifications in both), takes our social coaching of children and teens to a dimension that brings relief and hope to many of them. I’m no longer a skeptic, I’m a believer.
