Positive psychology, as a practice, discipline and developing science had been in the development of psychology, a response to a pathology-centered view of the human being and mental states that were the starting points of depth psychology and psychodynamics. It focuses on the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive, founded on the belief that people can lead satisfying and meaningful lives, that they have the ability to nurture what is best within themselves, and that they can improve their experiences of love, work, and play.
It is surmised, based from both disciplines, positive psychology and depth psychology are on a magnified level, as to how they are popularly presented, highlight only a limited picture of what they are actually proposing on their views of the human person and these also account to the practice of assessment and identification of psycho-pathology. However, it seems to me that they are both sides of the same coin, and they are necessary not only in flexibility of practice in assessment and therapy, but also on assisting individuals to lead better lives, make better decisions that are suited to their choices and respective backgrounds.In assessment, in response to a referral question, it is necessary to view the individual on a holistic perspective, identifying not only the existing problem, but also the strengths of the person. Positive psychology is based on the Humanistic tradition of psychology that believes in the inherent capacity of the individual to overcome challenges. In the assessment process, it assists both the client and the clinician to identify what specific aspects of the client can be drawn upon to address the problem, pathology, or the context of the referral question. It is the strengths of the individual that can also address the pathology; and assessment and the therapy processes assist the individual on gaining insights on how to tap on the inner resources – by focusing on aspects such as ability, resilience, hope, creativity, mindedness, wisdom, courage and responsibility - positive psychological strengths that can be found within the person.
For me, positive psychology is not in a sense reduced to feel-good shallow psychology, and it has a lot more to it than how it is popularly conceived. It is developed in landscapes that are faithful to the experience of the human being – it affirms the realities of life that are both experienced as being pleasant and unpleasant, and derives from these experiences the motivation of the individual to thrive in the presence of these realities. However, my view of positive psychology despite its affirmations of human realities is that it is proactive and it places responsibility not only on the individual but also on the context and environment, and in that proactive sense, it does not turn blindly to status quo situations that prevent the realization or achievement of the potentials of the individual person. As I am towards my way of helping other people through the practice of psychology, the science of positive psychology is teleological and goal-oriented; it is helpful in making concrete directions to therapy to assist the clients, through their identified strengths and abilities to formulate their goals and plans, not only to overcome psychological barriers, but also to lead fuller lives.
Finally, regarding my personal experience of flow, I recall the moments when I used to make paintings, especially in the process of mixing colors on paper. I was very absorbed on the activity of seeing my hands and paint brush move across the paper, how colors would combine, patterns emerge, lines, landscapes, petals, bricks, leaves; until the whole picture was formed— I lose my track of time and everything seems to revolve around the watercolor painting that I was making. Other situations are when I am reading a book, getting lost in thought when I am alone, or when washing or folding clothes. These and other activities that I enjoy doing make me feel more balanced and less worried; they channel my energy and other tensions that I experience when situations are not really going well for me, and these activities and the flow-states assist me on making ideas and better judgments, see alternative ways of framing situations, analyze confusing circumstances, or simply just to appreciate the unnoticed beauties of life. Nurturing flow is as essential as doing everyday tasks, I see to it that I am able to do things that I enjoy and through these things I experience flow-states. And in my opinion, to reach the particular state of flow where time seems to float in space is akin to the experience of bliss – a transcendent state, which is actually a very rare occurrence in a busy and distracted world.
References:
Seligman, M. E., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Positive Psychology: An Introduction. In Flow and
the Foundations of Positive Psychology (pp. 279-298). Springer Netherlands.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1999). If We are so Rich, Why Aren't We Happy?. American Psychologist,
54(10), 821
