Cognitive Behavioral Therapy combined with Positive Psychology

Techniques combining positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy increase awareness of your strengths. Learn how to use them!

Positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy complement each other.

They are like two sides of a coin.

To explain briefly, we can say that these lines of psychology are united by the following reasoning: our thoughts, feelings and behaviors influence each other.

Thoughts, feelings and behaviors in cognitive behavioral therapy

In the case of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the psychologist looks for negative connections between these 3 elements.

For example, let’s say you’re feeling a lot of anxiety in your daily life.

To help you solve the problem, the cognitive behavioral therapist will use questionnaires.

Based on your answers, you will become aware of the causes of your problem. You are able to identify the triggers for your discomfort.

It is important to emphasize that CBT aims to solve problems.

Therefore, once you have discovered where the source of your anxiety is, the next step is to learn so-called coping techniques.

We will talk about this topic later.

Now, let’s focus on what differentiates positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Difference between CBT and positive psychology

Well, it was clear that CBT looks at the difficulties, the discomforts, the weak points of your mental health.

Positive psychology looks at what is working.

In other words, it focuses attention on a person’s strengths, on the things that are going well.

It also uses questions.

But unlike CBT, positive psychology aims for you to discover your positive patterns.

Combination of positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy

Combined, positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy encourage full self-awareness.

This means not getting stuck in a reductionist view of yourself.

After all, you are not limited to what is “wrong” in your life!

It may seem silly, but it’s easy to lose track of this when you’re experiencing a debilitating condition like depression.

Or, to use a more everyday situation, remember the last time you got feedback on your work.

You may have received positive reviews on 95% of your stocks. But it was the negative 5% that stole your sleep.

Unfortunately, this is a tendency we have. We give a lot of space (and importance) to “defective” points, while we ignore our strengths.

The question is: what would happen if you tipped that scale?

What would it be like if, instead of dwelling on the error — and giving it the power to define your attitudes —, you chose to invest in what does (and what does you) good?

In short, this is the proposal that emerges when we combine positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy.

No, it’s not about ignoring problems!

But, yes, to take away from them the role of protagonists in their story.