One of the most exciting aspects of positive psychology is its scope for application – not only is it appropriate in therapy, counselling and coaching, it’s relevant in fields as diverse as architecture, design, art, economics, politics, business, linguistics, religion, education, philosophy …..It seems that the more you look for it, the more you’ll […]

by Sean Doyle
When, at 39, I was trying to decide whether to pursue training in positive psychology , I made for myself all the “practical” objections. I was already a successful lawyer, had a wife, kids, mortgage and typical routine. My wife, however, knew that deep down it was something I really wanted […]

“Raindrops on roses and
Whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and
Warm woolen mittens”

Julie Andrews sang about them. Oprah has them. And so I now want to do a fun column about “My Favorite Things,” too, to pay homage to some of the things that bring happiness and contentment to my life in the hopes […]

It’s definitely the time of year to reflect on the nature of gift-giving and what positive psychology has to teach us about it. In broader terms, giving (especially in the form of volunteering or acts of kindness) is often considered to be synonymous with altruism, i.e. the unselfish concern for the needs and interests of […]

We can get new ideas for gift selections from the pathways to happiness identified in positive psychology: The Pleasant Life — savoring and basking, The Engaged Life — intense involvement in worthwhile activities, and The Meaningful Life — living in service of something larger than ourselves.

‘Tis the season to give and get. This is the explicit message of the many advertisements that propel us into hypnotic holiday spending. Are your halls decked? Is your closet filled with hot fashions? Will you be giving your children the “it” gift this year? Will this be the best set of holiday celebrations ever? […]

My mother has days when she sleeps more and more, moving in and out of a twilight state of consciousness, as she approaches the end of her physical life. She experiences, thankfully, not a great deal of pain, but intense discomfort and sometimes fear as her late-stage lung cancer progresses. Over the past […]

Europeans generally don’t celebrate Thanksgiving[1]; we have important, though quieter harvest festivals, and we wish you North Americans ease.  Sitting between Diwalli (Hindu) and Christmas (pagan in its timing), the Thanksgiving celebration of harvest brought in rests well.   Celebrations matter in the rhythm of life.
Goodwill is the hallmark of autumnal and winter festivals across the […]

Positive psychology and EI (“emotional intelligence”) have differing domains of research, though luckily I believe they can contribute to one another. For reference, here are the four branches of EI referenced in my earlier article on emotional intelligence.

Perceiving emotion is the ability to…
Identify emotion in a person’s physical and psychological states
Identify emotion in other […]

There have been psychologists in the past that have attempted to describe a skill resembling emotional intelligence. None have gone so far and defined so well the concept of EI (”emotional intelligence”) as has Peter Salovey, professor of psychology at Yale University, and his colleagues. Salovey, Caruso, and Mayer (2004) “believe that there is an […]