Values & Theraputic Approach
“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” Aristotle
Therapeutic Philosophy:
A Positive Psychology–Informed Approach
My clinical work is informed by Positive Psychology, an evidence-based field within psychology that focuses on well-being, strengths, resilience, meaning, and optimal functioning, alongside the treatment of psychological distress.
Positive Psychology emerged in the late 1990s through the work of Martin E. P. Seligman, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and colleagues, as a response to an exclusively pathology-focused model of mental health. Rather than ignoring suffering, Positive Psychology integrates the study of human strengths, positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment—often summarized in Seligman’s PERMA model.
Key contributors to Positive Psychology include:
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Martin E. P. Seligman – well-being theory, learned optimism
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Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – flow theory and optimal experience
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Barbara Fredrickson – broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions
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Christopher Peterson – character strengths and virtues
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Ed Diener – subjective well-being and life satisfaction
In clinical practice, a Positive Psychology–informed approach supports clients in identifying personal strengths, cultivating resilience, fostering meaning, and improving overall life satisfaction, while also addressing emotional difficulties such as anxiety, stress, or adjustment disorders.
“Treatment is not just fixing what is wrong;
it also is building what is right”
Martin Seligman
Positive Psychology and the Expat Experience
Research has increasingly linked Positive Psychology to expatriate adjustment and cross-cultural transitions. Studies suggest that factors such as resilience, optimism, psychological flexibility, meaning-making, and social connectedness play a central role in successful expatriation and well-being abroad.
Relevant literature highlights that:
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Strength-based interventions support cultural adaptation and identity integration
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Positive emotions broaden coping resources during relocation stress
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Meaning and purpose buffer against loneliness and acculturative stress
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Psychological resilience predicts successful long-term expatriate adjustment
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Selected references connecting Positive Psychology and expatriate or cross-cultural contexts include:
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Ward, S., Bochner, S., & Furnham, A. – The Psychology of Culture Shock
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Selmer, J., & Lauring, J. – expatriate adjustment and well-being
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Luthans, F., Youssef, C. – psychological capital in international contexts
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Ong, A. D., et al. – positive emotions and adaptation to stress
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Seligman, M. E. P. – Flourish
These perspectives inform a counseling approach that supports both psychological stability and personal growth during international life transitions.