Courses for Well-being Development
The Psychology of Well-being or “Positive Psychology” is a developing field of psychology that has received increasing attention over the last thirty years. It focuses on studying personal well-being and quality of life, in contrast to the more traditional psychological approach that focuses on distress and difficulties.
This clearly represents a genuine shift in perspective: rather than focusing on symptoms and distress, it prioritizes interventions aimed at enhancing personal resources and abilities, while also connecting individual well-being with the broader community well-being.
This marks a transition from the so-called “psychology of distress,” where the goal is to resolve suffering, to that of “well-being,” aimed at achieving personal health, where “health” means “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease” (WHO).
According to Seligman, the American psychologist who is recognized as the father of Positive Psychology, it is necessary to pay attention to the pathological aspects of a person that cause suffering, without risking neglecting the positive aspects of human existence, such as pleasant emotions, resources, qualities, and individual abilities.
Seligman’s studies developed from two perspectives:
- one, defined as hedonic, includes research that analyzes the dimension of pleasure, understood as personal well-being and connected to positive sensations and emotions
- the other, called eudaimonic, focuses on analyzing factors that promote the development and realization of individual potential
The psychology of well-being, therefore, sets the ambitious goal of improving people’s quality of life through identifying and enhancing their resources. It is oriented towards strengthening what works, rather than treating what doesn’t.
In other words, through Positive Psychology we can:
- understand and positively develop our personality characteristics, innate potential, and natural resources
- acquire new behavioral strategies that promote individual “well-being,” with a natural impact on their satisfaction and perceived fulfillment.
Positive Psychology specifically deals with:
- identifying individual potential and resources
- increasing and consolidating positive life experiences
- enhancing subjective well-being
- increasing self-esteem and creativity
- facilitating the building of satisfying interpersonal relationships
- improving coping abilities
- reducing personal stress
- improving time management skills
- improving well-being and overall quality of life.
