Positive psychotherapy
[6] Positioned between manualized cognitive behavioral therapy and process-oriented analytical psychotherapy, PPT employs a semi-structured approach to diagnostics, treatment, post-therapeutic self-help, and training.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he drew inspiration from various sources: Peseschkian is tied to the development of the approach as his life history and personality heavily influenced its creation.
These principles encompassed the harmony between science and religion, the Bahá'í concept of the human being as a "mine rich in gems of inestimable value,"[10] and the vision of a global society embracing cultural diversity.
Throughout the 1980s, PPT experienced ongoing development, leading to the release of additional books, such as In Search of Meaning (originally published in German in 1983 and later translated into English in 1985).
Eastern European colleagues, known for their organized working methods and thirst for knowledge, played a crucial role in systematizing PPT seminars outside of Germany.
PPT transcended its original medical context and found application in various domains, including school and university education, management training, and coaching.
[25] Furthermore, PPT is actively promoted through more than 50 local or regional training centers in Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Georgia, Germany, Kosovo, Latvia, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
Nossrat Peseschkian, in conjunction with the Balance Model of Positive Psychotherapy, has developed a dynamic and contemporary approach to conflict resolution across different cultures.
It views psychotherapy not merely as a fixed method to address specific symptom profiles, but also as a response to the broader societal, transcultural, and social contexts in which it operates.
[31][32] Today, there is a growing consensus that factors such as the therapeutic alliance, empathy, expectations, cultural adaptation, and the therapist's personality are more important than specific methods and techniques.
Symptoms and disorders are viewed as reactions to conflicts, and the therapy is called "positive" because it recognizes the wholeness of the individuals involved, including both the pathogenesis of illness and the salutogenesis of joys, capacities, resources, potentials, and possibilities.
Behind them stand concepts for instance of love or justice or of values such as orderliness, trust or patience, characteristics which in positive psychotherapy are called actual capacities.
Each person reacts in his own way to a concept which he has learned and developed during the course of his or her life, one which is impressed upon him or her by individual experience, and which has become an inherited model through culture and education.
Conflicts leading to distress and even physical reactions often result from divergent concepts regarding the active actual capacities, in the example punctuality or trust.
"Obedience" as an expression of discipline is for historic reasons not much prized in democratic Germany, but despite this, it is generally accepted as a fact of life and seen as constructive in the schools and the inherent freedom to make decisions is set aside by the necessity to obey the rules.
[citation needed] The inclusion of cultural factors and the recognition of the unique nature of each treatment has expanded the applicability of PPT and made it an effective method for use in multicultural societies.
The first interview is applicable to a wide range of settings, including therapy with individuals, children, youth, couples, and families, as well as counseling and coaching, and can be adapted to different cultures.
The Balance Model is based on the concept that there are essentially four areas of life in which a human being lives and functions, and that significantly impact an individual's overall satisfaction, self-worth, and ability to cope with challenges.
These areas serve as key indicators of an individual's personality in the present moment and encompass the biological-physical, rational-intellectual, socio-emotional, and imaginative, value-oriented aspects of daily life.
By incorporating these four subject relations, PPT expands on the self-object theories and establishes itself as a distinctive approach that could potentially influence the future of psychodynamic therapies.
If family concepts or compromises made in the past continue to be repeated, an unconscious inner conflict can arise, which can cause psychological, psychosomatic, or physical disturbances.
The goal of PPT is to strengthen neglected areas and underdeveloped capacities within the therapeutic relationship and daily life, allowing patients to effectively resolve conflicts and achieve inner and outer balance.
Unlike Carl Gustav Jung, who focused on fairy tales, the Peseschkian method employs a wider range of narrative therapy and association tools.
[75] Through the use of appropriate understanding, leading questions, stories, association triggers, and revisiting previous themes, the therapist facilitates the patient's storytelling and reflection.
Professionals from various countries such as Germany, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Turkey, Kosovo, China, Bolivia, and Ukraine have specialized in PPT-based positive family therapy and counselling.
Additionally, PPT has been applied in the field of psychiatry, demonstrating its effectiveness when working with (post)psychotic patients and in group settings within psychiatric hospitals, where the utilization of stories and anecdotes has proven to be particularly impactful.
Moreover, individuals can pursue specialized courses to become certified counselors in Positive Psychotherapy, enabling them to facilitate conflict moderation and promote self-help during challenging situations.
The study employed a battery of psychometric tests, including SCL-90R, VEV, Gießen-Test, WIPPF, IPC, IIP-D, GAS, and BIKEB, to measure the effectiveness of PPT.
A review of the topics covered in these academic works indicates that PPT has a wide range of clinical and non-clinical applications, with particular attention given to certain models.
List of some of the main PPT publications are: The Global Psychotherapist (JGP) is a digital journal that focuses on positive psychotherapy, following the principles established by Peseschkian since 1977.
