Reference no: EM133792537

Discussion. Exploring Positive Psychology and Life Coaching

By now you should have a good understanding of why positive psychology is such a popular and effective approach for dealing with many life situations. The part of positive psychology that people find most appealing is the focus on strengths and possibilities instead of problems and weaknesses. People want to grow and change but often get stuck in the process of making those desired changes. Instead of looking for a hidden dysfunctional behavior or life experience, positive psychology looks at the resources you have available to you right now and helps you utilize those resources toward a solution. It is a proactive way to live life and one of the main reasons it has gotten so much attention and focused research devoted to studying it in recent years. In this discussion you have the opportunity to reflect on what you've learned thus far about positive psychology and share some of these takeaways with others.
You'll also go deeper into the theory and practice of life coaching. Since you've chosen life coaching and positive psychology as your area of specialization, this course will enable you to start exploring your life coaching style. You'll have the chance to begin that in this discussion, as you look at broad styles that you can "try on," much like a coat, to see how they fit. Eventually, you will have a coaching style that will fit you perfectly and be uniquely yours. You'll begin the fitting process in this discussion by choosing between three popular coaching styles.
Positive psychology has also been associated with happiness. And who doesn't want to be happy, right? But, from a Christian perspective, is happiness the end goal of life? Many in the Christian community prefer to make joy the goal instead of happiness. For example, can a person be in physical pain and still experience happiness? Most people would not think of pain and happiness as being able to coexist at the same time. But swap out the word "happiness" with "joy." Can a person in physical pain also experience a sense of joy? You'll get the opportunity to think through the distinctions with your classmates in this discussion.
Finally, you will explore the concept of wisdom. It may seem at first glance that wisdom is out of place among the other topics in this discussion. If you think about it, though, wisdom fits in perfectly with the third emphasis of the course, which is spiritual formation. The idea of being wise is central to our understanding of a biblical worldview. We are told dozens of times in the Bible about the virtues of seeking wisdom to live our lives. Here is one example from James 3:13: "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him or her show it by their good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom." As Christians we seek not just to gain knowledge (including our academic learning) but to be wise in the way we apply it. So, it should prove to be an interesting and rich discussion to kick off the course.
Instructions
Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
Read the following chapters:
Chapter 1, "Wisdom," in your textbook, The Science of Virtue: Why Positive Psychology Matters to the Church
Chapter 1, "The Integration of Positive Psychology and Coaching," in your textbook, Positive Psychology in Coaching: Applying Science to Executive and Personal Coaching
respond to the following discussion questions:
Based on your current knowledge of positive psychology, what do you find most appealing about this approach to understanding behavior? Be specific.
Positive psychology is used extensively by life coaches to help others. Most life coaches who use positive psychology also have a guiding approach that fits their personality style. The three most popular styles focus on: 1) helping to solve problems, 2) identifying and living by values, or 3) promoting growth. All are important, and you'll learn more about these approaches in the next workshop. But if you had to choose only one as a starting point for the type of coaching that most interests you, which of these approaches is most appealing? Explain.
Many people equate positive psychology with happiness. What is the difference, if any, between happiness and joy? Is one more foundational to overall wellbeing than the other? Explain.
How would you define wisdom? What is the main difference between secular wisdom and biblically-based wisdom? What role does wisdom play in helping you to grow toward spiritual maturity?
Your post should be between 400 and 500 words long.
If you use outside sources in your posts, be sure to include APA-formatted in-text citations and references at the end.
Use the APA 7th Edition
If you use outside resources in the development of your paper, be sure to appropriately cite the material. At the very least, you will have one citation for the survey.
Use in-text citations and APA format for direct quotations and references to the readings.