Debra Premashakti Alvis – The Pursuit of Happiness: Positive Psychology Interventions for Anxiety and Depression

Debra Premashakti Alvis – The Pursuit of Happiness: Positive Psychology Interventions for Anxiety and Depressio

• Understand how happiness is fostered in the brain
• Implement strategies for long lasting changes in life satisfaction
• Enhance positive emotions and navigate painful ones
• Tailor interventions to specific clients & clinical concerns

During the past decade, psychology research has discovered how we can become happier and flourish. Happiness can improve physical and mental health, and has been shown to increase life satisfaction. This new science of happiness offers revolutionary approaches for clinicians promoting a shift from problem oriented focus to an emphasis on strengths, virtues and optimism. Now, more than ever, individuals, families and organizations need help in building resiliency, maintaining the motivation to sustain through difficult times, and recognizing hidden possibilities – all offerings of positive psychology.

Positive psychotherapy can provide effective, evidence-based tools for recovery from anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and distressing relational patterns. Continued practice of these recovery skills rewires the brain to experience greater happiness – and better living.

This experiential seminar recording demonstrates how to harness the power of positive psychotherapy to increase your happiness and the happiness of your clients. Through lectures, clinical examples, and small group work you will learn brief, easily implemented interventions. You will take home tools to measure happiness, fuel resiliency and develop keys for thriving. You will review scientific evidence supporting this approach in clear language designed to encourage and motivate clients. Detailed handouts will further support integration of the workshop material. You will complete this seminar recording with new, effective tools to improve clinical outcomes and support therapist renewal. Practitioners experienced in positive psychology and those new to this approach will benefit from this seminar.

At the end of this recording, you will feel renewed, optimistic and with effective tools for supporting your happiness and the happiness of your clients.

1. Analyze the efficacy of positive psychotherapy in the treatment anxiety and depression in clients.
2. Utilize specific behavioral interventions to decrease symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, clinical depression, OCD, ADHD, and PTSD.
3. Implement treatment interventions for improving motivation, engagement and appreciation in clients.
4. Implement interventions shown to develop neural pathways for happiness in clients.
5. Demonstrate approaches for engaging the five essential virtues for happiness in a clinical setting.
6. Outline strategies for savoring positive emotions and working with challenging emotions in clients.

Overview: The Science of Happiness

• How positive psychotherapy transforms clinical practice
• The biological purpose of happiness
• Benefits of happiness: health, wealth and longevity
• How much happiness can we develop?
• The positivity ratio
• How positive emotions increase options
• Key contributors to happiness
• Debunk myths of happiness

How to Choose Happiness: Cultivating Skills

• Savor and appreciation
• Fuel resilience
• Motivation and engagement
• Buffering from unhappiness
• Balance realism and optimism
• Increase positive emotions

Develop purpose, find meaning

• Identify your calling
• Career & life daydreams
• Share your calling
• Values clarification
• Connect with others
  • Increase micro moments of love
• Engage the five defining virtues for happiness
• Mindfulness and yoga: seize the moment

Revolutionize Clinical Work, Address Mental Health Concerns

• Assess happiness and resiliency
• Individualize positive psychotherapy strategies
• Tools for working with intense emotions
• Applications for:
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • OCD
  • ADHD
  • Relationships
  • PTSD/Trauma
  • Substance Abuse

The Happier Therapist: Walk the Walk

• Improve clinical outcomes through therapist happiness
• Infuse flow and positivity in the clinical day
• Optimism and energy quickies