Summary positive clinical psychology (201800111)
Course followed from February 2023 till April 2023 @ university of Twente as part of the master positive
clinical psychology and technology
** pay attention, this summary DOES NOT include any material from the articles, videos, lectures and
tutorials from the course of positive clinical psychology
Book: Using positive psychology every day (learning how to flourish)
by E. Bohlmeijer and M. Hulsbergen. IBSN number = 9780815362234
**All exercises are included per chapter. These are specifically important because the course asks you to
practice with these exercises, which forms the basis for your reflection report
Introduction Page 2
Chapter 1: high time for joy Page 4
Chapter 2: enjoy your talent (about discovering and using strengths and qualities) Page 10
Chapter 3: lose yourself (about discovering and using strengths and qualities) Page 18
Chapter 4: optimists are full of it (about optimism and hope) Page 24
Chapter 5: have a break (about self-compassion) Page 28
Chapter 6: I am not who I once was (about coping with traumatic events and setbacks) Page 33
Chapter 7: sharing your positive life (about relationships) Page 40
Chapter 8: beyond the self (about connectedness and giving) Page 47
Conclusion: a positive life as the art of living Page 52
Book: An introduction to cognitive behaviour therapy (skills and applications)
by H. Kennerly, J. Kirk & D. Westbrook. 3rd edition. ISBN number = 9781473962583
**pay attention, the summarized chapters are not included in chronological order. The reason for this is that
the course gives a certain structure for reading the chapters. This order is maintained in this summary.
Chapter 1: basic theory, development and current status of CBT Page 53
Chapter 7: socratic methods Page 61
Chapter 12: depression Page 68
Chapter 3: the therapeutic relationship Page 76
Chapter 13: anxiety disorders Page 83
Chapter 14: anxiety disorders: specific models and treatment protocols Page 91
Chapter 15: wider applications of CBT Page 100
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,Summary book using positive psychology everyday (learning how to flourish, Ernst Bohlmeijer and
Monique Hulsbergen)
Introduction
Art of living has become a theme in psychology
Art of living is also sometimes called positive living.
Psychological focus is on:
- How can I enjoy life and experience the joy of living?
- How can I develop myself and get the best out of myself?
Starting point positive psychology: we are all potentially unique, creative, spontaneous, talented beings & every
human offers something valuable to the world.
However, we often neglect this possibility or do not see it.
Art of living is about letting go of certain patterns rather than about imposing certain requirements on yourself.
Its about creating space and about allowing yourelf to be who you are.
Art of living calls for
- Willingness to look honestly at yourself
- Take responsibility for your life
- Making choices based on self-knowledge
As society has become more complex, the art of living has become more important. However, we often loose
sight of our individuality, creativity and talents. This can be caused by loss or the school system. This can also be
caused by unwritten rules in society.
In mental health care, personal growth is a new (rediscovered focus).
!! well-being does not depend upon the absence of complaints and problems.
Think about the mental health quadrant for example.
Positive mental health makes you more resilient and less vulnerable.
However, some things will always be painful or present in your life. To learn how to live with this, you can use
the beginners guide to mindfulness: live in the moment. Some findings described in this book are
- Struggling against unpleasant events only makes things worse
- Recognition and acceptance of these experiences gives you space to focus on what you consider
important (these important experiences can also be called values). Values/topics can be
o Live life attentively
o To enjoy life
o To experience love
o To put personal qualities at the service of social goals
On these values/topics; positive psychology focusses!
Living positively = living with the intention to appreciate what is present and to enjoy joyful experiences as well
as developing yourself and contributing to the development of others and society.
Instructions for using this book
Suggestions are meant to bring about a change in your attitude towards life.
Try these exercises and invest time in them.
A good way is to read one chapter per week and perform 1 or 2 exercises.
!! if you suffer from severe depression or anxiety, this book can be too “hard” for you since you do not have the
inner space for exercises.
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,Finally, your own way
This book is about discovering a turning point in your life from being negatively motivated towards living a life
full of positive motivation.
Living with a positively motivated perspective means that we are focused on personal growth.
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, Chapter 1: high time for joy
1.1. Introduction
Psychology has mostly focussed on negative emotions (fear, grief, loneliness, sadness, etc). many theories have
been developed about this. The belief was: negative emotions hinder our happiness.
However, negative emotions are never fully erased from our life. We cannot control these emotions fully.
Experiencing pleasant emotions is a major key to positive living.
1.2. The importance of pleasant emotions
Our society seems to have more negative emotions rather than pleasant one. Therefore, our focus is on negative
emotions more often. It almost is a lifestyle to work very hard, to have many complaints, etc.
Our capacity for long lasting satisfaction and happiness seems to be missing.
The emphasis is on quantity, rather than quality of life.
!! there is a difference between negative vs positive emotions and pleasant vs unpleasant emotions. Negative
gives the feeling “sadness” for example is bad. However, it is not bad, it is normal. It is just unpleasant. Be
aware of this difference.
This chapter focusses on enhancing pleasant emotions, without covering up/suppressing unpleasant ones.
1.3. Ten pleasant emotions
Important key to inspired living (and feeling joy) is reinforcing the way you experience pleasant emotions every
day. Fredrickson distinguishes between 10 pleasant emotions:
Joy The feeling of happiness and delight you experience when something good happens to you, or
when you are doing something you enjoy. This emotion makes you feel alive and unburdened.
Gratitude The feeling you experience when you receive something, especially if something performs an
unexpected favour or if a situation turns to your advantage. Feeling privileged. Do not confuse
this with the feeling that you owe someone a favour in return.
**allows us to rise above ourselves. They connect us to other people, they are accompanied by a
feeling that we are part of a greater whole and motivate us to commit to a common goal.
Calm Those moments where you are completely at peace, harmonious. Frequently achieved following
some amount of effort.
**particularly experiences when we are calm, safe, when we have time, when we are tranquilly
present in the here-and-now
Interest Something new has caught your attention. You feel the urge to find out more, to learn, to master.
**drives us to explore unknown and to set new goals for ourselves
Hope A potential boon during times of hardship. You feel and know from experience that things will
get better.
**linked to times of adversity, times of hardship. Hope is the confidence that things are going to
change for the better. However, hope is difficult to exhibit, since it is held back by negative
emotions in times of hardship such as restlessness, agitation and hurriedness.
Pride A feeling that is often the result of your expectation that others will appreciate something you
have done or achieved. For this reason, it is also referred to as a self-aware emotion. Ranks
slightly stronger than satisfaction.
**specifically linked to personal challenges and growth.
Cheer Strongly linked to humour and conviviality.
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