Treat the Pain AND Grow the Good: Applying Positive Psychology in Therapy Sessions
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby is a licensed psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist, board-certified coach, AAMFT clinical supervisor, host of the Love, Happiness, and Success Podcast and founder of Growing Self.
Let’s be real: you didn’t become a therapist just to manage symptoms and slap diagnostic labels on people. You’re here to help folks flourish. And if you’ve ever wondered how to bridge that gap between surviving and thriving, you need to expand your scope of competence to include the principles of positive psychology and well-being.
In the latest episode of the Love, Happiness and Success for Therapists podcast, I sat down with two absolute rockstars in the field: Dr. Nick Holton and Dr. Adam Wright. These guys are deep into the science and application of positive psychology. And trust me—they are bringing the good stuff.
We talked about how to define positive psychology, how it fits into clinical work, the differences between positive psychology coaching and therapy, and why this empowering approach is needed in today’s world.
The Principles of Positive Psychology and Well-being
If you’re imagining gratitude journals and sunshine memes, slow your roll. Positive psychology is a legit, evidence-based field that studies what makes life worth living. It’s about meaning, strengths, vitality, connection, and purpose—not just pain reduction. As Nick shared, the goal isn’t to replace traditional therapy. It’s a “both/and” integration that helps us support clients more holistically, especially when traditional therapy models aren’t working as effectively as we’d hoped.
Here’s the key: the principles of positive psychology and well-being don’t ignore the hard stuff. Instead, they embrace struggle, grit, and suffering as necessary parts of growth. This isn’t about pretending everything is okay—it’s about helping people find meaning and strength through their challenges.
One powerful intervention mentioned in the episode is the use of character strengths work: identifying and activating a client’s core strengths to navigate adversity and build confidence.
Another? Psychological flexibility, an essential skill cultivated in Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) that helps clients stay connected to values while moving through discomfort.
In short? We don’t stop at healing what hurts. We also build what works.
Why Some Therapists Resist Positive Psychology
According to Adam, the resistance is often about training and exposure. Most therapists are schooled in the medical model: identify symptoms, diagnose, reduce suffering. That’s important, obviously. But it leaves out a massive chunk of the human experience. The principles of positive psychology and well-being invite us to expand the frame.
Some of the early branding around positive psychology hasn’t helped either. It can come across as overly cheery or naive. But that’s not what this is. It’s about integrating grit, meaning, and even the dark stuff into a model of growth. It’s not sunshine and rainbows—it’s resilience, purpose, and anti-fragility.
For example, one of the positive psychology interventions Nick and Adam highlighted is WOOP: Wish, Outcome, Obstacles, Plan. This framework blends goal-setting with mental contrasting—helping clients realistically assess challenges and create concrete, values-aligned action steps. (We dive deeper into this in the full podcast episode.)
Positive Psychology Interventions
Adam said it beautifully: “We put the fire out, yes. But why not teach them where the fire extinguisher is? Where to install the smoke alarm?”
That metaphor nails it. As therapists, we often wait until clients are in full-blown crisis mode before we intervene. But what if we could equip them before the breakdown? That’s where positive psychology shines. It allows us to take a proactive, strengths-based approach that doesn’t just restore functioning—it elevates it.
A positive psychology intervention they shared was the WARM tool, a rapid reset technique based on ACT and affective neuroscience:
- Witness thoughts and feelings without judgment
- Accept the discomfort and anchor through breath
- Refocus on the present moment
- Move forward with purpose and values-based action
This is the kind of practical, real-time support clients need—especially those navigating anxiety, performance pressure, or life transitions.
Ready to Make a Bigger Impact?
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If you’re a therapist craving more freedom, deeper fulfillment, and new ways to help people grow—coaching could be your next evolution.
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Positive Psychology Coaching vs. Therapy
We also dove into the overlap between therapy and coaching. And whew, it got juicy. Where coaching and therapy most clearly diverge is in the purpose and scope. Therapy is grounded in a clinical orientation. It’s about diagnosing and treating mental health conditions and restoring psychological wellbeing. Positive psychology can be used in addition to traditional therapy models to aid this process.
So, if you’re a therapist helping a high-functioning client who wants to level up, positive psychology gives you a framework that moves the work forward—without pathologizing the process.
Coaching, by contrast, is inherently growth-focused. Coaches don’t diagnose—they facilitate clarity, forward movement, and accountability. Coaching helps people define goals, build strengths, and take intentional action.
That said, when done ethically and with the right training, therapists can absolutely bring coaching tools into their practice to help non-clinical clients achieve personal and professional breakthroughs.
In the episode, Adam talked about how his experience as both a therapist and a performance coach gave him a more holistic approach. He wasn’t afraid to borrow from sport psychology, neuroscience, and executive coaching because it helped his clients move the needle.
His example was such a refreshing reminder that curiosity and cross-disciplinary learning can enhance our impact—not diminish it.
If you’re doing both, the key is to know the difference, understand coaching ethics, and stay in your lane—while using everything in your toolkit to serve your clients with integrity and skill.
Coaching Certification for Therapists
If you’ve been feeling stuck, uninspired, or boxed in by your training, I hope this conversation opened new doors for you. Learning how to apply the principles of positive psychology and well-being will breathe fresh air into your practice.
And if you have a desire to go deeper, get more tools, or expand your services—then you are going to love my Coaching Certification for Therapists (CCE accredited).
This certification is designed specifically for licensed therapists who want to ethically and confidently integrate coaching into their work. It gives you:
- A solid, research-based framework grounded in coaching psychology, motivational science, and evidence-based strategies
- Clear guidance on the difference between therapy and coaching—so you stay in scope and feel fully aligned in your work
- Proven tools for goal-setting, accountability, mindset work, and strengths-based interventions
- A professional edge and income diversification opportunity
- Live classes and an 8 week internship to hone your skills with real clients.
And yes, it also comes with 30 hours needed for your BCC credential and between 30-50 CEU hours you can apply toward licensure renewal.
Whether you’re looking to build a coaching arm to your practice or just want to broaden your skillset with science-backed strategies that actually work, this program gives you everything you need.
👉Click here to learn more and apply to enroll.
Also, come connect with me on LinkedIn. I share more insights from interviews with experts, info on my upcoming free CEU webinars, and occasional nerdy rants about all things therapy, coaching, and flourishing. I’d love to connect with you there and hear your take.
Xoxo
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
P.S. Know a colleague who could use this perspective shift? Forward this article or share it with your favorite therapist group or supervision crew. Let’s spread the good stuff—and help each other rise.
Resources:
Saddawi-Konefka, D., Baker, K., Guarino, A., Burns, S. M., Oettingen, G., Gollwitzer, P. M., & Charnin, J. E. (2017). Changing resident physician studying behaviors: A randomized, comparative effectiveness trial of goal setting versus use of WOOP. Journal of graduate medical education, 9(4), 451-457. https://meridian.allenpress.com/jgme/article-abstract/9/4/451/35318
Lee Duckworth, A., Steen, T. A., & Seligman, M. E. (2005). Positive psychology in clinical practice. Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol., 1(1), 629-651. https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.1.102803.144154
Gable, S. L., & Haidt, J. (2005). What (and why) is positive psychology?. Review of general psychology, 9(2), 103-110. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.103
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