Positive Psychology and Coaching are two powerful approaches that have gained prominence in the modern world, especially in the context of personal and professional development.

Both aim to promote well-being, individual growth and the achievement of goals. In this article, we will explore Positive Psychology and Coaching in depth, from their main characteristics to how these two areas complement each other to boost people's lives.

Positive Psychology: Finding Your Best Self

Positive Psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses its attention on the positive aspects of the human experience, rather than focusing solely on problems and pathologies.

Martin Seligman, one of the main exponents of this area, highlights the importance of cultivating positive emotions, engagement, healthy relationships, meaning and personal achievements, forming the acronym PERMA. The goal is to help people develop their emotional resilience, improve their quality of life and flourish.

Within this context, the Coaching professional finds fertile ground to apply his techniques and skills. Coach can use the principles of Positive Psychology to help your coachees to discover and utilize their strengths. In addition, they can work on their limiting beliefs and set goals that align with their deepest values.

More about the PERMA Model

Let's understand a little more about the PERMA Model, developed by Martin Seligman:

1. P – Positive Emotions (Positive Emotions):

It refers to the importance of cultivating and experiencing positive emotions, such as joy, gratitude, love, serenity and hope. These emotions play a fundamental role in increasing well-being and emotional resilience.

2. E – Engagement (Engagement):

It is the experience of being fully immersed and involved in an activity. When a person is engaged in a task or activity that challenges their abilities and provides a sense of accomplishment, they experience greater satisfaction and a sense of flow. Thus, time seems to pass quickly and activities are performed with greater efficiency and concentration.

3. R – Relationships (Relationships):

Highlights the importance of healthy and meaningful social connections. Positive and supportive relationships with friends, family, colleagues and community have a significant impact on happiness and quality of life.

4. M – Meaning (Meaning):

It refers to the search for meaning and purpose in life. When a person finds meaning in their actions, whether in their work, their beliefs, or their contributions to society, they tend to experience a higher level of well-being and satisfaction.

5. A – Accomplishment (Achievements):

It concerns personal achievements and the sense of progress towards significant goals and objectives. The feeling of achievement and recognition of one's own abilities contribute to greater self-esteem and motivation.

The PERMA model offers a comprehensive framework for promoting well-being and lasting happiness. By focusing on these dimensions and working to cultivate them in their lives, people can increase their emotional resilience, find meaning in their daily experiences, and enjoy healthier, more enriching relationships.

“The PERMA model is a framework created by Martin Seligman that shows how positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement form the foundation of a fuller, happier life.”

Coaching: Achieving high performance and achieving goals

Coaching, in turn, is a practice that aims to improve the performance of individuals and teams, helping them achieve their goals more quickly and effectively. Through structured conversations and specific tools, Coach supports the coachee identify your challenges and opportunities. In addition, you also want to improve your skills and actions, and build a solid plan to achieve success.

When combined with Positive Psychology, Coaching becomes even more powerful. After all, it helps people not only overcome their limitations, but also reach a state of fulfillment and satisfaction with their lives. achievements.

Thus, by focusing on strengths and possibilities, the Positive Psychology-based coaching process (known as Positive Coaching) can boost an individual's self-esteem, motivation, and confidence, propelling them toward high performance. This combination can also be used as a backdrop to Appreciative Inquiry (AI), a methodology that focuses on the positive aspects of those involved.

Therefore, Positive Coaching, inspired by positive psychology, isn't limited to correcting failures, but also expands possibilities. Above all, it helps people identify limiting beliefs—such as the fear of failure—and replace them with empowering beliefs aligned with their purpose.

“Coaching is a structured process that helps transform goals into concrete results, combining self-knowledge with an action plan.”

The symbiosis between positive psychology and coaching

The union between Positive Psychology and Coaching can be considered a symbiosis, since both approaches complement and benefit each other. While Positive Psychology provides the theoretical and conceptual basis for the process, Coaching brings the practical tools for applying these concepts in the coachee's daily life.

THE Coach, by understanding the principles of Positive Psychology, you can personalize your sessions according to the emotional and psychological needs of the coachee, creating an environment conducive to personal and professional flourishing. On the other hand, the practical approach of Coaching helps transform ideas into concrete actions, enhancing individual growth.

Neuroscience shows that our brains are plastic: we can literally create new neural connections when we repeat positive practices. In other words, every technique applied in coaching, when combined with positive psychology, has the biological backing to translate into real change.

“The union between Positive Psychology and Coaching creates an environment conducive to reprogramming the mind, eliminating self-sabotaging patterns and building new healthy habits.”

Benefits of investing in positive psychology and coaching

Investing in the combination of Positive Psychology and Coaching can yield a number of significant benefits. In addition to promoting self-awareness, resilience, and well-being, this combination can lead to greater clarity in defining goals and objectives, facilitating the identification of pathways to achieve them.

By developing emotional skills and improving focus and concentration, it's possible to boost performance in all areas of life, whether personal or professional. The benefits extend to companies that invest in Positive Psychology-based coaching programs. After all, more satisfied and engaged employees tend to be more productive and creative. Furthermore, for companies, it can mean less turnover and for individuals, it is a path that helps overcome procrastination and even encourages them to change careers.

“The main benefits of integrating Positive Psychology and Coaching are greater clarity of objectives, emotional strengthening, and more consistent results in personal and professional life.”

Invest in yourself!

In short, the combination of Positive Psychology and Coaching is a holistic and powerful approach to promoting growth, well-being and high performance.

By using the principles of Positive Psychology to strengthen emotional and psychological foundations, and Coaching to chart a clear path toward goals, individuals and teams can achieve extraordinary levels of personal and professional fulfillment. So don’t hesitate to explore these transformative areas, taking advantage of all the potential they can offer for a more fulfilling and successful life.

FAQ – Questions and Answers about Positive Psychology and Coaching

1. What is Positive Psychology in a nutshell?

Positive Psychology is the branch of psychology that studies strengths, virtues, and factors that promote human flourishing, going beyond the absence of disease to focus on well-being.

2. How is Coaching different from therapy?

Coaching focuses on action and the future, helping to define goals and strategies, while therapy generally works on the past and deep emotional issues.

3. What is Positive Coaching?

Positive Coaching is the integration of coaching with the principles of positive psychology, seeking not only to correct problems, but also to enhance strengths and create a more fulfilling life.

4. What are the benefits of combining Positive Psychology with Coaching?

This combination increases goal clarity, strengthens self-esteem, improves relationships, and enhances personal and professional results.

5. Does this approach really work for everyone?

Yes. Everyone's journey is unique, but because the methodology is based on science and personalization, anyone can benefit from consistently applying the proposed practices.

Image: Freepik modified

Article originally published on 07/29/2023 and updated on the date above.

Marcel Castilho

Marcel Castilho is an expert in neuromarketing, neuroscience, mindfulness and positive psychology. In addition to being an advertiser, he also has a Master's degree in NLP – Neurolinguistic Programming. As the owner and founder of the communications agency VeroCom and also of the digital agency Vero Contents, he has been studying human behavior for over 30 years.