Positive psychology is a field of science that looks at the strengths and virtues that contribute to an individual’s well-being. Its application aligns well with the field of career development. Here are some resources to help career practitioners apply positive psychology to support clients in their success.
Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization (Coursera) [Courses]
Learners will discover key theories and research in the field of positive psychology, applications of key concepts to their personal and professional life, and master strategies and tools that enable individuals and organizations to thrive. This five-course series is delivered by instructors from the University of Pennsylvania.
Infusing Positive Psychological Interventions Into Career Counseling for Diverse Populations (The Counseling Psychologist) [Research]
Using the strengths-based inclusive theory of work as a framework, this paper describes how positive psychological interventions can be infused within career and work counselling for diverse populations.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Carol S. Dweck) [Book]
After decades of research, Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, PhD, discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this book, she shows how success in school, work and other areas of our lives can be influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities.
Partnering with Faculty to Support Career Development of Diverse Populations Using Positive Psychology and Self-Assessment (National Career Development Association) [Article]
The Career Centre at California State University (Dominguez Hills campus) shares their approach for integrating positive psychology in the classroom through collaboration with faculty. This includes creating a plan to aid diverse students and providing strength-based self-assessment tools faculty could use in their curriculum.
The Happiness Advantage (Shawn Achor) [Book]
Shawn Achor, who spent over a decade living, researching and lecturing at Harvard University, draws on his own research to share strategies to reprogram our brains to become more positive and achieve the extraordinary in our professional and personal lives. The book uses case studies with thousands of Fortune 500 executives in more than 50 countries.
The Science of Career Happiness (Wholebeing Institute) [Blog]
Career development specialist Denise Riebman shares examples of integrating positive psychology into career development, such as giving people the space to dream of possibilities and writing if/then statements.
Understanding potential career changers’ experience of career confidence following a positive psychology based coaching programme (Coaching: An International Journal of Theory Research and Practice) [Research]
This research involved five participants who took part in a coaching program prior to changing careers. The program consisted of four positive psychology interventions based on a proposal of core confidence as a higher-order construct composed of self-efficacy, hope, optimism and resilience. The analysis revealed that change was effected through the development of hope, change in cognitive processes and coaching as a catalyst.
Wire Your Brain for Confidence: The Science of Conquering Self-Doubt (Louisa Jewell) [Book]
Louisa Jewell is a speaker, author and the founder of the Canadian Positive Psychology Association. In this book, she presents readers with proven techniques to adopt a resilient mindset to achieve professional and personal success.
Additional reading
- Hope-centered career interventions (CERIC) [Webinar]
- Injecting hope into the world of careers (The Sydney Morning Herald) [Opinion]
- Ultimate Career Coaching Tools, Questions, & Templates (Positivepsychology.com) [Blog]
