The Power of Positive Psychology: Beyond Reducing Symptoms
This past weekend, I attended the Coaching Training Intensive (CTI) through the CAPP Institute, led by Valerie Burton. The impactful training was rooted in positive psychology, and I left energized by the reminder that well-being is not only about reducing distress, but also about intentionally cultivating joy, purpose, and resilience.
From Reducing Symptoms to Increasing Positives
Positive psychology emerged in the late 1990s, championed by Dr. Martin Seligman during his time as president of the American Psychological Association. For decades, psychology had primarily focused on reducing suffering by treating depression, anxiety, trauma, and other challenges. Positive psychology shifted the lens: rather than focusing only on what’s “wrong,” it also asks what helps people thrive?
Research shows that positive emotions don’t just feel good in the moment. According to Dr. Barbara Fredrickson’s “broaden and build” theory, positive emotions like joy, gratitude, and curiosity actually expand our thinking and creativity. Over time, they build lasting resources like resilience, stronger relationships, and better health. In other words, cultivating positivity helps us not only feel better but also become better equipped to handle life’s challenges.
What Is Positive Psychology?
At its core, positive psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing. It explores concepts like meaning, resilience, optimism, strengths, gratitude, and connection. Instead of seeing happiness as something fleeting or superficial, positive psychology views well-being as a set of skills and habits that can be cultivated intentionally.
Happiness Triggers
One of the topics we explored in training was happiness triggers, which are a set of research-backed experiences shown to reliably generate positive emotions. What makes them so powerful is their individuality: what works for one person may not work for another. There are 13 identified happiness triggers and
Anticipation: Sometimes happiness comes not from the event itself, but from looking forward to it. Planning a vacation, counting down to a holiday, or even anticipating a favorite TV show can lift mood days or weeks in advance. Creating moments of anticipation, like putting something fun on your calendar, stretches joy beyond the activity itself. We don’t often give credit to the joy that anticipation provides. We tend to assume the event itself is what matters, when in fact the lead-up can be just as powerful in boosting our well-being.
Savoring: Our brains are wired with a negativity bias, which means we’re quicker to hold onto what went wrong than what went well. Savoring interrupts this by helping us linger in the positive. Whether it’s taking an extra minute to enjoy a good cup of coffee, replaying a happy memory, or pausing to notice a beautiful sunset, savoring locks in joy and helps it “stick.”
Gratitude: Gratitude is the practice of deliberately noticing and appreciating the good in our lives, even in small, everyday moments. Research shows that regularly engaging in gratitude activates areas of the brain linked to positive emotion and resilience. Over time, it helps train our attention away from what’s missing or stressful and toward what’s nourishing and sustaining. A simple nightly habit of writing down three things you’re grateful for can gradually rewire your perspective and create a deeper sense of contentment.
Movement: Physical activity is one of the most powerful mood boosters available. Movement triggers the release of endorphins, relieves stress, and boosts energy.
When you complete the Happiness Triggers Assessment, you’ll discover which triggers you naturally rely on (your “go-to” boosts) and which ones you rarely or never use. Most people assume their biggest gains will come from doubling down on the triggers they already lean on. But Valerie pointed out that the less used or “weaker” triggers are often the most impactful.
Here’s why:
Novelty effect: When you introduce a happiness trigger you don’t normally use, your brain experiences it as fresh and stimulating. Because it’s not part of your everyday routine, it can provide a stronger mood lift than the ones you’ve already habituated to.
Balancing your toolkit: If all of your triggers are social, for example, you may feel limited when connection isn’t available (like during stressful workdays or when loved ones are busy). Expanding into underused triggers—say, savoring or movement—broadens your options and gives you more flexible ways to generate positive emotions.
Growth potential: Much like exercising a new muscle, practicing weaker triggers builds capacity in areas of life you may be overlooking. For instance, someone who rarely uses “anticipation” as a trigger might find that intentionally scheduling something to look forward to (like a weekend outing) often turns out to be more powerful than the approaches you tend to use most.
In other words, your “weaker” happiness triggers represent untapped opportunities. By intentionally practicing them, you can diversify the ways you spark positive emotions and make your well-being toolkit much stronger.
And remember- therapy isn’t only for times of crisis. You don’t need to be in the depths of anxiety or depression to benefit. Therapy can also be a space to focus on flourishing: exploring what makes life meaningful, cultivating resilience, and building skills for long-term well-being.