Keynote Presentation International Positive Psychology Association 7th IPPA World Congress 2021

Life Stories and Human Flourishing: integrating narrative and positive psychology in therapy and coaching (#45)

Margarita Tarragona 1
  1. ITAM (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México), Penn LPS Online, Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico

We can interpret events in our lives in different ways, and the meaning we give to them becomes part of our story. The ways in which we narrate our experiences have an impact on our thoughts and feelings, on our relationships and our identity. How we construct our stories can either entrench problems or help us come up with new possibilities. Narrative and dialogical practices are ways of having conversations in coaching and therapy that explore people´s stories and accompany clients as they strive to be more like their “preferred selves”. Telling and rewriting our stories can help us we can find solutions and develop alternatives that bring us closer to being how we want to be. For decades narrative theorists and practitioners have questioned the emphasis on pathology that has characterized many psychological interventions and the effects that these have on people. Narrative practices coincide with positive psychology in their focus on what works well, on people´s personal agency, creativity, values and strengths. In this talk, I will present some fundamental concepts in narrative work and present evidence on the benefits of telling and writing our stories. I will discuss the potential confluence of Positive Psychology and Narrative/Dialogical Practices and share examples of specific narrative practices that can be used in therapy and coaching.

 

  • Keywords: Coaching, Meaning and Purpose, Psychotherapy, Relationships, Strengths