What Doesn't Kill Us

The new psychology of posttraumatic growth

Stephen Joseph Ph.D.

Why Are Authentic People Happier?

People can decide to live a more authentic life, but it can take time to really change, to step aside from old habits and ways of thinking, and to begin to get to know yourself

Does Writing About How You Feel Help Deal with Trauma?

It may be that simply writing about thoughts and feelings on a regular basis can be helpful to people in making sense of their trauma-related experiences.

Would Politicians Benefit from Psychotherapy?

Do we value qualities like emotional literacy, kindness, and authenticity enough in our politicians?

What Is the Unconscious Mind?

The psychologist William James argued that our consciousness is like a lake and that we are floating upon it in a glass bottom boat.

An Update on the Hidden Caregivers

Around 7 percent of young people were identified as doing at least a high amount of caring, often for a mother or a sibling with a physical disability.

After the Genocide in Rwanda

The concept of post-traumatic growth tells us that if you have experienced such terrible things, then of course you have your stress and your trauma, but you can also grow

Why Is Unconditional Positive Regard Helpful in Therapy?

When a person is unconditionally accepting of themselves, they are free to grow and develop into being themselves.

Is There a Difference Between Counselling and Psychotherapy?

Therapy is best understood as representing one of two distinct traditions premised on either a humanistic or a mental illness discourse.

What Is Eudaimonic Happiness?

Aristotle's philosophy for the eudaimonic life means seeking to become the best version of yourself that you can be

Are You True to Yourself?

To be able to be assertive and to say no, we need to be able to listen to our own inner voice to know exactly where we draw the boundaries around us in our lives.

A Probe of Post-Traumatic Growth and Focusing Attitude

When faced with a difficulty, do you take time and listen inwardly to get a sense of what to do or what needs to happen?

The Hidden Caregivers: Young People Taking on a Larger Role

Educators—and all those who work with young people—need to be aware of the difficulties faced by young caregivers.

Are Schools Doing Enough to Prevent Bullying?

Are parents, teachers, and other adults sufficiently aware of just how damaging and widespread the effects of peer victimization are?

How to Deal With Setbacks and Challenges

Like riding a bicycle, which involves knowing when to shift your weight, when to bear down on the pedals and when to hit the brake, coping is a skill that can be learned.

Should Psychotherapy Students Undergo Personal Therapy?

What the findings suggested most strongly was that mandatory personal therapy offered a source of productive experiential learning.

Are You Living the Life You Want?

It is never too late to become truer to ourselves and to make the decision to lead a more authentic life – one in which we set goals that play to our strengths.

Are Self-Help Books a Waste of Money?

There is an old zen proverb which says: ‘when the student is ready the teacher will appear’. For me, this sums up the value of self-help books.

Why Carl Rogers' Person-Centered Approach Is Still Relevant

Did you know that Carl Rogers was a pioneer of positive psychology who challenged diagnosis and developed an alternative form of therapy that put the relationship first?

Why I Decided to Strike

Therapists need to reflect on the role of power in society, and the tensions between individual freedom and social responsibility.

Listen to Your Inner Voice of Wisdom

It is all too easy in the rush of everyday life not to give ourselves the time, solitude and stillness to pay attention to what is genuinely going on inside ourselves.

How Authenticity Enhances Health Outcomes

Research shows that authenticity acts as a buffer to the negative impacts associated with loneliness.

Rwandan Stories of Change

Post-traumatic growth describes positive changes that may be experienced by survivors of trauma, but is it ever appropriate to apply this concept to the perpetrators of violence?

What Are the Three Steps to an Authentic Life?

To live an authentic life, it is not enough simply to try to be ourselves. We also need to know ourselves and own ourselves.

Why Being Yourself Matters

Are you looking for happiness? Thinking about a more authentic life can help.

How Long Should Psychotherapy Last?

A good psychotherapist won’t try to push clients to go faster than they can. To do so can feel threatening and, paradoxically, lead a client to become more entrenched.

What Exactly Is Well-Being?

Everyone agrees that well-being is important, but what exactly is it? New research has identified the fourteen components that make up the good life.

How to Nurture Authenticity in Your Children

Parents want their children to lead happy lives, but paradoxically this can lead them to push their children in the wrong directions

Some Advice on Coping Following Trauma

If you, a loved one or friend, has recently been through a traumatic and upsetting event, it may be worth considering some of the following ways of coping

What Are the Common Psychological Reactions to Trauma?

It is normal to experience various psychological reactions in the days following a traumatic event. But if these reactions persist for several weeks it may be time to seek help

Why Being Yourself Is Not Good Advice

It seems like a great idea to be yourself. But what does it actually mean to lead an authentic life? There are three parts to authenticity.

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