Are you an educator focused on wellbeing? This Masters Course could change your career.

Why were so many young people struggling?

I was seeing amazing young people struggle with high levels of self-doubt, comparison, and anxiety. It was as though the only thing they could see about themselves was their deficit, their disorder, their problems. And the worst part, was that I was actually playing into this – possibly making this deficit focus worse and not better.

So I had a girl go to school and say, “Miss, I can’t do the test because I have anxiety”. And the teacher would say, “Who told you you have anxiety?”

“Well, every week I see a therapist and we spend hours talking about my anxiety and it just takes over all of my life and I can’t think of anything else.”

Now this was devastating to me as this young girl is actually talented and amazing in so many areas of her life. She’s responsible and hard working in her part time job; she is determined and a good leader in her sport and she’s super loyal in her friendships. But she can’t see any of these strengths as she’s just so blinded by this one deficit or weakness.

I came into the MAPP because I wanted to change that for her (and others).

I wanted her to discover and build on her STRENGTHS – providing language and insights into who they are and what makes them great. But I didn’t want to just give some pop science or the latest self-help trend… I wanted to discover evidence-based interventions, to understand how to more objectively measure and evaluate wellbeing design and delivery tools that could truly make a difference for young people.

**What is different about Positive Psychology?**

Until recently, the field of psychology has largely concentrated on human suffering and the causes and symptoms of mental illness. This focus is known as the deficit or disease model and was limited to studying what’s wrong with people and how to make them better. In recent years, the research area of Positive Psychology (PP) has emerged and grown rapidly as people seek not only to avoid pain and mend our disorders and brokenness, but to understand what makes a person grow, flourish, excel and be happy (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Often referred to as the science of wellbeing, Positive Psychology studies human thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, with a focus on strengths instead of weaknesses, how we build and focus on the good in life instead of just repairing the bad and taking the lives of average people up to “great” instead of focusing solely on moving those who are struggling up to “normal” (Peterson, 2008).

Why is Positive Psychology important?

From a young age, we develop a tendency to overlook the good in life and zone in on the bad. The human brain is hardwired to elevate negative experiences more than the positive ones. So if I give you 9 compliments and one criticism, what are you going home remembering – what do you dwell on? The one! I remember getting nine out of ten in a year 2 spelling test, but instead of celebrating the nine wins, I couldn’t stop thinking about the one mistake. Baumeister and colleagues, (2000) call this mental reflex our “negativity bias” and throughout the MAPP, I’ve been learning how this affects both young and older people alike.

In teenagers, so many of them wear negative labels that have come to define them. Just one off-handed comment can put a dent in their confidence and perception of self. They have very little So they will often adopt negative labels calling themselves dumb, nerd, weird, awkward, the autistic one, the bossy one and so much more. Even worse, many have been diagnosed with their disorders and what’s wrong with them, but no one is diagnosing what is right.

So studying the MAPP has only strengthened my resolve in helping teens understand their strengths and develop wellbeing language and literacy that can improve their self-worth and identity.

Doing good things is different from doing evidence-based things:

I’ve loved learning about the various wellbeing interventions, from people teaching teens how to breath and do mindfulness activities, to various exercise interventions, art therapy models and so much more. I recently met a lady doing Equine Therapy with teens who suffered trauma, in particular those who have experienced domestic violence – and I immediately thought, “How awesome and creative is that!? Using horses and animals in therapy” and she had a whole theory for why large, powerful animals can help those with trauma, can unpack their trust and power dynamics and more.

But if ideas are not tested and analysed, if ethical implications are not considered, then there is a risk that these good ideas may actually be harmful to some people. What if encountering large powerful horses was a trigger for some patients and increased their anxiety and fear? What if allergies were overlooked, or it was used in a different context that had not been tested?

I’ve come to learn that most interventions start from a good intent and may even produce a desirable wellbeing outcome for one particular group, but very few go through a process of rigorous scientific testing to actually know if what we are claiming works, who it works for, when does it work and when does it not, what is required for it to succeed each time, what cultural elements affect the outcomes, how does a person’s literacy levels or education affect outcomes or even simple things like does having breakfast affect the outcome or the amount of sleep they’ve had the night before.

As a practitioner who has developed tools, lessons and interventions for young people, I’m challenged by the Scientist-Practitioner Model which proposes that trained professionals should be knowledgeable in both research and clinical practice (Jones & Mehr, 2007), applying critical thought to practice and becoming aware of bias that come from personal experience alone without supportive literature or research.

So how do we measure wellbeing?

Throughout the MAPP, we’ve learned so many various wellbeing models and theories, from Seligman’s PERMA model that helps us understand the components that could help a person flourish and be happy, to Ryan & Deci’s Self-Determination Theory (SDT) which suggests that people are naturally disposed towards growth and fulfillment, driven by three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. According to SDT, when these needs are satisfied, individuals are more likely to experience intrinsic motivation, wellbeing, and optimal functioning.

I didn’t know a lot about these models before the MAPP, and the reason they feel so important for my learning is that I want to know that the work we are doing is actually producing a positive wellbeing outcome. But what? And how do we measure it? By having frameworks and models of wellbeing, we can develop measures that help us know if we are improving a young person’s positive emotions, or if they are gaining more meaning or connectedness in life. We can analyse autonomy and consider improved ways of learning and living.

Playing our part in a bigger system

But I think the most significant learning that I’ve come away with in the MAPP is understanding that every person is part of and affected by a series of interconnected human social systems. A lot of my work as a therapist and school program developer is focused on the individual, and yet sustainable change and collective wellbeing outcomes are often limited by or at least affected by the broader beliefs, families, culture, communities, schools, finances and politics that a young person lives within.

So I was working with a 15 year old who is incredibly creative, an amazing animator and creator of Pixar-quality characters and drawings – at just 15yrs, she has her own YouTube chanel with over 1000 subscribers and she is killing it. But she broke down and cried with me saying, “my parents want me to be a doctor or lawyer – and tell me that my drawings are childish and silly. I constantly feel like a failure as our large Asian family don’t respect creativity and only one type of intellect. Sometimes, I wish I want to give up altogether…”

No matter how hard I work with her on personal wellbeing and mental health, she’s deeply affected by the family and culture system, by the pressures of 1^st Gen immigrants who sacrificed a lot for her education, and by societal trends.

Conclusion

I’m grateful that the MAPP has introduced me to new tools that help me understand these systems, from the systems iceberg that challenges us to consider the underlying beliefs and values that sit deep down, to the Me-We-Us framework and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory that offers a rich understanding of the environmental contributors in a child’s development and learning.

For me, studying the Master of Applied Positive Psychology has only poured fuel on the fire and desire to make a difference in the lives of young people.

Dan Hardie is a Teen Counsellor and the founder of MyStrengths. MyStrengths is focused on building healthy self-esteem, confidence and self-love. In the past 5 years, over 100,000 students have discovered their unique strengths & beauty through MyStrengths High School Programs.