The name Positive Psychotherapy (PP) is derived from the Latin word "positum", i. e. from what is factual and given. Disorders and conflicts within a client are not the only things that are factual and given. The basic principle in Positive Psychotherapy is "help for self-help" and the focus is on client's capacities.
The client also has the capacity for dealing with the conflicts. PP integrates psychodynamic with cognitive-behavioural aspects of psychotherapy on the basis of a positive, trans-cultural and interdisciplinary approach. It is conflict-centered and resource-orientated and has been developed by Nossrat Peseschkian and co-workers since 1968. It has been approved it as a scientifically based psychodynamic method of psychotherapy by the German governmental institutions and chambers, the European Association of Psychotherapy, the World Council of Psychotherapy and many national bodies all over the world.
PP has an original approach: It uses a set of basic concepts that are phrased in every-day language so that they can be easily understood by both, therapist and patient. However, these basic concepts also provide a framework for the psychotherapeutic process in general, hence communication within the rich tradition of psychotherapeutic schools is promoted, too.
Due to its accessible nature, PP has been successfully applied not only in psychotherapy, but also in education, training and coaching. It is now widely spread across the world: it has been introduced in more than 80 countries, institutions have been established in more than 20 countries, the major books have been translated in more than 20 languages and various programs at university and postgraduate level have been established.
PP is based on the conviction that all men are good by nature and that they have two basic capabilities: the capability to love and the capability to know. Conflicts are interpreted as challenges to the development of these capabilities. From this starting point, a lot of innovative concepts and techniques have been developed for the therapeutic process.
