The strength of positive emotion lies in its capacity to serve as a potent resource for resilience and emotional regulation. Current empirical evidence suggests that working with positive emotion broadens people’s momentary thought–action repertoires, which in turn serves to build their enduring personal resources – ranging from physical and intellectual to social and psychological. By shifting the therapeutic gaze towards cultivating positive emotional experiences in the present moment, therapists can empower individuals to forge pathways towards psychological fortitude amidst the tumult of chronic trauma, anxiety and depression. As therapists, we can channel positive emotion to:

• Promote flexible patterns of information processing
• Assimilate new information
• Encourage approach-oriented behaviour and
• Accelerate physiological recovery from negative emotions

Latest research also indicates that positive emotion can be interwoven within the fabric of traumatic memories themselves, thus catalyzing moments of profound therapeutic realisation. By embracing this holistic perspective, therapists can unlock new pathways of healing, enabling clients to navigate the complexities of their trauma with newfound resilience and agency. In effect, the integration of positive emotion into the treatment of chronic trauma offers a holistic framework that honours the multifaceted nature of human experience and resilience.

It helps us as therapists in:

• Empowering the clients: Working with positive emotion helps them to increase their sense of empowerment and control over the different areas of their life, as well as their capacity to handle challenges and negative experiences
• Positive reframing: Clients can begin to focus on their personal growth and insights from the negative past experiences and look back on how far they’ve come
• Expectation management of therapy and outcomes: Working with positive emotion helps clients to focus beyond the mitigation of negative. This helps us as therapists to better manage client expectations and helps them to focus on personal growth and journey rather than only on eliminating negative symptoms

Yet, positive emotion can paradoxically also manifest as a stumbling block, stalling the therapeutic journey. Clients may use positive emotion as a tool to cloak deeper psychological wounds or mask trauma with a veneer of optimism. For example, one notable manifestation is idealization, wherein individuals elevate perpetrators or even themselves to pedestals of unwarranted admiration or esteem. This serves as a potent defence mechanism, veiling the harsh realities of trauma. Similarly, the utilisation of happiness as a façade – Everything is fine – can mask genuine emotional distress, fostering denial and emotional dissonance within the therapeutic dyad. While positive emotion undoubtedly harbours transformative potential within therapeutic settings, its uncritical acceptance may obscure deeper layers of psychological trauma.

In this cutting-edge seminar with award-winning Trauma expert and author, Kathy Steele, we delve deep into the layered interplay of positive emotion and trauma. We will equip ourselves with the discerning acumen to judiciously tread the landscape of adaptive positive emotion within therapeutic contexts. Through examples, case studies and dynamic discussions, we will gain insights and practical tools to enhance our therapeutic efficacy.

At the end of this course, participants will emerge poised to enact meaningful change within their therapeutic practice. They will be able to:

• Implement at least three interventions to strengthen clients’ connection with positive emotion, fostering moments of resilience and self-discovery.
• Recognize nuanced manifestations of defensive positive emotion and intervene skillfully to promote authentic emotional exploration.
• Utilize at least three interventions to address defensive positive emotion, facilitating genuine emotional processing and healing.
• Develop strategies to empower clients, enhancing their sense of control and resilience in navigating challenges.
• Manage client expectations effectively by incorporating positive reframing techniques, focusing on personal growth and progress rather than solely on symptom reduction

Learning Objectives:

• Implement at least three interventions to strengthen clients’ connection with positive emotion, fostering moments of resilience and self-discovery.
• Apply at least three interventions to address defensive positive emotion, facilitating genuine emotional processing and healing.
• Manage client expectations effectively by incorporating positive reframing techniques, focusing on personal growth and progress rather than solely on symptom reduction

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