Positive Psychology Crash Course
Tools to Integrate Strengths, Self-Compassion, Grit and Gratitude to Enhance Therapy
- Speaker:
- Ashley Smith, PhD
- Duration:
- 3.5 Hours
- Copyright:
-
Jul 21, 2026
- Product Code:
- POS150808
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar - Also available: Live Webinar
Description
Transform therapy from heavy to hopeful with this 3-hour training
- Master the science of flourishing
- Dozens of simple to use tools and exercises
- Easily integrate with ACT, CBT, DBT and more
- Includes scripts and printable worksheets
Somewhere along the way, sessions became about reducing symptoms, challenging thoughts, and tracking behaviors.
Important? Yes … But your role isn’t to make clients feel “less bad.”
As a therapist, creating hope, meaning and fulfilment in sessions is key.
That’s where learning how to harness the power of positive psychology comes in.
This isn’t just fluff. Its interventions backed by science and decades of research that reduce anxiety, support the post-traumatic growth process and improve clients’ depression scores …
…all while clients say they feel more hopeful, optimistic and engaged in therapy.
Now in this crash course, Dr. Ashley Smith will make it simple for you to start using positive psychology with your clients.
You’ll discover:
- Why the science of flourishing matters for your clinical outcomes
- A simple 5-part model for helping clients build well-being and resilience
- A complete toolbox of practical interventions you can start using immediately
- How to cultivate a growth mindset in clients without drifting into toxic positivity
PLUS positive psychology interventions fit seamlessly with CBT, ACT, and other evidence-based approaches – so you don’t need to abandon what works – just enhance it.
Purchase now!
Credit
AI Use Disclosure
A small portion of the material for this CE activity was developed with limited assistance from generative AI. All AI-generated information was reviewed for accuracy by the instructor, an independent content reviewer, or PESI staff.
Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships
All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners. For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.
Continuing education credit information is coming soon for this non-interactive self-study package.
CE hours may be available for select professions, as listed in the target audience. Hours will be dependent on the actual recording time. Please check with your state licensing board or organization for specific requirements.
There may be an additional fee for CE certificates. Please contact our Customer Service at 1-800-844-8260 for more details.
**Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of your profession. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your professions standards.
Speaker
Ashley Smith, PhD Related seminars and products
Dr. Ashley Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist and recognized expert in anxiety and related disorders. She has worked in children’s hospitals, an anxiety specialty clinic, and private practice, providing evidence-based treatment for anxiety and OCD.
An adjunct faculty member at Kansas City University, Dr. Ashley has extensive experience training and supervising mental health professionals. She has authored peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and two books, including Childhood Anxiety Disorders. A long-time member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, she was honored with their Special Recognition Award in 2023.
She regularly presents workshops and trainings at local and national levels, focusing on the practical application of cognitive behavioral therapy, positive psychology, and applied neuroscience to improve clinical outcomes. She is also the co-founder of Peak Mind. The Center for Psychological Strength, an organization dedicated to making psychological tools more widely accessible.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Ashley Smith is the co-founder of Peak Mind, has an employment relationship with Kansas City University, and maintains a private practice. She receives royalties as a published author. Ashley Smith receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Ashley Smith is a member of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America and sits on the board of directors for Disabled But Not Really.
Additional Info
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)Access never expires for this product.
Questions?
Visit our FAQ page at www.pesi.com/faq or contact us at www.pesi.com/info
Objectives
- Analyze how positive psychology can complement traditional therapy approaches.
- Evaluate the evidence supporting positive psychology interventions (PPIs) as effective treatments for anxiety, depression and stress.
- Utilize gratitude journaling to help clients increase positive affect and reduce rumination.
- Provide a rationale for utilizing acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for body image problems and summarize the evidence supporting the approach.
- Discuss the potential benefits of yoga practice, creative arts and other complimentary approaches in improving body satisfaction and acceptance.
- Evaluate the limitations of existing research on body image interventions and critically assess the applicability and generalizability of findings to diverse populations.
Outline
Positive Psychology 101: Getting Started
- What does it mean to thrive?
- Why this matters for both clients and clinicians
- Common myths about happiness
- The “second wave” of psychology: building lives worth living
- How strengths-based interventions improve outcomes
- Evidence-based and clinical implications
- Research, risks and treatment limitations
A Simple 5 Part Model for Helping Clients Thrive
- Positive Emotions: savoring, gratitude, joy journaling, three good things
- Engagement: flow theory and helping clients find “flow”
- Relationships: skills for building healthy social connections
- Meaning: Viktor Frankl meets modern science
- Achievement: self-determination theory and why goals matter
The Positive Psychology Intervention Toolbox
- Tools to Cultivate Gratitude
- Toxic positivity v. gratitude
- Daily 3-2-1, gratitude letter/visit, pictures, etc.
- Finding and Using Strengths to Enhance Wellness
- VIA Survey of Character Strengths
- Using strengths in practice (spotting, amplifying, deploying)
- Strengths-based case formulation
- Optimism & Hope
- Learned optimism & explanatory style (Selligman)
- Best possible self exercise
- Reframing techniques
- Self-Compassion Techniques
- Kristin Neff’s components (mindfulness, common humanity, kindness)
- Practices: Self-compassion break, be a good coach
- Grit and Resilience: Strategies to Help Clients Bounce Back
- Angela Duckworth on grit
- Bounce-back factors in trauma and hardship
- Growth mindset, post-traumatic growth
- Incorporating into CBT, ACT, and relational approaches
Target Audience
- Social Workers
- Counselors
- Psychologists
- Marriage & Family Therapists
- Registered Psychotherapists
- Nurses
- Case Managers
- Other Mental Health Professionals
Reviews
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