Positive psychotherapy

Positive psychotherapy (PPT after Peseschkian, since 1977) is a psychotherapeutic method developed by psychiatrist Nossrat Peseschkian and co-workers in Germany beginning in 1968. It can be described as a humanistic psychodynamic psychotherapy, which is based on a positive conception of human nature. The focus of positive psychotherapy is to enhance the positive emotion and engagement of patients rather than targeting the depressive symptoms PPT is an integrative method which includes humanistic, systemic, psychodynamic and CBT-elements. Today there are centers and trainings in some twenty countries worldwide. It should not be confused with positive psychology.

About the founder

Dr. Nossrat Peseschkian

Nossrat Peseschkian, the founder of PPT, is tied to the development of the approach, as his life history and personality heavily influenced its creation. Peseschkian has been described by his biographer as a "wanderer between two worlds" (Kornbichler T, Peseschkian M. p. 17), and his biography is subtitled "The East and the West".

According to Nossrat Peseschkian, the development of positive psychotherapy was motivated by his experience as an Iranian living in Europe since 1954, which made him acutely aware of the differences in behavior, customs, and attitudes between cultures. This awareness began in childhood when he observed how religious customs varied among his Moslem, Christian, and Jewish classmates and teachers as a Bahá'í. His experiences led him to reflect on the relationships between different religions and people, and to gain an understanding of attitudes as coming from worldviews and family concepts. During his medical specialization, Peseschkian witnessed confrontations between different psychiatric, neurological, and psychotherapeutic positions, which taught him the importance of discarding prejudices. These experiences helped him feel comfortable in the West, where concepts like the equality of men and women have always been a given for him. (Kornbichler T, Peseschkian M., pp. 62–63).

Positive approach

Positive psychotherapy emphasizes the mobilization of existing capacities and potential for self-help instead of primarily focusing on eliminating existing disturbances. The therapy begins with the possibilities for development and capacities of the individuals involved(Peseschkian N., pp. 1–7), following the approach of Maslow who coined the term "positive psychology" to highlight the importance of focusing on positive qualities in people. Symptoms and disorders are viewed as reactions to conflicts, and the therapy is called "positive" because it recognizes the wholeness of the individuals involved, including both the pathogenesis of illness and the salutogenesis of joys, capacities, resources, potentials, and possibilities. (Jork K, Peseschkian N., p. 13).

The term positive in positive psychotherapy is based on the "positive sciences" concept (based on Max Weber, 1988), which means a judgment-free description of the observed phenomenon. Nossrat Peseschkian uses the term positum in a broader sense, meaning that which is available, given, or actual. This positive aspect of the illness is just as important for the understanding and clinical treatment of the affliction as the negative aspect. The therapy aims to mobilize existing capacities and potential for self-help and focuses on the possibilities for development and capacities of the individuals involved, rather than just treating them as a "bag of symptoms." Peseschkian believes that symptoms and disorders are reactions to conflicts, and the therapy is called "positive" because it proceeds from the concept of the wholeness of the persons involved as a given.

The concept of positive psychotherapy is based on a humanistic view of human nature, which emphasizes the inherent goodness and potential of individuals. According to PPT, people have two basic capacities: to love and to know, and through education and personal development, they can further develop these capacities and their unique personalities. Therapy, in this context, is seen as a tool for promoting further growth and education for the patient and their family.

In positive psychotherapy, disorders are reframed in a positive light. Depression, for instance, is viewed as “the capacity to react to conflicts with deep emotionality”; fear of loneliness is seen as “the desire to be with other people”; alcoholism is reinterpreted as “the capacity to supply oneself with warmth (and love) that is not received from others”; psychosis is considered as “the capacity to live in two worlds at the same time”; and cardiac disorders are seen as “the capacity to hold something very close to one’s heart”.

The positive process involved in PPT results in a shift in perspective for all parties involved, including the patient, their family, and the therapist/physician. Instead of focusing solely on the symptom, attention is directed towards the underlying conflict. Furthermore, this approach allows for the identification of the "real patient”, who is often not the one seeking treatment, but rather a member of their social environment. By interpreting illnesses in a positive light, patients are encouraged to understand the potential function and psychodynamic significance of their illness for themselves and those around them, and to recognize their abilities rather than just their pathologies.

Basic and actual capacities

Conflicts in everyday life as well as inner conflicts, which can lead to psychological disturbances and illness, often are connected to actual value judgments. Behind them stand concepts for instance of love or justice or of values such as orderliness, trust or patience, characteristics which in positive psychotherapy are called actual capacitiesWays of behaving, values, virtues and conflictual ideas are connected to specific contents of actual capacities which are present in all cultures. Each person reacts in his own way to a concept which he has learned and developed during the course of his or her life, one which is impressed upon him or her by individual experience, and which has become an inherited model through culture and education. Punctuality or trust, for example, will be treated differently by two different people in comparable situations. Conflicts leading to distress and even physical reactions often result from divergent concepts regarding the active actual capacities, in the example punctuality or trust. The different valuations of concepts result from differing cultural and family concepts. The importance of punctuality or trust in comparison to contact, achievement or justice are seen as different from one individual to another. This can lead to conflicts but also to exchange, learning and broadening of a person's concepts. In 1977, Nossrat Peseschkian introduced the term "actual capacities"

According to Nossrat Peseschkian every person possesses two basic capacities: The capacity to love, expressed in the primary capacities as emotional needs, and the capacity to know, developed with the secondary actual capacities, the social norms. The capacity to love finds its expression in the primary actual capacities such as patience, time, and trust. The capacity to know finds its expression in the secondary actual capacities such as punctuality, cleanliness, and orderliness: "We structure our experiences with the help of the capacity to know... It contains the capacity to learn (to collect experiences) and to teach (to give experiences to others).”

Actual Capacities

Primary Capacities (Capacities to love)	Secondary Capacities (Capacities to know)
Love/Acceptance	Punctuality
Modeling	Cleanliness
Patience	Orderliness
Time	Obedience/Discipline
Contact	Politeness/Appropriateness
Sexuality/Tenderness	Openness/Honesty
Trust	Fidelity
Confidence	Justice
Hope	Diligence/Achievement
Belief	Thrift
Doubt	Dependability
Certainty	Exactness
Unity	Conscientiousness
Emotional needs and the capacity for relationships (achieved through modeling)	Social norms and formation of relationships (achieved through education)

Nossrat Peseschkian developed the "Differentiational Analytical Theory" (, p. 25) as a complement to the psychoanalysis of that time, which was concerned primarily with the psychosexual phases of development (for example, oral, anal and oedipal), development of autonomy and conflicts between the id and the super-ego. The Differentiation Analysis asks which specific content arises in earlier stages: The parents' patience, the development of trust, the experience of love in unconditional acceptance is a developmental psychological prerequisite for successful development in the oral phase. These capacities, known as "primary", are imprinted on the child by the direct behavior of the parents and through their modeling. Primary capacities such as having patience (with oneself or others), having trust (in oneself, in others, or in fate), having and giving time, are basic necessities for the development of the newborn child. The child needs warmth, time, patience and empathetic, unconditional acceptance in order to develop her/his own age-appropriate inner balance.

The primary actual capacities of the relationship with the first reference person makes it possible to relate to oneself, to be at peace with oneself, to perceive oneself, to develop a consciousness of oneself and the world and finally to deal appropriately with inner and outer conflicts. The primary capacity of “patience” is prerequisite for appropriate impulse control, the capacity "trust" is required for inner support, warmth and a feeling of safety. How important is the unconscious, loving acceptance received from one's mother, the grandmother who always has time and patience, or the internal figure of the father whom the child could trust so completely as to allow herself to fall into his arms or to trust with him something that she did not yet really trust by herself!

The secondary actual capacities such as punctuality, politeness, openness, justice or fidelity often play a role as social norms in resolving conflicts and misunderstandings. Similarly, “orderliness” is one of the most frequent contents of conflicts between parents and children in occidental cultures, also between the couples themselves. "Justice", a secondary capacity, and the experience of injustice must be faced and balanced again and again, loving acceptance, taking time to understand and being patient. "Obedience" as an expression of discipline is for historic reasons not much prized in democratic Germany, but despite this, it is generally accepted as a fact of life and seen as constructive in the schools and the inherent freedom to make decisions is set aside by the necessity to obey the rules. This, however, is one of the most frequent conflict factors in education. In psychotherapy, conflicts of the superego stand out in situations marked by religion as triggers for guilt conflicts.

It is noteworthy from a transcultural perspective that in Oriental cultures, primary capacities such as love, trust and contact are more highly valued, while secondary capacities such as orderliness, punctuality and cleanliness are more sharply pronounced in Western cultures. The emphasis is determined even in early childhood, for example, when the baby's feeding times are set down and clear rules as to the exact time for the main meal are laid down, as well as other such rules. These differences often lead to misunderstandings, but also to conflicts and judgments.

Positive psychotherapy analyzes the specific content of the conflicts as triggers for the emotions and focuses in counseling or therapy on the inner and outer conflicts or values and the capacities which are the contents of these conflicts. The emotions which lead to suffering, or the physical symptoms can then be understood as values functioning in a conflict of opposite concepts. In this connection the conflict-centered process focuses less on the triggers than on identifying and then working through the conflict which caused them.

Transcultural approach

The integration of a transcultural perspective into psychotherapy was not only a primary focus of Nossrat Peseschkian from the outset, but also held a sociopolitical significance for him. Nossrat Peseschkian emphasizes the importance of a transcultural approach in positive psychotherapy, as it is a recurring theme throughout the method. This perspective offers valuable insights for understanding individual conflicts and holds significant social implications. Issues such as immigration, development aid, interactions with individuals from different cultures, transcultural marriages, addressing prejudices, alternative models from diverse cultural backgrounds, and political challenges arising from transcultural situations can all be addressed using this approach.

The inclusion of cultural factors and the recognition of the unique nature of each treatment has expanded the applicability of PPT and made it an effective method for use in multicultural societies. PPT has been taught and practiced by psychotherapists in over 70 countries, and it can be considered a transcultural approach to psychotherapy. Therefore, the principles of PPT form the foundation for defining and constructing the field of transcultural psychotherapy, which is essential for psychotherapy education, continuing education, and the recognition and adoption of new psychotherapy disciplines.

The meaning of "transcultural" in PPT can be understood in two ways:

1. Firstly, it refers to the recognition of the unique characteristics of patients who come from different cultural backgrounds, which is also known as intercultural or migrant psychotherapy.
2. Secondly, it involves considering cultural factors in every therapeutic relationship to broaden the therapist's repertoire and promote a sociopolitical awareness.

PPT is a culture-sensitive method (concept of "unity in diversity") that can be adapted to various cultures and life situations and should not be viewed as a form of Western “psychological colonization”. Nossrat Peseschkian highlights the significance of the social aspect in positive psychotherapy, suggesting that it can be applied broadly to various social relationships, such as those between groups, peoples, nations, and cultural groups. By doing so, a comprehensive social theory may be established, focusing on interaction challenges, human abilities, and economic circumstances.

Transcultural psychotherapy is not just a comparison between different cultures but a comprehensive concept that focuses on the cultural dimensions of human behavior. It seeks to understand how people are different and what they have in common. PPT uses examples from other cultures to help patients broaden their own repertoire of behavior and relativize their own perspective. Tools such as stories, tales, social norms, and the Balance Model are used to promote a transcultural perspective. In 1979, Nossrat Peseschkian used the term "transcultural psychotherapy" and dedicated a chapter to it in his book The Merchant and the Parrot: Oriental Stories in Positive Psychotherapy. He believed that the solution of transcultural problems will be one of the major tasks of the future due to the increasing importance of transcultural difficulties in private life, work, and politics. The principle of transcultural problems becomes the principle of relationships between people and of dealing with inner conflicts, ultimately becoming the object of psychotherapy.

First interview in positive psychotherapy

Nossrat Peseschkian developed a semi-structured first interview, which is one of the few in the field of psychodynamic psychotherapy. Hamid Peseschkian's dissertation, presented in 1988, was the first doctoral dissertation dealing with PPT. The first interview in PPT was first structured in this dissertation, a questionnaire for this first interview was presented and a psychodynamic study of it was undertaken. This precursor to the later semi-structured psychodynamic first interview was a significant contribution to psychodynamic psychotherapy and was published in 1988 along with the WIPPF questionnaire on PPT.

The first interview in psychotherapy is a crucial component that can be compared to a medical examination and history-taking in somatic medicine. It serves several purposes, including diagnosis, therapy planning, prognosis, and hypothesis generation. In PPT, the first interview involves a diagnostic approach similar to that of a medical history, but also considers relationship factors and the therapeutic alliance. It acknowledges the impact of expectations, including the hope for effective therapy (Snyder, 193–212, Frank). Due to its semi-structured nature and adaptable concepts, it can be applied in various contexts such as individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, counseling, and coaching, and is suitable for diverse cultural settings.

The first interview in PPT is a semi-structured interview that includes both mandatory and optional questions. Depending on the answers given to the mandatory questions, the therapist may or may not ask the optional questions. The questions can be open-ended or closed, and are designed to gather information for diagnostic, therapeutic, prognostic, and hypothesis-formulating purposes (, p. 31). The interview can be used during the initial meeting or early sessions as part of the preliminary phase of therapy, and can also be used for orientation purposes in the first session, with the therapist going into greater depth on particular areas during subsequent sessions. The first interview is applicable to a wide range of settings, including therapy with individuals, children, youth, couples, and families, as well as counseling and coaching, and can be adapted to different cultures.

Balance model

The Balance model, depicted in Figure, is widely recognized and can be applied in various fields, including therapy, self-help, and family therapy. It is comparable to Freud's concept of libido, Adler's life goals, and Jung's four functions of perception, ratio, sensitivity, and intuition. The Balance Model offers a structural representation of the personality and enables the identification of areas in which an individual may be lacking. By addressing these areas, a new balance can be achieved, leading to a synthesis within the therapy.

Balance Model in positive psychotherapy developed by Nossrat Peseschkian

The Balance Model is based on the concept that there are essentially four areas of life in which a human being lives and functions, and that significantly impact an individual's overall satisfaction, self-worth, and ability to cope with challenges. These areas serve as key indicators of an individual's personality in the present moment and encompass the biological-physical, rational-intellectual, socio-emotional, and imaginative, value-oriented aspects of daily life. While all individuals possess the potential for each of these areas, some may be more prominent or neglected based on variations in education and environment. Life energies, activities, and reactions are influenced by and connected to these four areas:

1. Physical activities and perceptions, such as eating, drinking, tenderness, sexuality, sleep, relaxation, sports, appearance, and clothing;
2. Professional achievement and capabilities, such as a trade, household duties, gardening, basic and advanced education, and money management;
3. Relationships and contact styles with partners, family, friends, acquaintances and strangers; social engagements and activities;
4. Future plans, religious/spiritual practices, purpose/meaning, meditation, reflection, death, beliefs, ideas and development of vision or imagination-fantasy.

The aim of the Balance Model is to restore equilibrium among the four areas of life. In psychotherapeutic treatment, the objective is to assist the patient in identifying their own resources and utilizing them to achieve a dynamic balance. Specifically, this entails prioritizing a balanced allocation of energy, with each area receiving dynamically an equal proportion (25%) rather than an equal amount of time. Prolonged one-sidedness can lead to conflicts and illnesses, among other negative outcomes.

Model Dimensions

Assessing the impact of early childhood experiences on a patient is a crucial and difficult task in psychodynamic psychotherapy. In PPT, the Model Dimensions concept, also known as "examples", "role models", or "forms of love", is used as a tool to describe the pattern of family concepts that shape an individual's experience and development. Early upbringing and environment influence the unique development and expression of the basic capacities for love and knowledge, as described by Nossrat Peseschkian. The Balance Model illustrates the means of the capacity to know, while the means of the capacity to love.

The four model dimensions of positive psychotherapy

The use of the four model dimensions in PPT extends the analytic self and object theories of Kohut and Kernberg by introducing not only the "I" dimension, but also the "You," "We," and "Primary We" dimensions. The "You" dimension represents the relationship of the patient's parents or primary care takers amongst each other, while the "We" dimension includes the parents'/primary care takers experiences with others. The "Primary We" dimension, which is unique to PPT, describes the relationships between the patient's primary care takers such as parents and grandparents and their life philosophy or religious beliefs. By incorporating these four subject relations, PPT expands on the self-object theories and establishes itself as a distinctive approach that could potentially influence the future of psychodynamic therapies.

1. Dimension "I" is the model dimension that focuses on an individual's relationship with themselves and their life-long struggles, such as self-esteem, self-confidence, self-image, and basic trust versus basic distrust. These issues are largely influenced by the individual's childhood experiences and their relationship with their parents and siblings. During childhood, individuals learn to form a relationship with themselves based on how their wants and needs are fulfilled.
2. Dimension "You" refers to an individual's relationship with others, specifically with their romantic partner. The primary model for this relationship is the example set by the individual's parents, particularly in their own relationship with each other. The behavior and interactions between parents serve as a model for the possible ways of behaving in a partnership, influencing how the individual forms their own relationship with their romantic partner.
3. Dimension "We" concerns an individual's relationship to their social surroundings and is largely influenced by their parents' relationship with their own social environment. Through socialization, attitudes towards social behavior and achievement norms are transferred from parents to their children. These attitudes and expectations are related to social ties beyond the immediate family, such as relationships with relatives, colleagues, social reference groups, interest groups, compatriots, and humanity as a whole. The ways in which parents interact with and navigate these social relationships shape their children's understanding and approach to social behavior.
4. Dimension "Origin/Primal-We" refers to an individual's relationship with their origin or primal community, which is largely influenced by their parents' attitude towards meaning, purpose, spirituality/religion, and worldview. This dimension is not solely based on formal membership in a religious community but is fundamental to the question of meaning that arises later in life. Even if an individual rejects religion, their relationship with their origin or primal community remains important as the basis for other systems of orientation that are expected to provide meaning and purpose.

Conflict model

Nossrat Peseschkian's psychodynamic Conflict model (refer to Figure) highlights the differentiation of content, which is the focal point of contention, and its internal evaluation. The model distinguishes between the actual conflict that arises in a burdensome situation, the pre-existing basic conflict, and the unconscious inner conflict that causes physical and/or mental symptoms. The term "conflict" (from the Latin confligere, meaning to clash or fight) refers to the apparent incompatibility of inner and outer values and concepts or an internal ambivalence. Emotions, affective states, and physical reactions can be understood as signal indicators of an inner conflict of values and the distribution of actual capacities. Therefore, in PPT, the question is asked about the content: what causes or triggers this emotion?

The concept of the three main conflicts in PPT

Nossrat Peseschkian's concept of "microtrauma" refers to the accumulation of small, repetitive psychic injuries that cause microstress or “trivia, or trifles” (, p. 80), and can trigger inner conflicts. These microtrauma are different from major life events or macrotrauma. They are considered to be conflict content and are related to the actual capacities that individuals possess, which enable them to form relationships but can also become a source of conflict. In an actual conflict, when coping mechanisms are overburdened, an old unconscious basic conflict may arise, pitting primary emotional needs such as trust, hope, or tenderness against secondary capacities or social norms such as orderliness, punctuality, justice, or openness. When the previous compromise that worked to resolve the basic conflict is no longer effective, an inner conflict arises, leading to symptoms that are seen as attempts at a solution. These conflict reactions can be represented using the Balance Model, even though they cannot bring about a resolution, they still have an impact.

When certain abilities, morals, ideas, or principles are consistently used without adaptation to the current circumstances, it can lead to disorders. If family concepts or compromises made in the past continue to be repeated, an unconscious inner conflict can arise, which can cause psychological, psychosomatic, or physical disturbances. These symptoms serve as a way for the patient to express something unconsciously and have a specific significance for everyone. The goal of PPT is to strengthen neglected areas and underdeveloped capacities within the therapeutic relationship and daily life, allowing patients to effectively resolve conflicts and achieve inner and outer balance.

Narrative approach using stories and wisdom

A special technique used in PPT is the therapeutic use of tales, stories, and proverbs, which was first introduced by Nossrat Peseschkian in his work Oriental Stories as Tools in Psychotherapy – The Merchant and the Parrot in 1979. While hypnotherapy (Milton Erickson) had used this approach, it was not common in psychodynamic therapy until Peseschkian's work. Unlike Carl Gustav Jung, who focused on fairy tales, the Peseschkian method employs a wider range of narrative therapy and association tools. “Using stories and parables from the Orient and other cultures, an effort is made to recognize and further a person’s potential for self-help. With reference to the symbolic meaning of proverbs and old words of wisdom drawn from many cultures, the person to whom they are told is led in psychotherapy to a more positive view of himself” (, p. 92).

The intended therapeutic effect of surprise that results from the use of Eastern stories, which may initially seem unfamiliar in European culture, has been proven effective not only in other cultures (, pp. 24–34). Stories serve multiple functions in therapy, including creating norms for self-comparison and questioning established norms to view them as relative. In the first stage of therapy, these stories can lead to a change in perspective, which is then used in subsequent stages. Such narratives can also facilitate the release of emotions and thoughts, often playing a critical role in therapy. Storytelling in therapy serves as a mirror that allows readers or listeners to identify with the characters and their experiences, reflecting on their own needs and situations. By presenting solutions, stories can act as models that patients can compare with their own approach, leading to broader interpretations and the potential for change. Additionally, storytelling is particularly effective in helping patients who are resistant to change and who cling to old and outdated ideas.

Five-step concepts

The five-step concepts used in individual and family therapy, similar to the five fingers of each hand, closely resemble the natural process observed in group psychotherapy described by Raymond Battegay, psychodrama described by Moreno, and further education of people as described by Alfred Adler. What sets Peseschkian's approach apart is the systematic application of this process model to psychotherapy. The five-step procedure serves as a roadmap for both the therapist and the client to find the most effective means of self-help. Research in therapy has shown that the better we handle challenging therapy situations and reflect on the therapeutic relationship, the more successful the outcome of therapy is likely to be.

The three stages of interaction in therapy (attachment, differentiation, detachment) involve a 5-stage process of communication, which is utilized both within individual sessions and throughout the course of therapy.

1. The first step is acceptance, observation, and distancing, which involves a shift in perspective.
2. The second step involves taking inventory, differentiating the contents and background of the conflict and the patient's strengths.
3. The third step is situational encouragement, where self-help and resources are developed.
4. The fourth step involves working through the conflict through verbalization.
5. The fifth and final step, called broadening of the goals, involves reflecting on, summarizing, and testing new concepts, strategies, and perspectives with a future-oriented focus.

This structured communication approach is unique to the Peseschkian method and contributes to successful therapy outcomes. This therapeutic process is focused on the future and change, and it involves using concepts from the past that are effective for the present. Additionally, concepts from other psychotherapy disciplines are used when appropriate (integrative aspect). The patient and their surroundings actively participate in understanding the illness process (self-help).

The 5 stages in PPT serve as a structure for communication within a therapy session or throughout the entire therapeutic process, which would otherwise lack direction. Through the use of appropriate understanding, leading questions, stories, association triggers, and revisiting previous themes, the therapist facilitates the patient's storytelling and reflection. The process gives both the therapist and the patient a starting point and a sense of security, preparing the patient to work through conflicts and engage in self-help, especially after the therapy has ended.

Fields of application of PPT

The method of Positive Psychotherapy, which was originally developed for psychotherapy, has expanded beyond its traditional application and has been applied in various fields such as counselling, pedagogy, and social work. In Germany, PPT has been used in counselling since 1992, while in Bulgaria, it has been used in pedagogy since the same year. In China, it has been used to train social workers about mental health disorders, coping with families, and preventing burnout since 2014. PPT has also been used as a basis for specialized training programs in children and youth therapy in Bulgaria since 2006, and later in Ukraine and Russia. Professionals from various countries such as Germany, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Turkey, Kosovo, China, Bolivia, and Ukraine have specialized in PPT-based positive family therapy and counselling. As a result, PPT has become a means of sharing psychotherapeutic competences and experiences across different professional and cultural fields.

Originally designed as a fundamental positive psychosomatic treatment for mental health, psychosomatic medicine, prevention, and psychotherapy, Positive Psychotherapy has been utilized by numerous medical doctors in Germany. The approach has been implemented in a number of hospitals, as well as in the Wiesbaden Academy of Psychotherapy's state-approved training program for psychodynamic therapy in Germany.

Trademark

Positive psychotherapy (PPT after Peseschkian, since 1977) is a registered trademark in the United States of America (the registration No. 6,082,225). In 2016, positive psychotherapy was officially registered in both the European Union and Switzerland, with registration numbers 014512578 and 014512537, respectively, for the German and English versions. The registration process is still underway, and there are ongoing efforts for additional registrations in other locations.

PPT trainings

WAPP‘s main postgraduate training program is divided into three parts. These parts are designed in a sequential order, i.e., they need to be completed successively starting with the lowest level.

• Basic Consultant of Positive Psychotherapy (200 h – incl. theory and self-discovery).
• Candidate Certified Positive Psychotherapist (710 h – incl. theory, supervision, and self-discovery).
• European Certified Positive Psychotherapist (1400 h – incl. theory, practice, supervision, and self-discovery).

The courses are split up into modules of 3 or 4 days each, spread over several months depending on the kind of course. Training of Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy consist of three content parts:

• Theory. Learning all basic concepts and tools of Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy.
• Self-discovery/self-experience. Primarily, educational self-experience should assist students (candidates, residents, trainees) in developing a psychodynamic psychotherapeutic identity. The self-reflection of the student should be strengthened and developed. They should encounter their own central inner conflict and their own personality structure. They should experience themselves how psychotherapy works, and how challenging it can be. The personal experience of the unconscious is the central aspect of psychodynamic self-discovery. Even educational self-discovery deals with personal issues, it is not personal therapy. The student is not a patient, but a future colleague and a future psychotherapist. If during the educational self-discovery the student and/or his trainer find out that there are many personal unsolved issues, then the student should go into personal therapy. This further means that a personal therapy cannot be counted as an educational self-experience.
• Supervision is an essential component of Positive Psychotherapy, encompassing both individual and group formats. In PPT, supervision goes beyond simply understanding the therapeutic situation and aims to develop the supervisee's skills and capabilities based on their own needs and those of their patients. Group supervision is common in PPT, as the structured process lends itself well to practical benefits and a didactic effect. The most frequent format involves focusing on one case during a session with one supervisee, with the rest of the group acting as participants, including the supervisor. This approach allows the supervisor to engage the other participants as co-supervisors, enriching the supervisee's perspective on the case with additional viewpoints and diverse perspectives from the entire group.

PPT certification

After successful completion of each PPT course the participant receives a certificate issued by the World Association for Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy (WAPP), signed by the main trainer of the course and the President of the Association. WAPP certifies trainers of Positive Psychotherapy. Only trainers who are accredited trainers of WAPP are permitted to sign and hand out official WAPP certificates. A list of WAPP’s certified trainers of PPT.

Training standards

WAPP has developed universal Training Standards for the postgraduate trainings in Positive Psychotherapy. These standards are obligatory for everyone. The standards may differ in some countries. But the WAPP defined standards are the minimum requirements, which need to be fulfilled.

Development and international network

The main emphasis of positive psychotherapy during the past 40 years has been treatment, training and publication.

In 1979, the Wiesbaden Postgraduate Training Institute for Psychotherapy and Family Therapy was established as a postgraduate training for physicians in Wiesbaden, Germany. In 1999, the Wiesbaden Academy for Psychotherapy (WIAP), a state-licensed, postgraduate psychotherapy academy with a large outpatient clinic, was established for the training of psychologists and educational scientists.

The international head office is based in Wiesbaden, Germany. Positive psychotherapy is represented internationally by the World Association of Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy (WAPP). Its international governing board of directors is elected every two years. There are national and regional associations in some ten countries.

PPT and its therapists have been engaged in the international development of psychotherapy, and are active members of international and continental associations

Publications and research

In 1997, a quality assurance and effectiveness study was undertaken in Germany. The results show this short-term method to be effective.

There are more than 30 major books on positive psychotherapy, of which some have been published in more than 23 languages. Some of the main ones are:

• Peseschkian, Nossrat (2006). If You Want Something You Never Had, Then Do Something You Never Did. Sterling Pvt., Ltd. ISBN 1-84557-509-1.
• Peseschkian, Nossrat N (1987). Positive Psychotherapy Theory and Practice of a New Method. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. ISBN 978-0-387-15794-8. (translated) (first German edition 1977)
• Peseschkian, Nossrat (1986). Oriental Stories as Tools in Psychotherapy: the Merchant and the Parrot / With 100 Case Examples for Education and Self-Help. Springer-Verlag. ISBN 978-0-387-15765-8. (First German edition 1979)
• Peseschkian, Nossrat (1985). In Search of Meaning. Springer. ISBN 978-0-387-15766-5. (first German edition 1983)
• Peseschkian, Nossrat (1986). Positive Family Therapy. Springer. ISBN 978-0-387-15768-9., republished India: Sterling Publishers Pvt., Ltd., ISBN 978-81-207-1839-5 (first German edition 1980)
• Peseschkian, Nossrat (1986). Psychotherapy of Everyday Life: Training in Partnership and Self Help With 250 Case Histories. Springer. ISBN 978-0-387-15767-2. (first German edition 1974)
• Maxim Goncharov, Operationalization of countertransference in Positive Psychotherapy. International Journal of Psychotherapy, Vol 16, No 3, Article 4
• Maksim Goncharov, Conflict operationalization in Positive Psychotherapy, Khabarovsk, Russia, 2014. ISBN 978-5-9905455-1-9
• Messias, Erick; Peseschkian, Hamid; Cagande, Consuelo, eds. (2020). Positive Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychology. Clinical Applications. Springer Nature Switzerland AG. ISBN 978-3-030-33263-1.

External links

• World Association for Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy
• International Academy information
• OxNotes Education Information