This question is similar to many that are put to practitioners and researchers who identify with positive psychology. The stage model of psychological recovery, however, in no way denies suffering, and in fact the first four stages still refer back to illness, and only the final stage truly transcends it. Rather than focusing on the term positive psychology a more useful question may be: Which of the following are relevant to experiences of mental health consumers?
. Wellbeing
. Courage
. Strength
. Wisdom
. Hope
. Goals
. Values
. Resilience.
Any text on positive psychology will include a science of these ideas. In some ways this is a sensible evolution of the recovery movement, using the power of science to validate one’s experience. Recovery is a debate about what constitutes progress and an outcome. Using the science of positive psychology does not deny the negative experience, rather it brings tools to develop optimal functioning in the bad times and the good. The common credo of recovery and positive psychology is to develop a life worth living.
