The Psychospiritual Clinician's Handbook: Alternative Methods for Understanding and Treating Mental Disorders

For most of the history of psychology and psychiatry, there has been a focus on the negative aspects of mental health, involving the diagnosing and treating of diseases and disorders. In recent years, however, there has been a move toward “Positive Psychology,” in which (as the name implies) the focus is on the positive aspects of mental health. Psychological changes and symptoms throughout the life span are seen as having the potential for positive growth that can be incorporated into the treatment process rather than a pathologic process that needs to be eliminated or suppressed. Additionally, over the past few decades, practitioners are seeing more and more people who may not have a clinical diagnosis yet feel there is something “missing” in their lives.