ABSTRACT
Positive art therapy combines art therapy with positive psychology's mission: to promote well-being by building upon what is good in our lives. This chapter includes clinical vignettes and interventions to illustrate the application of this approach. Positive psychology emerges from humanistic principles holding that human beings are inherently good and motivated to reach their full potential. Martin Seligman conceptualized PERMA as an overarching framework that outlines what he and other positive psychologists have determined is the most important pathways to well-being. PERMA stands for Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement. Positive psychology refutes the notion that we are driven by unresolved conflicts from the past that compel us to repeat old dysfunctional patterns. Instead, it insists that we can be pulled by the future, toward our highest goals and aspirations. In psychotherapy, decades of research have demonstrated that the therapeutic relationship, regardless of theoretical approach, is a critical curative component.
