ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the use of measurement within positive therapy. It focuses on how tests and measures can be used in ways that are supportive of people's directions and may form the focus for collaboration in the therapy or coaching session. Positive psychology is still relatively new and although psychologists have many measurement tools at their disposal, most of these are solely concerned with aspects of psychopathology. Emphasis on strength-based assessment is consistent with positive therapy. Unconditional positive self-regard refers to the individual's acceptance of all of his or her subjective experiences, without reference to either the perceived attitudes of others or to rules or values that have been internalized from the social environment. Tests and measures derived from the positive psychology perspective can be useful in the context of therapy in helping the client's own self-understanding.
