Positive Psychotherapy: a form of short-term psychotherapy with quality assurance

Abstract

Positive Psychotherapy is a form of shortterm psychotherapy based on a in-depth psychological approach, resulting from cross-cultural psychotherapy. It is prepared to integrate other models of therapy into its theory. Some central elements of the study are discussed in this paper.

The presentation of psychotherapy and family therapy needs a development of methods which are at the same time economical and efficient. Under the direction of Dr. N. Peseschkian, the Wiesbaden Institute for Psychotherapy and Family Therapy for Postgraduates (WIPF) and in a cooperation with the University of Erlangen-Nurnberg a study of the effects of Positive Psychotherapy with 402 patients have been started in 1995. The results of this study are impressing: Inparticular the effect size of the VEV of 1.24 shows a good development of the patients well-being. The average treatment duration for the study which is 30,5 hours. The main results correspond to the future standards of a modern psychotherapy.

A user-friendly software program has been developed for clinics and practice on the basis of applied methodological instruments for investigation of the effectivity study. The program also offers the option to integrate further specific tests when they are needed and makes a current analysis of therapy-effects possible

Keywords:
Positive Psychotherapy, quality assurance, effectivity, short-term-psychotherapy.