Existential Positive Psychology’s Unique Contribution to Psychotherapy and Wellbeing Research

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-954-4_5How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Existential Positive Psychology (EPP; Positive Psychology 2.0); Integrative Meaning Therapy (IMT); Meaning; Mental Health; Well-being; Suffering; Dialectics

Abstract

Existential Positive Psychology (EPP), also known as Positive Psychology 2.0, pioneered by Dr. Paul T. P. Wong, offers a transformative and integrative framework that bridges existentialism and positive psychology, emphasizing meaning-centered approaches to human suffering and flourishing. Grounded in existential psychology, informed by empirical findings in clinical psychology, and guided by a strengths-based perspective, EPP provides a comprehensive model for understanding and promoting sustainable well-being. This paper explores the unique contributions of EPP to psychotherapy and well-being research through the lens of Integrative Meaning Therapy (IMT), a clinical approach derived from the EPP framework. IMT presents a holistic view of mental health, proposing that psychological distress arises from deviation from the “natural way of mental health”—faith, meaningful work, and love. Central to IMT are the practices of self-transcendence and meaning-making, operationalized through the PURE (Purpose, Understanding, Responsibility, Enjoyment/Evaluation) and ABCDE (Acceptance, Belief, Commitment, Discovery, Evaluation) strategies. These approaches equip individuals to transform suffering into personal growth and lead purposeful lives anchored in spiritual and moral values. Furthermore, EPP emphasizes dialectical wisdom—such as the Yin-Yang perspective, Wu-Wei (effortless action), and paradoxical interventions—as essential tools for navigating life’s inevitable suffering and contradictions. By embracing these philosophies, EPP teaches individuals how to endure adversity, find meaning in suffering, and attain mature happiness characterized by inner peace and spiritual fulfillment. Through integrating diverse traditions—Western psychotherapy, Eastern philosophies, and spiritual practices—EPP and IMT present a multicultural, compassionate, and deeply humanistic approach to psychotherapy. This paper highlights EPP’s potential that not only promotes psychological well-being but also redefines it as the capacity to flourish through suffering by embracing life’s ultimate concerns with courage, responsibility, and meaning. The prospect of EPP’s theoretical integration with other mainstream psychotherapy approaches is discussed. In addition, critical reflections are made upon EPP and IMT, and future directions for improvement are suggested.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Baihua Jin
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/29
TI  - Existential Positive Psychology’s Unique Contribution to Psychotherapy and Wellbeing Research
BT  - Proceedings of the Positive Psychology 2.0 International Conference 2025 (PP 2.0 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 41
EP  - 59
SN  - 2667-128X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-954-4_5
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-954-4_5
ID  - Jin2025
ER  -