Gratitude as a Psychotherapeutic Intervention

Gratitude practice can be a catalyzing and relational healing force, often untapped in clinical practice. In this article, we provide an overview of current thinking about gratitude's defining and beneficial properties, followed by a brief review of the research on mental health outcomes that r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical psychology 2013-08, Vol.69 (8), p.846-855
Main Authors: Emmons, Robert A., Stern, Robin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Clinical medicine
Emotions
Female
goodness
gratitude
healing
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Mental health
Psychotherapeutic Processes
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy - methods
redemptive
Social Behavior
Spouses - psychology
transformation
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Summary:Gratitude practice can be a catalyzing and relational healing force, often untapped in clinical practice. In this article, we provide an overview of current thinking about gratitude's defining and beneficial properties, followed by a brief review of the research on mental health outcomes that result from gratitude practice. Following an analysis of our case study of the use of gratitude as a psychotherapeutic intervention, we present various self‐strategies and techniques for consciously choosing and cultivating gratitude. We conclude by describing ways in which gratitude might be capitalized upon for beneficial outcomes in therapeutic settings.
ISSN:0021-9762
1097-4679
DOI:10.1002/jclp.22020