having an attitude of gratitude

​     In our practice of Mentalligent Psychotherapy (MPT) helping professionals artfully weave together three treatment strategies. First, mindfulness sets the stage for your client’s healing journey. Sweeping out the emotional debris left in the mind from being stuck lets them focus on being present. Let go of “why is this happening?” Embrace “what can I do to help myself heal?”
          Second, trade out “What’s wrong with me?” That question has weighed you down for a long time already. Embrace “What’s right with me?” Start your healing journey on this positive note. This is where your MPT therapist uses positive psychology strategies to help you own your positive.
          Third, your MPT therapist will challenge you with behavioral prescriptions using cognitive behavioral techniques to nail down mindsets that will begin the neurogenetic process of re-wiring your brain. Finding gratitude in your daily walk is a positive psychology strategy that presents as a cognitive behavioral technique.
          “So, Aaron,” I began as my next patient took his seat on the sofa in my office. “What have you got for me?”
          Aaron handed me a neatly folded, typed piece of paper. “I call it my What I’m Grateful For list.” Took me a while during the week since our last appointment. I found myself in a stuck spot and just asked how bad can this be? What can I pull from this rubble that I can appreciate now? Then this stuff came to me over time.”
          I took a moment to scan the list, exhaled a deep breath, and then lit up. “Wow! I’m impressed. Great job, Aaron.” Aaron grinned as he bowed his head and looked at his hands folded in his lap.
          “Look at this.” I directed his attention to the list I held out. “You came up with 23 separate items for your list. That’s huge.” I was treating Aaron for mild depression and social anxiety. He was a loner but didn’t know how to climb out of his hold.
          Aaron leaned forward and took the list from me. “See, I covered the obvious stuff, like being grateful for life, food, a job, he gushed, but added with pride, “But I also found myself being grateful for seemingly little things.”
          “Like what?” I encouraged him to go on. “Well, my server at lunch smiled at me when she gave me the tab. I wouldn’t have noticed that gesture before or just dismissed it as her doing her job. But she brightened my day in that moment and I appreciated it.”
          “It’s the little things like that that help us get through our days without going crazy. I’m glad you noticed. Sounds like an attitude of gratitude, both big and little things to help make a better day.” Aaron nodded. I then asked, “Is that your regular lunch spot?”
          “Naw, not usually, but I’m gonna go back tomorrow.”
          “Aah,” I joked, “Gonna check her out, huh?”
          “Like you told me before, one step at a time,” Aaron blushed as he concluded.
          Aaron’s attitude of gratitude helped him unburden his depressive self-talk and develop courage to challenge his shyness, reaching out to make new friends. To find out more about Aaron’s healing journey, buy my book, The Healing Journey: Overcoming Adversity on the Path to the Good Life at amazonbooks.com. Follow this link: https://a.co/d/0dxH5xOL
Blessings, Dr. Jon

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