The Power of "Automatic" Positive Thinking

Guest Blogger: Dr. Bill Conklin The fragile woman stood trembling before her classmates. Coaxed by her small group leader, Denny needed encouragement to stand up front. Having attended four sessions of the A.P.T. – Automatic Positive Thinking™ program she might have been expected to be more comfortable - but she wasn’t. The assignment was to create a self-portrait with finger-paints. Her voice trembling, Denny spoke. “This is me,” she said holding up a blank sheet of paper. “I’m invisible,” she choked out through her tears. The facilitators, small group leaders, and most of her classmates were stunned. What could be said now? While the rest remained frozen, her classmate, Sandy, made her way through the tables and approached Denny who was now weeping silently. Sandy took a finger-full of red paint and drew a heart on Denny’s paper. When she finished, Sandy looked Denny in the eye and said, “I see you.” Denny began to sob. Thawed by Sandy’s wisdom and compassion, her classmates proceeded to the front and filled Denny’s page with all manner of vibrant colors and positive images. Denny smiled through her tears, repeating “Thank you, thank you” to those who helped in this endeavor. A few months later, Denny became a small group leader. She was a new person - joking and providing input without hesitation. Her transition was remarkable. She began to advocate for others within her community. She even helped open and run a thrift store for the homeless. The impetus for Denny’s transformation was the A.P.T. program. So what is A.P.T.? A.P.T. was created and developed by Valerie Tucker. A pastor’s wife and mental health worker, Valerie gained hard-won knowledge through her own experiences. With the help of mentors along the way, Valerie built this positive psychological group intervention. For the past 15 years, A.P.T. has helped impoverished people from the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains overcome self-limiting thinking and behavior. The focus is on improving the participant’s mindset and changing outcomes for the better. The program has undergone the scrutiny of academic research. In three separate studies, Dr. Debora Baldwin (University of Tennessee) found that A.P.T. participants showed clinically significant improvement in satisfaction with life, optimism, hope, perceived self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Dr. Baldwin also discovered that the intervention decreased perceived stress and lowered resting heart rate (a physiological variable associated with reduced stress). The resolution of cognitive fallacies and the provision of robust interpersonal support seem to be the strengths of the program. It’s been two years now since Denny stood before classmates. In that time, she left an abusive husband and moved to another town. Denny lives alone now, but she is far from lonely. She is rebuilding her life with new friends and a new ambition. She is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Special Education. She hopes to embolden others to pursue their dreams regardless of their limitations. Denny is visible – and seeing her will make a huge difference for years to come. Dr. Bill Conklin is a psychologist practicing in East Tennessee. Bill has applied the principles of positive psychology since the late 1990s. He has coordinated the development of A.P.T. - Automatic Positive Thinking™ a group positive psychological intervention. For information: www.automaticpositivethinking.com