On-Demand: Applying Positive Psychology to Clinical Practice: From Surviving to Thriving - 3 CEs

To access the discount form for registering for multiple workshops, please click here.

• CE Hours Included: 3 (please see below for more information)
• Format: On-Demand Webinar (“Asynchronous”) ~ At your leisure to be viewed at your own pace. You may pause, rewind, and fast-forward at any point during the videos. You are in complete control of how you view this workshop. It also comes with a PowerPoint handout and multiple handouts & forms. There is a quiz at the end to ensure viewing and is required by all CE approval organizations.
• Investment: $87 (provides lifetime access!)
• Presented by: Ashley Smith, Ph.D. (see bio below)
• Instruction Level: Intermediate
• Target Audience: Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists, Psychotherapists, Other Mental Health Professionals

Learning Objectives:

After completing this workshop in its entirety, you will be able to:

• Outline the PERMA theory of well-being.
• Apply evidence-based positive psychology practices and exercises in therapeutic work with clients.
• Discuss why intentionally pursuing wellbeing, in addition to symptom reduction, is important for optimal therapy outcomes.
• Utilize at least three specific positive psychology interventions.

Workshop Description:

Most clinical work focuses on reducing distress—but the absence of illness isn’t the same as health. This training introduces clinicians to the field of positive psychology and its evidence-based strategies for cultivating well-being. We’ll explore the science behind thriving, bust common myths about happiness, and break down the PERMA model of wellbeing with actionable tools for each domain.

You'll leave with practical, research-backed interventions you can integrate into your clinical work immediately—covering topics like gratitude, self-compassion, resilience, signature strengths, and optimism. Just as important, this session invites you to apply these tools to your own life, because thriving isn’t just for our clients. It’s for us, too.

Workshop Agenda:

Part 1 – Foundations of Positive Psychology (0:00–0:45)

• The Origins and Shift in Focus
  • What is positive psychology?
  • The difference between alleviating distress and cultivating wellbeing/what does it mean to thrive?
  • Why this matters for both clients and clinicians
• Common Myths About Happiness:
  • It’s about being happy all the time
  • Success = happiness/It’s based on external circumstances
• The Science of Wellbeing
  • The “second wave” of psychology: building lives worth living
  • Evidence-based and clinical implications

Part 2 – The PERMA Model (0:45–1:30)

Break down each element of PERMA with practical interventions

1. P – Positive Emotions
   • Broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson)
   • Interventions: savoring, gratitude, joy journaling, three good things
2. E – Engagement
   • Flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi)
   • Finding flow in daily life and sessions
   • Helping clients identify flow activities
3. R – Relationships
   • Importance of social connection in mental health
   • Interventions: active constructive responding, appreciation rituals
4. M – Meaning
   • Viktor Frankl meets modern science
   • Creating a life with purpose and coherence
   • Exercises: “Best possible self,” legacy letter, values work
5. A – Achievement
   • Why goals matter (self-determination theory tie-in)
   • Setting meaningful goals that build confidence, not pressure

Part 3 – Positive Psychology Interventions (1:40–2:30)

Each segment will cover What, Why, How (What it is, Why it matters/science behind it, How to do it)

• Gratitude
• Strengths
  • VIA Survey of Character Strengths
  • Using strengths in practice (spotting, amplifying, deploying)
  • Strengths-based case formulation
• Optimism & Hope
  • Explanatory style (Seligman)
  • Best Possible Self exercise
  • Reframing techniques
• Self-Compassion
  • Kristin Neff’s components (mindfulness, common humanity, kindness)
  • Practices: Self-compassion break, be a good coach
• Grit and Resilience
  • Angela Duckworth on grit
  • Bounce-back factors in trauma and hardship
  • Growth mindset, post-traumatic growth

Part 4 – Clinical Considerations (2:30–3:00)

• Integration into Clinical Practice

Presented by: Dr. Ashley Smith

Dr. Ashley Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist and recognized expert in anxiety and related disorders. She has worked in children's hospitals, an anxiety specialty clinic, and private practice, providing evidence-based treatment for anxiety and OCD.

An adjunct faculty member at Kansas City University, Dr. Ashley has extensive experience training and supervising mental health professionals. She has authored peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and two books, including Childhood Anxiety Disorders. A long-time member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, she was honored with their Special Recognition Award in 2023.

She regularly presents workshops and trainings at local and national levels, focusing on the practical application of cognitive behavioral therapy, positive psychology, and applied neuroscience to improve clinical outcomes. She is also the co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength, an organization dedicated to making psychological tools more widely accessible.

What people are saying about this workshop:

• “The presenter and the content were wonderful! Excellent presentation!” – Anonymous
• “She was very knowledgeable and was clear and concise in her explanations.” – Anonymous
• “Very well organized and presented clearly and with enthusiasm.” – SJ

3 "Asynchronous" CEs Included - Details by License Type Below:

• PSYCHOLOGISTS: The Knowledge Tree, A Summit Professional Education Company is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Knowledge Tree, A Summit Professional Education Company maintains responsibility for this program and its content. For more detailed information on the current CE ruling in Georgia, or if you are licensed in another state or country, please click here.
• COUNSELORS: The Knowledge Tree, A Summit Professional Education Company has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP), ACEP No. 7153. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The Knowledge Tree, A Summit Professional Education Company is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Please click here for more detailed information.
• SOCIAL WORKERS: This workshop is approved for 3 Core CEs through the Georgia Society for Clinical Social Work (GSCSW), approval #093625. If you are licensed in another state or country, please click here for more detailed information.
• MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPISTS: Many states will accept APA and/or NBCC-approved continuing education hours for Marriage & Family Therapists, but please check your specific state’s rules & regulations. For Georgia-specific information regarding MFT approval, please go to our CE Information page by clicking here and scrolling down to the map of Georgia. If you are licensed in another state or country, please click here for more detailed information.

Registration: To register for individual workshops, we recommend purchasing the course directly on the workshop's page on our website. If you would like to register for multiple workshops at once and receive our multi-workshop discount (detailed below), you may either complete the Multi-Workshop Registration Form (available HERE) and email it to our Customer Service Team at theknowledgetree@summit.zendesk.com or call them at 404-913-2005 to register over the phone. Workshops worth fewer than 3 CE hours are not eligible for the multi-workshop discount and are therefore not listed on the registration form. Workshop registration for live webinars is open until the time the workshop begins, unless otherwise specified.

Multi-Workshop Discount: There is a 10% discount when registering for two workshops, a 15% discount when registering for three or four workshops, and a 20% discount when registering for five or more workshops. To receive this discount, you must use the Multi-Workshop Registration Form (available HERE). The discount only applies to courses purchased in the same transaction; the discount cannot be applied to courses purchased directly on our website, and cannot be applied retroactively to courses previously purchased. As stated above, courses worth fewer than 3 CE hours are NOT eligible for the multi-workshop discount and are therefore not listed on the registration form.

Refund/Cancellation Policy: If you can no longer attend a workshop you have registered for, you can either receive a credit for another workshop or receive a refund if you are within the refund policy period. Refunds will be given for cancellations received at least five days prior to the workshop. More information about refund/cancellation can be found here.

Attendance Policy: 100% attendance and completion of a course evaluation is required at any CE program in order to receive credit for that CE program. No partial credit is given. Certificates of completion will be available in each attendee’s account once the broadcast has ended and the course evaluation completed.

ADA Requests: We will make every effort to accommodate any reasonable ADA request. Please call or email us at least two weeks prior to the event. Payment and registration are required to fulfill an ADA request.

No Conflict Policy: Neither The Knowledge Tree nor its speakers have received any commercial support for this program or its contents and will not receive any commercial support prior to or during this program.

System Requirements: Live Interactive Webinars are facilitated via Zoom. System requirements for the Zoom platform are linked at our FAQ page.

We are an approved vendor for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for easy reimbursement of educational expenses for VA employees.