An inspiring conference by Dutch Clinical Psychologist Dr. Fredrike Bannink…

The 7th International Positive Psychology Congress, organized by Üsküdar University, was held on April 18–19, 2025.

Speaking at the congress, which was themed “Neuroscience-Based Positive Psychology”, Dutch Clinical Psychologist Dr. Fredrike Bannink stated that “Positive psychotherapy is the key to both individual and societal well-being.” She also emphasized that negative thinking is seven times stronger than positive thinking.

Organized for the seventh time by Üsküdar University, the International Positive Psychology Congress took place at the Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall of Üsküdar University’s Main Campus. This year’s theme, “Neuroscience-Based Positive Psychology,” was supported in collaboration with Üsküdar University NPİSTANBUL Hospital, NP Etiler and NP Feneryolu Medical Centers, the Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Association, and the Institute of Positive Psychology.

Dr. Fredrike Bannink asks: “What did you do today that made you feel good?”

Bringing together numerous experts in the field of positive psychology, the congress featured a presentation by Dutch Clinical Psychologist Dr. Fredrike Bannink titled “Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): The Next Frontier in Enhancing Well-Being.” During her talk, she also introduced her book Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and explained how positive psychotherapy can be integrated into traditional CBT approaches.

Dr. Bannink began her presentation with a quote by Albert Einstein: “A mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size.” She then invited participants to join an interactive exercise, where they were asked to turn to the person next to them and answer the question, “What did you do today that made you feel good?” three times in short exchanges.

“Negative thinking is seven times stronger than positive”

Dr. Bannink noted that positive psychology had long been viewed as a “luxury” in psychiatry, and that traditional therapies mostly focused on symptom reduction, often neglecting positive traits such as hope, wisdom, creativity, and courage.

She emphasized that people tend to naturally focus more on the negative, stating that “the impact of negative thinking is seven times stronger than that of positive thinking.”
To restore balance, she stressed that therapists should promote a more positive approach, whcih is not only for their counselees but also for the wider society.

Positive psychology aims to enhance individuals’ psychological resilience

Dr. Fredrike Bannink stated that “Positive psychotherapy is the key to both individual and societal well-being. Positive psychology and solution-focused brief therapy approaches aim to enhance psychological resilience by focusing on how individuals use their strengths when facing challenges.”

Highlighting that the solution-focused therapy approach is based not on the problems individuals face but on their successful responses to those problems, Dr. Bannink said:
“Rather than confronting counselees with past traumas, this approach aims to foster a positive outlook toward the future. The technique of positive imagination—commonly used in sports—shows that mentally visualizing success repeatedly has a positive effect on real-life performance.”

“People are not machines”

Stressing that people are not machines, Dr. Bannink emphasized that solution-focused therapies are more aligned with human psychology and made the following remarks: “With solution-focused therapies, the aim is not only to identify what is going wrong, but also to highlight what is going well, and to build upon those positive experiences. This approach focuses on solutions rather than problems, encouraging counselees to create positive changes in their lives. Therapists may ask questions like, ‘Suppose all the solutions were in your hands—what would you do differently?’ These types of questions activate different parts of the brain and help individuals break free from feelings of being stuck.”

In solution-focused psychology, the emphasis is on goals

Explaining that solution-focused psychotherapy encourages counselees to adopt a hopeful and constructive outlook toward the future by asking questions such as, “If your life were better in six months, what would it look like?”, Dr. Bannink noted that “There are fundamental differences between this approach and traditional cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT). While traditional CBT typically focuses on the causes of a problem and how to improve the worst-case scenario, solution-focused psychology places greater emphasis on goals. The individual focuses not on what they want to avoid, but on the goals they want to achieve.”

Positive CBT actively engages the counselee in the process

Dr. Bannink highlighted the limitations of traditional CBT and the importance of new, future-oriented approaches.

Dr. Fredrike Bannink pointed out that the traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) model does not always produce the desired impact, emphasizing the importance of new, solution-focused, and future-oriented approaches.

Addressing the reasons behind the development of the Positive CBT model, Dr. Bannink explained that although she had long practiced and taught traditional CBT, over time she found the model insufficient and noted that the dropout rate among counselees was significantly high.

Dr. Bannink underlined that Positive CBT is built on actively involving the counselee in the process, stating that therapy should not be something done for the counselee, but rather a process carried out by the counselee themselves. She also added that this method helps reduce burnout among therapists.

Positive CBT yields more effective results in the treatment of depression

Stating that Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Positive CBT) has been gaining increasing attention in the field of psychotherapy in recent years, Dr. Bannink noted that it provides more lasting and meaningful improvements in the treatment of depression compared to traditional methods. Dr. Bannink stated that “Positive CBT, which encourages counselees to focus not only on their problems but also on their positive traits and strengths, helps individuals develop a more optimistic outlook on life. In practice, many counselees initially find it difficult to notice positive changes because they are often accustomed to focusing on problems. However, after a few sessions, it becomes easier to recognize and accept those positive developments.”

Dr. Bannink signed copies of her book

In appreciation of her participation, President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan presented a plaque to Dr. Fredrike Bannink.

Following her presentation, Dr. Bannink signed copies of her newly released book, Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), for her readers.

 

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)