The Positive Health and Wellness Division seeks to advance the science and practice concerning optimal human health and the positive and protective biopsychosocial factors linked to it. We seek to 1) increase the dissemination of positive health research findings, 2) improve the communication and collaboration among key stakeholders (such as researchers, clinicians, healthcare policy makers, and consumers), and 3) foster the mentoring and development of future positive health researchers, clinicians, and policy makers; all on a global basis.
Category: divisions
The International Positive Psychology Association Education Division (IPPAEd) is committed to bridging research and practice, convening diverse cultural and multidisciplinary perspectives, and providing a platform for members to connect and collaborate on efforts that advance our mission.
To ask a question, learn more about the Division, or volunteer for a leadership role, please email: edudiv@ippanetwork.org.
The IPPA Positive Clinical Psychology Division provides an organized and collegial, member-driven, collaborative platform for clinicians, academics, researchers, and students to provide a shared context in advancing the research and practice in positive psychology for clinicians across fields. Our aim is to provide a shared context for clinicians to exchange knowledge, resources, and ideas for evidence-based practices.
Unique benefits of the IPPA Positive Clinical Psychology Division:
- Virtual peer consultation group for practitioners that meets once per month, from September – November and from January – June.
- Clinician-focused webinars given by experts from around the world.
- A list of resources shared monthly for all members of the Division.
- Opportunity to network with others who have similar interests.
- A dedicated Division area in the IPPA online community platform.
- Awards that are specific to the Division and area of focus.
The Division is ideal for members who are clinicians across fields, such as clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, social work, neuropsychology, school counseling, marriage and family therapy, and more.
The Need:
Since COVID, communities are focused on responding to emerging, long-term physical, emotional,
and mental health challenges. Health inequity is a significant issue globally. Practitioners like those
who are members of IPPA are facing burnout and mental health fissures, impacting their lives and
the lives of the patients and clients they serve.
According to the Mayo Clinic State of Well-Being 2022-2023 Report:
- 51% of health care employees reported heightened burn-out and lack of cohesion/ belonging, which diminishes psychological safety, loyalty, and productivity
- 58% of employees reported emotional problems such as anxiety, depression, andirritability
In addition, according to the Gartner Future of Work research, 2022:
- Employees are facing mental health fissures expressed through heightened stress and anxiety, exacerbated by the long-term physical and emotional impact of COVID on staff
- Decreased performance and engagement
- Exhausted workforce with 60% of employees reporting daily job stress
- Competitive talent landscape
This is a vital time for the IPPA Positive Health & Wellbeing division to take an active leadership
role to bring together health care professionals, researchers, health educators, academics, and
students to share, create, and lead positive innovations that help people to lead lives with greater
wellbeing.
Our Mission
Our Division is devoted to promoting, sharing, and celebrating Positive Psychology applications
that are making a significant impact on health and wellbeing. Working collaboratively, our Division
will leverage APPLIED Positive Psychology initiatives, interventions, and research to benefit
individuals, organizations, and systems.
Positive Psychology applications, research, and best practices are amplified when shared among
individuals in an open, diverse, and thriving community filled with numerous diverse individuals.
Recognizing this, we will activate and energize our division with the goal of recruiting and
welcoming 200 new members in the next 12 months.
Once our Division has hundreds of energized, motivated, inquisitive members motivated to hear
about the latest applications from experts in the field of Positive Psychology and share their own
insights with one another, then we will have achieved an expansive, energized, and robust
community that fosters camaraderie and collaboration.
SIPPA (otherwise referred to as the Students of IPPA Division) is the student-focused Division of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). This group was formed when IPPA founders and Board members desired and recognized a need to build community with the emerging voices of students and the next generation of leaders and innovators in the positive psychology field.
This Division aims to create a community for likeminded students of positive psychology around the world by facilitating networking, collaboration, and mentorship, and through delivery of created or curated educational opportunities and professional development programs.
SIPPA focuses on meeting these priorities by:
- Promoting and developing programs to help students around the world to further their studies, enhance their knowledge base, and learn new things that will help advance their education and careers.
- Providing a supportive atmosphere for connecting students to other students, practitioners, scholars and academics, and researchers working to advance research and evidence-based applications in the field of positive psychology.
SIPPA offers many benefits to students, including:
- All of the same Professional member benefits, including:
- Invitations to register for the Positive Psychology Leader Series webinars to learn directly from experts in the field.
- Access to the IPPA Learning Library, featuring hundreds of archived presentations on various research and application topics in positive psychology
- Networking and discussion in an online member community.
- Plus additional benefits exclusive for students, including:
- Help with research, clinical work, and professional development through our international community (with fellow members from more than 70 countries around the world).
- SIPPA’s Career and Professional Development Series – a webinar series that explores the career journeys of leading experts in the field of positive psychology, to glean learning and tips for student members looking to travel a similar path. It’s focused on students and young professionals and guides them through the process of career development. Each webinar concludes with a period of live questions from students that will focus on life after study, publishing, and on conferences, future study options, and more.
- Opportunity to practice presenting your work in the Student Speaker Series – SIPPA’s Student Speaker Series celebrates the student experience and perspective through live online interviews and presentations with students who are making an impact in the field of positive psychology. The Series will provide an opportunity for students to learn from one another, as well as to build speaking and presentation skills in front of an international community.
- And, of course, Scholarship opportunities exclusive for SIPPA.
As a member of SIPPA (students who are enrolled full-time and in good standing within an accredited, University-sponsored, degree-granted program), you get a voice in the future of positive psychology.
The IPPA divisions are similar to special interest groups (SIGs) that bridge research and practice and provide a platform for members to connect with colleagues, learn about the research and applications in their area of focus, and collaborate on mission-driven projects.
IPPA divisions are the lifeblood of the organization. Today, there are six (6) divisions – or special interest groups (SIGs) – with active participation by over 90% of the global IPPA membership base. Discover more about the IPPA divisions below.
The Students of IPPA, or SIPPA, is the exclusive student division of IPPA that connects graduate and undergraduate students with an interest in positive psychology or related fields to one other and provides learning and mentorship opportunities. This Division aims to create a community for likeminded students of positive psychology around the world by facilitating networking, collaboration, and mentorship, and through delivery of created or curated educational opportunities and professional development programs.Visit the SIPPA page to learn more.
The IPPA Work and Organizations Division, or the Work & Org Division, is a special interest group for practitioners, researchers, and leaders in organizations who want to collaborate on efforts to introduce or advance positive psychology research and applications in the workplace and within an organizational and institutional context. Visit the Work & Org page to learn more.
The IPPA Positive Health and Wellbeing Division is geared for physicians and clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and others working to advance the science and practice of positive psychology concerning optimal human health and the positive and protective bio-psychosocial factors linked to it. Visit the Positive Health & Wellbeing page to learn more.
The Positive Clinical Psychology Division, or Positive Clinical Division, is a place for psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and other clinicians, academics, and researchers to support the professional, ethical, effective, evidence-based and culturally responsive practice of positive psychology principles in clinical settings. Visit the Positive Clinical page to learn more.
The Positive Education Division is geared toward educators, academics, researchers, and practitioners to help bridge the practice related research to application of positive psychology in formal and informal educational settings. The division supports activities related to curriculum, pedagogy, administration, support services, and education systems, with the goal of supporting the well-being, character, and resilience of students, staff, and educational communities as a whole. Visit the Positive Education page to learn more.
Spirituality and Meaning (SMD)
The Spirituality and Meaning Division, or SMD, aims to advance the science and practice of spirituality and meaning. The division is geared to anyone interested in catalyzing, aggregating, and communicating on the science of spirituality and meaning, and to share and explore evidence based practices for the benefit of individuals, groups, and society. Visit the Spirituality and Meaning Division (SMD) page to learn more.
