Transforming shame, guilt and anxiety through a salutogenic PP1.0 and PP2.0 counselling framework

ABSTRACT

Salutogenesis is the study of what keeps people healthy and how to develop health. It is a theory introduced by the medical sociologist, Aaron Antonovsky, in the late 1970s. Contemporary salutogenesis is an internationally well-researched theory. It was previously placed in a positive psychology framework (PP1.0) as a theory. In this article, the authors discuss how salutogenesis and the second wave of positive psychology (PP2.0) can contribute to developing the mental health and well-being of individuals in the counselling context. They focus on the emotions of shame, guilt and anxiety and their impact on counselling. The article further presents a conceptual approach to deal with shame, guilt and anxiety from a salutogenic and PP2.0 perspective to transform emotions that are experienced negatively into positive experiences. This salutogenic transformation can contribute to the growth, mental health and well-being of individuals. One case example from counselling practice is given. The article closes with conclusions and theoretical and practical recommendations for counselling.

KEYWORDS:

• Salutogenesis
• mental health
• positive psychology
• shame
• guilt
• anxiety
• counselling

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Strategies were defined as important within the provided framework of PP2.0 by the counsellor as well as by Zoé, from her subjective perspective.

2. Successful counselling strategies are defined here as strategies which were experienced as impactful by Zoé as well as by the counsellor.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Claude–Hélène Mayer

Claude–Hélène Mayer (Dr. disc. pol. habil., PhD, PhD, MA hist-phil, MSc) is a Full Professor in Industrial and Organisational Psychology at the University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, an Adjunct Professor (PD) at the Europa Universität Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany and a Senior Research Associate at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. She holds Master degrees in Crime Science, Investigation and Intelligence (MSc) and in Cultural Anthropology (Magister Artium), a Doctorate in Cultural Anthropology, a PhD in Psychology and a PhD in Management. The Venia Legendi is in Psychology with focus on Work, Organisational and Cultural Psychology. She has published several monographs, text collections, accredited journal articles, and special issues on transcultural mental health, shame in cultural contexts, sense of coherence, transcultural conflict management and mediation, women in leadership in culturally diverse work contexts,  and psychobiography.

Elisabeth Vanderheiden

Elisabeth Vanderheiden is a pedagogue, theologian, intercultural mediator, managing director of the Catholic Adult Education Rhineland-Palatinate, and the President of the Catholic Adult Education of Germany. Her publishing focus centres on in the context of basic education for adults, in particular on trainings for teachers and trainers in adult education, as well as vocational, and civic education, edited books on intercultural opening processes and intercultural mediation. Her latest publications - together Claude-Hélène Mayer - focused on shame as resource as well as mistakes, errors and failure and their hidden potentials in the context of culture and positive psychology. She also works as an independent researcher. In a current project she investigates life crises and their individual coping strategies from different cultural viewpoints. A topic that has also aroused her research interest is humour and how it appears in different cultural perspectives and from various scientific disciplines.  She lives in Germany and Florida.

Rudolf M Oosthuizen

Rudolf M. Oosthuizen (DLitt et Phil) received a BA degree (Cum Laude) from the University of Pretoria in 1992 and obtained a BA (Honours) in Psychology at the same university in 1993. In 1999, he received an MA degree in Industrial and Personnel Psychology from the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. In 1999, he registered as Industrial Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. In 2005, he completed a DLitt et Phil in Industrial and Organisational Psychology at the University of South Africa (Unisa). Currently Rudolf is an associate professor in the Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology at the University of South Africa. Rudolf is the manager for the MComIOP programme, and he is responsible for the lecturing of honours subjects and the supervision of master’s and doctoral students. He has presented conference papers at national and international conferences, and published articles in accredited scientific journals. Rudolf’s fields of interests are (1) career psychology, career development and management from an individual, group and organisational perspective in the 21st century world of work; (2) positive psychology, with the focus on salutogenesis and well-being, sense of coherence, locus of control, self-efficacy, the hardy personality and learned resourcefulness; (3) employment relations and the improvement of the quality of employment relations in organisations and in society in general; and (4) the 4th Industrial Revolution (Smart Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Algorithms).