REBECCA A. MARTIN, LCPC
TBA PROFESSIONAL
EDUCATION
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
RESEARCH INTEREST
PERSONAL
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY I am interested that Martin Seligman explored the concepts of learned helplessness in 1967 but did not define learned optimism until the 1990s. This concept did not become further explored until cognitive neuroscience provided quantitative and statistical evidence of neuroanatomical changes based on optimism and positive thought. This area is where, I believe, teachers and counselors should focus their energy. Information regarding optimism, positivity, self-efficacy and esteem-building has been available for several decades, and we can now see how core human tendencies alter functioning across domains. Shifting cognitive distortions with realistic optimism, minimizing dissonance and using Csíkszentmihályi’s concept of Flow are key features in effective human development. I feel that it is our learning that can change our fate. Self-esteem, ambition, motivation and these integral aspects of self are often positively affected in higher education that works. I want to prove and cultivate this!
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