Gratitude: A Positive Psychology Practice for Emotional Well-Being and Mental Health

Written By Z. Hamilton Avery

Gratitude is the intentional practice of noticing and appreciating what is meaningful, supportive, helpful, or worthwhile. In positive psychology, gratitude is not about denying pain, pretending everything is good, or comparing your suffering to someone else’s. Instead, gratitude is a way of widening your attention so that hardship is not the only thing your mind can see. Gratitude practices have been studied through journaling, counting blessings, gratitude letters, and other brief interventions; peer-reviewed research has linked gratitude to greater well-being and lower symptoms of depression and anxiety (Cregg & Cheavens, 2021; Davis et al., 2016; Dickens, 2017; Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Wood et al., 2010).

To practice gratitude, pause and name something you genuinely appreciate, value, respect, or feel relieved by. This might be a person, moment, choice, comfort, strength, opportunity, small detail, or sign of support. The most helpful gratitude practice is usually specific, honest, and believable: not “everything is fine,” but “I appreciated the sunlight through the window,” “someone checked on me,” or “I made it through a hard day.” When gratitude is practiced this way, it can help the mind register support, connection, meaning, beauty, effort, or relief without requiring you to dismiss what still hurts.

Reminder

Gratitude should not be used to silence grief, anger, boundaries, trauma, injustice, exhaustion, or unmet needs. You do not have to be grateful for what hurt you and you do not have to turn pain into a lesson before you are ready. Forced gratitude can become invalidating when it asks you to skip over what is true. A more helpful version of gratitude makes room for both: what is hard and what is sustaining. It allows you to notice what helped, what mattered, what remained, or what offered even a small moment of steadiness. The goal is not to replace pain with positivity. The goal is to help the difficult thing become part of the picture instead of the whole picture.

References

Cregg, D. R., & Cheavens, J. S. (2021). Gratitude interventions: Effective self-help? A meta-analysis of the impact on symptoms of depression and anxiety. Journal of Happiness Studies, 22(1), 413-445. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-020-00236-6

Davis, D. E., Choe, E., Meyers, J., Wade, N., Varjas, K., Gifford, A., Quinn, A., Hook, J. N., Van Tongeren, D. R., Griffin, B. J., & Worthington, E. L., Jr. (2016). Thankful for the little things: A meta-analysis of gratitude interventions. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63(1), 20-31. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000107

Dickens, L. R. (2017). Using gratitude to promote positive change: A series of meta-analyses investigating the effectiveness of gratitude interventions. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 39(4), 193-208. https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2017.1323638

Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377

Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. W. A. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 890-905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.03.005

Z. Hamilton Avery

Z. Hamilton Avery, LCSW, BC-TMH, CMT, CYT-1,000, TIYT (he/they) is a queer and non-binary therapist, health educator, wellness coach, body and energy worker, yoga and meditation teacher, and abstract artist in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to having obtained over a dozen certifications in various modalities of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), Z holds an associate’s degree in pre-nursing studies, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a master’s degree in social work. When supporting clients and students, Z takes a humanistic, person-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed approach. Their practice is grounded in compassion, harm reduction, inclusivity, social justice, and evidence-based interventions. Ultimately, Z’s mission is to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for adolescents (13+) and adults who are navigating challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, pain, and chronic illness; he does this by offering sessions, classes, groups, workshops, retreats, and trainings.

Understanding that mental health is interconnected with many other facets of life, Z takes a holistic approach to therapy. Knowing that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, he strives to honor the uniqueness of each client by custom-tailoring his approach to best meet the needs, preferences, and goals of each individual. For this reason, Z believes that it is imperative to be cross-trained in many different treatment approaches. As a therapist, they utilize a variety of evidence-based practices, including motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and written exposure therapy (WET). As a body and energy worker, Z is certified to practice massage therapy, Thai yoga massage, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, and reiki. They are also certified in both Chinese and Japanese styles of acupuncture. After completing more than 1,000 hours of accredited yoga teacher training (primarily in India), Z is certified to teach various styles of yoga, including Hatha, Kundalini, yin, and restorative. He also researches and writes about topics including stress, trauma, self-care, mindfulness, self-compassion, holistic health and well-being, CAM, HIV/AIDS, and issues related to the Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, agender, plus (2SLGBTQIA+) community.

https://www.therapywithz.com
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