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Tapping into your strengths will help you achieve your goals

Posted on: April 26, 2010by Dr Kim Dr Hil

Achieve Your Goals with Positive Psychology.

Changing for Good

The field of Positive Psychology offers insight and hope into changing for good thereby enabling you to achieve your goals. In brief, Positive Psychology focuses on the solution more than the problem. It supports you to use what is working in your life to create more of what you want and less of what you don't want. Here are a few essentials to get you started.

Personal Strengths

First and probably the most foundational ingredient to success is to learn your personal strengths. Your Personal Strengths include your values and your character. Positive Psychology outlines 24 personal strengths. Each of us has six signature strengths we are using at any given period of our life. Go to www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu and take the Brief Strengths Test. Once you discover your personal strengths write them down and post them where you can see them daily. In any given moment identify which personal strengths you are using to allow you to achieve your goals and intentions at that time.

Emotional Self Regulation

The second essential ingredient to achieve your goals is to monitor and manage your emotions. In Positive Psychology this falls under the guise of self regulation or the ability to use your emotions to manage your behavioral tendencies, multitask and make reliable decisions. Emotions drive behavior. Self regulation reflects your ability to be flexible and act in a consistent and positive manner. Lack of self regulation is viewed as the reason for many psychological and social issues. Meditation is a great tool for developing self regulation and ultimately changing for good. Review the posts on Centering Meditation for guidance on how to practice this powerful change tool.

Coaching and Counseling

Hilary Stokes Ph.D. and Kim Ward Ph.D. have been a team for 20 years, specializing in mind, body, spirit psychology. They are the authors of the bestselling books The Happy Map: Your roadmap to the habit of happiness and Manifesting Mindset: The 6-step formula for attracting your goals and dreams and founders of Authenticity Associates Coaching and Counseling. They are passionate about combining the best of holistic and traditional approaches to health and happiness. If you are interested in learning the answers to the most frequently asked questions on how to decrease stress and increase happiness sign up for their free video series.

About the Authors

Hilary Stokes Phd

HIlary Stokes, Ph.D., LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist in California with more than 25 years of clinical experience, specializing in trauma therapy, PTSD treatment, anxiety, depression, and nervous system healing. She holds Master's degrees in Clinical Social Work and Kinesiology and Sports Psychology and a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology with a specialization in Tibetan Buddhist Psychology. Dr. Stokes is extensively trained and certified in brainspotting, EMDR, somatic therapy and other mind body approaches. Her integrative work bridges neuroscience, mindfulness, and holistic psychology to help clients process unresolved trauma, rewire stress patterns, and build emotional resilience.

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Dr. Stokes’ clinical approach is informed by advanced professional training and her own healing journey from complex trauma, which shaped her commitment to therapies that go beyond traditional talk therapy. She has worked in psychiatric hospitals, addiction and PTSD treatment centers, universities, integrative medical facilities, and private practice. As co-developer of the psychology and wellness programming at Sanoviv Medical Institute, she witnessed firsthand the power of integrating mind and body for lasting transformation. Today she helps individuals heal trauma, strengthen emotional regulation and reclaim purpose through brainspotting, EMDR, somatic therapy and mindfulness interventions.

Kim Ward Phd

Kim Ward, Ph.D. holds both a masters and a doctorate in Transpersonal Psychology with a specialization in Tibetan Buddhist Psychology. She brings more than 25 years of experience in trauma recovery, Brainspotting and mind-body transformation. She is extensively trained and certified in Brainspotting, somatic therapy, and trauma-informed approaches. Dr. Ward integrates neuroscience, nervous system regulation and consciousness-based psychology to help individuals process unresolved trauma, shift limiting beliefs, and access greater emotional resilience. Her work focuses on healing at the root, beyond symptom management, through brain-body therapies that create lasting change.

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As co-developer of the psychology and wellness programs at Sanoviv Medical Institute, Dr. Ward brings a uniquely holistic perspective to trauma therapy and personal growth. Her path from corporate leadership into psychology shaped her commitment to helping clients move beyond external success toward embodied fulfillment and emotional freedom. Dr. Ward's expertise combines Brainspotting, emotional intelligence, contemplative psychology and purpose-driven coaching. Drawing from both advanced academic training and lived experience navigating complex family mental health dynamics, she supports clients in transforming stress patterns, reclaiming vitality, and aligning with authentic purpose.