Abimbola Tschetter (MAPP '22) is a business writer, editor, and consultant based near Seattle. She is an assistant instructor for the Penn MAPP program and co-editor of the MAPP alumni publication. A former admission counselor, Abi is developing OurStory, a program that leverages the college admission essay to shape positive personal narratives in adolescents.
Abi's articles are here.
The mission of the MAPP Magazine is first to keep University of Pennsylvania Master of Applied Positive Psychology Program (MAPP) alumni connected, and second to share the wide range of our applications of positive psychology with a broader audience to inspire collaboration and growth in the field.
This issue of MAPP Magazine is dominated by recent graduates from the MAPP program who are in their first year of applying positive psychology to themes that are important to them. It also includes a vision of the direction positive psychology could evolve.
You can find back issues of the MAPP Magazine online and even older issues in the MAPP Magazine Archives. To have the latest articles sent to you by email, subscribe to the MAPP Magazine.
Crafting OurStory
The stories we tell—and believe—can shape or break our lives and experiences. In this article, Abi Tschetter (MAPP ’22) explores the power and inherent potential of personal and collective narratives.
Abi introduces OurStory, a positive narrative intervention designed to improve academic outcomes and well-being, harnessing an unexpected tool: the college admissions essay.
A Vision for the Evolution of Positive Psychology
In this reflection on her journey to and following her Master of Applied Positive Psychology degree at the University of Pennsylvania, Pax Tandon (MAPP ’10) meditates on her personal exploration of well-being—from the media to mindfulness to plant medicine.
Pax offers a vision for the future of positive psychology. She calls for a shift in focus from the individual to the collective, and the incorporation of spirituality and morality into the field, alongside the science.
Flower blooming in the desert
Turning Pain into Fuel for Positive Change
How did a drunk-driving accident that killed his girlfriend, an accident in which he was the driver, bring Mark O’Brien (MAPP ’22) to posttraumatic growth? Read the deeply personal article in which he shares his journey to help shed light on why some people seem to thrive while living with extreme distress.
Like those he studies, Mark is a changemaker who arrived at his calling through life-changing adversity.
Touch is important
Touch and Positive Psychology
What is the oldest, largest, and most sensitive organ of the body? The skin. Kimberly Dickman MAPP ’22) describes the importance of touch for the human condition. Scientific exploration into touch leads to the conclusion that its absence is damaging, while its presence contains the power of healing. Kimberly encourages us to explore the role of touch in our lives, and challenges the field to examine touch as a means of thriving.
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Image Credits
Graduate Photo by Lee Chinyama on Unsplash Desert Flower Photo by Patrick Ho on Unsplash Baby Touch Photo by Liv Bruce on Unsplash
2 comments
I never thought of using a gratitude journal as a tool for reducing stress and anxiety, but this article opened my eyes. I’m definitely going to give it a try.
I love how this article highlights the idea that gratitude is a habit that we can cultivate over time. It’s not just a one-time thing, but a practice that we can incorporate into our daily lives.