Take Your Mental Temperature: A Model of Consciousness Relating Emotional Balance to Psychopathology and Optimal Functioning, Robert M. Schwartz, PhD (1 hr)
Description
What if there were a "thermometer" that could objectively measure a client's "mental temperature" with the same precision and speed that a physician takes a patient's body temperature?
This presentation introduces a theoretical model of consciousness that generates precise balances of positive and negative emotions, differentiating dysfunctional, subnormal, normal, optimal, and peak levels of psychological functioning. Drawing on decades of research in cognitive-affective balance and positive psychology, Dr. Schwartz presents practical, accessible examples of how to apply this simple yet innovative method in clinical settings.
Participants will learn how to use the States of Mind Model to more precisely assess emotional balance, track changes across the course of psychotherapy, and evaluate in-session responses to relaxation training and other therapeutic interventions. This approach offers clinicians a concrete, mathematically grounded tool for understanding where a client stands on the spectrum from dysfunction to optimal flourishing, and for measuring meaningful progress over time.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
List three examples demonstrating the role of emotion in healthy psychological functioning.
Identify scientific studies that support the relationship between emotional balance ratios and levels of psychological functioning.
Apply two practical assessment methods to evaluate their own emotional balance and integrate these methods into clinical practice.
Robert M. Schwartz, PhD is a clinical psychologist and one of the pioneers of positive psychology. Together with renowned psychologist John M. Gottman, he developed one of the first scientifically based measures to assess both positive and negative thoughts and emotions. Over a 30-year career as a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Medicine, he published 25 scientific papers spanning depression, anxiety, stress, psychotherapy outcome, and the science of well-being.
His groundbreaking contribution, the States of Mind Model, is the first mathematically based system for identifying whether a person is in an optimal, normal, or dysfunctional psychological state. This model has been applied in clinical research on depression treatment, agoraphobia, and cognitive-affective balance, and has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Therapy and Research, and Clinical Psychology Review.
Dr. Schwartz is the founder and president of Cognitive Dynamic Therapy Associates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his clinical work integrates cognitive, psychodynamic, and positive psychology approaches. He is also a Certified Diplomate of Sex Therapy through the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, with additional specialties in anxiety, depression, marital therapy, and stress management.
In addition to his research and clinical practice, Dr. Schwartz has led Beyond Positive Thinking seminars with groups and helped hundreds of clients transform their state of mind into a more balanced, optimal zone. He has presented his work at national and international conferences and continues to write and publish on psychology, positive emotion, and human flourishing.