Act Nerv Super Rediviva 2016; 58(1): 23–32 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Activitas Nervosa Superior Rediviva Volume 58 No. 1 2016 Positive cognitive behavioral therapy Jan Prasko 1 , Radovan Hruby 2 , Michaela Holubova 1,3 , Klara Latalova 1 , Jana Vyskocilov a 4 , Milos Slepecky 5 , Marie Ociskova 1 , Ales Grambal 1 1 Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University Palacky Olomouc, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic; 2 Psychiatric Outpatient Department, Martin, Slovak Republic; 3 Department of Psychiatry, Regional Hospital Liberec, Czech Republic; 4 Faculty of Humanities, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic, 5 Department of Psychology Sciences, Faculty of Social Science and Health Care, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovak Republic. Correspondence to: Jan Prasko, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Olomouc, University Hospital Olomouc, Czech Republic; e-mail: praskojan@seznam.cz Submitted: 2015-11-12 Accepted: 2015-12-13 Published online: 2016-04-01 Key words: cognitive behavioral therapy; positive CBT; positive psychology; solution focused brief therapy; strengths; resilience; therapeutic relationship Act Nerv Super Rediviva 2016; 58(1): 23–32 ANSR580116A06 © 2016 Act Nerv Super Rediviva Abstract Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been significantly influenced by the medical model of diagnosis and treatment. The structure of the therapy mostly focuses on the suffering and other negative symptoms and less on the strengths and abilities of the clients. Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers CBT joined with Positive Psychology and Solution Focused Brief Therapy. Positive CBT aims at improving the well-being and qual- ity of life of the individuals. It is the clients´ strengths, capabilities, and resources that are the most important in helping to bring about the change. One of the important goals of the therapy is a long-term resilience, which focuses on the personal strengths and adaptive abilities. Introduction Recent decades have been marked by the develop- ment of competency-based, collaborative approaches to working with the clients in psychotherapy. Specific psychotherapeutic approaches for fostering well-being and resilience have been established and validated in randomized controlled trials (Fava & Tomba 2009). The findings show that specific interventions can stimulate resilience. These interventions build a posi- tive self-concept, the sense of continuous inner growth and meaning of life, the ability to form fulfilling inter- personal relationships, resiliency and internal locus of control (Fava & Tomba 2009). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has developed to address a broad range of clients´ issues and wishes. CBT show a high efficacy in the therapy of many prob- lems ranging from anxiety and depressive disorders to personality disorders, chronic pain and sleep disor- ders (Chambless & Ollendick 2001; Butler et al 2006). CBT also might be engaged to improve client´s posi- tive qualities and attributes (Mooney & Padesky 2002; Fava & Ruini 2003; Padesky 2006). Fava and Tomba (2009) showed how CBT-based approach to increas- ing psychological well-being could be used to increase resilience. CBT has been powerfully influenced by the medi- cal model of diagnosis and therapy. The structure of problem solving focuses the therapy more on the negative aspect and less on the strengths and abilities of the clients. Assessment focuses on problems, limita- tions, and deficiencies rather than on client strengths and abilities. Positive CBT with a shift in the focus of therapy from what is wrong with clients to what is right with them aims at improving the well-being by using an “upward arrow” instead of “downward arrow”