Studies in the field of psychology, in the last forty years, have focused on the negative aspects of life such as phobias, depression, low self-esteem and post-traumatic stress disorders. Positive psychology is a new field of psychology that focuses on the human characteristics and the circumstances that lead to happiness. Even though, as a scientific field is being developed in the last ten years, positive psychology undoubtedly has its roots in humanistic psychology, in the work of William James as well as in the works of ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle.

What is the optimal human functioning? What makes life worth living? Positive psychology, as a science, is not only interested in studies and data gathering in relation to what leads to happiness, but also in the practical application of the findings of the empirical research.

The connection between life coaching and positive psychology is made at exactly this level of practical application of the empirical research findings. Optimal human functioning can be analyzed in various areas such as motivation, optimism, gratitude, and positive emotions. In life coaching sessions, clients can determine their current level of happiness and work with the life coach towards increasing it. According to studies, 40% of our happiness is determined by intentional activities, that is the things we do in our everyday life. Life coaching can help clients define, plan and implement actions that will help them improve in the various areas of positive psychology and increase their total level of happiness.