Abimbola Tschetter (MAPP ’22) is a 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 admissions counselor, Abi develops Our historya program that leverages the college admissions essay to shape positive personal narratives in adolescents.
Abi’s articles are here.
The mission of MAPP Magazine is the first to keep University of Pennsylvania Master of Applied Positive Psychology Program (MAPP) alumni connected, and the second to share the wide range of our positive psychology apps with a wider audience to inspire collaboration and growth in the field.
This issue of MAPP Magazine is dominated by recent graduates of the MAPP program who are in their first year of applying positive psychology to topics close to their hearts. It also includes a vision of the direction in which positive psychology could evolve.
You can find back issues of MAPP Magazine online and even older problems in the MAPP Magazine Archive. To receive the latest articles by email, subscribe to MAPP magazine.
Create our story
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 presents Our historya positive narrative intervention designed to improve academic achievement and well-being, using an unexpected tool: the college admissions essay.
A vision for the evolution of positive psychology
In this reflection on her journey to and after her Masters degree in Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, Pax Tandon (MAPP ’10) reflects on her personal exploration of wellness – from media to mindfulness to plant medicine.
Pax offers a vision of the future of positive psychology. It calls for a shift in focus from the individual to the collective, and the incorporation of spirituality and morality into the field, alongside 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, lead Mark O’Brien (MAPP ’22) to post-traumatic 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 came to his calling through life-altering adversity.
Touch is important
Touch and positive psychology
What is the oldest, largest and most sensitive organ in the body? The skin. Kimberly Dickman MAPP ’22) describes the importance of touch to the human condition. Scientific exploration of touch leads to the conclusion that its absence is damaging, while its presence contains healing power. Kimberly encourages us to explore the role of touch in our lives and challenges the field to examine touch as a way to thrive.
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Image credits
graduation picture by Lee Chinyama on Unsplash
Desert Flower Picture by Patrick Ho on Unsplash
Baby Touch Photo by Liv Bruce on Unsplash