Toxicity and positivity: Toxic psychology and the positivity tidal wave

Psychology is one of the helping professions. From clinical and health psychology, focused on the study and treatment of psychological problems, to counselling and psychotherapy as a person centred paradigm, psychology is designed to aid the human condition. Even forensic psychology, the hitherto darling of tv and literature, is used to investigate and prevent crime, and be the helpmate of justice. How can psychology be toxic, surely that is an accusation born of misunderstanding and the dismissiveness of the medical profession? Psychology is actually a powerful set of tools that can be used for good, but weaponizing them is far too easy, and often people don’t know that it is being used against them, or even that they are using it themselves. This is the situation in which relationships, corporations, and even nations can suffer from cultural toxicity.