Dateline Article: Dr. Neera Puri- Psychologist and... -
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Published on: 4/2/2004
Last Visited: 3/9/2009
Dr. Neera Puri joins best-selling authors Stephen R. Covey, Brian Tracy and Ken Blanchard in a new book on success!
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BREAKTIME: Dr. Neera Puri , ,Life coach' taps into science of happiness
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Dr. Neera Puri talks about moving the field of psychology, and the rest of humanity, into the realm of human joy.She believes the theory of "positive psychology" is a giant leap forward in that direction.
Puri, a psychology fellow in the Counseling Center on campus, explains that positive psychology builds on a set of human strengths such as courage, optimism, work ethic, hope, honesty and perseverance."In counseling, this shifts the focus from pathologies and negative problems to pre-existing strengths and a discovery of one's hidden talents," she says.
In her three years at Davis, Puri has counseled hundreds of students and worked with numerous faculty and staff in promoting healthy approaches to university life.Puri, who holds a doctorate in psychology, has examined issues ranging from post-Sept. 11 stereotypes to the psychological impact of outsourcing Silicon Valley jobs offshore.
"Positive emotion serves an evolutionary function that can broaden our intellectual, physical and social resources.Humanity is now on the threshold of an era of good feeling," she says.
With that welcoming tone, Puri's door is proverbially "always open."She dreams of great access to psychological treatment, especially for males and those from ethnic cultures that are somewhat reticent when it comes to acknowledging such needs.
"Whenever the phone rings," she says, "I make sure I answer it if I'm nearby.It could be somebody who struggled with calling for help, and I want to make sure they make that invaluable first contact."
Puri is also a principal of Bay Area Coach, a founding member of the South Asian Psychological Networking Association, and a member of the American Psychological Association.As a "life coach," she frequently counsels business executives who are looking to tap into their potential career-wise.
"Something powerful occurs when you put two people together in a welcoming setting," she says."Many of us have our own inner wisdom, and through dialogue and a warm mental embrace, the solutions pour forth."
Technology is changing the shape of psychology, she says, and making it easier for some people to initiate treatment.With Internet e-mail, Web bulletin boards, listserves and the omnipresent telephone, Puri says people are increasingly making use of the relative anonymity of these technologies to express themselves in different forms of therapy.
"We've found that people, especially males, enjoy these virtual environments in accessing treatment," Puri says."One can have instant listening and feedback sessions.It's phenomenal and empowering."
She adds, "What you are thinking determines your behavior."
Puri has given much thought and time to student programs like the UC Davis Multicultural Immersion Program, which involves leadership courses, speakers and activities aimed at fostering an accepting environment.The results are amazing, Puri says.
"Students come up to me and say, 'I'm not sure what happened, but I'm suddenly feeling better about myself and other people,'" Puri says.
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