Through the Doctorate in Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology program at Queen’s University Belfast, Dr Carol Strahan and Dr Hassan Regan incorporated Appreciative Inquiry in nurturing the development of early-career Educational Psychologists. Their column examines their use of nature-inspired metaphors along with Appreciative Inquiry’s role in fostering growth by focusing on individuals’ positive cores and creating a collaborative ecosystem. The approach emphasises building on strengths, inclusivity and shared ownership of change, fostering a constructive mindset and enhanced communication among participants. It’s my pleasure to introduce Carol and Hassan as our voices from the field in this issue of AI Practitioner.

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Keith Storace | Australia

Keith Storace is a registered psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and an associate fellow with the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM). He manages a private practice at Kiku Imagination where he applies the Appreciative Dialogue (ApDi) therapy program to assist individuals move toward, strengthen and enjoy what is meaningful while dealing with the challenges they encounter along the way. Keith Storace has been the editor of the Voices from the Field column for AI Practitioner since 2016.

Carol Strahan | Northern Ireland

Dr Carol Strahan is both an occupational and educational psychologist. She is the director of Cavehill Psychology where she seeks to enhance staff and student wellbeing as well as growing potential through her training and supervision. Carol is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Hassan Regan | Northern Ireland

Dr Hassan Regan is an educational psychologist with the Education Authority in Northern Ireland. He also serves as a professional and academic tutor for the Doctorate in Educational, Child, and Adolescent Psychology programme, where he trains early-career Educational Psychologists. Hassan’s professional interests include equity, diversity and inclusion, the impacts of trauma, and supporting individuals seeking sanctuary.

Cultivating a Habitat for Early-Career Educational Psychologists to Thrive

Our collaboration using Appreciative Inquiry (AI) began with a unique opportunity to work with early-career Educational Psychologists (EP) through the Doctorate in Educational, Child, and Adolescent Psychology (DECAP) programme at Queen’s University Belfast. These psychologists, with a wealth of experience, skills and qualities were at a pivotal stage in their careers, and the DECAP programme was designed to nurture and develop their potential to make a meaningful impact on the people, systems and structures they encounter.

Although our paths to AI were different, they were complementary. Carol was drawn to AI with a focus on integrating its principles into organisational change and wellbeing training within her private practice. Hassan, on the other hand, was inspired to apply AI in supervisory relationships and in navigating challenging conversations about differences. Despite these different starting points, our shared goal has remained consistent: to harness the positive core of individuals and foster meaningful, lasting change.

This article delves into our experiences with AI, highlighting its transformative potential in educational psychology and beyond.

Stepping into the forest – The use of metaphor

We chose trees, forests and associated concepts for three key reasons: our shared love of nature, their vital role in our ecosystem, and their rich potential as narrative tools to explore and share our experiences.

We had the opportunity to work with the skills and expertise of early-career EPs to positively impact on the people and ecosystem around them throughout their lives. We consider our use of AI as a way of preparing and helping people grow rather than having the growing done to them or on their behalf of them – we consider this to be a collaborative and generative approach akin to cultivating.

Habitat reflects the idea of a natural home or state, as we believe that people’s natural states are inherently well intentioned and positive – the positive core.

Reforestation is the process of replanting an area with trees, an area that has once been forested; the term reflects how we are drawing on and using a resource that was already there, at least in essence. However, it is not just about replanting; we have to consider the diversity of the environment, the impact we have on those around us and then pick the right place to reforest.

As part of our training in AI, we worked together and supported each other in putting the principles and approaches into action through interrelated projects. There are parallels here with the natural phenomenon of inosculation where trees can grow independently yet together and become intertwined – in our case as practitioners, our separate paths to AI, and our use of AI together.

Making connections in the forest – Introducing AI throughout the DECAP programme

We wanted AI to take root in our practices as psychologists. With a supportive team around us, we had the opportunity to introduce early-career EPs to the approaches and principles underpinning AI through teaching and learning sessions. We also did this in other subtle ways: making use of the SOAR approach, for example, incorporating appreciative conversations during supervision sessions, and using AI to inform questions for feedback, interviews, surveys, research projects and so on.

An assisted, natural approach to reforestation – Using the AI 5D cycle

Focusing on one of the ways that we worked together to cultivate and assist reforestation, we used the AI 5D approach as an interactive way to learn about AI and contribute to the growth and development of early-career EPs on the programme. The framework provided a constructive and inclusive process for exploring student wellbeing.

During sessions, we shared our own experiences of AI and our journey as practitioners, discussed tools such as appreciative journalling, appreciative conversations, how we have used AI in our day-to-day interactions, and our use of SOAR. We made use of a range of AI-related materials and activities to promote thinking, talking and sharing with each other – we, as facilitators, modelled AI in our approach, our thinking and actions. Each cohort had a slightly different though related and ultimately connected area of inquiry:

Year 1 – Being the early-career EP we want to be

The beginning of the course focussed on what theparticipants brought to the course, what they hoped to learn and achieve and, most importantly, how they wanted to be as early-career EPs. This was one of the first things they took part in on the training course to encourage group coherence and integration, as well as being thoughtful and intentional about what they hope to achieve in their training.

Year 2 – Wellbeing: Developing a healthy culture in the DECAP programme

The midpoint of the course in which their area of wellbeing was identified by the trainees themselves. We opted to explore how to develop a healthy culture while in DECAP – looking at what they were already doing, what was working well and what else could be done. The reflective component of this is particularly important as our professional competencies and fitness-to-practise considerations include that we actively engage in ways to support and develop our own strategies for wellbeing. Recognising and addressing challenges can positively impact not only the individual student but also the broader educational community – their habitat.

Year 3 – Being the EP we want to be

The final year of the course in which the area of inquiry was reflecting on experiences and skills they have developed thus far, and considering what they wanted to bring from the past to their future role. We considered what steps people would be taking to become the EPs that they wanted to be. This was one of the last activities that they took part in on the programme, giving them a positive end point to their time on it before the next stage of their journey as qualified practitioner psychologists.

Did we cultivate a habitat for early-career EPs to thrive in?

We agreed that it is challenging to be sure that an individual will thrive in the long term; we remained mindful, hopeful and positive and were attentive to markers of engagement and change. We noticed how engaged people were during the activities. It was positive to hear them laughing and collaborating with each other during and after the activities. Hearing them discuss the AI principles, or talking in appreciative ways, was a positive experience for all of us – a marker that AI ideals were taking root, while helping to cultivate our own feelings of satisfaction and achievement, and to an extent self-efficacy.

Some early-career EPs remained sceptical about the AI approach; however, most were interested in pursuing training to equip them to practice AI themselves as they liked how it fitted with their world views and habitat. They could see how they could contribute to cultivating change in other situations.

Reforestation takes root

Applying AI’s 5D cycle to student wellbeing promoted a positive and inclusive approach, focusing on strengths and aspirations rather than problems and deficits, contributing to a supportive educational environment, something that could be brought forward into their careers. We considered these to be signs that the cultivation and reforestation had started to take root.

We encouraged them to develop personal action plans, important as part of being reflective and reflexive practitioners. We hoped they would become self-sustaining. We also emphasised the importance of considering their plans and revisiting them, reflecting on their responsibility for their own habitat as well as contributing to reforestation in their ecosystem. We hope that they will be sufficiently empowered to do so.

Minimising the climate chaos in our own habitat – Some further reflections

We have ourselves learnt much on the journey of incorporating AI into our work, in navigating and minimising some of the climate chaos inherent in our own habitats and ecosystems. Some key learning points include:

The importance of framing questions positively to elicit constructive responses; the power of storytelling in conveying values and experiences; and the need for ongoing communication to sustain positive change.

By focusing on what was already working well, early-career EPs learnt to appreciate and build upon existing strengths rather than dwelling on problems. It created a more constructive mindset among students.

It encouraged open communication, active listening and shared problem-solving. It fostered a sense of inclusivity and a shared ownership of the change process rather, than the responsibility being with the tutors.

Being part of early-career EPs development emphasised the AI values of diverse perspectives and experiences and reminded us how the strengths of an organisation lie in its people and thei diversity. We also learnt to acknowledge and accept that AI may not suit everyone.

Actively facilitating the AI process has honed our facilitation skills. We have developed a deeper understanding of group dynamics, communication strategies and effective ways to guide participants through each stage of the inquiry, ensuring meaningful engagement and collaboration.

The project has been a transformative learning experience, enriching our AI practice through hands-on application, adaptability, ongoing reflection and an expanded toolkit. We had the opportunity, the means and the motive to do our best to cultivate a habitat for early-career EPs to thrive, and we sincerely hope that we have gone some way to achieving this.

It’s my pleasure to introduce Helen Hunt as our voice from the field and her article, “What’s Your Theme Tune?” illustrating how Appreciative Inquiry (AI) can be a powerful tool in healthcare by shifting the focus from errors to excellence, Helen’s narrative details a personal evolution – from rigid institutional thinking to embracing the adaptable, human-centred principles of AI. She highlights key moments of learning, vulnerability and growth, recounting experiences that include facilitating workshops and overcoming imposter syndrome. Helen’s journey highlights AI’s power to foster connection, reframe challenges and inspire hope, culminating in her recognition of AI as integral to both professional development and personal fulfilment.

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Keith Storace | Australia

Keith Storace is a Registered Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and Associate Fellow with the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM). He manages a private practice at Kiku Imagination where he applies the Appreciative Dialogue (ApDi) therapy program to assist individuals move toward, strengthen, and enjoy what is meaningful while dealing with the challenges they encounter along the way. 

Helen Hunt | United Kingdom

Helen Hunt’s 24-year career with the NHS in the UK has seen her transition from frontline roles to senior management. Currently assistant programme manager at Health Innovation West Midlands, she focuses on developing and implementing evidence-based healthcare improvements through impactful initiatives, including the Learning from Excellence programme. Helen’s contribution to two Health Service Journal awards, her role in introducing Appreciative Inquiry to her region, and her ongoing pursuit of a Master of Science (MSc) in Healthcare Leadership, reflect her passion and commitment to enhancing quality of life.

What’s Your Theme Tune?

Eight years ago, if someone had asked a younger and pre-perimenopausal Helen “what theme tune plays in your head when you are asked to speak about your Appreciative Inquiry practice?”, it would be the Mission Impossible theme music playing in my head. I would have thrown my arms up in protest “No way, not me! I can’t do that, let me direct you to the experts!” Fast forward to now, and my theme tune is Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.

Discovering Appreciative Inquiry

My AI journey began through my work at Health Innovation West Midlands (HIWM), located in the central part of England known for being one of the most urbanised areas in the UK. HIWM is one of fifteen innovation networks across the country established by the National Health Service (NHS) to connect health and social care, academic organisations, local authorities, third sector, industry and citizens to spread innovation at pace and scale – improving health and generating economic growth. In my role as assistant programme manager at HIWM, I supported the Learning from Excellence (LFE) programme. LFE is a philosophy that shifts the focus from healthcare errors to learning from the excellence that happens every day in healthcare. It helps to rebalance the scales. LFE reports are created citing the excellence by answering three questions:

What happened?

Who was involved? And

What can we learn from this?

The founder of LFE, Adrian Plunkett, wanted to take the learnings from the reports and use the insights for continuous improvement. He felt that the standard root-cause analysis method was insufficient and stumbled across David Cooperrider’s work in AI. As we took LFE on tour across the West Midlands region, the same questions cropped up: Where can I learn about AI? How can I access it? Can you arrange training? As a pragmatic person – and in a lightbulb moment – I saw an opportunity to jump in and answer the calling! Adrian introduced me to Suzanne Quinney and Tim Slack from Appreciating People, a company name I have always loved. Imagine being asked where you work and answering with a grin, “Appreciating People”!

Shifting from institutional thinking to AI

Personally, at this point in my career, I recognised that I was still institutionalised to the NHS way of thinking – being rigid and needing specifics answered. I soon realised that AI is highly adaptable to the complexities of healthcare and not constrained by a one-size-fits-all model. Suzanne was very patient with me as she guided me through an enlightening journey. We set up our first two-day workshop for twenty people. I wasn’t yet convinced, and I would be on the course as well to learn from this new AI approach. I will be honest and say my heart wasn’t in it. I saw it as a transactional work programme of activity. I was responding to the need of my organisation, to delivering an output of how many people in the NHS we could get “…trained in AI”.

Suzanne opened the workshop with her classic ice breaker: asking participants to pick two image cards to express what they felt about AI now, and where they wanted to be after the course. She role-modelled, becoming emotional as she shared her response. Her openness and ability to share her feelings unnerved me; it is not something I was used to. This caught me off guard. I worked at a large acute hospital from the age of 18, a place where you left your problems at the door and put your “game face” on for the day ahead. Other participants began to share their thoughts, and I saw raw emotion from them as well – some of that emotion was unrelated to AI, but connected to the current turmoil they were experiencing at work or at home. It became clear that people were looking for hope through AI. When it was my turn to share, I wasn’t 100% true to mysel, and, despite the emotion shown by others, I still didn’t feel I had permission to be vulnerable. I gave a corporate response.

Practice and reframing in action

I attended all the AI sessions that were being delivered in order to build connections and to network. Throughout this period, I realised that I was becoming drawn to the methodology. Appreciative Inquiry had found me at a time when I didn’t realise how much I needed it. I had started a new role with autonomy that I wasn’t used to, and working with a manager who supported me and didn’t try to micromanage my work. This was new to me. I was finding it hard to adjust.

Over time, my interactions with AI became more regular due to the demand from stakeholders. I became aware of using AI techniques without thinking, almost like muscle memory. I have found “reframing” to be a particularly valuable tool in my role supporting NHS organisations to implement innovations in changes to medicines, technology or behaviour. These innovations are often implemented without any additional funding and can be viewed as “one more thing to do” on top of their already busy day jobs. Often, when I first meet stakeholders, they will put up walls by explaining their current landscape: lack of resources, staff and time. By listening and allowing them to vent, I enable them to be heard. I can then subtly introduce a reframe question to help them identify the positive aspects of their work. I don’t ignore the negativity, but I want to fire up their passion and remind them of why they decided to work in healthcare.

Returning to my roots: Overcoming fear and imposter syndrome

In the summer of 2024, I was invited to co-deliver a workshop with my human factors colleague at the Care and Compassion: Fostering a Culture of Civility conference. Human factors is the study of how people interact with machines, tools, systems and processes. I felt the pressure, as the conference was held at the last acute Trust where I had worked from the age of eighteen. On top of that, we were asked to deliver two 45-minute sessions introducing AI and Human Factors!

The years 2023/24 have been challenging for my Trust, which has been under the spotlight of change, scrutiny and action as they embarked on new ways of working – at a significant pace. Led by a new chair and CEO, the intensive change programme is addressing concerns raised by regulators, stakeholders and media around patient safety, governance and culture. It has also been supported by findings from Care Quality Commission inspections and three independently commissioned reviews, including the voices of over 4,500 colleagues in the culture review, as well as 7,000 colleagues in the national staff survey.

At this point, I would have been confident in saying “I can deliver AI concepts and support you with them”, but to deliver in my “home” hospital with people who knew me triggered my imposter syndrome. In the end, my AI muscle took over; I felt compelled to support this conference and play my part in helping with the Trust’s and its stakeholders’ recovery.

A workshop that sparked connection and growth

My colleague and I designed a workshop aimed to introduce AI and Human Factors concepts to participants, many of whom were unfamiliar with these topics. The session included two exercises:

1. Personal story sharing: Participants shared personal stories of success, focusing on leadership or personal experiences. They listened to and identified strengths in each other’s stories.
2. Good leadership moments: Participants shared instances of good leadership they had experienced or witnessed. They answered supplementary questions about what made the leadership effective, what enabled it and what could enhance future leadership moments like these to happen more often.

AI practitioners reading this who are well-versed in AI may think this seems a fairly low-level in introduction to AI, but I must give you context. This hospital has endured significant trauma. I am not exaggerating when I say that staff suffer symptoms typical of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I know this; I am one of them. I have also been that manager that has carried out poor practice. Therefore, a workshop like ours being delivered two years ago would have been laughed at and thrown out. This was my chance; there was a crack in the doorway, and I was determined to open the door fully.

The room we were given to deliver the workshop in was down a tiny corridor, with chairs laid out like a lecture theatre and no windows. “Oh no,” I thought as I walked in with the Jaws theme music playing in my mind. No windows. I remembered quickly how Suzanne always requested a training room with windows and access to outdoors if possible. (Rookie mistake, Helen! Note to self for next time.)

A classic reframe moment

In a classic reframe moment, we quickly jumped into action and rearranged the room to be one big circle. We also brought a small bag of sweets to put on each chair; sharing food is a universal human connection. I hoped this would strengthen a positive first impression.

Deep breaths: it’s show time. I was the lead facilitator and role-modelled the exercises we wanted people attending to participate in. I found myself feeling emotional. I then realised what Suzanne feels when she delivers AI training. I felt a deep responsibility to show people in front of me that there is a different way of doing things, and that this isn’t all “fluffy stuff”.

A new tune: Embracing Appreciative Inquiry as a practitioner

We let the conversations unfold. I was nervous, but I needn’t have been. I saw moments of animated hand gestures, people leaning in toward one another (these pairs were strangers, remember), and the room growing louder with lively discussion. We even had to interrupt to bring the exercise to a close – a wonderful sign of engagement!

As people left the room, many shared how wonderful the experience had been – something they had never felt before. During the feedback session, some became emotional as they reflected on their “sparkling moments”. It was an incredible, raw and in-the-moment experience that I will always treasure. We were even invited to several team meetings to replicate what we had done. I was absolutely thrilled and proud to have overcome my imposter syndrome. I can now confidently say that I am a practitioner of Appreciative Inquiry.

In this issue of AI Practitioner, it’s my pleasure to introduce Katy Fisher and her inspirational work. Her column, “Finding Magic in Strengths-Based Nursing”, offers a deeply personal account of how a single experience with a dementia patient named Irene transformed Katy’s understanding of nursing. Through the lens of Appreciative Inquiry, Katy explores the profound impact of connection, trust and holistic care on both patients and caregivers. Her story, rooted in the tender moments shared between Irene and her sister, illustrates the powerful potential of strengths-based care to create healing environments where compassion and human connection take precedence. 

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Keith Storace | Australia

Keith Storace is a Registered Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and Associate Fellow with the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM). He manages a private practice at Kiku Imagination where he applies the Appreciative Dialogue (ApDi) therapy program to assist individuals move toward, strengthen, and enjoy what is meaningful while dealing with the challenges they encounter along the way. 

Katy Fisher | United Kingdom 

Katy Fisher is currently co-host of the Caring Corner podcast and website and Senior Nurse (quality and Improvement) at NHS Professionals. After starting her career as an adult registered nurse practising in acute stroke, acute neurology, complex discharge planning and general medical nursing, she progressed to lead clinical governance, quality and risk-management frameworks in acute hospitals. She is passionate about making patient safety theory and methodology appreciative in a frontline healthcare setting. Website: https://caringcorner2. wordpress.com 

Finding Magic in Strengths-Based Nursing 

This is a story of how a single experience with a patient named Irene a pseudonym taught me the true essence of nursing – an experience that encompasses the aspects of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) that I now fight so hard for others to recognise. These events gave me trust in a strengths-based process, the poetic principle in action, and the importance of listening to my patients and their loved ones to provide holistic care. 

I am now a senior nurse for quality and improvement working in the UK, a co-host and founder of a podcast focused on learning from Appreciative Inquiry in health and care, and I also work in patient safety, aiming to map out Appreciative Governance models. But essentially, I am a nurse and a human being. 

I had peaked in nursing before I had even started, before I had even qualified. It took me twenty years to realise this, and approximately twenty seconds to be at peace with it. 

Initial observations 

I had just started working in a nursing home in the UK, before studying to be a nurse, where I witnessed an elderly woman with dementia, Irene, who continued to show signs of “agitation and aggression”. All I could see was fear and confusion, and the only time this abated was when her sister visited every two weeks. 

Although non-verbal by this time, Irene’s movement changed: her head lifted slightly and her breathing calmed. It was incredibly hard for her sister, as they had lived together, shared wonderful memories and, up until recently, had at least been able to communicate verbally in some way. No-one had explained to me at that time the principles of connected community to support generativity in a dementia patient, or the importance of love in healing, but I realise only now, belatedly, that I could feel its magic then. 

The power of connection 

Irene’s sister sang to her every fortnight and, although no active reciprocation was witnessed, she took comfort in knowing that she was singing the song to her sister that their father had sung to them long ago. “Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do…” would ring through the lounge area for those brief moments, perhaps bringing some small relief to both sisters. 

Challenges in the nursing home 

To the care assistants, Irene was identified through handover as “regularly aggressive and can lash out, only deliver personal hygiene in pairs”. There was no specific preference of care, detail of what type of woman she was, and, as I started to realise, no real consideration of consent. The care plans lacked a personal touch, focusing more on Irene’s aggressive behaviour than on her needs as an individual. This systemic issue stemmed from time constraints and a lack of resources. 

These reflections are not intended to dwell on the negative. As AI enthusiasts, we recognise the value of looking at the whole picture – the Wholeness principle, which emphasises understanding systems in their entirety rather than in isolated parts. With this in mind, there were many factors that may have contributed to a lack of time, resources or experience necessary to provide truly holistic care. 

In my short time in the nursing home, I had started to understand that Irene’s “periods of aggression” centred around interventions happening to her. What little autonomy she still had was being taken away, and her world had become ever smaller. I was given strange looks by the other carers when I knocked on her door before entering, when I described who I was and why I was there, and when I stopped if she showed signs of fear – otherwise construed as aggression. Staff with good intentions had left the radio on in her room, but this also acted as a trigger for further confusion. 

However, I couldn’t help but continue to think about the moment when Irene was at her best, when she was calm and at peace. Her sister did not live near her anymore, but was there a way I could bring some of that peace to her between the sister’s visits? 

Personal approach, innovation and breakthrough moments 

Inspired by Irene’s response to her sister’s visits, I began humming “Daisy Bell” during care routines. Gradually, Irene’s behaviour changed, building trust between us. I followed this same routine every morning and whenever Irene needed care. The care assistants were driven mad by hearing the same song repeatedly! However, I sensed a change in Irene – a certain trust – and that was all I needed. I continued with the process, and two weeks of the same routine brought about enough trust that only one person was needed in the room when Irene required care. It was a massive achievement, and it meant she was not as overcrowded and confused. 

Her sister arrived to visit. She cupped Irene’s face in her hands, fed her grapes and talked about their lives. She read stories from the newspaper, helped her with her drink and sang to her again. To me, it was a small work of magic every time she calmed her and loved her. 

Our routine continued the following week, and Irene continued to show calm and trust in the process. But something else was also happening – she started to hum. 

At first, I couldn’t say for certain that this was meant as musical sound. Maybe it was a coincidence, but it certainly wasn’t aggressive. Over the coming week, there was no denying it – Irene was trying to sing along. 

Reflection on nursing practice 

Looking back, I realised the gap between the deficit-based approach in healthcare and the potential for holistic, appreciative care. Patients should be seen as whole persons, not just as their conditions. 

I cannot express how much those moments changed my life and career. I didn’t have the words back then to talk about how to see patients, not as their condition, but as humans who love, feel and possess more strength than we ever know. That in twenty years’ time, I would promote the storytelling of health and care staff when they have witnessed the magic in their patients. 

I wouldn’t have known at that time that the Poetic principle – a principle that suggests our past, present and future can be endless sources of learning, much like the endless possibilities in a book, film or song – was being applied by both her and me in a form of dance that would generate growth for both of us. That those episodes of care would be seen as appreciative interviews in some eyes. 

What I would have deeply loved back then was for someone to say, “How did you do that?”, “What can we learn from this?” and “There must be more we can do”. What actually happened was a nursing career in a primarily deficit-based approach that could not put into words the magic that continually happened in-between the treatment, documentation and discharge processes. 

The patient who said his first word following a stroke that had rendered him mute, the final breaths of an end-of-life patient made comfortable with their family around them, the gentle squeeze of a relative’s hand that said “thank you” – these are the real moments of wonder that bring people into work and give strength to an organisation and team. 

Lasting impact 

On a fateful Sunday, magic happened, marking the peak of my nursing career. It was a profound lesson in the power of love and connection in healing, underscoring the importance of holistic care and Appreciative Inquiry in nursing. By sharing this story, I hope to inspire others to recognise the magic in their patients and strive for compassionate care. 

Irene’s sister visited that Sunday afternoon. She gently cupped Irene’s face, fed her grapes and talked about their lives. She read stories from the newspaper, helped her with a drink, and sang to her. Irene, without words, sang back, holding the tune while her loving sister wept. In that moment, I knew my nursing career had peaked, and I was entirely at peace with that. 

NOTE: “Irene” is a pseudonym used to protect the patient’s confidentiality 

Featured in this issue of AI Practitioner’s “Voices from the Field”, Åse Fagerlund, Ph.D., highlights the transformative power of positive psychological interventions and Appreciative Inquiry in her insightful short article, “My Appreciative Inquiry Journey: Transforming Psychological Practice through Positive Interventions.” By centring therapy on individuals’ strengths and attributes, Åse’s approach creates a nurturing and empowering environment. Her research and practice are testament to how such positive psychological approaches significantly enhance the ability of young people to develop vital life skills and boost their overall wellbeing. Åse’s collaborative efforts with diverse groups of stakeholders –including students, parents, educators, and community members – foster a robust support network. This interconnection amplifies individual wellness and plays a crucial role in cultivating healthier, more resilient communities. The emphasis on human connection and mutual appreciation underscores its profound impact on psychological practice and community health. It’s my pleasure to introduce Åse Fagerlund and her masterful work in this issue of AI Practitioner.

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Keith Storace | Australia

Keith Storace is a Registered Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and Associate Fellow with the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM). He manages a private practice at Kiku Imagination where he applies the Appreciative Dialogue (ApDi) therapy program to assist individuals move toward, strengthen, and enjoy what is meaningful while dealing with the challenges they encounter along the way. 

Åse Fagerlund | Finland 

Åse Fagerlund, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist, psychotherapist and researcher focusing on increasing mental wellbeing in all her work with individual clients, teams and organizations. Åse is also a certified Appreciative Inquiry practitioner trained by David Cooperrider and Ron Fry. 

My Appreciative Inquiry Journey: Transforming Psychological Practice through Positive Interventions 

From deficit-based to strengths-based 

Sam was 12 years old, but by the looks of him you might have guessed he was around 8. He could hardly sit still in my office, constantly fidgeting with something in his hands. He was there to undergo a neuropsychological examination by me, and I could already see it was not going to be an easy task for either of us. Introducing the procedures I told Sam we would look at what he was good at as well as at what was more difficult for him at school. In my role as the neuropsychologist, I had excellent validated tests at hand, but my problem with them was that I knew they would only reveal deficits in Sam’s cognitive behavioural functioning. His biological mother had been a heavy drinker during pregnancy and Sam suffered from vast brain damage caused by fetal alcohol exposure. Regarding Sam’s strengths, I had no tests. I needed to chat with him informally to be able to tell him and his foster parents about him being kind, a good friend or good at soccer. 

Sam would have been a typical client, as my frustration with a deficit-based way of working grew over many years. That was until I stumbled upon an area in psychology that wasn’t really considered “real” psychology among my colleagues: positive psychology. Very soon I realized I had found the very methods and tools I had been looking for a long time. Here were the tools to help young people map their strengths, not just their difficulties. Finally, I had found evidence-based interventions to teach young people life tools to get them through, or help them handle the difficulties life had thrown at them. The heavier the backpack to carry, the more life skills needed to handle the journey. 

The effects of wellbeing training on children, parents and teachers 

I embraced the opportunity to set up a research project and, since 2015, I have led a research group focusing on testing positive psychological methods to help young people build life skills and increase their wellbeing; first at a non-profit research foundation and now at the Department of Education at the University of Helsinki. Over the years we have seen children increase their psychological wellbeing, positive emotions and hope, as well as diminishing symptoms of depression and stress because of the training. We went on to develop and evaluate wellbeing training for both parents and school staff. We have now seen parents increase their abilities to engage mindfully with their children and be more self-compassionate. We have seen the wellbeing of teachers increase as they have learned about how to teach wellbeing skills to their students. Soon teachers were asking for more. How could they integrate all these tools around wellbeing into a whole school approach? 

Whole school wellbeing 

I heard David Cooperrider speak about something called Appreciative Inquiry (AI) at the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) World Congress in Montréal, Canada in 2017, and managed to speak with him: “Oh, you come from Finland,” he said, “do you know Martti Ahtisaari?” 

No, I didn’t know our former president personally, but David apparently did. I realized I had again stumbled upon an important area that might be exactly what I needed to offer the teachers and the schools. I chose to pursue training in AI, but it proved challenging. Despite searching, I found no available courses in Finland or the neighbouring Nordic countries. Finally, in 2019, I travelled to Cleveland USA for training led by David Cooperrider and Ron Fry. 

That training in AI changed my (work)life. Today, I train teachers and parents in applying wellbeing skills, first with themselves, and then with their children or students. And then we go on to build wellbeing plans for entire school communities through AI processes. Wellbeing teams from schools come together and work in collaboration with parents, students and representatives from recreational associations (e.g. the local soccer club or dance group) on mapping what they already do for the wellbeing of young people in their community. 

They dream of what might be and they start planning what will be. As their plans progress, we invite local decision-makers and media to hear about their work to elevate their plans, and the importance of their work. Mostly, I don’t do this alone, but in collaboration with what we call the national home–school association. They can lift the importance of really involving parents and help schools establish local home–school associations for the schools if they don’t already have them. I think many attempts at schools to increase student wellbeing are not as effective as they could be if parents were beneficially involved. It does take a village to raise a child, especially if a child carries that rather heavy backpack. Finally, we try to continue the work with yearly booster gatherings where wellbeing teams from schools come together to share ideas and best practices to move forward. 

Can we narrow the gap between deficit-based and generative-based interventions? 

I am still also the neuropsychologist and psychotherapist, meeting clients with a lot of challenges and often a very negative outlook on life. Meet Lisa and her shame, for example. Lisa was so ashamed of herself she found it awful to attend meetings at work, not to speak of going on work trips. Because what if she slipped and said something embarrassing? What if she didn’t fit in and others found her odd? As a result, she tried her best to be on constant alert and control herself. Apart from being depressed and anxious, she was absolutely exhausted. 

Could work inspired through AI form part of her evidence-based treatment? This is an area where I am learning and trying to find my way forward in my role as a clinician. When a client has a three-hour daily cleaning ritual, or is too anxious to go to work, or is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, I must stick to evidence-based treatments. Anything else would be unethical. 

Taking treatments further 

But still, I keep wanting to take their treatments further, to focus and work on AI questions like: What might have been a time in your life when you thrived or excelled? What did that feel like? What is your vision for your life? What do you most long for? What might be? I must meet clients where they are in all their anxiety and stress, not ignore but validate the heavy backpacks they carry. When they can walk with them, maybe can we then look for new life paths forward. 

As a neuropsychologist I might describe this process from a subcortical perspective. Below the cortex (the human part of our brains) there is a structure called the amygdala. The amygdala functions as the fear centre of our brains, one we have in common with all other mammals. When a rabbit or a dog or a human gets scared the amygdala is firing and flooding the brain with chemicals to help survival. We go into the well-known fight, flight or freeze reactions. 

My clients in psychotherapy are often in high-alert amygdala-activated states, anxious, fearful or defensive. Positive, generative questions as we find in AI might not reach them then, as survival responses overrule everything else. First, we need to find ways to calm the amygdala enough to handle life challenges. This is what many techniques in psychotherapy are about. Only when the amygdala, or the fear reaction, is within manageable realms are we able to take in new perspectives and be positively creative about our future (Corresponding processes might, by the way, be true of malfunctioning organizations and teams with workers on a constant high alert.) 

To conclude, I think the existing gaps between mental health professionals (as with me, the psychotherapist) and coaches (as with me, the Appreciative Inquiry practitioner) are too wide. The two do not really interact and tend to stay a bit suspicious or ignorant of one another. Still, our clients are the same ones. Employees in companies around the world suffer from mental health

issues like anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorders. And, just like psychotherapeutic approaches may benefit from integrating the like of AI-generated frameworks to help clients move forward in their lives, AI processes, whether in the form of summits, teamwork or individual coaching, may also benefit from adapting procedures to the needs of different kinds of individuals. 

For example, imagine my client Lisa participating in an AI summit at her workplace. She might not excel in a typical AI summit format. Instead, she’d be constantly on her guard, afraid of making a fool of herself, afraid of what others might think of her opinions, so she might try to stay as silent as she could and only say things she thinks might please others to hear. Or imagine Lucas, a typical introvert. The VIA strengths assessment might give him top points for prudence, humility and perseverance, but not as much for social skills. In the AI discovery interview he might mumble and stumble some; in small group work, he’d be mostly silent if not prompted to talk. Still Lucas is very bright and creative if given the time to think things through by himself. 

AI summits that help people shine 

How could the procedures at an AI-summit not only accommodate for people like Lisa and Lucas, but help them contribute and shine? They are not uncommon, either. Studies show that around 30% of adults around the globe define themselves as introverted, and 4-5% of adults fulfil diagnoses of anxiety and depression. And I might just as well admit being one of these introverts. I love thinking, learning, listening and teaching. But I don’t thrive in small group discussions dominated by fluent extroverts, where all my energy goes into listening and I easily get overwhelmed. My own creativity and positivity thrive when I can think in peace and quiet. When I write on my own, I get into flow. 

What if we could arrange AI summits where introverts or anxious, unsure ones get to think things through on their own accord, write down their answers or paint them? Not let the extroverts in the room dominate all small group work and lose sight of many great ideas. What if silent energy and joy are just as valuable as loud energy and expressive joy? I would like to end by proposing a challenge: Could we arrange an AI summit about an AI summit where everyone thrives, introverts and extroverts, high self-esteem, and low self-esteem, calm and anxious alike? One size does not fit all. 

Note: For confidentiality, all descriptions of clients in this article have been anonymized, and specific identifying details have been altered. These measures ensure the privacy and protection of individual identities as per ethical research standards. 

In a world rapidly evolving with life-changing technologies it’s easy to be apprehensive about the future, especially when contemplating the integration of artificial intelligence into our lives and workspaces. However, there is potential for a remarkable synergy between artificial intelligence and Human Flourishing that holds immense promise. Sasha Farley, our Voice from the Field in this issue of AI Practitioner, highlights how Appreciative Inquiry (AI) emerges as a powerful tool in this journey, allowing us to purposefully reimagine these new technologies that can assist in fostering a sense of flourishing and fulfilment. It’s my pleasure to present Sasha’s timely, insightful, and impactful work to our AI Practitioner readership. 

Download Voices from the Field.

Keith Storace | Australia

Keith Storace is a Registered Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and Associate Fellow with the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM). He manages a private practice at Kiku Imagination where he applies the Appreciative Dialogue (ApDi) therapy program to assist individuals move toward, strengthen, and enjoy what is meaningful while dealing with the challenges they encounter along the way. 

Sasha Farley | Puerto Rico 

Sasha Farley (She/Her) MSOD, is the founder and CEO of Sasha Farley Consulting where she uses Appreciative Inquiry and other techniques with her clients to reimagine how they work to create opportunities for flourishing and fulfillment. She also co-hosts the Transformation Horizon podcast, which highlights stories using Organization Development to make positive societal impacts. 

How can emergent technologies help support human flourishing? 

When thinking about what the future will look like in relation to how we work and what work will mean to us, two concepts keep coming up in my mind: artificial intelligence and human flourishing. On the surface, these seem like competing concepts, but the more I think about their interconnection, the more I see the potential for artificial intelligence and other new technology tools to actually support our ability to realize human flourishing. 

We live in a fast-changing world, where many of us have experienced significant changes in how we work and interact throughout our lives. I only need to think back to the introduction of computers into our work/school life and the impact of social media on how we connect and market businesses to see concrete examples of the consequential impact of new technology. As these technologies integrated into our lives, we faced the same widespread fear and uncertainty that we are experiencing now in response to artificial intelligence and the fully virtual workplace. 

Reframe and reimagine 

If we can recognize the cycles that exist for the human experience within technology evolutions, we can reframe feelings of uncertainty and fear into hope and opportunities. For me, Appreciative Inquiry (AI) emerges as one of the best tools for organization development (OD) practitioners to facilitate this perspective shift. The use of AI techniques can support clients to purposefully reimagine the ways these new technologies can be integrated, not in an extractive way, but to instead create a sense of flourishing and fulfilment. 

How can AI help us achieve this? The challenges coming our way as a result of artificial intelligence and virtual work tools is massive and can easily lead us and our clients to feel overwhelmed, to focus too much on the problems and blockers. But there is a positive side of feeling overwhelmed that AI approaches can leverage to create positive energy. Frequently, when groups experience overwhelm, they let go of preconceived notions and open up to new possibilities. This openness to new ideas can be cultivated through identifying a common, energizing goal to work towards – an “inspiring image” in AI terms. 

A life full of meaning 

A potential inspiring image that keeps coming to mind for me that can encourage openness to new ideas amidst overwhelm is the idea of human flourishing. Human flourishing is the concept of living a life full of meaning, connection and enjoyment, with support for us to realize our human capacities and strengths, a life that holds intrinsic value in having a sense of purpose outside of ourselves. 

The PERMA model by Dr Martin Seligman (2013) captures five key aspects that collectively help define human flourishing: 

• Positive emotion: Experiencing more positive emotions (happy, hope, interest, joy, love, compassion, pride, amusement, gratitude, etc.) about the past, present and future. 
• Engagement: Fully using your skills, strengths and attention for a challenging and rewarding task. 
• Relationships: Having strong connections to others where you feel supported, loved and valued. 
• Meaning: Feeling a sense of meaning and purpose derived from belonging to or supporting something bigger than oneself. 
• Accomplishment/Achievement: Working towards and reaching goals. 

There is a shift occurring, largely driven by workers themselves, to start fostering and building structures and resources that recognize people as whole human beings. So the pursuit of enabling human flourishing within organizations can act as a powerful, inspiring image to help focus the openness to new ideas that can stem from feeling overwhelmed by new technological changes. 

Only in recent decades, however, have organizations begun to recognize that happy, fulfilled and supported workers can better tap into their creativity to drive innovation. And organizations have only just begun to truly recognize that innovation that comes from within the company is crucial for maintaining a competitive advantage in the fast-changing world we live in. Given this more recent emergence, leaders are still being pressured to support the more traditional views of business that prioritize increasing productivity and efficiency above all else. So we frequently see leaders who are trying to reconcile these seemingly competing approaches to success. 

Productivity + creativity? 

One eye-opening moment for me was when I stepped back and looked at the possible uses of artificial intelligence and virtual work tools through the lens of these duelling desires of productivity and creativity within organizations. While there are many examples of organizations using these tools to replace workers or increase drain on workers, both tools have the potential, when thoughtfully incorporated into work cultures and organizations, to free workers from mundane, repetitive tasks and purposeless interactions. This decrease in need to spend time on repetitive tasks can in turn provide more time to allow people to tap into their more creative potential. 

Recent early-stage research shows that when workforces are freed from the pressure of constantly needing to produce more, faster, they perform better and are happier in their work. So the opportunity for realizing human flourishing becomes more possible when organizations can purposefully plan and use these technologies to remove the burden on workers to execute the tasks more efficiently handled by computers. 

A perspective shift 

If we can help leaders focus discussions and energy around how to use artificial intelligence and virtual work tools to remove the burden and drain experienced by workers, we can help make these same technologies into tools to help support people’s ability to have the time and space necessary to think creatively and do tasks that bring meaning and fulfilment. OD practitioners using AI are uniquely positioned to help leaders make this perspective shift and help them realize that they can receive the benefits of increased efficiency and production through the use of emergent technologies, while also better leveraging their human talent for open, innovative and creative pursuits. 

One way of steering these discussions is pairing AI’s impactful questions with the inspiring image of supporting human flourishing in the workplace. For example, we can use the PERMA model to develop impactful questions to guide discovery and design efforts, such as 

• Positive emotion: What activities that we do make us feel the best about our work? What tasks do we do that drain our energy and cause frustration? How can we best use technology to increase our ability to do activities that make us feel good and decrease the need to do tasks that drain us? 
• Engagement: How can we better organize ourselves and leverage technology to provide more time and space for people to find their flow and best contribute their strengths? 
• Relationships: How can we create opportunities for people to connect with each other in the amount of time and timing that they want? When have you used technology to connect deeply with others? 
• Meaning: What positive impact do we bring for our customers? How can we use technology to allow us to focus our work in these areas while still delivering our products/services? 
• Accomplishment/Achievement: How do we successfully integrate emergent technology into our teams without sacrificing feeling fulfilled and energized by our work? How can we best track our success around technology integration in both productivity and connection? 

By using these types of exploratory questions, AI can help identify possible practices that can be integrated into organizations’ structures and processes to help shape the design and integration of these new technologies. In this way, we can help leaders shift their perspectives and drive their organizations forward through the uncertainty of the upcoming technology transformation by providing tools for them to purposefully shape their own futures. 

In addition, by using our unique skills as OD and AI practitioners, we can help make incremental and transformational progress towards reshaping systems and cultures to support human flourishing instead of focusing entirely on productivity and efficiency. 

REFERENCE 

Seligman, M. E. (2013). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Atria Paperback. 

Naturalising Appreciative Inquiry

I hear people talking about what needs to be fixed everywhere. It’s profoundly depressing and lowers everybody’s energy and sense of hope. I’m sure it doesn’t have to be this way.

Download the full article.

Nick Heap | United Kingdom 

Dr Nick Heap was a scientist, then an OD consultant with ICI (Imperial Chemicals Industries), and has been a volunteer for The Samaritans as well as a counsellor for Relate. He is a self-employed coach, counsellor, facilitator and trainer, and works with individuals, teams and organisations in the charity, private and public sectors. Nick has been using Appreciative Inquiry since 2004 

So, I’ve been wondering how we can create an appreciative inquiry where we look at what works, making it the default way we think and interact. How can we spread this revolutionary practice and way of being in the world simply and effectively without using alienating jargon or technical language?

What I’ve done to make AI as natural as breathing

Sharing happy stories

An anecdote: We had friends around for a meal and shared stories about when we were happy. This was an enriching and joyful experience. We learned many ways of being happy, some of which we hadn’t considered. When we talked about a time when we made somebody else happy, our energy went up. So – the simplest way to be happy is to make someone else happy!

I’ve used this exercise in workshops. One was between senior people in organizations that had to work together but with different cultures. When they shared a story about when they were happy, it was very moving. They all talked about their children. One was in near tears as he spoke about his little boy. He loved him so much. The people established a deep human connection and realised that the problems they had at work were trivial compared to what was important, their families.

Sharing happy stories also worked well for greater numbers of people from many different cultures. I put them in small groups, and they had a wonderful time. I can remember the buzz now!

Random acts of listening

A group of us met in a coffee shop and talked about what how we would engage in random acts of listening. It was a scary prospect. We went out individually for an hour into a park and initiated conversations with strangers. The purpose of each interaction was to understand their worlds from their point of view. We had to make a natural connection, not start with, “Are you willing to answer some questions?” So, you might say, “Oh, what a lovely, lively dog!”, which could lead to a conversation where you listened a lot.

It was astonishing how much people we approached enjoyed the exercise and wanted to talk. Sometimes the conversations were deep. One person talked about his sudden, shocking bereavement. We found a fantastic range of skills and experience in the people in the park. I met a man from Israel who was an expert in psycho-acoustics, the way to design a concert hall which people enjoy being in. He spoke about the differences between bringing up a child in the UK versus Israel, which he said was mainly because of the difference in climate.

I met a young Portuguese couple with a seven-day-old baby. The man told me how much he’d been looking forward to being a father and what it had been like so far.

It’s also interesting to notice who we found easy to approach and who we avoided. I’m an elderly man, so I was reluctant to speak to young women as I wondered what they would think of me. I faced my prejudices about tattoos and piercings when I met a sensitive and thoughtful man who was heavily tattooed and a young woman with piercings carrying a violin who was about to play at a concert of baroque music.

I could have taken these conversations further. A young mother told me how much she loved being a mum. I didn’t take the time to ask what she enjoyed about it.

The original group met again after an hour to talk through our experiences and learning. The exercise has had a profound effect on me. My chronic shyness has gone, and I’m reaching out to people who live near me now.

What could you do to spread Appreciative Inquiry ‘in the wild’? What have you already done?

How and where can we explain what Appreciative Inquiry is in a way that people can hear?

A bright ten-year-old could understand it. It is a simple idea. We could say, “When you ask people what’s wrong, they usually feel miserable and overwhelmed. If you ask people what’s working, they feel good. Then, you can ask them how things could be even better and how they could get that to happen. Even when things are terrible, if you ask people how they cope or how they survive, a positive question makes people more confident and willing to see how to make things better. This is what Appreciative Inquiry is about.”

I would like to see this information in magazines, newspapers, on television, and for it to be taught and used in schools. It might also be good to show people. Let’s stop having programmes about “neighbours from hell” and see stories about “neighbours from heaven”.

The media assumes that people are interested only in bad news. It’s worth testing. Bad news all the time depresses people. It suppresses our energy to create positive change. This is in nobody’s long-term interest. We could get together in small groups and write separate letters or call influential people and organisations to suggest a more appreciative approach. Many of us live in countries with a free press where we can express ourselves. Let’s use it positively.

What is your best idea about how to communicate AI simply? What have you already done that has worked?

Where is Appreciative Inquiry thinking and practice most needed now?

It’s needed everywhere. If I had three wishes, I would wish to embed AI in families, in education and in politics. Imagine the effect of paying attention to what’s working in families. Whatever you pay attention to grows. We can choose to grow love, connection, partnership, fun, mutual understanding, creativity and joy. Children raised in this environment will hang on to their natural zest, ability to learn, power and humanity. They will become the remarkable adults we need to lead us to a more sustainable and healthier world.

Education would become more about discovering and developing the unique talents and interests of the individual child. We can’t predict what work will be available or what life will be like for young people in twenty years. We can predict that young people will need to learn new things, so let’s focus education on encouraging them to learn rather than telling them what to think.

The complexity and interconnectedness of the modern world demand cooperation, not competition and conflict. Although politics appears to be broken, there will be examples of outstanding collaboration and creativity. Appreciative Inquiry could help us identify and magnify these.

Where is our practice and thinking most needed now? How do we start? What is already working?

What are simple micro-practices that we can do every day?

I’ll share one. If someone smiles at me, I say, “Thank you for your smile”. What we pay attention to grows. What do you do to “Be AI”?

What micro-practices will you do in the next few weeks to Naturalise AI?

Any comments on any of this are welcome!

Intro by Keith Storace

In her four-part series “A Practitioner’s Journey to Living with Climate Change”, Alex Arnold has advocated for a transformative approach to climate resilience and action grounded in the principles of Appreciative Inquiry. She has emphasised the significance of positive language, values-driven questioning, hopeful focus, and aligning actions with personal strengths as tools to build climate resilience and inspire change from within. Alex’s final article in this series, “Climate Action Starts Within”, focuses on the five core principles of Appreciative Inquiry, emphasising that positive conversations about climate change can foster hope and inspire action. I would like to thank Alex for her depth of knowledge and the inspirational outlook she has shared throughout this valuable and timely series! 

Also, in this issue of AI Practitioner, Dr Nick Heap presents his work and focus on “Naturalising Appreciative Inquiry” where he emphasises that, by shifting our perspective towards positive interactions and shared experiences, we can foster deeper human connections and inspire hope. Contemplating key questions and sharing uplifting stories, such as moments of happiness, can help bridge cultural or organisational divides. Simple daily practices, like acknowledging a smile, can be a step towards embedding AI into our daily lives, cultivating a world with more love, understanding and cooperation. 

It is my pleasure to present Alex Arnold and Dr Nick Heap and their insightful work!

Climate Action Starts Within 

In this four-piece series, A Practitioner’s Journey To Living With Climate Change, we have explored different ways to listen: listening to science, listening inside of us, and listening beyond the human, to the natural world. We have considered the many ways one can start a climate conversation: it can be about the gut microbiome, conscious influence or cosmology, to name just a few. The last article was a personal account of my experience witnessing a climate-related disaster. It makes sense to complete this series with a discussion about what to do. 

In this four-piece series, A Practitioner’s Journey To Living With Climate Change, we have explored different ways to listen: listening to science, listening inside of us, and listening beyond the human, to the natural world. We have considered the many ways one can start a climate conversation: it can be about the gut microbiome, conscious influence or cosmology, to name just a few. The last article was a personal account of my experience witnessing a climate-related disaster. It makes sense to complete this series with a discussion about what to do. 

Download the full article.

Alexandra Arnold | USA 

Alex Arnold (she/her) MSPsy, MSHR/ OD, ACC, is Executive Consultant for The Taos Institute and a climate resilience coach at Alma Coaching, where she uses positive psychology and Appreciative Inquiry to help introverted and highly sensitive people shift from climate anxiety to inspired action.

The timing of this publication is aligned with the 2023 AI Jam (October 19–21), the virtual conference hosted by the Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry. I had the honor of participating in a panel discussion on the topic: AI for Life: Putting Life-Centric Practices at the Heart of All We Do, A Dynamic Dialogue with Global AI Practitioners, in which I spoke about coaching as a tool to manage climate anxiety, build climate resilience and take inspired action. A question the panelists were asked was: “How do you see the work you are doing as a manifestation of the principles of Appreciative Inquiry?”

Rather than listing specific climate actions, let’s look at the core principles of Appreciative Inquiry and how they can guide us, as individuals, and as practitioners with our clients. 

The Constructionist principle 

Words create worlds. The topic of climate change is often associated with conflict, with others or within ourselves. It doesn’t have to be that way. When we open up to different stories, perspectives and conversations, we can create different realities. When we accept that there isn’t one Truth, and that our local truths are the outcome of our unique life trajectories, we can approach climate conversations with curiosity, care and respect. We can inquire into another person’s worldview without feeling the need to judge or convince. Connecting with others over shared life experiences, interests or values will have a much more positive impact than any scientific data we can share. How do we have conversations that connect or inspire rather than divide or deflate? 

This principle also invites us to reconsider the language we use around climate. (For more on the power of appreciative language, check out my co-panelist Claudia Gross’ book: Speak Green). What might happen if we replace statements like “We need to fight the climate crisis before it’s too late” or “We’re headed toward an apocalypse” with questions like “How might we learn to live differently in response to the changing climate so that people and the planet can thrive?” Or “What is the latest innovation, story of resilience or flourishing you’ve heard about?” We talk about the latest climate news story or comment on the unusual weather pattern in mundane small talk every day. Let’s slow down to consider the impact our word or story choices have. The language we use in conversations around climate shapes our future. 

The Simultaneity principle 

Change begins the moment we ask a question. One common experience in response to climate change is to feel powerless. We are stuck because we feel too small or inadequate to make a difference. Asking appreciative questions that bring out the best in people reminds them that they are skilful, capable, that they have resources, influence and control (at least over some things). Inquiring about past successes or peak experiences, even those not related to climate, can help people regain agency. They can start imagining how their skills can be applied in different ways. It also helps them clarify what really matters to them. Indeed, many people are overwhelmed because they don’t know where to start or what to do. We hear that we need to change our diets, electrify our homes, switch cars, move our investments, replace our wardrobes, vote, get involved politically or with environmental organizations and more. It’s just too much and we can’t do it all. 

Knowing one’s personal values can be hugely helpful in choosing a direction for action. One question that is sometimes used in climate coaching conversations is to ask the client to remember a movie, a book, a superhero, a cartoon character or a role model that the client admired as a child. When we inquire deeper into what this person/character/story stood for, we discover topics or causes that the person might feel really passionate about that they may have forgotten. This could lead someone to narrow their focus to social justice, or protecting a certain species or habitat – or maybe the food industry will call them most. A different way questions can be powerful, for example with someone being impacted by weather-related events, is to ask them about something they are grateful for, something they have learned, something that surprised them, or what helped them cope with the situation, instead of focussing only the distressing aspects. Use these questions thoughtfully and without dismissing the gravity of the situation, of course. 

The Poetic principle 

What we focus on grows, or what we appreciate appreciates. If all of our attention is on stories of apocalypse, doomsday, extinction, countdown, catastrophe, disaster and suffering, that is the world that we will be living in. But if we focus on stories of hope, innovation, resilience and thriving, we start to notice more and more of them. This creates a positive spiral, until we are surrounded by solution-focused news rather than what seems like insurmountable problems. One of the simplest things you can do right now is to subscribe to a source of positive news and limit or even stop taking in any traditional news. The impact on our emotional state is significant. By being mindful about what we pay attention to, we can balance despair, anger, sadness and hopelessness with hope, curiosity, interest, optimism, admiration or awe. This is not a linear process or a quick fix. These are coping strategies; they are not meant to replace, end or fix climate anxiety altogether. In fact, experiencing climate distress is not a problem we want to solve: it is what makes us human and what connects us all. We hurt where we care. 

The Anticipatory principle 

Images inspire action. According to this principle, we move in the direction of our vision of the future. What images come to mind when we think of climate change? Most of us only see images of destruction, suffering or death. Can we imagine a bright future for people, animals, ecosystems and all living things when we are taking in so many visuals of desolation and loss? To regain our ability to dream, let’s look at images of beauty, abundance, lush environments, thriving communities – human and non-human. Even looking at images of technological innovation like models of green cities or 3D-printed, eco-friendly, affordable houses can help create a positive vision of what we want to move toward. On a smaller scale, we can practice daily visualizations of small goals, rather than being lost in a blurry picture not knowing where we fit in. How about dreaming of a delicious vegetarian dinner, or imagining shopping at a local store, meeting the owner or the maker of the item you’re purchasing, instead of placing an Amazon order? How vivid an image can you get of the rich, fragrant soil you will harvest from your compost? What is one tiny thing you can see yourself doing to green-up your house today? Visualization can be applied to conversations: how can you prepare for a different exchange when the inevitable topic of the latest weather oddity or disaster comes up today? What we believe is possible will determine what is.

The Positive principle 

Positive images lead to positive action. There are many stereotypes associated with climate action: radical activism, confrontational conversations, public and sometimes violent protests, political involvement, extreme lifestyle changes like giving up meat, air travel, or switching cars: “I should be doing X.” Whatever we are doing, it seems that it’s not enough, or not the right thing. These actions are all great and necessary, but they are not useful if they are such a stretch that we are paralyzed instead. Unfortunately, self-judgment and societal pressure only exacerbate climate distress. 

What would happen if we gave ourselves permission to choose the type of climate action that brings out our best selves? No matter our skills, they are needed. When we build on our positive core, climate action becomes effortless, inspiring; it generates positive emotions that have physical and mental health benefits, and it can even be fun! Jane Goodall says that “whatever you do, do it out of love, not out of guilt”. 

If you love to write, try writing social media posts or a blog, an article, or a newsletter story on a topic you’re passionate about, directly or indirectly related to climate. If waste and pollution are topics that make your blood boil, consider how you might use your passion to model or educate others on Reducing- Reusing-Recycling-Refusing practices or on circular economies (the topic discussed by my second co-panelist, Tojo Thatchenkery, author of Appreciative Intelligence: Seeing the Mighty Oak in the Acorn, who with two colleagues, developed the Appreciative Intelligence instrument). 

If you’re a more private type, climate action can start by being more present next time you go to the grocery store and, rather than filling your cart on autopilot, experimenting with different items – for example, pick the peanut butter in a glass jar instead of a plastic one. You’ll be surprised how different your fridge and your pantry will look in a few months. 

If you’re a foodie, have fun experimenting with new vegetarian recipes and local, organic and sustainably produced ingredients – and tell your friends about it. Climate action no longer requires us to be loud, extroverted, risk-takers, angry or radical. Living in alignment with our natural world can be a life-giving display of strengths. 

Action starts within 

Using life-giving language and asking generative questions about climate change, visualizing the thriving world we want to live in, appreciating climate solutions that already exist and honoring our positive core as our best form of climate action are all tools that AI offers to build climate resilience. With all of these suggestions, let’s remember to ask, “what is the tiniest step you can take right now?” We are not looking for final solutions or big changes all at once. Climate resilience is not about getting rid of our difficult emotions to jump into action. It is about developing coping skills, new mindsets and shifting lifestyles the same way we would to manage a chronic illness. It’s about experimenting, learning, adjusting and being self-compassionate in the process. Climate action starts within. 

Intro by Keith Storace

In her four-part series “A Practitioner’s Journey to Living with Climate Change”, Alex Arnold has advocated for a transformative approach to climate resilience and action grounded in the principles of Appreciative Inquiry. She has emphasised the significance of positive language, values-driven questioning, hopeful focus, and aligning actions with personal strengths as tools to build climate resilience and inspire change from within. Alex’s final article in this series, “Climate Action Starts Within”, focuses on the five core principles of Appreciative Inquiry, emphasising that positive conversations about climate change can foster hope and inspire action. I would like to thank Alex for her depth of knowledge and the inspirational outlook she has shared throughout this valuable and timely series! 

Also, in this issue of AI Practitioner, Dr Nick Heap presents his work and focus on “Naturalising Appreciative Inquiry” where he emphasises that, by shifting our perspective towards positive interactions and shared experiences, we can foster deeper human connections and inspire hope. Contemplating key questions and sharing uplifting stories, such as moments of happiness, can help bridge cultural or organisational divides. Simple daily practices, like acknowledging a smile, can be a step towards embedding AI into our daily lives, cultivating a world with more love, understanding and cooperation. 

It is my pleasure to present Alex Arnold and Dr Nick Heap and their insightful work!

Architect, family therapist, musician, bathed in Italian, French, and American culture, and passionate about social constructionism, Alain has graciously offered the French-speaking public the translation of many books by Kenneth Gergen, as well as many other authors. 

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Meeting Alain Robiolio – Transforming our model 

Social constructionism demonstrates that we are relational beings. When Alain discovered the richness of social constructionism, he saw it as an extraordinary way out of the traditional and unsuccessful model bequeathed to us by the Enlightenment. Appreciative Inquiry, which grew out of it, suggests that it is possible to dialogue to express our dreams and build a shared dream—another revelation. Dialogue is essential to “fill the gaps in a world where everything is separate, to connect for the living”. 

Of course, it is not a straight line, “to draw a straight line in a field is to forget the whole dimension of the field”, it is a tribute to the appreciative approach to underline the singularities and the twists and turns of each experience. 

Referring to Alfred Hitchcock, Alain shows that every story has changing and unforeseen situations, surprises caused by some while others experience them, and suspense that leaves some unaware of what will happen. A lively appreciative process contains, like a good film, these elements. 

It is all the more true in a world where anxieties abound, whether it be the economy or democracy confronted with the rise of totalitarianism, predation, and exploitation of our earth to the point of making it uninhabitable and even music that sometimes becomes inaudible! 

Faced with such anxieties, trying to reduce the catastrophe is futile. Adapting the existing model will not be enough; it will be necessary to transform it. 

To do this, organizations and groups of people must be able to express their dreams while getting to know those of others. It is the only way to overcome the opinions and beliefs that oppose each other, sterilizing thought and making action impossible. 

Discovering what is fundamental in the other person requires detachment from one’s opinions and certainties. It is a question of knowing how to abandon oneself, “by falling back, one rises again”, and of learning to strip oneself of all possessions to open oneself to the other. 

Alain, therefore, emphasizes the demands made on the appreciative practitioner, “being AI” is a lifetime’s work, but what a joy it is to progress along this path! 

Harlene Anderson  

Conversation, Language, And Possibilities: A Postmodern Approach To Therapy

Basic Books, 1997 

Frank Barrett, Ronald Fry 

Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Approach to Building Cooperative Capacity 

The TAOS Institute, 2005 

Robert Cottor, Alan Asher, Judith Levin, Cindy Weiser 

Experiential Learning Exercises in Social Construction: A Field Book for Creating Change 

The TAOS Institute, 2004 

Kenneth Gergen 

The Saturated Self, Dilemmas of Identity in Contemporary Life 

Basic Books, 1991 

An Invitation to Social Construction 

Sage, 1999 

Realities and Relationships 

Harvard University Press, 1994 

Kenneth Gergen, Mary Gergen 

An Invitation to Social Construction 

TAOS 2004 

Marianne Mille Bojer, Heiko Roehl, Marianne Knuth, Colleen Magner 

Mapping Dialogue: Essential Tools for Social Change 

The TAOS Institute, 2008 

Peggy Penn 

Joint Imaginations: Writing and Language in Therapy 

The TAOS Institute, 2009 

Jacqueline Stavros, Cheri Torres 

Dynamic Relationships : Unleashing the Power of Appreciative Inquiry in Daily Living 

The TAOS Institute, 2005 

In the TAOS Institute’s worldsharebooks : 

Kenneth Gergen  

The Relational Imperative : Resources for a World on Edge 

Gitte Haslebo, Maja-Loua Haslebo 

Practicing Relational Ethics in Organizations 

Carina Håkansson 

Experiences from a Collaborative Systemic Practice 

O n July 11, 2023, much of the state of Vermont, USA, including the capital city of Montpelier, my home town, found itself under water after the worst flood since 1927. This event, happening right down the street from my hilltop neighborhood, brought me to a whole new level of understanding of the climate situation – from intellectual to experiential. The area was flooded with water, but also with emotions, information, options, connections and determination. Acknowledging the privileged position I am writing this from, it is with much humility that I share some of the lessons I learned to prepare for the next, inevitable, climate disruption.

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Alexandra Arnold | USA 

Alex Arnold (she/her) MSPsy, MSHR/ OD, ACC, is Executive Consultant for The Taos Institute and a climate resilience coach at Alma Coaching, where she uses positive psychology and Appreciative Inquiry to help introverted and highly sensitive people shift from climate anxiety to inspired action.

Emotions 

Trepidation, denial, shock, fear, anxiety, sadness, anger and restlessness – they’re only a few of the emotions I experienced. For several days, I felt numb, unable to focus or make even the simplest decision. In addition, I felt guilty, selfish, ashamed, weak and inadequate for the way I was handling the situation: the voice of the “inner critic” that we all have.

And there was grief. The realization of all the losses kept coming: property and road damage, trash and pollution, destruction of nature, including farm crops, animal habitats, trails, rivers and lakes. And other losses: of habits, hobbies, lifestyles, plans, many associated with local venues or seasonal weather.

The VT Small Business Administration stated: “local businesses are part of our routines; they anchor our lives in communities – where we shop, stop for coffee, eat, especially in small-town centers that struggle to maintain quaint, quality, personal service. But the landscape will change. Business owners may not want or be able to rebuild exactly as it was. Let’s give them some breathing room and open ourselves to a new normal.”

At a deeper level, there has been a loss of safety, control and identity.

What you can do to prepare: 

Learn to shift out of fight-flight-freeze mode (for example, with breathing techniques) before a crisis hits. Familiarize yourself with the Emotion Wheel so that you can “name it to tame it”. Get used to talking about grief. Know your preferred self-care tools. Practice catching your inner critic. Increase self-compassion. Prioritize regular sleep, healthy nutrition and exercise to approach challenges with a strong mind and body. 

Let go. With so much to lose on the outside, we are better off finding anchors of peace, joy and identity on the inside by shifting from consuming and doing to being. 

Information 

As the rain poured, so did the news. Weather updates. Road closures. River levels. Aerial photos. Video clips. News broadcasts. Community forums. Text messages, emails, phone calls from friends and family. Ongoing dings and beeps from notifications. The information overload and compulsive need to browse the web for the latest update added to the feeling of being overwhelmed. Is constant access to the internet helping or harming? What is the experience like for those who are not connected, by choice or not, or for those who have lost connection? 

What you can do to prepare: 

Develop healthy relationships with your electronic devices. Set limits to your information intake. Know when to stop, to preserve your mental energy. Adjust your notifications. Spend time away from your phone and computer. Have a backup plan for staying informed without power or connectivity. 

Learn to recognize information overload and practice zooming in. Bring your attention to very small things you are grateful for. Make a list of what you can control. Go through the day five minutes at a time. 

Focus on the present by developing a mindfulness practice. This can be as simple as focusing on one of your senses (touch, sight, sound, etc.) for a few minutes, several times a day. 

Options 

Some say that “action is the antidote to despair”. Indeed, it was tempting to jump into action and help. Instead, Senator Bernie Sanders asked us to wait: “I know many will want to help your fellow Vermonters during this difficult time. We are still in the very early stages of this disaster and responders are focused on evacuations and preventing loss of life. […] Do not self-deploy to affected areas as you could put yourself at risk. This recovery will be long.” 

Rushing into immediate action can be a way to cope with feelings of helplessness in the moment but may not be the most useful or sustainable. In fact, adding to the congestion, crowds and chaos of a disaster scene may interfere with professional first responders. Should I give food, clothing, generators, clean up debris, make a donation, or all of the above? When faced with so many options, it is worth taking the time to ask how we can best contribute with our own unique skills. 

What you can do to prepare: 

Be patient. Follow official guidelines from agencies that are actually trained and equipped to organize relief efforts. It may seem slow, and the system is imperfect, but they know best how to dispatch resources, allocate funds and prioritize tasks. 

Know your values and strengths – no need to jeopardize your safety, health or to aggravate being mentally overwhelmed by working on a disaster site if that is not the best match for you. Know what you care about and what you are good at so that when the time comes, you can have the greatest impact. 

Be creative – think outside the box, not just about the obvious ways to help. What you see in the news may bring attention to a certain population/area, but what about other locations – caring for first responders, animals, the homeless? What about the long-term and indirect impacts? 

Connections 

Facing a natural disaster can be very isolating. Not just physically, but because our friends and family, even when well-intentioned, can do more harm than good with light-hearted comments such as “after the rain always comes the sunshine!”, “well it’s great for kayaking!” or “I wish I had a power outage so I could get a break!” or overly dramatic responses such as “should I fly over to help?”. 

On the other hand, spending a few hours at a friend’s house, catching up with neighbors when walking the dog, receiving a call from a supervisor who is just checking in, reaching out to a friend who has lived through a similar event for support, or hearing of the huge volunteer turn-out and feeling the community spirit – these connections are invaluable. The VT July Flooding Crowd-Sourced Resource List, a 23-page shared Google document consolidating essential information, is an example of how neighbors mobilized in just a few days. 

What you can do to prepare: 

Learn how to support someone in a crisis: provide practical advice, be a sounding board, offer distraction or humor, give them space. Be curious, listen to what they truly need, not what you want to give. If you are on the receiving end, be clear about what you need and ask for it. 

Spend your time with people who lift you up, not bog you down. Know your friends, know who to reach out to and for what reason when you need it. It is not realistic to keep in touch with everyone. 

This year the US Surgeon General issued a public health advisory about the epidemic of loneliness in the US. Build a relationship with someone who is geographically isolated or not connected online so that they know they have someone to count on when the time comes. 

Determination 

In the days following the flood, emails from local organizations provided much needed messages of hope: Paul Burns, executive director of Vermont Public Interest Research Group said, “Today, as I grieve the losses we’re suffering in my beautiful small city of Montpelier, I’m also determined. I’m determined to do everything I can today and until my last breath, to hold those who created this climate mess responsible”.

Sue Minter, executive director of Capstone Community Action noted, “We see with heavy hearts the destruction of housing and businesses that are desperately needed to keep our communities strong. We have done this before and we can do it again because we are #VtStrong!” Reverend Joan from the Unitarian Church of Montpelier wrote, “I have been buoyed by the calls, text messages, and emails of support I have received from colleagues and congregations near and far. This community has faced a lot together, including major flooding in 1927, 1992, and 2011. In all those times, we have come together with patience, compassion, and care. Let us do so again now.” 

The Ananda Gardens Family, a local community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm, shared, “We pray for all of us to breathe deeply in this time of fear, loss, and uncertainty. May the songs of the birds remind us that cycles of nature are both beautiful and beyond our control. May the sunshine allow us to see beyond sorrow and despair with hope in our hearts to count the blessings of life, community, and love.” More messages included references to how VT made it through Hurricane Irene, Covid and other challenging times. 

What you can do to prepare: 

Build a repertoire of positive news (for example, Karuna News, BBC Future Planet, The Bright Spot) to be reminded of what’s going right in the world so that, in a time of crisis, you can remember and spread success stories and messages of hope and resilience. 

Sign up for the newsletter of a few organizations you value in your area. Those emails from leaders you trust, rather than random statements found on the web, will feel personal and provide a much-needed sense of belonging to a local community. 

There is no perfect way to navigate the sudden disruptions caused by climate change. Yet there are lessons to be learned in these events. Developing emotional intelligence, designing a life of meaning rather than consumerism, being your true self to make the greatest impact, shifting from individualistic to collective thinking and balancing news of destruction with stories of hope … these are steps we can all take now to be as prepared as possible to face the inevitable next challenge. 

Intro by Keith Storace

In July this year, the Winooski River in Montpelier, Vermont, USA reached a peak of 21.35 feet, leading to significant flooding. In the third instalment of her four-part series titled “A Practitioner’s Journey to Living with Climate Change,” Alex Arnold offers first-hand experience into the flood’s effects on her local community. The article, “We Can’t Predict or Prevent, But We Can Prepare,” delves into the emotional, informational and hands-on struggles she, and those around her, experienced during this disaster, providing insights into how we can ready ourselves emotionally, mentally and practically for impending climate disruptions.