Mental Health, Psychotherapy, and Values

Mental health and cultivating well-being across the biological, psychological and social dimensions are central features of the Unified Metapsychological Framework. Indeed, a core statement of value for the Society is to "be that which enhances dignity and well-being with integrity".

The Nested Model of Well-Being provides the basic schematic, and CALM-MO provides a frame for the processes and principles for cultivating healthy socio-emotional processes, both interpersonally and intrapsychically. When these two ideas coupled with Character Adaptation Systems Theory and the Wheel of Development and grounded to the unified theory of psychology, the result is the Unified Approach (UA) to psychotherapy.

The UA is about unifying the profession of psychology under the heading "health service psychology" and about generating a unified framework for the practice of psychotherapy. This does not mean that all therapists practice the same way; rather it refers to generating a shared language system and meta-theory that allows therapists to map the landscape of approaches in a coherent way. In the language of the psychotherapy integration movement, it can be considered "the fifth pathway," which emphasizes the need for effective metatheoretical syntheses. The UA facet of the Unified Framework is also concerned with understanding psychopathology and ways to enhance adaptive living at the individual and collective levels.