Happy Nation is based on two basic ideas

  1. Focussing on what makes us happy can bring us to greater heights of joy and fulfilment than focussing solely on the problems we wish to solve. This is the philosophy inherent in Positive Psychology.
  2. Happiness, like any other emotional state, is not an isolated phenomenon – it affects, and is affected by, the people around us. To reach fulfilment we must work towards enhancing the happiness of all, using love, compassion and gratitude. This social happiness philosophy is consistent with the principles of Deep Ecology.

Stephanie Hills has thirty years’ experience working with people in distress, both as a social worker and a counsellor.

A large part of her work has comprised using narrative and art therapy to help people move on from depression. While still helping people facing difficulties, Stephanie’s work has broadened to include the promotion and enhancement of individual and social happiness.

Using the principles of Positive Psychology and Deep Ecology, she assists individuals and groups to improve their functioning in various life spheres, taking into account the social, cultural, economic and environmental context of people’s lives.

  • Power and humility

    In our daily lives there are people who have a certain amount of power over us (our employer, landlady, teacher) and people over whom we hold positions of relative power (our children, employees, students). To maximise social happiness, power must be used wisely and with humility. I remember one work situation where my boss started […]

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  • Whose story are you living out?

    As a narrative counsellor, I am very aware that we make sense of our experiences in terms of stories. A bad experience, such as giving a presentation that doesn’t go well, might be interpreted as a turning point in a story of failure – “That was the day my career fell to pieces” – or […]

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  • A few jokes

    Paddy texts his wife. “Mary, I’m just having one more pint with the lads. If I’m not back in 20 minutes, read this message again.” * * * * * We were celebrating the 100th anniversary of our church, and several former pastors and the bishop were in attendance. At one point, our minister had […]

  • Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics

    We say that actions speak louder than words – and indeed they should. But in actual fact we have to be extremely vigilant in order to avoid simply accepting what we are told. Our human brains seem to be wired to process information quickly and efficiently by slotting it into pre-existing sets of beliefs. Something […]

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  • Another Finder’s Kindness Story

    This morning a work colleague came around searching for her phone. She wasn’t sure whether she had left it at work, or placed it on top of her car before she drove away. We looked everywhere and I phoned her number, but to no avail. A couple of hours later she texted me to say […]

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Stephanie Hills

Promoting Individual and Social Happiness

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