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.

  • Helping with a house move

    Phillipa,* a sole parent, had just come out of hospital after surgery and was convalescing, when she was faced with having to move house. The people she would normally turn to for help were not available, leaving her worried about how she would cope. To her delight, several people she hardly knew stepped forward and […]

  • Ditzy Drivers

    A driving instructor was giving lessons to an extremely nervous student, who panicked whenever another car approached on a particular two-lane road. One day, however, they got to the same stretch of road and the student was completely calm. “You’re doing fine, today!” exclaimed the instructor.“Yes,” agreed the learner. “Now, when I see another car […]

  • The Chicken or the Egg? The Person or Their Opinion?

    Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Of course, there’s no definite answer, and if there was, it would make little difference. Yet last year, an argument about this very question led to an Indonesian man killing his friend. News reports never mentioned which side he took, but consider this – did killing his […]

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  • Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself

    Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself                                                                                             by Lissa Rankin After qualifying as a medical doctor, Lissa Rankin became fascinated by the placebo effect. How was it possible for people to heal simply through belief? Further research led her to discover what lay behind miraculous spontaneous remissions, and why happy […]

  • Deep and meaningless

    A yogi in the Himalayas was a great spiritual leader. He walked in the mountains in bare feet. He also had a peculiar diet that made him a bit weak and gave him bad breath. You could say he was a…  super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis. * * * *  When I sang […]

Stephanie Hills

Promoting Individual and Social Happiness

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