40+ Positive Psychology Websites You Should Know About

Looking for more information on a specific positive psychology topic?

Here we’ve gathered an extensive list of other websites that may help you in your search.

In this article, you’ll find positive psychology websites for institutes, blogs, and specific subject areas, as well as links to positive psychology journals and articles with helpful resources.

Our list will be updated as we come across more valuable links, and of course, please let us know where we have missed something important.

We hope you find the collection of links useful. Please comment below with any thoughts and resources you have to share!

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free. These science-based exercises will explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology including strengths, values, and self-compassion, and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students, or employees.

Introduction to Positive Psychology

Here are some of our recommended websites for learning more about the field of positive psychology in general. Some of these websites will provide a more in-depth view of the field, while others may assume that you already have a little background in positive psychology.

Some have paywalled resources, but in general, most offer free resources and material for practitioners and the public.

UPenn Positive Psychology Center

This is the University of Pennsylvania’s official Positive Psychology Center webpage.

Dr. Martin Seligman, one of the founding fathers of Positive Psychology, is the director of this Center.

On this site, you’ll find the latest of the University’s programs, an overview of UPenn’s research in various PP fields, and a wealth of resources such as questionnaires and further links to external bodies for therapists.

Access here: https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/

International Positive Psychology Association

The International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) hosts and promotes a wealth of conferences.

On their website, members can access the Virtual Learning Library, read publications, attend the IPPA conference at discounted rates, attend webinars, and learn more about educational opportunities in positive psychology.

On the site, members will also find more links to local or regional Positive Psychology associations, and you can also browse the forums and article repository. Membership is paid, with some student discounts available.

Access here: https://www.ippanetwork.org/

European Network for Positive Psychology

One of the world’s best known Positive Psychology institutions is the Centre of Applied Psychology.

The Centre hosts the annual European Conference on Positive Psychology.

Here you can join the non-profit network for free. Please note, however, that this particular site is not frequently updated.

Access here: http://enpp.eu

Positive Psychology Tools and Assessments

Websites that provides tools and assessments that benefits therapists. Below is a short list of suggested websites.

The Positivity Institute, Sydney

If you are looking for resources for schools, organizations, and individuals, there are lots to find at this Positivity Institute (Pi) website.

Conferences, classes, and certification opportunities are regularly featured on the Pi Events page.

In the resources section, there are a host of articles, podcasts, recommended reads, and information on the Institute’s own Flourishing Scale.

Access here: https://www.thepositivityinstitute.com.au

Ed Diener Website

As Illinois University’s Alumni Distinguished Professor of Psychology (Emeritus), Ed Diener has contributed vast amounts to the research on wellbeing, as well as on other positive psychology topics.

On his website, the Scales section provides background and further reading on established, empirically validated positive psychology measures, the best-known of which is probably the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Also on his site are research articles focused on subjective wellbeing.

Access here: https://eddiener.com/

PositivePsychology.com

Our own comprehensive online resource of science-based positive psychology tools for therapists, coaches, and practitioners.

Browse our Masterclasses and Toolkit for helping professionals, developed and delivered by Dr. Hugo Alberts.

Access here: You’re on the right spot already!

Coaching and Applied Psychology Websites

The following are great sources to start your research on coaching.

University of Sydney Coaching Psychology Unit

The University of Sydney’s Coaching Psychology Unit provides example publications of their own research in areas such as self-reflection, organizational coaching, and leadership development.

This page also features courses from the University, such as the Master of Science in Coaching Psychology.

Access here: https://www.psych.usyd.edu.au/coach

International Society for Coaching Psychology (ISFCP)

The ISFCP (or ISCP) is a network for Accredited or Certified Coaching Psychologists, and Supervisors, Trainers, Consultants.

This page also has a Research Center and a link to the Society’s journal; as the ISCP also hosts conferences, it is a good place to find out about past and upcoming events.

Access here: https://www.isfcp.info/

10 Positive Psychology Topics

In this section, we have tried to categorize the links under relevant positive psychology areas.

1. Character Strengths, Virtues, and Values

VIA Institute on Character

This is the official site for the VIA Character Strengths Survey.

The non-profit VIA Institute also provides a character strengths list and information about how to interpret the results of their assessment.

There are resources for professional practitioners and quite a wealth of research findings, including survey data, full-text articles, fact sheets, and a blog that is updated weekly.

Access here: https://www.viacharacter.org/

The Positive Psychology Project: Character Strengths

This is an official page for research and resources on the 24 Positive Psychology Strengths identified by Drs Chris Peterson and Martin Seligman.

The mission of the Positive Psychology Project is to train and equip educators and schools for helping children become their best selves through their strengths.

The Resources section, therefore, includes playbooks, videos, character strengths, PPTs, and lesson plans for users to download.

Access here: https://posproject.org/character-strengths/

Character Lab

A non-profit organization centered on Positive Education, Character Lab was set up by Angela Duckworth, UPenn’s Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology, and two educators, Dave Levin and Dominic Randolph.

Character Lab provides strategy playbooks for schools and educators, including the Kindness Playbook, Social Intelligence Playbook, and Gratitude Playbook.

These also offer downloadable worksheets and links to further supporting research.

Access here: https://characterlab.org/

The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues

The University of Birmingham’s Jubilee Centre is involved in research projects aimed at understanding how character, values, and virtues contribute to human flourishing.

On their site, you’ll find more pages for learning about these projects, and multimedia resources for learning, as well as a nice blog on virtues.

In the Library section, there is a further database of articles with numerous open access options.

Access here: https://www.jubileecentre.ac.uk/

Science of Generosity

This website from the University of Notre Dame has a Research Resources section which includes links to survey data and even the related questionnaire items that have been used in studies on generosity.

Users who are hoping not to dig into hard data will also find reports, literature, and working papers in the same section. The Science of Generosity site also includes background on the Science of Generosity initiative and an overview of its current projects.

Access here: https://generosityresearch.nd.edu/

2. Compassion

Stanford Medicine Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education

Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) is committed to researching how ‘positive qualities of the human mind‘ benefit society and individuals.

These include techniques and approaches for fostering compassion and its promotion in schools and institutions.

On this page, CCARE features some of its own research, a database of other curated academic articles, and resources such as articles and overviews from past events.

Access here: https://ccare.stanford.edu/

CompassionLab

CompassionLab is run by organizational researchers, with a goal of encouraging the use of compassion in professional contexts such as leadership and employee engagement.

This site includes presentations, journal articles, book chapters, and links to other theory- and practice-related sites on Positive Organizations.

Access here: https://www.compassionlab.com/

3. Emotional Intelligence

Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence is a well-known source of academic information, research, and tools.

It is behind the development of the RULER approach, a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) framework with potential and demonstrated applications in professional development and education.

The Center site thus provides background information on EI for educators, coaches, and therapists alike—here, you can access research on the Center’s science-based RULER approach. It also offers ample RULER documentation and emotional intelligence case studies.

Access here: http://ei.yale.edu

Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations

The EI Consortium seeks to progress research into, and practical applications of, emotional intelligence.

This website contains a good collection of the publications and news about EI in business settings and leadership, as well as information on dissertations, book chapters, and emotional intelligence questionnaires.

It’s a comprehensive source for anyone looking to research EI closely.

Access here: http://www.eiconsortium.org

Six Seconds

If you’re after events and training for certifications, Six Seconds is a good place to start.

Established as a nonprofit in 1997, the network now has a considerable global presence and is focused entirely on expanding the practice of EI across the world.

If you are simply looking to learn more about EI, this site is a nice source of organizational case studies and more.

Access here: https://www.6seconds.org

4. Gratitude

Gratitude Questionnaire

This link will take you to UPenn’s GQ-6, a gratitude quiz that was created by researchers McCullough, Emmons, and Tsang.

Emmons Lab

Here is Dr. Emmons’ own research website, which provides some background into his work on the Youth Gratitude Project (YGP) with Giacomo Bono and Jeffrey Foh. It includes a list of relevant positive psychology publications on gratitude and links back to other webpages related to the YGP.

5. Happiness and Subjective Wellbeing

Authentic Happiness

Another UPenn resource that links the user to books, questionnaires, projects and initiatives, academic research, blog posts, and news on happiness as a positive psychology topic.

It is full of useful resources for teachers, therapists, and researchers, including videos, study opportunities, and training.

Access here: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu

Institute for the Study of Human Flourishing

This University of Oklahoma Institute was created to advance the study of human flourishing, further the scientific study of virtue, and engage with the community to promote flourishing.

Here, you can easily find online and downloadable resources, including courses and relevant links for parents.

Access here: https://www.ou.edu/flourish

International Research Associates for Happy Societies

International Research Associates for Happy Societies is a non-profit, independent organization; IRAH started in 1995 as a network for individuals and organizations interested in happiness and promoting wellbeing in society.

The site itself is in English, though it also includes links to publications in Thai and English. Here, you’ll find news on IRAH’s past activities and links to related sites.

It is very much related to happiness in society and features some background on IRAH projects in developing communities.

Access here: http://www.happysociety.org/

International Society for Quality of Life Studies

Founded in 1995, the ISQOLS goal is to advance research into happiness, wellbeing, and quality of life.

ISQOLS hosts an annual conference on Quality of Life and publishes an official journal on the same, Applied Research in Quality of Life.

Their official page includes a range of videos, webinars, access to their bibliographic database, and information about events.

Access here:http://www.isqols.org/

University of Cambridge: The Wellbeing Institute

The Wellbeing Institute is Cambridge University’s Institute for fundamental research, action research, and promotion of knowledge that enables human thriving and flourishing.

On the Publications page, you’ll find proprietary research, however, it is not frequently updated.

Nonetheless, the site offers links to a considerable range of studies that the Institute has conducted, including longitudinal population studies and nation-wide positive psychology research into wellbeing.

Access here: https://www.cambridgewellbeing.org/

World Database on Happiness

This is a useful database for researchers, which contains empirical studies, assessments, research methods resources, correlational findings, national, and data on cultural trends in happiness. It is directed by Ruut Veenhoven at Rotterdam’s Erasmus University and is very extensive.

With the bibliography tool, it’s possible to find happiness articles and findings quite easily through the search function—navigate by keyword, author, title, or source.

Access here: https://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl/

Erasmus Happiness Economics Research Organization

Erasmus Happiness Economics Research Organization (EHERO) is the scientific institute behind the research in the World Database above. On the institution’s page, you’ll find an overview of their research activities, information on their courses, and background on their happiness projects.

The site includes working papers as well as positive psychology journal publications and practitioner courses in the wellbeing domain.

Access here: https://www.eur.nl/en/ehero/

Center for the Advancement of Wellbeing

George Mason’s CWB is an interdisciplinary research center that looks at subjective wellbeing, thriving, and organizational wellbeing, among other positive psychology themes.

If you’re looking for research, you can easily find information on ongoing and past projects, as well as a Resource section that includes a link to the George Mason University Resilience Model.

Through the CWB, it’s also possible to browse courses on Positive Leadership and related qualifications.

Access here: https://wellbeing.gmu.edu/

Happiness Research Institute

This is a Danish Institute that conducts empirical research into happiness and wellbeing. If you’re looking for independent, subjective measures and data on happiness, the HRI uses these to build on UN and OECD measures. Eudaimonic, cognitive, and affective dimensions are considered its research, which can be found on the publications page.

Access here: https://www.happinessresearchinstitute.com/

Australian Centre on Quality of Life

ACQoL is known for having jointly developed the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index with Australian Unity, a positive psychology assessment that measures subjective quality of life.

From this link, you can navigate to the ACQoL’s open access Data Portal. Here, you’ll find longitudinal and cross-sectional research from the Australian Unity Longitudinal Wellbeing Study.

Additionally, researchers and individuals can find background on the tools and measures used, and more information on the project itself, which collects data at 10-year intervals.

Access here: http://www.acqol.com.au/

Global Happiness Council

The Global Happiness Council (GHC) produces the Global Happiness and Wellbeing Policy Report with the goal of informing policy around Positive Education initiatives, Happy Cities, Societal Wellbeing Interventions, and more.

The site also includes videos and past reports, which are presented at World Governance Summits in a bid to shape legal and governmental frameworks through science-based findings. The GHC also carries out research into personal happiness and Positive Organizations.

Access here: http://www.happinesscouncil.org/

Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations

HEIR combines economic and positive psychology in its research, which focuses on understanding how individual relationships relate to societal happiness and subjective wellbeing.

The team applies economic theory to the positive psychology topics of SWB and interpersonal relationships, and hosts workshops however, the site itself is not designed to be a source of literature or tools.

Access here: http://www.heirs.it/

Harvard University Center for Health and Happiness

The Center for Health and Happiness at Harvard shares recent publications on topics like positive interventions, wellbeing, optimism, and health.

The official site features links for students and researchers and also provides happiness resources and tools for use in a variety of different contexts.

At this site, you can also find out more on the Center’s Seminar Series page, or watch seminar recordings from past events.

Access here: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/health-happiness/

OECD Better Life Index

In 2013, the OECD released its Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Wellbeing, to encourage a more holistic approach to studying SWB.

These subjective indicators include constructs such as Life Satisfaction and Work-Life Balance, and the OECD considers them alongside objective measures of wellbeing on a national scale.

The link will take you to the global country data that exists to date. According to the OECD, these statistics are being updated as different countries create more assessments of subjective wellbeing.

Access here: http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/

6. Mindfulness

Umass Medical School Center for Mindfulness

The University of Massachusetts Medical School is best-known as the home of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR); their site, of course, features MBSR programs and professional education on the same.

The link above will take you to articles where you can read more about MBSR and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and learn about its applications.

UMass provides MBSR courses for practitioners, students, and the public.

Access here: https://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/

American Mindfulness Research Association

AMRA promotes scientific research to develop and enhance the evidence around mindfulness practice and interventions.

The link will take you to AMRA’s official page, which contains a library of resources including measurement tools, reviews, news, and a bulletin that is updated monthly.

Access here: https://goamra.org/

UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center

MARC carries out education and research to encourage mindful awareness for wellbeing.

The Center provides workshops, tools, and classes for the public and publishes studies on its site. These cover mindfulness topics such as MBSR, mindful awareness practices in education and the elderly, and also provide a little background on upcoming publications.

Access here: https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/

7. Positive Education

International Positive Education Network

IPEN has an extensive online learning library of resources for schools and educators. You’ll find articles, activities, handouts, worksheets, lesson plans, case studies, and downloadables such as posters for use in class.

On the site, you’ll see where the IPEN community is distributed across the world and there are also considerable background materials about Positive Education.

Access here: https://www.ipen-network.com/

Positive Education Schools Association

PESA is an Australian peak body dedicated to encouraging evidence-based approaches to wellbeing.

The PESA site is a source of information on events, with a calendar of summits and conferences. Practitioners and educators can find out more about PESA’s state chapters to access support and resources for teachers and schools.

Access here: https://www.pesa.edu.au/

8. Positive Emotions

Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory

The University of North Carolina’s PEP lab promotes and conducts research into how positive emotions impact on their health, social behavior, thinking, and physiology.

Its research page provides a link to the Lab’s publications and outlines various positive psychology theories of emotion. These include frameworks, articles, and ‘read more’ material on hypotheses in the field.

Access here: http://peplab.web.unc.edu/research/

9. Positive Workplace

Center for Positive Organizations

In 2010, the Ross School of Business-based Center was awarded the Joanne Martin Trailblazer award for its work in Positive Organizational research.

Here you’ll find Positive Organizational studies and scholarship on the topic, along with teaching resources, research, and tools for professionals. There are also links to talks in the Center’s Speaker Series and events listed, including conferences and Positive Research incubators.

Access here: https://www.bus.umich.edu/positive

APA Center for Organizational Excellence

Psychologically healthy workplaces are the goal of this APA Center.

Here, employees, leaders, and psychologists will find tips for putting Positive Organizational theory into practice. As well as articles and tools for employers, there are also events and awards for companies.

Access here: http://www.apaexcellence.org/

David L. Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is closely related to positive psychology. Its focus is growing organizations through an emphasis on positive emotions, individual strengths, and organizational strengths.

At this Champlain College website, there are sections on Appreciative Education, applying the theory in practice, and, of course, background resources on AI. There are online courses and educational opportunities, as well, in the link provided.

Access here: https://www.champlain.edu/appreciativeinquiry

Benedictine University: Center for Values-Driven Leadership

This Center site includes free downloadable and online resources related to Positive Leadership.

Here managers, leaders, coaches, employers, and employees can access white papers, tools, and ebooks on Appreciative Inquiry, values, and relevant Positive Organizational approaches. On the Insights page, there are also videos and blogs on value-driven cultures and leadership.

Access here: https://cvdl.ben.edu/

10. Resilience and Coping

The Resilience Research Centre

This is Dalhousie University’s Center for Research. The research featured on this site approaches resilience as a contextually and culturally embedded concept.

Resources available on this site include tools, methods, videos, publications, and approaches.

The Resilience Research Centre (RRC) also offers case studies, workshops, and evaluations—the latter being initiatives that integrate some RRC measures in action.

Access here: http://www.resilienceresearch.org/

Master Resilience Training Skills

This page gives an official overview of the US Army’s Master Resilience Training (MRT) skills and competencies.

This gives some background and detail on the approaches used in MRT to develop resilience in soldiers and their families, such as Energy Management, Problem Solving, and Real-Time Resilience.

Access here: https://www.usar.army.mil/MRT/

Harvard University Resilience Consortium

This Harvard University site presents a huge array of resources on research for students, educators, and individuals. You can browse resources by type or topic to find assessments, frameworks, interventions, handouts, and research on resilience.

Or, you can watch videos, read the blog, listen to podcasts, or learn about the events that the Consortium supports.

Access here: https://resilienceconsortium.bsc.harvard.edu/

Positive Psychology Research: Articles and Journals

If you are looking for a list of peer-reviewed academic journals and special issues on the topic, hopefully, the following will be of help:

• The Journal of Positive Psychology
• Journal of Happiness Studies
• Emotion
• Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing
• International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology
• Journal of Wellbeing Assessment
• Journal of Applied Positive Psychology
• Applied Research in Quality of Life
• The British Psychological Society (2003 Special Issue)

About Positive Psychology: Blogs and News

Keeping on the forefront with any developments around positive psychology, is easy with these news, podcast and blogging sites.

The Good Life (A positive psychology blog by Dr. Christopher Peterson)

Christopher Peterson is frequently cited as the author of A Primer in Positive Psychology and has been an editor at The Journal of Positive Psychology. His Good Life Blog is not frequently updated but is full of opinions and insights on topics like happiness, life satisfaction, and books that are worth reading.

Access here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-good-life

Greater Good Magazine

This is UC Berkeley’s digital magazine of science-based insights on wellbeing, gratitude, happiness, and more.

Here you’ll find podcasts, videos, exercises, resources, and quizzes, along with articles that cover positive psychology themes in current affairs.

Access here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/

Positive Psychology News

This is written and curated by MAPP graduates and coaches, this site is a wealth of information on courses and resources.

It’s regularly updated with book reviews, webinars, conference information, and is also a good place to find more background on PP through articles and a few nice frameworks.

Access here: https://positivepsychologynews.com/

The Psychology of Wellbeing (A positive psychology blog by MAPP graduate and author Jeremy McCarthy)

Jeremy McCarthy’s blog is actually an endearing mix of personal reflections on and news about positive psychology news.

Here, the author applies positive psychology to wellbeing—holistic wellbeing, with a focus on spas and the hospitality industry.

It includes transcripts from talks and relevant research on wellness.

Access here: http://psychologyofwellbeing.com/

The How of Happiness (A positive psychology blog by Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky)

Author Sonja Lyubomirsky’s blog covers the science behind what is potentially the most popular positive psychology topic—happiness—from a scientific perspective. She is a Templeton Positive Psychology Prize winner and Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside.

Access here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/how-happiness

Do you know of any other great positive psychology websites? Please don’t hesitate to let us know your suggestions or leave your tips in the comments.