A Very Positive Review of Positive Autoethnography: An Introduction to Theory and Practice

Authors

Ronald J. Chenail, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USAFollow

Abstract

Emerging from a creative marriage of positive psychology and autoethnography, Freda Gonot-Schoupinsky and Claude-Hélène Mayer (2025) present a wonderful addition to both families with their new book, Positive Autoethnography: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. The authors do an excellent job situating this new methodology in the rich traditions of both foundational areas and present the theoretical and practical qualities of a variety of positive autoethnography derivations. In what might be the most interesting variation of this evolving form of autoethnography is its promise as a form of therapy – a very positive development indeed.

Keywords

positive psychology, autoethnography, positive autoethnography, therapeutic positive autoethnography

Author Bio(s)

Ronald J. Chenail, Ph.D., is Provost, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, and Professor of Family Therapy at Nova Southeastern University. Since 1989, he has been part of 14 grants and contracts totaling over 6.5 million dollars. His 140 publications, including nine books, have been cited over 8800 times. He has also given over 200 formal academic presentations at conferences and meetings in family therapy, qualitative research, higher education, and conflict resolution. He was editor-in-chief of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy and the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage and is currently Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Qualitative Report, a journal he founded in 1990.

Publication Date

10-26-2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2025.8633

Recommended APA Citation

Chenail, R. J. (2025). A very positive review of positive Autoethnography: An introduction to theory and practice. The Qualitative Report, 30(10), 4546-4549. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.8633