323: Chapter 323 Ivy League Graduate! Positive Psychology Center!

Chapter 323: Ivy League Graduate! Positive Psychology Center!

Wu Kai, a native of Rongcheng, holds a Master's degree in Psychology from Normal University.

He later went to the University of Pennsylvania in the USA to pursue a PhD in Psychology.

He currently serves as a psychological counselor at the Martin Seligman Positive Psychology Center.

Upon seeing "University of Pennsylvania" and "Martin Seligman," Su Yang began to take the matter more seriously.

Su Yang was well aware of the University of Pennsylvania's reputation as an Ivy League school.

As for Martin Seligman, he was a top psychologist in the USA and the father of positive psychology.

Positive psychology is essentially the study of human happiness.

It uses scientific methods to study human well-being and positive traits, dedicated to understanding positivity, meaning, and value in human life.

It also encourages people to develop their personal potential, pursue a meaningful life, and bring about positive changes for both individuals and society.

Martin Seligman's research focus is on Learned Helplessness and Depression.

Depression needs no explanation, as it is a relatively common psychological issue!

What is Learned Helplessness?

Learned Helplessness refers to a state where an individual, after long-term exposure to unpredictable or uncontrollable negative events, gradually loses confidence in their ability to change or control the situation, resulting in a sense of helplessness.

The individual experiences a series of persistent failures across various domains such as academics, career, or interpersonal relationships. The persistence of these failures often exacerbates the individual's negative emotions and sense of helplessness.

When Xu Yunxiao was analyzing the psychological issues of vocational high school students for Su Yang, she also mentioned Learned Helplessness.

Due to the poor foundation of these students, they easily develop a sense of Learned Helplessness when faced with academic difficulties or when their grades fail to improve after repeated efforts.

They might attribute the cause of failure to factors within themselves that cannot be changed, thereby losing the courage and confidence to keep trying.

Behaviorally, students may exhibit negative patterns, showing avoidance behavior toward their environment and being unwilling or unable to change unfavorable situations.

Emotionally, individuals are often accompanied by negative emotions such as pessimism, anxiety, helplessness, and frustration.

Cognitively, individuals may experience cognitive distortions, believing they cannot change their environment through any amount of effort.

Physiologically, long-term Learned Helplessness can also lead to physical problems such as insomnia, loss of appetite, headaches, and heart palpitations.

In fact, Su Yang felt that back when he was working at Advertising Company, he had also experienced a period of Learned Helplessness.

Emmm... he just wanted to let himself go and rot!

Therefore, seeing that Wu Kai served as a psychological counselor at the Martin Seligman Positive Psychology Center, he gave him a bit more attention.

After a brief inspection of Wu Kai's skill panel, Su Yang felt that the man did not disappoint his expectations.

Four-star psychology talent, three-star communication talent...

In terms of abilities, he had mastery-level treatment for Depression and Learned Helplessness. As expected, it was a direct lineage of expertise!

Wu Kai wore a smile in the video and was quite handsome.

He had a gentle temperament and was dressed formally and neatly, making it easy for people to have a good first impression of him.

Su Yang chatted with him for a bit and got a general idea of Wu Kai's situation.

Wu Kai was thirty-four years old and had not yet started a family.

As a psychological counselor at the Positive Psychology Center, his annual salary was around 100,000 dollars.

Converted to local currency, that was about 700,000 yuan!

This was quite normal; in the USA, psychological counselors are considered middle class.

Psychological counselors in the USA serve the middle class and the wealthy, with hourly rates reaching around 100 to 200 dollars.

Those who do well can earn an annual salary of 140,000... even entry-level salaries can be around 90,000.

One can only say those big spenders really have a lot of money!

Su Yang asked with a smile, "Are you interested in coming back?"

Wu Kai said candidly, "I'm already here for the interview, so how could I not be interested!"

"Mhm!"

Su Yang liked his candor.

Most fellow countrymen were too shy to talk about money... which made a generous wealthy person like Su Yang a bit uncomfortable!

Just say how much you want directly; it makes the negotiation simple for everyone.

Then there were some Master's and PhD graduates who asked for salaries that were too low.

For example, one Master's graduate—Su Yang was prepared to give him a monthly salary of ten thousand, but he insisted on eight thousand!

Wu Kai asked, "Does the boss want to start a psychological counseling company?"

"If it's you, then it would be a psychological counseling company!" Su Yang said with a smile. "Additionally, you might need to take on some counseling work for schools and companies, and I'll need you to train more counselors to serve my employees!"

Psychological counseling abroad was more advanced, with established systems for talent cultivation... Su Yang was definitely going to 'borrow' those methods first.

"Serving employees? The task seems a bit heavy!"

If it was internal counseling for companies and schools, they couldn't charge by the hour.

However, this actually made Wu Kai feel more at ease.

If he were to serve external clients, he felt he wouldn't be able to make any money in Rongcheng!

If he charged a thousand yuan per hour in Rongcheng, customers would probably steer clear of him.

"If you do well, an annual salary of a million isn't impossible!" Su Yang said with a smile. "Our Jufan Holdings spans media, fitness, food and beverage, domestic services, law firms... it's a very powerful group company!"

Wu Kai replied with a smile, "I know. Last time I went back to Rongcheng, I ate at Nine Fragrance Hotpot. That should be yours, right?"

"It is!" Su Yang asked with a smile, "Was it good?"

"It was very good!" Wu Kai nodded. "It's a pity you don't sell hotpot base. I originally wanted to bring some back for my colleagues to try."

"Do they like it?"

"Some don't, but some do. I have Chinese colleagues too!"

"Are there many Chinese people?"

"..."

After chatting about hotpot, the relationship between the two became much closer!

"What is your ideal salary?"

"The boss surely knows the state of the psychological counseling business in China. If I'm working in Rongcheng, I might need a fixed annual salary... Could it be five hundred thousand?"

Wu Kai thought seriously for a moment and gave a relatively conservative figure!

He was well aware of the gap in psychological counseling between China and abroad. In China, it was still a niche industry, and most people were quite resistant to it!

They felt that going for counseling was like being a 'psycho'!

He was also quite familiar with the cost of living in Rongcheng; at least it wasn't as high as in the USA.

If possible, he was still more willing to return home!

Who would want to leave their hometown if they didn't have to?

Su Yang nodded: "That's quite reasonable!"

This request was slightly on the low side... He had thought the man would ask for seven hundred thousand!

Wu Kai took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and said, "Boss, I want to sign a relatively long contract, at least five years!"

There were some things he found hard to say.

Layoffs in China were incredibly fierce, and seeking compensation was a hassle!

Returning to develop his career there definitely involved risks.

After all, most of his connections and resources were in the USA.

His impression of Su Yang was good, but he still had to consider his own future.

"That won't have much effect; contracts can be torn up even after they're signed!" Su Yang waved his hand generously. "Come back to Rongcheng to work for me, and I'll first give you three million yuan as a relocation allowance. The base annual salary will be five hundred thousand, with bonuses and performance pay calculated separately; we can discuss that further."

"Ah?"

"Three million is enough to buy a decent new house in Rongcheng right now!"

"I know!"

"How about it?"

"No problem!"

What else could Wu Kai say?

In any case, he had witnessed Su Yang's financial strength!

"Oh, and one more thing, help me introduce our company within your circle to see if there are any other talents willing to return and develop in China!"

Talents from prestigious schools and top institutions often gathered together.

The social circle of overseas Chinese wasn't large either; any news traveled fast.

Su Yang wanted to poach more ready-made talent. In the service industry, he wouldn't lose out!

Wu Kai was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Boss, I understand!"

Afterward, Wu Kai chatted with Su Yang about the state of the psychological counseling industry in China.

When he discovered that Su Yang was not only wealthy but also had a calm and objective understanding of the industry, was prepared for long-term losses, and that the counseling company's primary service targets were company employees and vocational school students, the last stone in his heart finally settled.

While the boss was picking him, he was actually picking the boss as well!

After finishing the interview, Wu Kai looked out the window at the sun rising over Pennsylvania.

Opening the window, he took a deep breath.

Feeling hungry, he couldn't help but think of the taste of the smoked chicken feet from Jiuxiang Hotpot Restaurant.

He took out his phone and found his mother's number... after hesitating for a moment, he didn't dial.

It should be quite late over there now!