Strengths – Based Therapy

Strength-based approaches to therapy build on inner strengths instead of trying to fix weaknesses or deficits. Everyone has character strengths, core patterns of thinking and behaving that are positive and, when used intentionally, benefit the individual and those around them.

While strengths do involve skills, strengths are more than what people do. They are traits that encompass who they are and apply across many different situations in someone’s life. For example, caregiving is a skill, while the kindness and love that encompass caregiving are character strengths.

In working with a therapist who uses a strength-based approach, clients first work to identify their own strengths and then determine ways to use those strengths to improve their life. Additionally, a strength-based approach emphasizes the importance of identifying and using support resources available in the client’s life to help them see beyond what is lacking in their lives.