This time of year there is a lot of talk about resolutions and more of a focus on the things we want to do better or improve. While working to improve ourselves is a noble effort, there is value, too, in taking stock of areas where we excel, focusing on our strengths, and building from there. In all of our programs at Lena Pope, we take a strength-based approach. Our focus is not on the deficits, but instead looking at the whole child and family to understand the strengths they have and how those strengths can aid them in their circumstances.
For example, we don’t focus on the reason a student is enrolled in our Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program, but instead we develop a plan to best support them in creating a brighter future for themselves. “This might be the one time in their life that they are hearing something positive about themselves,” shared Abby Phifer, Family Therapist at JJAEP. Our staff get to know each individual student in order to understand their unique strengths. “If one of our kids can understand they have good communication skills, then they can focus on that instead of focusing on the ‘bad kid’ label they’ve heard over and over.” While working to reduce unwanted behaviors, we can show our youth how to utilize their skills in positive ways and change the way they see themselves in the process.
Elizabeth Brown, Family Therapist, Clinical Team Lead, agreed saying, “Teens are used to hearing what they are doing wrong, what they should be doing instead, and how they could be doing better. In our counseling program we’re able to provide space to give them a different experience. A strength-based approach allows us to show teens that they are the experts on themselves and their lives. When we can recognize what a teen does well and their own unique gifts, we give them a different view of themselves. Changing how they think of themselves can change how they feel about themselves, and then change their actions.“
While this is what we do with our clients every day, it’s also a practical approach you can adopt for yourself in the new year.
What does strength-based mean for you?
- Taking time to focus on your strengths.
- Telling your loved ones about the strengths you see in them.
- Talking with your children about their strengths.
- Creating a culture in your workspace that places more focus on strengths and how to utilize those.