What is Strength-Based Approach | Theory, Practice & Therapy

This article will provide you with a thorough explanation about the strength-based approach, what it means, its principles and definitions, and its benefits and disadvantages.

For you to appreciate it further, real-life examples, its applications in various industries such as therapy, support, and interventions, as well as case studies, are also provided.

In the strengths-based approach, deficiencies are not ignored, nor are individuals asked to ignore their problems and pains.

Instead, the emphasis is that outcomes are based on a positive outlook and goals (de Jong & Berg, 2002). Here are some benefits of the approach compared to the traditional deficit approach as outlined by Saleeby (1996, p. 297)

• Instead of being seen as a case where symptoms add up to a diagnosis, the individual is seen as unique, where talents and resources are included as strengths.

• Intervention is focused on possibilities rather than deficits.

• Instead of goals being based on some classification, strengths-based goals are dependent on the individual’s desired outcomes.

• The individual is the expert, instead of the practitioner/therapist/coach.

• The individual’s strengths and capacities are viewed as resources, instead of that of the worker’s or practitioner’s.

• Alternatives and various options are explored rather than having a black/white approach to things.

• The relationship is seen as a collaboration instead of as an intervention.

• Instead of asking what the problem is, the individual is asked what situation he is in.

David Lees (2004, p.3) also provides an insightful table that compares a deficit model and a strengths-based model.

1. In the workplace, strengths-based leadership shifts the focus from looking at hard skills and experience. Emphasis is placed on essential traits and characters that are present in a potential employee. To fill in the gap, employers provide training for the technical or hard skills that the individual must learn. Here, the focus is on the available strengths rather than highlighting what is lacking.
2. More often than not, when our friends or we are experiencing a tough time, the natural tendency is to focus on the negative circumstance where the problem is highlighted, and the potential is minimized. During these times, “resources” are essential. Outside perspectives from us (if we are the ones providing support), or from our friends and family (if we are the one in need of support), where potential solutions and positive points are identified and recognized, always help not only in making the situation lighter but in the problem-solving process as well.
3. Organizations and workplaces usually consist of teams and departments. When a team or department needs help in an area that another team is good at, that team is tapped. This strategy highlights the use of collaboration and tapping of available resources in the environment.
4. In forming networks, it is natural for us to take note of people’s expertise, profession, and inherent skills. Think about it, most of the time, we can recall what people are good at, or their job, better than we recall their names.
5. When learning a skill or starting a habit, we always build upon what is already present and start there. This makes change easier and taps on the person’s confidence and momentum. This is seen in dieting, exercise, learning a new skill, and so on.
6. If you are a manager, strengths benefit you too. Strengths give managers a language to focus and identify which tasks, roles and activities an individual is great at. Not only you can optimally allocate your resources, but you can also highlight positive behaviors, reinforce them and cultivate them further, fostering the development of excellence in your employees. Further, strengths help you as a leader to understand better the development needs of your employees and to provide corresponding support – on the basis of their unique combination of strengths.

A strengths-based culture is cultivable and applicable at every step of the employee lifecycle – from recruitment and selection of the right candidate for the right position to career development, from succession planning to leadership development and team building.

Counselors and therapists recognize the importance of positive processes in the therapeutic process and use their clients’ strengths in effecting therapeutic change. Gelso and Woodhouse (2003) explained that the use of clients’ strengths is involved in two processes of therapy, namely:

• Conceptualization process. In here, therapists aim to discover the client’s strengths, those that emerge from the therapeutic relationship, those that are embedded in the client’ perceived weaknesses, and the meaning and expression of these strengths in the clients’ context.

• Therapeutic process. In here, strengths are pointed out to the client, strengths are reframed positively, and exploring strengths that are embedded in the clients’ perceived deficits and defenses.

Furthermore, Scheel, Davis & Henderson (2012) conducted interviews with therapists and found five themes where therapists incorporate their client’s strengths in the therapy process:

• Amplification of strengths. In here, the therapist identifies the positive aspects present in the client and his context/s.

• Contextual considerations. A collaborative process is done to find out when and how to use the client’s strengths

• Strength-oriented processes. Therapy experiences are utilized to develop and refine strengths.

• Strength-oriented outcomes. Strengths are utilized to motivate the client to make changes in their lives.

• Positive meaning-making. Clients are encouraged to create narratives of their past experiences and how they coped with the challenges they faced.

The practice of the strength-based approach is ever-evolving and varies in its form of delivery.

Since the approach is applicable on different levels, from an individual to families, and communities, there is a fast-paced increase in the number of methods of practices being developed based on the foundations of a strengths-based approach.

Here are some examples of interventions that use the strength-based approach:

A solution-focused approach is a counseling approach that highlights the importance of searching for solutions instead of focusing on problems.

In this approach, people are encouraged to adopt different perspectives when looking at a situation. This enables them to have a deeper understanding of the causes and results (Lam & Yuen, 2008). The emphasis is placed on people’s resources and resilience which they use to pursue goals and effect change.

Solution-focused therapy and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) are currently being used in a variety of settings, such as mental health, child welfare, schools, public social services, and hospitals (Miller, Hubble, Duncan, 1996.)

Strengths-based case management is a case management model that addresses the needs and social desires of people. It is widely used in various fields such as mental health, school counseling, elderly care, and substance abuse.

This model is based on six principles by Rapp (1998), namely:

1. The focus is on individual strengths rather than pathology;
2. The community is viewed as an oasis of resources;
3. Interventions are based on client self-determination;
4. The case manager–client relationship is primary and essential;
5. Aggressive outreach is the preferred mode of intervention; and
6. People can learn, grow, and change

This practice is founded on the premise that people view their lives through the narratives that they create. These narratives then influence their future life experiences. In this approach, individuals are encouraged to develop a strengths-based narrative.

At the same time, the approach teaches the individual that problems are external to the person. The approach recognizes that the process of telling a story, asking questions, and reflecting on the self-narrative promotes healing, where negative experiences are translated into resilience and strength (Epson & White, 1992).

In the reauthoring of one’s story, a person is driven to recognize and own his strengths. The view of self in light of disability or weakness is changed to a more holistic view where the emphasis is placed upon the transformation of suffering into relevant life experiences.

This approach aims to build on parents’ strength and enhance family life to reduce the risks for children and to offer support to families when the children’s welfare is in danger.

This is done by empowering parents to build their supportive networks (Green, McAllister, and Tarte, 2004) in the community and improve their engagement in the program by recognizing that they are the experts in their family’s lives.

More and more health care professionals and agencies are adopting a strength-based approach to care. Gan and Ballantyne (2016) describe the use of a solution-focused approach in families of adolescents with traumatic brain injury.

In addition, Gotlieb (2014) expounds the use of strengths-based nursing, which offers a holistic approach compared to a deficit-based medical model in working with patients.

Mossman (2011) also found that utilizing a strengths-based approach in providing parent education to mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) led to more positive parent-child interactions and more positive emotions from parents.

Strengths-based approach is utilized in the following ways for clients who are receiving care:

• The individual is encouraged to play an active part in his intervention

• In circumstances where the client is unable to participate fully, practitioners must take necessary steps to overcome as many barriers as possible to enable active participation

• Identification of personal, family, and community strengths and support the individual in connecting with them.

• Identification of resources in the community and making sure that the individual can make use of these resources.

• The assessment and outcomes must be person-centered.

Questions exploring the following factors are important to help them recognize and appreciate their available strengths:

• Current contexts and situation (including challenges)

• Skills, qualities, attributes, and capacities

• Interests and hobbies

• Available network and connections

• Physical, financial, and social resources

• Values and motivation

• Ppportunities and challenges

Social workers may utilize a strength-based approach in asking individuals three pertinent questions as suggested by Pulla (2017) to help them process and empower them to commit to change or improvement:

1. What has worked for you before?
2. What does not work for you?
3. And what might work in the present situation for you?

Here are other types of questions that may help the social worker direct the client toward his strengths:

• Survival Questions. These questions aim to identify the strengths the client has utilized to overcome challenges.
• Support questions. These questions aim to help the client recognize the available support (social, etc.) that are available to him.
• Exemption questions. These questions aim to help the client process the factors that are present in his contexts or situations that lead to success.
• Possibility questions. These questions focus on specific strengths the client has.
• Esteem questions. These questions aim to focus on the client’s self-esteem by processing the positive aspects he has based on external sources.
• Perspective questions. These questions aim to process the client’s perspective regarding the situation he/she is in.
• Change questions. These questions aim to look into the actions done by the client in the past that have led to a positive change.

Early childhood is a formative time to build upon and explore children’s capacities.  Providing them with the freedom to explore and appreciating their unique ways of learning will help enhance their strengths.

According to Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence (2011), each child has a different way of learning. Appreciating these will help parents and communities further enhance and embrace each child’s uniqueness.

Here are the eight intelligences according to Gardener:

Musical: Children who are music smart learn best through songs, patterns, rhythms and musical expression.

Bodily-kinesthetic: Children who are body smart learn best through interaction with the environment and having concrete experiences

Interpersonal: Children who are people smart learn best through interacting with others. Children who are people smart learn best through collaboration and cooperation.

Verbal-linguistic: Children who are word smart love reading, speaking, listening, and writing. They learn best through spoken and reading words.

Logical-mathematical: Children who are math smart learn best through reasoning and problem-solving. These children love numbers.

Naturalistic: Children who are nature smart see subtle differences in things. They learn best through classification and categories.

Intrapersonal: Children who are self-smart learn best through the use of feelings and values

Visual-spatial: Children who are picture smart think in images and “see” things in their minds.

In addition, pediatricians use a strengths-based approach in helping parents and children in their development.

While the clinician takes an active role in providing knowledge and integrating opportunities in their daily life, the clinician recognizes that the parent is the expert in the family (American Academy of Pediatrics, n.d.).

This is done by identifying the parents’ and child’s strengths. Their cares and overall health is also discussed. Once these are identified, practitioners provide feedback.

Then, if a behavior change is needed, clinicians adopt a shared decision-making process to encourage the family to be an active participant towards the change.

Preschool teachers utilizing a strength-based approach must fit the curriculum to the child’s unique strengths. This may include having various opportunities in the curriculum and offering different “areas” such as arts area, science area, and so on, in the classrooms.

This follows Bronfenbrenner’s (1994) Ecological Model of Child Development, which states that the child should be at the center of education, and not the curriculum. This means that the child should be seen as a whole person, with his culture, language, upbringing are considered.

Of equal importance is that teachers should also practice self-reflection. Understanding one’s biases, values, and practice and how it can affect his interaction with the children can help them better tap into each child’s strengths and unique capacities.

One case study (White, 2014) applied a strengths-based approach in a large school K-12 school in Australia.

The approach was utilized in existing school experiences such as sports, student leadership, counseling, and the English curriculum.

This led to the development of a strengths-based culture on the campus where students are learning not only about his strengths but of others, including his teachers.

Also seen is a greater exploration about the use of their strengths in various fields of interest.

Lopez and Luis (2009) suggests five principles of strength-based education that educators can apply in their schools:

Principle 1: Measurement of student (and educator) characteristics includes strengths assessment. Aside from behavioral data (like absences and living situation), and data on academic achievement (i.e., grades), strengths and other positive personal values (e.g., hope and wellbeing) should be included.

Principle 2: Provision of a highly individualized learning experience. This does not only include encouraging students to set goals based on their strengths and apply them.

This includes education professionals to consider their students’ strengths and interests in their efforts to personalize the learning experience.

Education professionals can do this by highlighting their student’s strengths and providing feedback on the use of these in achieving learning-directed goals.

Principle 3: Network with others. Students should be encouraged to collaborate with others who have strengths that they don’t have. This helps in filling the gaps and managing available resources better.

Principle 4: Deliberate application of strengths within and outside of the classroom. Educators may utilize pedagogical approaches that tap on and use their strengths.

Educators must provide opportunities for students to leverage their unique strengths. They must also foster an environment where peer feedback about strengths is normal and celebrated.

Principle 5: Strengths development should be intentional. If the student has the goal of improving his strengths, he should be proactive in searching for greater exposure to opportunities and resources to further their skills and knowledge.

This does include not only the application of strengths but also engagement in new experiences which have the potential to expand one’s strength

While relatively new, shreds of evidence about the effectiveness of the approach are slowly emerging. To date, there is still a lack of a substantial body of evidence for some strengths-based approaches.

This is owing to the difficulty in synthesizing results due to the vast population and areas of application where the approach is utilized. However, here are some of the emerging outcomes that are available:

Studies show that strengths-based interventions have a positive psychological impact on people, particularly in their wellbeing through the facilitation of hope.

A study found that what helped people with mental health issues the most in their recovery was the presence of hope and the development of trust in their own decisions and judgments (Ralph, Lambric, and Steele, 1996).

Another study that utilized narrative therapy for clients using the “Be Your Best Self Program” with clients with mental health illness found that shifting on their strengths and being empowered in their own recovery has led to an improvement of their emotional, psychological and social wellbeing (Hood & Carruthers, 2016).

Researchers found that an individual’s increased confidence in their skills and better recognition of what they can offer shifts their attitudes from being mere recipients to becoming contributors in the society (Foot & Hopkins, 2009).

Building on the strengths of local people allows communities, institutions, and services to draw upon these strengths to build stronger communities.

From the other end, studies show that recognizing that the community (1) affects individual outcome and is (2) a resource that the individual can tap into to achieve their results lead to better competencies, skills, opportunities, and social relations (Arnold, Walsh, Oldham, & Rapp, 2007).

In the same light, building connections and networks within communities result in greater quality of life and an improved sense of wellbeing (Gilchrist, 2009).

In the school setting, educators who use a strengths-based approach in their practice, such as in providing feedback and creating measures and assessment, have students who also develop a strengths-based approach to learning and education, by doing more of what they do best (Lopez & Luis, 2009).

A study by Early and Glenmaye (2000) found that having a strengths perspective in families helped them identify coping resources and make use of their available strength in setting goals and their capabilities, visions and aspirations.

Another research found that empowerment is a crucial component in interventions that involve vulnerable families (MacLeod & Nelson, 2000).

Many other studies also found that focusing on children and adolescents’ strengths lead to a significant decrease in risky behaviors and an overall improvement in their behavior functioning.