Strength-Based Therapy

The strength-based approach can work differently, depending on the counselor’s experience and technique. For example, counselors may use strength-based therapy in conjunction with other treatments,¹ such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or trauma-informed therapies. 

Regardless of approach, mental health professionals using strength-based therapy often include six points to build its framework. They may approach them in consecutive order from session to session or out of order according to the client’s needs as the strengths-based therapy progresses.

Goal setting  

A measured, purposeful conversation about the client’s goals is often the first step in reframing thoughts and beliefs from negative to positive. These goals are often client-led, counselor-supported, and long-term or short-term programs that implement solution-focused therapy and positive psychology. In addition to establishing the goals, counselors and clients can work together to uncover the authentic reasons they want to achieve them. 

Strengths assessment  

After setting time-bound, client-led goals, the counselor can assist the client in exploring their strengths and how they might use them to improve their quality-of-life. New positive attributes may be uncovered throughout the therapeutic process using “strengths-mapping”—a structured approach to identifying and making connections between a client’s strengths. When strength mapping, counselors may divide them into two categories:

1. Soft strengths: These strengths may include personal qualities, skills, experience, expertise, interests, knowledge, and relationships.
2. Hard strengths: These strengths pertain more to available tools and resources. Examples include physical health, housing, and financial position.

Environmental resources  

Once goals are set and character strengths are outlined in a strength-based intervention, identifying areas where outside support is necessary can help set the client up for success. This process might involve encouragement and accountability from friends or family, connecting to community resources, or finding support groups that foster well-being.

Alternative methods come first for different situations  

This step in strengths-based approaches refers to how counselors tailor treatment paths based on the client’s unique needs. For example, some people may benefit from assistance mapping their strengths before establishing their goals for therapy. Others may prefer to assess and understand how to use the available resources before setting goals. 

Hope-inducing relationships

For strength-based therapy to be successful, clients may need to be exposed to positive, encouraging feedback to instill confidence in the process. Hope-inducing relationships can be cultivated one-on-one between the client and counselor through peer-led therapy and support groups. 

Autonomy to make meaningful choices

Throughout the therapeutic process, counselors often reinforce independence by acting as facilitators instead of “fixing” or providing “answers” without the client's participation.

Clients referred for strength-based therapy may expect open, respectful communication emphasizing individual strengths, abilities, and differences. The therapist² may begin by conducting a pre-assessment to build rapport and learn more about the client. 

During this time, they may ask open-ended questions about the client’s history and background, encouraging them to provide a narrative from their perspective. They may also ask about the client’s mental health history and, if applicable, symptoms³ they are experiencing. In the early stages, they may discuss the client’s reasons for seeking assistance and any information about personal relationships they believe is relevant to reveal.

Therapists often do not push clients to confide information they are uncomfortable divulging, particularly in the beginning. When the client is ready to discuss their experiences more openly, it can be essential for them to know they are unpressured and in control throughout the process. Following the guidelines outlined by the six principles of strength-based therapy, counselors may use various techniques and tools in their sessions, including the following. 

Methods for identifying strengths

Initially, therapists may ask their clients quick, open-ended questions about how they perceive their strengths, such as “What are you good at?” or “Can you tell me about a time when you independently solved a problem and how you went about it?” 

Therapists may also use structured methods to help their clients categorize their strengths. For example, they may provide them with a list of strengths and definitions and ask them to note those they identify. 

Counselors may recommend that their clients keep a daily journal tracking situations in which they used one of their strengths. This process can be helpful in identifying the individual’s strengths and learning to recognize them in the future—but it can also provide a platform for exploring how they were used and why their approach was successful. 

Reframing for self-reflection

Counselors may use this method to help individuals uncover ways that past “weaknesses” can be reframed as strengths from another point of view. For instance, if an individual has difficulty “saying no” or creating boundaries⁴ with others, the counselor may present possible positive reasons for that. These may include sensitivity to hurting others or worrying that others' needs won’t be met if they don’t help. 

From there, the counselor may work with the client to identify how these motivators can be used more productively to communicate and make healthy daily choices. 

Growth questions

In some cases, during strength-based therapy, counselors may further explore contexts in which the client’s strengths are beneficial. 

For example, they may ask the client to select a strength and ask questions like, “When do you think you could’ve used this strength this week?” or “Has there ever been a time when you relied on that strength but found it was not helpful under the circumstances?” This exercise can provide a starting point for further discussion on problem-solving strategies and how strengths may be helpful outside of the context of solving problems.

Strength-based therapy is used in many ways to help various individuals overcome their unique challenges. 

• Relationship or family counseling: Strength-based therapy may cultivate improved communication and reframe challenges within the relationship dynamic. Within this framework, clients may better identify how their strengths and the strengths of their partner or family members contribute to the relationship. 
• Child and adolescent therapy: Counselors can help children and teenagers use this approach to boost self-esteem, gain insight into development and identity, and learn skills for applying their strengths in daily life situations. 
• In tandem with other psychotherapies: Strength-based therapy can be used alone or with other methods for treating mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. 
• Social service institutions: This type of therapy can often be modified for counseling in residential treatment centers, hospitals, public social service organizations, prisons, child welfare agencies, and schools.
• Career counseling: Employers and career development organizations often use a form of strength-based therapy to help individuals understand their strengths and motivations and then learn how to apply them professionally. This technique can be effective for making new career choices or optimizing workplace performance. 

Research on strength-based therapy may help mental health professionals find new uses for the method and expand its reach into multiple disciplines. 

For example, case studies in sports psychology suggest that strength-based therapy may be effective for building resilience in athletes. This treatment modality further highlights the connection between athletic performance and psychological wellness and illustrates how blended treatments can provide better results than one single method in some cases. 

Recent publications on the efficacy of strength-based therapy in classrooms indicate that it can be a considerable tool for educators in helping students with a history of trauma or difficulties at home that negatively impact their behavior and performance at school. Based on the available research, strength-based therapy can potentially efficiently integrate into the classroom curriculum.

There are many resources for learning more about strength-based therapy and finding therapists who specialize in this and other types of methods rooted in positive psychology, including:

• The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• The Positive Psychology Institute

Because of its flexible nature, strength-based therapy can be as effective in a telehealth setting as face-to-face therapy in an office setting. Due to its convenience, many look to online platforms like BetterHelp to find a licensed mental health professional.