The unprecedented events of 2020 have amplified the importance of us finding practical, sustainable techniques to help people to manage their wellbeing. This session will provide an engaging introduction to a brand new online positive psychology tool designed to allow coaches and facilitators to run fully interactive virtual sessions.
One of the ways in which we, as psychologists, can work with our clients to help them to flourish, is to take a strengths-based approach to our practice.
As Hone et al. (2015) show, knowing and playing to your strengths is strongly correlated to higher levels of wellbeing. Whilst Seligman (2005) showed that a simple, short intervention encouraging individuals to use their strengths more led to a decrease in depressive symptoms and an increase in happiness levels over a sustained time period.
Given the benefits of understanding strengths, the challenge for practitioners is firstly, how do we help our clients identify their strengths, and secondly, how do we help them to use their strengths more? Historically the most prominent tools used for strengths identification have been questionnaires. During this session, using case study examples, we will demonstrate a very different approach, using the new online tool, to facilitate a narratively based strengths approach.
This empowering technique, which encourages feelings of competence and autonomy (widely recognised as basic psychological needs, e.g. Vansteenkiste, Ryan, Soenens, 2020), allows people to tell their own strengths stories, in their own way, using their own vocabulary. We will share examples of how developing their own narrative around strengths allows individuals and teams to ‘own’ their strengths in a way that facilitates further development and growth.
We would love to make this session more interactive, that requires more time. If there is opportunity to run a longer, workshop session we would appreciate being considered for that.