3.3 Assignment. Strength-Based Approach to Mental Health
Getting Started
When we refer to a person’s psychopathology, we are clearly talking about their problematic attitudes, thoughts, or behaviors. Another way of saying this is that a person’s psychopathology represents what’s broken, deficient, or wrong with them. That’s why people go to counseling, right? They have a problem they can’t seem to figure out on their own, so they elicit the help of a counselor or therapist. That’s the assumption most mental health practitioners and counseling clients have when they provide or engage in mental health treatment.
But there is an emerging trend in mental health called a strengths-based approach that focuses on a person’s internal strengths, character, and available resources instead of on their shortcomings, failures, and weaknesses. In fact, there are some therapists that specialize in strength-based counseling.
The idea behind strengths-based therapy is to use the natural adversity in life to discover inner strengths. How a particular person manages life challenges will put them in a position to work from either their strengths or from their deficits. If a person works from the strength-based mindset, they will focus on their own positive qualities and the positive qualities of others instead of the negative. Strength-based living emphasizes positive thinking and proactive initiation. People see themselves as fully human with great potential instead of limiting their self-understanding to a diagnosis.
In this assignment, you have the opportunity to take a free online assessment called the Character Strengths Profile that measures character qualities in 24 different areas. You will then assess the results focusing on your areas of strength and how those areas might overlap with the type of work you are considering in your career and in your faith journey.
Upon successful completion of the course material, you will be able to:
· Identify and evaluate key character strengths from an online assessment.
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Resources
· Textbook: Modern Psychopathologies: A Comprehensive Christian Appraisal
· Article: Strengths-Based Approach for Mental Health Recovery
· Video & Transcript: What Is Strengths-Based Coaching?
· Website: VIA Survey
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Background Information
Read Chapter 8 in the textbook on “Problems of Anxiety” and then watch the video on Strength-Based Coaching to get a quick overview of what the strength-based approach is about. Then take the online VIA Survey to identify your character strengths and print out the results. Finally, read the article “Strengths-Based Approach for Mental Health Recovery” as a way to solidify your understanding of mental health issues. Follow this order to get the maximum benefit from the resources.
The VIA Survey is a free online assessment that consists of 120 questions and measures character qualities in 24 different areas. Once the assessment is completed, you will be able to immediately view your results and also print out a copy of the results. A copy of these results will be very helpful in completing the written portion of the assignment detailed below.
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Instructions
1. Read Chapter 8, “Problems of Anxiety,” in your textbook.
2. Review the video, What Is Strengths-Based Coaching? (2:29 minutes).
a. Transcript of the video .
3. From the VIA Institute on Character website, take the free online VIA Survey (you will need to register on the site).
a. Print out your results.
4. As a way to solidify your understanding of mental health issues, read the article, Strengths-Based Approach for Mental Health Recovery .
5. Write a three- to four-page paper that addresses the following questions:
a. List your five top strengths as reflected in the character strengths profile results.
b. How well do these strengths match what you know about yourself?
i. Do you agree with the results?
c. Give an example from your life of how each strength has been evident in the past year.
d. As you contemplate the type of work you are considering once you finish your degree (keep in mind your choice of specialization for the program), how do you specifically think you could apply these strengths to helping others?
e. Where in the list does the trait of spirituality rank? Are you satisfied with that ranking?
i. If so, what could you do to maximize that strength in your faith journey and ministry to others?
ii. If you are not content with the ranking of spirituality in the profile, what steps could you take to move it up to a higher level?
6. Elaborate fully in your responses.
7. While this is primarily an assessment of your own strength profile, you will want to cite the Character Strengths Profile on your reference page. You may also use additional outside sources. If you make reference to other outside sources, be sure to cite them properly in APA Style format in the text of your paper and in a reference page at the end.
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