Problem:
Can you sum this up for me?
The strengths perspective is a perspective that views all people as having strengths. The strengths perspective focuses on assets clients have developed throughout their life (Saleebey, 2012b). Using the strengths perspective, practitioners work with clients to identify their talents, strengths, interests, dreams, and goals. A strength is "any psychological process that consistently enables a person to think and act so as to yield benefits to himself or herself and society" (McCullough & Snyder, 2000, p. 3). Strengths are sometimes developed as people struggle to overcome difficulties, traumas, oppression, disappointments, and adversity. Strengths are also related to personal qualities or virtues that are admired, such as intelligence, common sense, patience, loyalty, sense of humor, commitment, responsibility, warmth, flexibility, friendliness, generosity, and many other qualities. Developed and underdeveloped talents are strengths. These include things such as being a musician, a writer, a poet, a good cook, a car mechanic, a carpenter, a vocalist, or a painter (Saleebey, 2012c). Every person has "untapped undetermined reservoirs of mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual abilities that can be expressed," and these undeveloped capacities can provide the power for growth and well-being (Rapp & Goscha, 2012, p. 39).
Families also have strengths. For example, a family's major strength may be an ability to stay together and support each other through challenges and trauma. Other family strengths include encouraging each other, helping each other, loving and caring for each other, accepting each other, and standing up for each other. Even very troubled families can identify good times when their family members are supportive to each other and have fun together.
Communities, groups, and organizations have strengths. Organizations identified as being family-friendly places to work have strengths such as on-site child care, opportunities to work from home, time off for family emergencies, and other supportive services that make it easier for parents to be effective on the job and at home. Groups may have strengths such as being effective, efficient, supportive, cooperative, focused, accepting, and/or fun. Communities or neighborhood strengths may include helping each other out, watching out for each other, sharing resources with each other, and working together to achieve goals.
Saleebey (2012a) stated that "focusing and building on client strengths is an imperative" in order to demonstrate values related to "equality, respect for the dignity of the individual, inclusiveness and diversity and the search for maximum autonomy" (p. 264). Whether we are working with individuals, couples, families, groups, or organizations, it is valuable to look for their strengths, to identify their resources (such as money, social support, adequate housing, education, past experiences, etc.), and to invite them to focus on possibilities for the future. Need Assignment Help?