First Session work: Building on Strengths and Building Trust
In our first session, we will get to know each other. I will learn your concerns, we will create goals and design a plan for results. We will build a treatment plan, and more importantly we will build a therapeutic relationship. Below, I want to let you know a little bit more about how that could look and let you get to know a little bit more about me.
One important part of how I take an individualized approach with each client will always include building on their strengths. I find this is important for anyone I may work with and it is something I have been doing since I was in my undergraduate social work program. Although building on strengths is not new, it is something I often reflect on because I see how it helps my clients and I see how it helps me. You see, instead of focusing on our deficits or being too problem-focused, we want to also remember to focus on what we can control. We want to be aware of what gives us strength to face our issues, what our protective factors are and what gives us hope.
If you are trying to identify your strengths, I encourage you to consider taking this evidenced based assessment https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths-via. When you go to this page you will see this idea of how understanding your character strengths can change your life. I know it has changed mine and if you give it a chance, it could change yours too.
As an example of how knowing these character strengths can help you, I will apply how my top identified character strength, “Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence”, has helped me.
I have had the opportunity to live in beautiful places such as Western North Carolina, Stuttgart, Germany and Monument, Colorado. I have spent countless hours appreciating nature. I will never forget coming home from college as an Appalachian State University Student and my cousin asked: “What do you do in Boone, appreciate nature?”. I guess in that moment I realized appreciating beauty in nature is not necessarily on everyone's agenda. I like how this trait also encompasses skilled performances and everyday life experiences. As a mom of two teenage theatre kids, I like to joke I am a “Drama Mama.” No, I am not saying I enjoy conflict. What I am really saying is one of my favorite weekends of the year is our high school musical which is very well done. I enjoy watching the arts on stage. Of course seeing your own child on stage makes those theatrical performances even more special. Anytime I go to see a quality play and enjoy the beauty around me, I know I am leaning into my strengths which brings me even more joy. Even just looking out the car window on a nice day helps me build resilience.
I also like to notice how the character trait of “Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence” shows up for me in the Therapy room. I see the courage it takes for clients to show up and keep coming back to see me, trusting me to help them on their journey to living a better life. I see the beauty when someone with an anger issue reports that after our sessions they refrained from an anger outburst, or when a client with low self-esteem reports they were able to self-advocate. I see beauty when someone goes from being a perfectionist to being able to accept themselves and their work without an intrusive thought of not being enough or dealing with analysis paralysis. Perhaps the most meaningful moments are when a teenager tells me they trust me and I might be the only adult they trust (I will then go on to encourage them to find 3 adults they can trust) or when a parent tells me they are enjoying time with their child again.
I am in the business of giving people hope and I want to extend that hope to your living room. Do you have a relationship you need to heal from? I believe relationship wounds are healed inside trusting, safe relationships. Could you use some encouragement? I challenge you, try this free assessment, it does not take long. What are your top 5 strengths? How could leaning into those character strengths change your life? If it turns out you do not want to share your email to take the assessment you do not have too. We can still explore your strengths in therapy together with a different approach.
