The power of strengths-based approaches in youth wellbeing
Supporting adolescent boys’ mental health and well-being requires a paradigm shift. For a long time, there was a focus on the deficits of an individual. Fortunately, recent years has seen the goalposts move.
This is where a strengths-based approach comes in. A key tenet of positive psychology, a strengths-based approach emphasises identifying and amplifying youths’ inherent talents and positive attributes to foster empowerment, motivation, and long-term wellbeing.
PositivePsychology.com describes the approach in greater detail and encourages us to recognise what individuals do well rather than their weaknesses, By applying this mindset within an education context, we are asking adolescents to harness personal qualities such as optimism, creativity, and persistence to overcome challenges.
It has also been suggested that strength-based therapy transforms adolescent lives by shifting the narrative from “what’s wrong” to “what’s strong.” Key principles include focusing on core strengths, viewing challenges as growth opportunities, fostering collaboration, and enhancing resilience and emotional regulation through creative, client-centred interventions.
Strength-based approaches have also been attributed to the promotion of positive identity formation and self-efficacy by empowering youth to actively participate in their healing and development. Techniques such as mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive therapies can help our teens regulate emotions and build adaptive coping skills tailored to their strengths.
In Ireland, the Youth Advocacy Programme (YAP) highlights how focusing on strengths in family support and youth work helps build real resilience. By tapping into the strengths of individuals, families, and communities, this approach creates strong bonds, encourages thoughtful self-awareness, and promotes teamwork. Surely, these are three things that we want our young people to display to thrive in the long run.
When our boys think of being strong, we need to teach them that it goes beyond their numbers in the gym. True strength is cultivated in everyday moments of resilience, empathy, and self-awareness. By embracing a strengths-based approach, we help boys discover that their greatest power lies not only in their character but also in their capacity to overcome challenges in many areas of their lives. This broader understanding of strength fosters lasting confidence and well-being, equipping young people to thrive in all aspects of life.
