Psychological treatment to enhance the 24 strengths

Traditionally, psychology has focused above all on eliminating symptoms, something that the patient demands when he comes to consult. Thus, if you have depression, demand remove sadness and hopelessness, and if for example you have anxiety (with breathing difficulties, palpitations, etc) you want to eliminate anxiety.

From my point of view, If the psychological treatment focuses exclusively on the negative (“I remove the bad and that's it”) it is incomplete, since it only focuses on eliminating what creates discomfort without working on the positive, the possibility of developing strengths.

The treatment should not only be aimed at "eliminating suffering" but also at enhancing the resources we have and cultivating the positive feelings and thoughts.

Psychology to develop strengths

In addition to using techniques to control symptoms (relaxation techniques, thought modification techniques, problem solving, self control...) the person must develop the ability to enjoy, the ability to recognize the meaning of one's life, personal abilities, optimism...

In this way, not only are weaknesses compensated and wounds healed, but competencies are developed that the person can use in the future. In addition, this way you can also work preventively (not only from a model of "cure if there are symptoms" in topics like violence either consumption of drugs.

From this position, positive emotions are cultivated in three temporal moments: in the past, valuing it in a positive way so that it generates well-being; in the present, to be motivated and flow; and in the future to look towards it in a positive way with hope and optimism.

You can have positive emotions in a temporary moment but not in the others: For example, one can feel calm in the present and have little hope for the future, or look forward to the present and future but be dissatisfied with it past.The important thing is that it is something cultivable.

Learning to gain autonomy

If, for example, it is the past "the one that catches us", we can learn throughout therapy to rewrite our history in order to continue on our way. In the case of the past, our feelings are totally determined by our thinking, by the interpretation we make; for this reason, rewriting the lived history, the feelings change.

We can reflect on these three times: in the past, what I did a long time ago that I feel proud of; in the present write 3 positive things for example today; and in the future, what I would like to do in the short term and in the long term.

24 personal strengths

Strengths are psychological traits and characteristics that occur in different situations and over time and can be trained and therefore improved. They are the following.

Strengths that imply the acquisition and use of knowledge

1. Curiosity, interest in the world.

2. Love of knowledge and learning (continuous tendency to acquire new learning).

3. judgment, critical thinking, open-minded (thinking about things and examining all their meanings, without jumping to conclusions at random).

4. wit, originality, practical intelligence (thinking of new and productive paths and ways of doing things).

5. social intelligence, personal intelligence, emotional intelligence (knowledge of self and others).

6. Perspective (being able to help others solve problems and gain perspective for themselves).

Strengths that imply the achievement of goals in difficult situations

7. courage and bravery (do not be intimidated by the threat, change, difficulty or pain).

8. Perseverance, industriousness, diligence (persisting in an activity even though there are obstacles).

9. Integrity, honesty, authenticity (assuming responsibility for one's own feelings and actions taken).

Strengths that imply caring and offering friendship and affection to others

10. Goodness and generosity.

11. love and be loved (value intimate and deep relationships with others).

Strengths that imply a healthy community life

12. civility, teamwork, loyalty (working well within a team or group of people, being faithful to the group and feeling part of it).

13. Impartiality and equity (Don't allow personal feelings to bias decisions about other people.)

14. Leadership (encourage the group of which one is a member to do things and strengthen relationships between people in the group).

Strengths that protect us against excesses (temperance)

15. self control (ability to regulate one's own feelings and actions, have control over impulses and emotions).

16. Prudence, discretion, caution (do not say or do anything that you may later regret).

17. modesty, humility (Do not try to be the center of attention or believe yourself more special than others).

Strengths that provide meaning to life (transcendence)

18. Appreciation of beauty and excellence (Know how to appreciate the beauty of things, from day to day or be interested in aspects of life such as nature, art, science).

19. Gratitude (Be aware of the good things that happen to one and express gratitude).

20. Hope, optimism, projection towards the future (expect the best of the future and plan to achieve it).

21. Spirituality, faith, religious sense (having a philosophy of life, religious or not, that places you as part of the universe in general, having a purpose in life).

22. Sorry (forgive, giving a second chance to others).

23. Sense of humor (he likes to laugh and make others laugh, he sees the positive side of life).

24. passion, enthusiasm.