Strength-Based Counseling: A Case Study

As a helping professional it is our job to discover our client’s strengths and help them utilize those strengths in their treatment plan. Strength based counseling is composed of “human growth, a holistic view of the individual, and the unique subjective experience of each individual” (Welfare, Farmer, & Lile, 2013). Each individual we work with will be unique and have experiences that have shaped them into the person that they are today. As we look for ways to help our clients, we need to draw on their strengths, allowing them to gain confidence in their treatment plan knowing that they can make a change for the better. Personal empowerment also plays a major role in our clients’ situations. Personal empowerment allows the client
to “take charge and control of their personal lives, learn new ways to think about their situations, and adopt new behaviors that give a more rewarding outcome” (Cowger, 1994). Clients need to feel in charge so that they can change the situation they are encountering. If a helping professional does all the work the client is not learning how to manage their situation. We are to be the guide for our clients as they learn to change their situation. An aspect of being in the helping profession is dealing with clients in need of help during a crisis. Crisis intervention deals with being able to help a client with their fundamental and/or emotional needs if an emergency arises, whether it be a natural disaster or sudden homelessness (McClam & Woodside, 2012, p.212). I chose the elderly lady as my scenario for the class project. She lives by herself and has no family. Living in Florida presents the opportunity for hurricanes to hit. If this disaster stuck I would need to make sure she has a place to go if her place is damaged and that she is not going without power for an extended amount of time. Being elderly the heat without air condition is unbearable and I need to make sure she is able to stay comfortable.