Strength Cards® Unlimited takes conversations about strengths in all sorts of new directions. We know that each of us has strengths that can help us overcome challenges and solve problems—but strengths are more than just our personal qualities. They can include everything from our …Read more
Green Sea Turtle Using her hind flippers, the female buries up to two hundred eggs in the sand. After about two months, the hatchlings emerge and scamper across the sand, taking their chances on reaching the ocean as gulls and crabs prey on them. …Read more
Red herrings throw us off the scent and distract us from what we need or want to be doing. What red herrings do you use? I picked up Inside Out: A journalling Kit and selected the card about red herrings. It made me think …Read more
We really appreciate stories from people who use our resources. This year at Resi Rocks, a professional development day for residential workers in Victoria, hosted by the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, I had the pleasure of hearing about POSTcards from …Read more
Picture this: You are in a room with your extended family. It might be a celebratory lunch, a special birthday, Christmas dinner, or some other festive occasion. And yet, it’s not quite as exhilarating, and definitely not like it ‘used’ to be. The children …Read more
At this time of year we are often asked, ‘What is your New Year’s resolution?’ And, you know, that can often make us think that we have to change something, or that we need to ‘fix’ something about ourselves. I have chosen to believe …Read more
The research into the psychology of optimism is based on studies into a condition called ‘learned helplessness’. Psychologists and other researchers have discovered that people or animals show changes in behaviour when they decide they can do nothing to improve or change a situation they find themselves in. These changes include lowered …Read more
Self-care should be seen by practitioners and organisations alike as a fundamental part of human service work, and not just an optional add-on. People in the ‘helping’ professions—such as social workers, counsellors, teachers, carers, and health professionals—juggle many potential challenges everyday including high workloads, …Read more
The stories of how people use materials developed by Innovative Resources never fail to inspire us with their practice wisdom. We received the following stories about using Shadows and Deeper Shadows in family violence situations: From Lili ‘I like Shadows and Deeper Shadows because …Read more
At Innovative Resources we never tire of hearing about new and creative ways that people use Picture This. Why is it so useful, and so popular? Possibly because of the large number and variety of photos within the set, or maybe because there is …Read more
If you are a youth worker, counsellor, mentor, teacher, chaplain or welfare coordinator in a school, chances are you’ve come across the Reflexions cards somewhere along the line. You may even have a set kicking around in your tool bag of resources. A new …Read more
Organisations that work well draw on a dynamic combination of strengths. What are the strengths of your organisation? How well does your organisation do with strengths such as planning, leadership, fairness, communication, role clarity, and creativity? What about managing change and resolving disputes? Which …Read more
Becoming an independent individual is a complex and sometimes difficult journey. Who am I? What am I feeling? What is important to me? What choices and changes do I want? Where am I at and where am I heading? Reflexions can help young people …Read more
As the end of another calendar year looms, the old chestnut of setting a New Year’s resolution comes to mind. For some it may be giving up a bad habit or learning a good habit, and then there’s the work/life balancing thoughts along with …Read more
Sometimes, when you’re feeling stuck, the best thing to do is to get really simple. It may be time to park the big goals, the grand plans, and the long timeframes for now, and come down to simple, practical steps you can take now, …Read more
All of the tools published by Innovative Resources have grown out of, or are compatible with, strengths-based practice. Also known as the ‘strengths approach’, this is a way of working that focusses primarily on strengths and hopeful possibilities. It does not ignore difficulties or challenges but the …Read more
The profound and very simple belief at the core of strengths-based practice is that everyone has strengths. What are our strengths and where do they come from? These two questions have fascinated philosophers, psychologists and everyday thinkers for centuries. At first glance many of …Read more
Potential is commonly though of as one’s capacity for achievement. We’ve all heard talk of rising stars in the sporting arena; their limitless talent and ‘huge potential’ paving the way to unprecedented success. Note to Self invites us to think of potential more broadly …Read more
‘The value of Reflexions is found in its ability to build … conversations in new and existing directions.’(Reflexions booklet, p8) Innovative Resources’ cards can act as ‘conversational prompts’. That is, when used in conversations with other people, they can suggest pathways of communication that …Read more
‘We are surrounded by symbols. They are present in every facet of our existence. At a practical level, they point us in the right direction, they issue caution, they give us choices, and they limit our choices. Symbols are necessary to navigate …Read more
