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
Ray Bowler is a name well known to long-term devotees of Innovative Resources’ products and training. His quirky, soulful illustrations and designs have helped thousands of people explore their feelings, prompted important conversations about strengths and mental health, and inspired people to share stories …Read more
‘I’m Dion, I live on a boat.’ That’s a pretty cool introduction for anyone, and not what I expected from a man who has spent the past decade and a half working in human services and, more recently, perfecting the “art” of solution-focused supervision. …Read more
When children return to school after the holidays, the playground is often abuzz with stories about road trips to visit grandparents, movies with friends, hanging out at the pool, bike rides, camping with family, conquering of computer games, shopping trips, BBQs or just mooching …Read more
If someone were to ask each of us what Christmas meant to us, we would probably all have a different answer. We might talk about Christmas trees covered in wonky decorations made by our children, the ‘shushed’ wrapping of presents late at night or …Read more
As a child, did you ever pick up a stone, rub your wet thumb over its surface to reveal the colours, feel the satisfying heft and shape of it in your palm, and then carry it around in your pocket? Before long, you …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
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
Only under certain circumstances does Innovative Resources permit the reproduction of images from our card sets like those displayed in the picture book, Smarty Pants, Kitty or Tiger? Nicole Rotaru from McAuley Community Services for Women approached us and explained the amazing work …Read more
Christmas/New Year means precious ‘time out’ for many people. Whether or not these occasions are part of your religious or cultural traditions, the golden combination of summer and public holidays means that many Australians will be heading for the beach, the bush or the …Read more
‘A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison.’ (https://www.grammarly.com/blog/metaphor/) Once upon a time, in a land far away (to use a metaphor to …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 first week in July is NAIDOC Week here in Australia—a time dedicated to celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements. This year (2017) the celebrations are entitled Our Languages Matter and they are focussed on the unique and essential …Read more
Now in its third edition, Strength Cards for Kids features a mixed bunch of raucous, funny, serious, quiet, loud, big, small and rather outrageous animal characters. They get up to all kinds of antics, most of which you will never see when you are …Read more
Ever been to a funeral of someone you liked and thought you knew well, only to discover through the eulogy that there was so much more about the person than you knew? How many times have you walked by the reception desk, said hello …Read more
Peer supervision—why do it? Human service workers get together in peer supervision sessions to discuss practice, to reflect, and to wonder about ethical considerations. Lucky souls, aren’t we? And, it feels entirely congruent to approach peer supervision sessions from a strengths-based perspective. The idea …Read more
Over a three-year period Karen Masman Bedford ran a series of creative writing workshops with ‘Forgotten Australians’ in Melbourne and Bendigo. The term ‘Forgotten Australians’ refers to people whose childhoods were spent in orphanages and children’s homes. Many suffered abuse of every conceivable kind. …Read more
Even though the word for paper comes from papyros, Ancient Greek for the Cyperus papyrus plant, the invention of the paper industry is most often credited to a Chinese court official, Ts’ai Lun, in 105 AD. Now all these many centuries later, we still …Read more
Narratives, metaphors and storytelling have become an important part of counselling and social work practice, and the term ‘restorying’ has entered the language of therapy. Restorying helps people think differently about themselves and the problems they are facing. It is about exploring alternative ways …Read more
