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
‘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
My name is Monique Beglinger and I am a psychologist based in Sydney, Australia. I currently work in two primary schools and one high school across Western Sydney. Prior to this I worked in child protection, out-of-home care, intensive family support, disability support and …Read more
Davys and Beddoe, authors of Best Practice in Professional Supervision: A Guide for the Helping Professions (2010: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London), suggest that strengths-based approaches to supervision are different to an hierarchical and managerial model of supervision where the supervisor is perceived as the ‘expert’, who imparts …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
It is with great sadness and deep respect that St Luke’s Innovative Resources acknowledges the passing of our friend and colleague, Wayne McCashen. Wayne died peacefully at home with loved ones by his side on 14 December 2018, aged 68. His beloved family—his partner …Read more
We all learn differently. Some people prefer to learn in a quiet place, some people prefer to listen to music while they learn. Some people like to learn in small bitesize chunks and some people like to swallow everything in one mouthful. Others love group …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
The Bendigo Reconciliation Committee has developed a FREE resource for mainstream community organisations to explore the issue of ‘organisational white privilege’. The development of this resource grew out of a Conversation Circle arranged by the Bendigo Reconciliation Committee (BRC) and member agencies during the …Read more
In this complex and uncertain world there is nothing more certain than the challenges of parenting. Long has it been remarked that this fundamental role in society is undertaken without the training, supports and qualifications required for much less demanding activities. However, as the …Read more
‘If you could imagine one resource you would most like to have when working with young people, what would it be?’ This is the question we asked a group of people working in residential care at Anglicare Victoria. They all agreed that they wanted …Read more
‘When you talk you are only repeating what you already know. But when you listen, you may learn something new.’ Dalai Lama Listening is the skill most critical for engagement. The desire to be helpful can sometimes get in the way of good listening and …Read more
Every step we take follows another. Every step we take precedes another. The smallest shifts—doing some dishes, putting something away, stopping something, starting something, taking a shower—can all be significant events on a continuum of ‘next steps’, representing our unique pathways through life. ‘A …Read more
Children thrive when their strengths are valued. Often, the weight of a ‘problem’ can lift considerably when we think of it as a strength yet to be developed. For these reasons many family counsellors, welfare coordinators and support workers encourage parents and carers to …Read more
‘Everyone benefits in cultures where their strengths are appreciated and noticed. Children, in particular, blossom when they are held in positive regard by the people around them.’ We are surrounded by many different cultures—not only the obvious cultural differences between countries and peoples—but also …Read more
Records have long played an important role in human service work. Traditionally they contain assessments, plans, reports, letters, decisions and summaries, held in files by an organisation, and maintained by a worker about a client. Most importantly, traditional record keeping tends to focus on ‘the problem’ that …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
Building a relationship of trust is the foundation for all respectful and constructive helping processes. This is facilitated by genuine interest in, and validation of, people’s experiences, strengths, capacities and aspirations. It is also facilitated by transparent practices and assisting the person to take …Read more
A mental health diagnosis is only one part of a person’s narrative, says TAFE teacher and social services professional, Ava Freeland. Using A Patchwork Life I’ve been using Innovative Resources’ A Patchwork Life cards at the beginning of my lessons as an icebreaker. I …Read more
‘Strengths-based supervision … is primarily a way of being with practitioners, where attention is given to power with rather than power over, and the environment is such that both supervisor and practitioner contribute their expertise to the relationship.’ Supervision … is a forum …Read more
