Every person we see does a Values in Action Survey: Values in Action connects to positive psychology. Research shows that we need to know our values and put them to work. This is what makes us feel good. It motivates us to do something we believe. It raises our mental health and helps us get on with life despite the fact we feel unwell.
We take responsibility for helping people change: We have found many therapists blame the person with the mental health concern stating “they are just unmotivated.” We have people with symptoms who are not very motivated and this why they need support not blame. Our job is to give hope and build confidence.
We focus on strengths, not symptoms and illness: We look at what is good about the deepest core of the people we support! Not just symptoms of a mental health illness!
We are recovery-focused: Recovery from anything is about getting on with life. It is not waiting for everything to get better. Things will get better then some days it will get worse. Sh-t happens, and we have to face and deal with it. Counselling residents for so many years has shown us that many mental health therapists and doctors do not work in this framework. We need to not expect all to be well because it can never be. We need to live as best we can and focus on what makes us feel good, our values and strengths.
We build GRIT: GRIT is being able to see the long-term goal and stick with it. It connects to life goals as well as recovery from a significant mental health issue. Recovery takes time and focus. You need GRIT to move on from a persistent mental health issue. Our mind needs to become retrained when things are stuck in it like a persistent scratch on a record album.
We focus on faith: The approach we use is faith-focused. We need faith in ourselves to recover from mental health challenges. We also need faith in something beyond ourselves. Tim is Christian and does Christian counseling if the people needing support want to look at things from a faith-based approach. Faith cannot be pushed when seen from a spiritual perspective. We never force belief on anyone. Tim also works from an interfaith modality.
We help families recover with the individuals we support: Our approach likes to draw in members of the family if the individuals we support wish. We find families that recover together are more likely to sustain wellness. To recover together means we support the family member as many times it is hard to live with someone who has had persistent mental health challenges. The recovery plan needs to keep the whole family unit well! We found over the years counselling this approach has been very effective. We do not force the family to work together if individuals do not wish it. If we can go in that direction outcomes have been very good for sustained recovery from long-term mental health issues.
We integrate life planning: Mental health recovery needs a good life planning linked to it. Some people call it life coaching. The issue with life coaching is they do not know how to effectively integrate mental health treatment into life planning and life goals. WE DO!
