Dr. Martin Seligman studied 24-character strengths that all individuals possess to some degree. The character strengths were classified into six categories: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Applying one’s character strengths leads to overall wellbeing in five areas: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. To learn more about the 24-character strengths can take the VIA survey https://www.viacharacter.org/www/Character-Strengths-Survey. Once the survey is completed, your top 5-character strengths will be provided to you. Additionally, you can read the VIA blog http://www.viacharacter.org/blog/character-strengths-practice/ to learn ways how character strengths are put into practice. Discussing your strengths can be a great topic when meeting with family, friends, or your therapist.
If you or someone you know is in need of mental health support, there are many options available, including professional counseling. Please call us at (215) 487-1330 or email us at Greenridge@intercommunityaction.org for more information about our counseling services.
Author: Melissa Genn, MS, LBS
Reference:
The VIA Institute on Character. (n.d.). Character strengths. Retrieved from http://www.viacharacter.org/
