LOOKING FOR A STRENGTH-BASED APPROACH?
STRENGTH BASED THERAPY [PASADENA, CA]
Let’s get to your authentic self by identifying and amplifying your strengths. Because beating yourself up is getting old :/
What is Strength-based Therapy?
Strength-based therapy is a therapeutic approach focusing on a person’s innate strengths, resources and resilience (rather than deficits) in order to foster wellness. It’s a collaborative process where therapists help clients to identify their best qualities, to recall successes, to orient towards looking for wins every day and then to anchor them in. Anchoring in involves the here-and-now intention of treating oneself with kindness and compassion.
In session, symptoms and struggles are not ignored; they are important to understand and to address—but in strength-based therapy, continually harping on problems over and over will not heal them. Healing is what bodies do naturally. The psyche needs a little help.
In our work together, I will guide you into each of these old stuck patterns and shine a light on new coping skills so you are no longer wandering around in the dark. I will teach you skills how to redirect towards what is working in your life in order to build solutions and change your negative worldviews. Ultimately, I will help you to integrate this “authentic self” into all that you do.
Issues a strength-based therapist can treat
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Including generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and social anxiety, where psychotherapy helps in managing symptoms and developing coping strategies.
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
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Types of strength-based therapy in CA
Somatic Therapy /TRM
The Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM) is a body-centered, neuroscience-informed therapy that teaches skills to help people regulate their nervous system after trauma, focusing on restoring mind-body balance and building resilience. It uses a "bottom-up" approach, guiding clients through nine key skills like tracking sensations, grounding, and resourcing to manage physical stress responses, complete thwarted survival actions, and create new neural pathways for well-being, moving beyond traditional talk therapy.
IFS (Internal Family Systems)
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an inherently strength-based, non-pathologizing approach that views all aspects of our personality (“parts”) as having positive intentions and the capacity for healing. Typical parts include: a self-critical part, an anxious part, people pleaser, conflict avoider, intellectual parts. They work really hard to keep the younger wounded parts of us banished—the shame, the sadness, the unloved parts. The goal of IFS is to reintegrate those vulnerable wounded parts into our “family system” with help from the the adult SELF.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness-Based Therapy (MBT) integrates mindfulness meditation with psychotherapy, teaching you to focus on the present moment non-judgmentally to observe thoughts, feelings, and sensations, helping reduce reactivity and stress, and improve emotional regulation for issues like depression, anxiety, and chronic pain.
Techniques of strength-based therapy
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Tracking: Paying nonjudgmental attention to your body's sensations (e.g., heart rate, breathing, muscle tension) in real-time to understand your nervous system's state.
Resourcing: Activating positive feelings by vividly recalling pleasant memories, images, or figures to build an internal sense of safety and calm.
Grounding: Reconnecting to the present moment by focusing on sensory details of your surroundings (e.g., feet on the floor, the feel of a chair) to interrupt dissociation or overwhelm.
Gesturing: Using specific, calming physical movements (like gentle hand gestures) to self-soothe.
Help Now!: Locating and activating internal resources and felt-sense of well-being when feeling triggered or dysregulated.
Shift and Stay: Intentionally moving attention between a difficult feeling/memory and a resource/grounding sensation, then returning to the resource to build resilience
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Dialogue with Parts: Engaging in direct conversation with parts, either internally, through journaling, or using techniques like "chair work," to understand their stories and needs. This fosters open, compassionate internal communication.
Unblending: A technique to help the client separate their core Self from an overwhelming part, allowing them to observe the part with clarity and composure, not from within the emotion itself.
"Path" or "Mountain" Exercise: A visualization technique where a client imagines walking a path to access a sense of their pure awareness (Self), becoming lighter and more confident.
Reframing Protective Intentions: Recognizing that seemingly negative behaviors (e.g., perfectionism, anger) are driven by a positive intention to protect the system. This reframing builds compassion and allows the energy to be redirected into more constructive activities.
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Strength-Focused Body Scan: Paying attention to physical sensations while noticing where comfort, vitality, or calm reside, linking mind-body awareness to resilience.
Virtue Spotting: Mindfully observing everyday situations (like helping someone, showing patience) to identify character strengths (e.g., kindness, perseverance) in action.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding: Identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.
How strength-based therapy works
2. Typical strength-based therapy session
3. Finding the best strength-based therapist
2. Typical strength-based therapy session
“What went well?”
This question rocks! I start with it to throw you off balance, to short circuit your anxious brain, in order to really orient you into a space of positive gains and wins, however small. Negatively sticks, that’s why it’s easy to get stuck there. What’s positive however, slides right by—unless we grab it!
Body check in
Similarly to leaning into that familiar and alluring negative emotion, we also know when our bodies are out of whack. Early in session, I check in with your nervous system to see if you’re in the high zone (activated) or in the low zone (numbed, fatigued) Often, I will teach you somatic regulation skills to help you move away from distress and into wellbeing.
Building resilience
This is the meat of the session. We map your top 5 strengths. We slow down to pay attention to the body as we flow through the session. We learn about the different parts of your personality that are protecting your inner child—that wounded little kid inside. I teach you how to befriend your parts and maybe even give them new jobs. We role play asking your partner or boss for your needs, setting boundaries to do so.
Behavior change
Since we have your strengths mapped out, some protector parts identified and your ability to notice sensations of wellbeing inside your body, I’ll give you homework to notice when you use them IRL. (ie, when you’re in a positive headspace, feel love towards someone, or make a friend laugh). The key is to notice them and then to give yourself credit. These skills become the foundation to the work.
How strength-based therapy works
Collaboratively set goals
You are the expert on your life, and I am the expert on how to best help you excavate your authentic self. It’s important that we do this together, as a team, but I will honor your self determination. I’m here to support you in the growth you want to make. The first session will be about identifying those goals and how best to attain them.
Family history
It’s important at the outset of therapy to get to know where you came from so we can identify any unmet needs. This is not about pathologizing or blaming your parents. We need to get a sense of your unhelpful/sabotaging/people pleasing patterns. To so, we need to return to the scene of the crime.
Identify strengths and capabilities
Once we’ve got your goals in mind, and know where some deficits came from, we will identify your inherent talents, skills, past successes, and resources, shifting focus from "what's wrong" to "what's right" and what you can do.
Develop a routine
Strengths need to be practiced like plants need to be watered. What we water grows. The skills and tools you learn in therapy to anchor in your wins and to give yourself credit, can lead to long lasting change.
Strength-based therapist in Los Angeles, CA
Hi there, I’m Greg!
I’ve always been a positive person, but now that I know we can literally change our brains with this strength-based work, I’m all in.
What will it be like?
I offer confidential online therapy in California. I’m an easy-going guy who creates a welcoming space for you to be you. (Don’t worry, I can handle the bad sh*t too :)
Try before you buy!
It’s a vibe thing. You’ll know it when you know it. I recommend meeting a few therapists before you choose someone and then just going with your gut.
Grab a free consultation so we can get to know each other.
Questions about strength-based therapy in Los Angeles, CA
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We offer a range of solutions designed to meet your needs—whether you're just getting started or scaling something bigger. Everything is tailored to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
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Getting started is simple. Reach out through our contact form or schedule a call—we’ll walk you through the next steps and answer any questions along the way.
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We combine a thoughtful, human-centered approach with clear communication and reliable results. It’s not just what we do—it’s how we do it that sets us apart.
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You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.
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We offer flexible pricing based on project type and complexity. After an initial conversation, we’ll provide a transparent quote with no hidden costs.
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Collaborative, honest, and straightforward. We're here to guide the process, bring ideas to the table, and keep things moving.