Articulating Strengths Together (AST): An Interactive Process to Enhance Positivity

This book guides four participants through an interactive process wherein they help each other articulate their most valued strengths. This process begins when each participant tells stories about satisfying experiences. Everyone then suggests strengths demonstrated in each of the good experiences. Later, each participant creates his or her own poster listing four valued strengths, supported by examples of past events when those strengths were used. The book provides a compelling rationale for participating in this meaningful process and includes explicit guidelines for completing the process during a three-hour session. This process replicates the core activity of thousands of workshops, which received outstanding evaluations. The book enables four people to experience the core activity of a celebrated workshop in the comfort of their own living rooms. In addition, the book describes other resources for identifying and using your most valued strengths.

Jerald R. Forster is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington, in Seattle. He joined the faculty at that university as a counselor educator in 1966. Most of his teaching, research and writing have been focused on ways of facilitating the articulation of self-identity. He developed numerous instruments and methods for articulating personal goals, strengths, and career plans. In 1987 he collaborated with Bernard Haldane to form the Dependable Strengths Project (DSP) at the University of Washington. He still directs the DSP, while serving on the Executive Board of the non-profit Center for Dependable Strengths (CDS). He co-facilitates workshops designed to prepare professionals for helping others articulate their Dependable Strengths. He continues his long time interest in Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) by presenting papers and workshops at PCP conferences and writing chapters in PCP books. He has been enthused by the positive psychology movement since 1998.