Strengths worksheet

Strengths worksheets can be helpful tools for therapists to empower their clients and assist them in building self-esteem. 

This guide to strengths and weaknesses worksheets provides clinicians with an overview of how clients can identify their strengths and qualities, with example exercises. 

You can also download a free “My Strengths” worksheet to save to your electronic health record (EHR) for repeated use with clients. 

Identifying strengths and qualities

Strengths are positive character attributes that influence our thinking, feelings, and behavior. 

Everyone has character strengths, but people may exhibit specific traits to different degrees and in ways that best characterize them. 

For example, a strengths-based therapist embodies qualities like bravery, perspective, and social intelligence and empowers their clients to focus on their strengths and qualities to overcome challenges. 

Helping clients understand their strengths and qualities by using a strengths worksheet can help them build self-confidence, set intentional goals, have meaningful relationships, and overcome difficulties. 

The VIA Institute on Character developed the VIA Survey, a helpful way to understand positive attributes. 

Researchers identified 24 character strengths that they break down into the following six virtue categories:

• Wisdom-based strengths: Creativity, curiosity, judgment, love of learning, and perspective.
• Courage-based strengths: Bravery, honesty, perseverance, and zest.
• Humanity-based strengths: Kindness, love, and social intelligence.
• Justice-based strengths: Fairness, leadership, and teamwork.
• Temperance-based strengths: Forgiveness, humility, prudence, and self-regulation.
• Transcendence-based strengths: Appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, and spirituality. 

Strengths and qualities are not limited to this list, however. Clients can choose anything they believe is a quality, strength, or attribute that best describes them, how they think, and their actions. 

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Exercises for understanding strengths and qualities

There are several ways to help clients identify their strengths. The strengths worksheet contains several of the exercises listed below.

Self-reflection exercise 

In this strengths and weaknesses worksheet exercise, clients reflect on recent successes and challenges and identify what qualities and strengths helped them.

Questions they can ask include:

• What did I do well? 
• How did I solve my problem or challenge?
• What did I learn about myself and my abilities?

Feedback challenge

Encourage clients to ask friends, family, or coworkers about three strengths they see in the client. 

At the next therapy session, they can share the feedback with the therapist, discuss how they feel about that feedback, and how it impacts their self-perception. 

Values in Action (VIA) survey 

Instruct clients to take the VIA self-assessment to discover their strengths. It takes approximately 12 minutes to complete.

Strengths map 

This exercise in the strengths worksheet directs clients to create a visual strengths map of different areas of their life, such as work, home life, relationships, and creative pursuits. 

Therapists can work with clients to map their skills, qualities, and achievements in each area, and then identify themes that represent their unique skills and strengths.

Strengths exploration worksheet

Provide a list of character strengths and ask clients to identify their strengths. 

Therapists can also list traits they’ve observed in sessions and then compare and contrast the client’s perspective versus their observations. 

Compliment review 

Suggest the client think about compliments or praise they’ve received from others (coworkers, bosses, parents, family, friends, and partners). 

Ask them to identify the qualities or skills reflected in these compliments. For instance, a friend might describe them as having a positive attitude, compassion, and kindness. 

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Using the strengths worksheet

You can download and use the strengths worksheet in several ways:

• Use it as a strengths assessment worksheet during the session to help clients identify their strengths and areas for growth.
• Ask the client to pick an activity to identify their strengths and values.
• Provide the worksheet as a handout to complete the “My Strengths and Qualities” activity between sessions, then debrief at their next therapy appointment.
• Use the worksheet as a psychoeducation prompt or reflection of strengths you’ve observed in the client since working with them.

Sources

• Azañedo, C. M., Artola, T., Sastre, S., & Alvarado, J. M. (2021). Character Strengths Predict Subjective Well-Being, Psychological Well-Being, and Psychopathological Symptoms, Over and Above Functional Social Support.
• Niemiec, R. M., & Pearce, R. (2021). The Practice of Character Strengths: Unifying Definitions, Principles, and Exploration of What's Soaring, Emerging, and Ripe With Potential in Science and in Practice.
• VIA Institute on Character. (n.d.). The 24 Character Strengths.

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