Welcome to the Strengths Gym!

WHAT IT IS

Philosophers believed that we bring into any situation various personal strengths and weaknesses of character. The strengths, they thought of as virtues. Aristotle thought it was worth figuring out what strengths or excellences would be universally good to have, and built his conception of ethics (from the Greek word ‘ethos’ or character) around these virtues.

The gymnasium in Ancient Greece functioned as a facility to train the mind and body with games, intellectual pursuits, and socialization. We designed our website so youth participating in psychotherapy with us can train and build their character strengths up (like a muscle).

Taking a survey, watching educational videos, and practicing skills are all important supplements that help propel promote positive development and therapy treatment progress. We playfully refer to it as, “Strong Mind Strength Training.”

Training is important to regularly activate and building your coping skills and creating healthy habits of mind. You need to be exercising and growing your character strengths often throughout each week to make them stick and make them count.

We intend for you to return over and over to this section of the website as a resource for your general Character Strengths education and Character Strengths building.

HOW IT WORKS

Week 1 Training: First, new clients start by taking one of the following VIA Character Strengths Survey. Choose one to complete based upon your age:

VIA Youth Survey (for ages 10 to 17)
VIA Adult Survey (for ages 18+)

Week 2 and Ongoing Training:

From your second week of treatment and going forward, you will be encouraged to participate in the Strengths Gym to complete circuit “workouts” to build up your Character Strengths & Strong Mind.

Strong Mind Strengths Training takes regular practice & repetition of learned skills to get results.

Remember, some stress (what we like to refer to as “brain muscle confusion”) is NECESSARY for personal growth to happen.

Stress (like resistance training in the gym) is a necessary and needed ingredient to stretch and grow our mind in broad and expansive ways (just like muscles).

Each time you watch and listen and complete activities to train a Strong Mind, you earn points, streaks, and badges.

Once you earn a certain number of points, you accomplish a milestone (level system) and Victory Badges to get on the STRENGTHS GYM Strong Mind Leader Board.