Strength-Based Counseling Approaches in Schools: A Systematic Literature Review of Strategies for Developing Student Potential
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62872/jb.v1i3.578Keywords:
strength-based counseling, school counseling, student potential, positive psychology, systematic literature reviewAbstract
Strength-based counseling represents a paradigm shift in school counseling, moving the focus from remediating student deficits toward identifying, mobilizing, and developing students' existing strengths, assets, and positive character traits. This study employs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology to synthesize existing empirical and conceptual literature on strength-based counseling approaches in school settings. A total of 17 primary sources were systematically selected and analyzed based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, covering the period from 2005 to 2024. Findings indicate that strength-based counseling is consistently associated with improvements in students' resilience, academic hope, social skills, self-efficacy, and career readiness across diverse educational contexts. Practical strategies identified in the literature include group counseling, self-strength exploration, strengths-based academic advising, sociodrama, and technology-mediated counseling for Generation Z students. The effectiveness of this approach is further amplified when embedded within comprehensive counseling programs that integrate school-family-community partnerships and multicultural perspectives. This review underscores the need for counselors to adopt a strengths orientation as the foundational framework of their professional practice, and calls for further empirical studies employing experimental designs to strengthen the evidence base
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