Which approach focuses on individuals' inherent capacities, avoiding pathologizing clients?

The strengths-based approach is centered on identifying and utilizing individuals' inherent capacities and resources rather than focusing solely on problems or deficits. This approach emphasizes the potential for growth, resilience, and positive change within individuals. By avoiding a pathologizing perspective, social workers using this approach encourage clients to recognize and build on their strengths, skills, and past successes, fostering empowerment and self-efficacy.

This methodology is particularly important in social work as it shifts the focus from a deficiency model, which can inadvertently label clients as 'problematic’ or 'pathological,' to a more holistic view that honors their unique capabilities and contributions. By emphasizing strengths, social workers can facilitate a more collaborative relationship, where clients actively participate in their own growth and development, leading to more effective and meaningful interventions.

The other approaches may include some focus on positive aspects, but they also involve more structured methodologies or frameworks that might not center solely on personal strengths. For example, the humanistic approach emphasizes personal growth and self-actualization but might still engage with clients' issues in a way that could be seen as pathologizing. The cognitive-behavioral approach is more diagnostic and often addresses specific behavioral problems, whereas the ecological approach considers the individual within their broader environment but