The Client-Centered Integrative Strengths-Based Approach: Ending Longstanding Conflict between Social Work Values and Practice

The 1980s saw the rising of strengths-based approach, which is now coming to be one of the most influential perspectives in the field of both social work theories and practice. It is an attempt in response to the demand for ending the longstanding conflict between social work values and practice caused by the traditional deficit-focused approach, and also for the search for the essence of social work. As the concept of strength is technically vague and contradictory, it makes the current strengths-based perspective impossible to address simultaneously humanity caring and service efficacy as the two fundamental demands of social work practice. Therefore, grounded on literature review of the strengths perspective and reflecting of our social work practice, a new strengths-based approach, the client-centered integrative strengths-based approach, is proposed to fulfill the two fundamental demands of social work, which is to assist clients to make full use of their strengths and resources, and to cope better with and exceed the “problems”, and to enrich their life through the process of transition and reduction of “problems” with the help of social workers.