Strengths-Based Counseling With At-Risk Youth

Michael Ungar received a Ph.D. in Social Work from Wilfred Laurier University in 1995. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Maritime School of Social Work at Dalhousie University, Canada. He has published articles in such journals as Adolescence, Youth & Society, Qualitative Social Work, Social Service Review, the Journal of Systemic Therapies, and Child & Youth Care Forum. Dr. Ungar has been researching, writing, and teaching about resilience among youth for ten years in Canada, the U.S., Hong Kong, and Columbia. He oversees a federally funded international research project involving collaboration among researchers in eleven sites on five continents exploring similarities and differences in how resilience is understood, studied, and nurtured. As part of this, he will soon embark on a tour of Israel, England, Russia, and Tanzania. He recently presented two papers detailing his work at an international qualitative methods conference hosted by Sage and the International Institute for Qualitative Methods. He has a well-established international network of colleagues in this field across many disciplines, and many will be contributors to this volume.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Chapter 1. Surviving and Thriving The Many Ways Youth Survive Three Survival Strategies, Three Identities Power and Self-Definition Substitution as Intervention Narrative Interventions Powerful Alternatives Chapter 2. Three Identities: Pandas, Chameleons, and Leopards The Stuck Panda The Uncertain Chameleon The Demanding Leopard Pegs and Holes Chapter 3. Six Strategies for Nurturing Resilience Overview of the Six Strategies Paths to Resilience: Conventional and Unconventional Strategy 1: Hear Their Truth Chapter 4. From Truth to Action: Implementing Strategies Two Through Five Strategy 2: Help Youth Look Critically at Their Behavior Strategy 3: Create Opportunities That Fit With What Youth Say They Need Strategy 4: Speak In Ways Youth Will Hear and Respect Strategy 5: Find the Difference That Counts the Most Chapter 5. The Many Expressions of Youth Resilience Strategy 6: Substitute Rather Than Suppress Substitutions for Drug Use Substitutions for Other At-Risk Behaviors The Many Expressions of Resilience Chapter 6. A New Way to Look at Bullying Bullying as Coping: Jake Bullying and the Three Identities Providing Opportunities for Adaptation Substitutions for Bullies Substitutions for Victims Chapter 7. Assessing Resilience The Resilient Youth Strengths Inventory Evaluating Fairly Chapter 8. Translating the Results of the Resilient Youth Strengths Inventory Pandas Shoot Chameleons Score Leopards Win Using Results to Inform Our Efforts Conclusion: The Need for Change References Index

"Offers concrete examples regarding questioning and building rapport that are very helpful to professionals and parents faced with (re)connecting and helping youth." -- William P. Evans, Professor and State Specialist for Youth Development "An eye-opening and heart-opening book." -- Bonnie Benard, Senior Program Associate "A commonsense approach to working with teens. If you are new to the topic of resiliency, this is a good place to start." -- PsycCRITIQUES, October 2006