*warning - this podcast contains discussion on teen suicide*
In this episode I chat with Dan Hardie, an experienced teen counsellor and the founder of MyStrengths Australia. He has worked with young people for his entire career and together with the MyStrengths team, have seen over 30,000 teens discover their Strengths and grow to love their own uniqueness.
Dan observed that so many teens know their weaknesses, but how many know their strengths? They would come to Dan with all kinds of negative labels that were damaging their self-esteem and confidence. But he wondered, "What if instead of diagnosing what is wrong, we could diagnose what is right? What if I could shift the self-perception from deficits and weakness to strengths, beauty and uniqueness?" It has had such a dramatic effect on adolescent mental health, self-esteem and identity that this has become Dan's life passion - and it's changing the school landscape for thousands.
We discuss how Dan shifted from diagnosing people's deficits to focusing on positive psychology and strengths. He believes that the next generation of young people are beautiful, talented, self-aware and passionate - and we're here to cheer them, advocate for them, and celebrate each and every one of them. His hope for the future is that every person could say, I like who I am, I've got what it takes and the future is mine to imagine.
Key episode highlights include:
You can connect further with Dan and the great work he does on Instagram. And make sure you check out the MyStrengths Assessment for teens and the Raising Resilience course for parents.
Mental Health Support in Australia
Lifeline www.lifeline.org.au 13 11 14
Beyond Blue www.beyondblue.org.au 1300 224 636
#teens #strengths #health #wellbeing #mentalhealth #mindset #growth #leadership #personaldevelopment #selfcare #habits #counselling
