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WORKSHEET 12.1 TREE OF POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS

One way to foster positive relationships is by realizing the importance of understanding and acknowledging the highest strengths of your loved ones and how you fit into your larger family and friend network. When you recognize the strengths of your friends and family members, you are more likely to appreciate them and to build stronger connections. In addition, learning about one another’s strengths may potentially help you to gain new insights into the behavior of your loved ones that you previously misunderstood. For example, when Beverley discovers that several of her husband Jackson’s top strengths are honesty, fairness, and bravery, she is better able to understand why he would drive all the way across town to return an extra dollar he was accidentally given when checking out at a grocery store— even though he will spend over a dollar in gas in the process of driving to and from the store. Rather than seeing Jackson’s behavior as illogical, Beverley can see that he is simply acting according to his strengths of character. Likewise, parents who come to understand that a signature strength of their child is curiosity and interest in the world are better able to tolerate, and even come to enjoy, the abundance of questions posed by the child about how and why things work the way they do.

The Tree of Positive Relationships is designed to help you and people you are close with to gain greater insight into each other’s strengths. In order to complete this homework, please ask your family members to complete the Signature Strengths Questionnaire (SSQ- 72) available at: www.tayyabrashid.com, or the Values in Action survey available at: http:// www.viacharacter.org/

After your loved ones have determined their strengths and have shared these results with you, please complete the blank tree here. We have provided an example of a completed tree for your reference.

Sample Tree of Positive Relationships

Mom

Me

DadWisdom, Courage, Modesty

Shawn (brother)Love of learning,

Courage, Gratitude

Playfulness, Curiosity,and teamwork

Modesty, Spirituality,and Love of learning

Appreciation of beauty,Zest, Love for learning

Fairness, Authenticity,and Prudence

Open minded,Leadership, Kindness

Philip (boyfriend)

Meryem (friend)

Susanna (friend)

Tayyab Rashid, Martin SeligmanPositive Psychotherapy. © 2018 by Oxford University Press

Oxford Clinical Psychology | Oxford University Press

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Your Tree of Positive Relationships

Tayyab Rashid, Martin SeligmanPositive Psychotherapy. © 2018 by Oxford University Press

Oxford Clinical Psychology | Oxford University Press