Activating Resources in Psychotherapy: Strategies and Reflections

On 13 May, the event entitled “Resource Activation in Psychotherapy” took place at Lusófona University - Porto University Centre. This event was part of the Psychology Conference Series and was especially aimed at undergraduate students of the Psychology Bachelor's Degree.

The session featured speaker Carina Magalhães, a psychologist with extensive experience in the field of Clinical and Health Psychology. During the conference, she challenged the traditional view of psychotherapy focused exclusively on the identification and treatment of problems, advocating instead for the importance of also integrating the activation of clients’ personal resources as an active part of the therapeutic process.

The content of the presentation included the definition of personal resources in a clinical context, strategies for their assessment and mobilisation in sessions, as well as a critical reflection on the challenges this approach may present for professionals. The speaker also presented recent empirical data pointing to a positive, albeit modest, effect of resource use on therapeutic success.

“Therapeutic change does not have to begin only with pain; it can also be driven by the abilities and values that each person already possesses,” highlighted Carina Magalhães.

The event was well received by Psychology students, who followed the conference attentively and participated actively in the roundtable discussion. The conference thus contributed to deepening academic reflection on the current pathways of psychological intervention.

See photos of the event on ULusófona's Facebook page

Photography
Sofia Pereira

Editing
Paulo Renato

Coverage
Sofia Pereira

Article
Sofia Pereira