Resilience is the ability to bounce back which starts with having a healthy foundation and viewing adversity as an opportunity to grow and face a new challenge

1. Building Resilience
Presented by: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes Executive Director, AllCEUs
Podcast Host: Counselor Toolbox & Happiness isn’t Brain Surgery

2. Objectives
 Define resilience
 Explore characteristics of Resilient
People
 Identify how to help people become
more resilient
 Highlight activities which can help
people deal with unpleasant events
when they happen

3. The Art of Resilience
 Resilience is a process or lifestyle that enables
people to bounce back in the face of adversity
 “a dynamic process encompassing positive adaptation
within the context of significant adversity” (Luthar,
Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000)
 Resilience develops over time as people are
exposed to, and successfully navigate, stressors

4. Resiliency Theory
 The central principles of the theory include
 Risk factors/mechanisms
 Vulnerability factors
 Protective factors/mechanisms.
 Risk factors and mechanisms are the events or
conditions of adversity that cause distress in early life
 Poverty
 Prematurity
 Residential mobility / lack of family or community ties
 Addicted or dysfunctional family environment
 Illness (cancer, M.S., chron’s disease)

5. The Art of Resilience
 Vulnerability factors are traits, genetic
predispositions, or environmental and biological
deficits which may cause heightened response,
sensitivity, or reaction to stressors.
 Cognitive impairment (FASD)
 Lack of social support
 Emotional dysregulation
 Ineffective coping skills
 Mood or addictive disorders in the person
 Poor physical health (pain, nutrition, hormones, sleep)

6. The Art of Resilience
 Protective factors and mechanisms are things
which enhance or promote resistance, or which
may moderate the effect of risk factors.
 Rutter (1987) suggests that protective
mechanisms may operate in one of four ways to
allow overcoming adversity:
 Reducing risk impact
 Reducing negative chain reactions to risk factors
 Promoting resiliency traits
 Setting up new opportunities for success.

7. The Art of Resilience
 Fergus and Zimmerman (2005) identified two
types of protective factors.
 Assets are positive factors that reside within
individuals, such as:
Self-efficacy and self-esteem
Social competence and communication skills
 Resources refer to factors outside individuals, such as:
Social support
Opportunities to learn and practice skills
Wellness programs that support biological health

8. 6-Cs of Resilience
 6-Cs
 Coping
 Control
 Character
 Confidence
 Competence
 Connection (resource)

9. Characteristics “Assets” of Resilient People
 Coping: Can effectively balance negative and positive
emotions and manage strong impulses.
 Emotion Regulation / Prevent or mitigate vulnerabilities
 Distress Tolerance
 Problem Solving Skills
 Control/Autonomy: A sense of personal identity and
ability to act independently to exert some control over
one’s situation
 Who are you, and who and what is important to you?
 What things can you change in this situation?
 The situation?
 Your reaction to the situation?

10. Characteristics “Assets” of Resilient People
 Character and a sense of purpose and future:
 Purposeful Action: Make realistic plans for a meaningful life
based on what is important to you
 Take the steps necessary to achieve goals
 Notice positive, forward moving thoughts and behaviors in
yourself and others
 Confidence in one’s strengths and abilities
 What are your strengths?
 In what ways does your response [to this stressor] make
sense?
 How did you get through similar situations?
 What helpful or self-defeating thoughts are you telling
yourself?

11. Characteristics “Assets” of Resilient People
 Competence
 Ability to mitigate emotions and successfully problem
solve
 Focus on what you did correctly and prior successes
 Practice saying no and asking for help. (Social
competence)

12. Building Competence
 Get out of your own way– Allow yourself to take
chances
 Notice, praise and critique
 Strive for authentic success
 Act in the wise mind
 Stop lecturing and second guessing yourself
 Rely on assistance and feedback from others to
help meet new challenges

13. Resources of Those with Resilience
 Think Maslow
 Safe environment
 Financial stability (food, housing, medical care)
 Connection/Social Support
To self and goals (authenticity)
To others

14. Activities to Develop Resilience
 Enhance relationships with social supports
 See crises or stressful events challenges or opportunities
 Practice radical acceptance
 Develop realistic goals and move towards them
 Take decisive actions in adverse situations
 Look for opportunities of self-discovery after a struggle
 Develop self-confidence
 Keep a long-term perspective, considering the event in the big
scheme
 Maintain a hopeful outlook
 Care for one's mind and body (Mindfulness, Vulnerability
prevention)
 Eliminate drains on your energy reserves (stay inflated)

15. Handling Unexpected Crises & Unhappy Events
 Hardiness (Kobasa 1979)
 Commitment: Commitment to various areas of life
results in a sense of purpose that can carry a person
through turbulent times
 Control: Understanding what is and is not within one’s
control. Thoughts, reactions, behaviors, environment
 Challenge: Viewing the situation as a challenge instead
of a threat, accepting that change is a normal part of
life.

16. Handling Unexpected Crises & Unhappy Events
 Bolster your reserves
 Positive health behaviors
 Recreation
 Relaxation
 Purposeful action / Avoid wasting energy

17. Handling Unexpected Crises & Unhappy Events
 Have a crisis plan
 Emotional regulation (Get in the wise mind)
 Does staying miserable serve a purpose?
 Redirect anger/fear impulses metaphorically
 Rip him a new one
 Run away
 Get something off your chest
 Identify and address the problem / Create a happiness plan
 Time management
 What must be done?
 Social support
 Make boundaries acceptable

18. Handling Unexpected Crises & Unhappy Events
 Learned Resourcefulness (MacGyver)
 When efforts to change something is successful, then
expectations are often generalized to other situations
 Aspects
 Representation: What needs to be done?
 Evaluation: What are my options? Can I do this?
 Action

19. Handling Unexpected Crises & Unhappy Events
 Self-Efficacy
 Focus on previous successes
 See others who are similar and have succeeded
 Elicit positive self talk and supportive statements from
others
 Manage physiological arousal (radical acceptance and
distress tolerance)

20. Steps to Happiness When Life Sucks
 Support others
 Take stress breaks
 Remember your comebacks
 Identify your strengths
 Identify your resources
 Take care of yourself physically
 Radical Acceptance and New Beginnings
 View adversity as an opportunity for growth
 Practice optimism
 Focus on small positive changes

21. Steps to Happiness When Life Sucks
 Focus on what you can control
 Change the situation causing the distress
 Control the meaning of the situation: Severity,
importance, personal responsibility
 Control the stress response
Relaxation
Exercise
Verbal or written expression

22. Summary
 Resilience is the learned art of bouncing back in
the face of adversity
 Early risk and vulnerability factors may have
prevented clients from developing necessary
protective skills and resources
 Programs aimed at preventing risk factors or
mitigating their impact help build resilience
 Encourage people to develop resilience within
themselves at least once a day. “What did I do
well?”

23. Summary
 6-Cs
 Competence
 Confidence
 Character
 Coping
 Connection
 Control

24. References
 Life Span and Resiliency Theory: A Critical Review Alexa Smith-
Osborne. Advances in Social Work. Vol 8, No 1 (2007)
 Resiliency Theory. Marc A. Zimmerman, PhD. Health Education &
Behavior. Vol 40, Issue 4, pp. 381 - 383
 Resiliency: A Key Element for Supporting Youth At-Risk. Martin L.
Krovetz Issues in Alternative Education. Pages 121-123.
 Resilience Theory: Theoretical and Professional
Conceptualizations. Roberta R. Greene PhD. Journal of Human
Behavior in the Social Environment. Volume 8, Issue 4, pg. 75-91.
 Resiliency Theory: A Literature review. Adrian DuPlessis VanBreda.
Oct. 2001.
http://vanbreda.org/adrian/resilience/resilience_theory_review.pdf
 Building Resilience in Children and Teens by Kenneth R Ginsburg, MD.
American Academy of Pediatrics. 398 pages.