Therapist Work With Client Strengths: Development and Validation of a Measure

Two studies were conducted to investigate the Inventory of Therapist Work With Client Assets and Strengths (IT-WAS), a new measure constructed to assess the importance therapists place on incorporating strength-based approaches in their therapeutic work. In the first study, a combined sample (N = 225), comprising therapists in independent practice, graduate students and faculty in counseling-related fields, and counseling center staff at a large mid-Atlantic university was gathered to conduct an exploratory factor analysis. Results yielded three factors (Theory of Intervention, Assessment of Strengths, and Supporting Progress). The data also provided evidence for the IT-WAS's internal consistency and validity, the latter being supported by correlations with measures of theoretically relevant constructs. In the second study, data from 31 counseling and clinical doctoral students provided evidence for the IT-WAS's test-retest reliability over a 2-week period. Implications for clinical training and practice are discussed, and areas of future research are provided.