Which principle emphasizes that people have the capacity to learn, grow, and change?

The strength-based principle emphasizes that individuals have inherent strengths and the capacity to learn, grow, and change. This approach focuses on promoting the positive qualities and resources that individuals possess rather than solely concentrating on their challenges or shortcomings. It is founded on the belief that everyone can achieve personal growth and transformation through support and empowerment.

Emphasizing an individual’s potential for change is vital in recovery support contexts, as it fosters hope, motivation, and resilience. By leveraging their strengths, individuals can build confidence and navigate the obstacles they face, facilitating their recovery journey.

In contrast, the illness-focused principle tends to concentrate on the pathology or deficits of an individual, which does not align with the empowering perspective of the strength-based principle. The disempowerment principle undermines individuals' abilities by focusing on their limitations, and the isolation principle can negate a person’s support system, both of which are not conducive to fostering growth and change.