How a Strengths-Based Approach to Rehabilitation Can Transform Physiotherapy
- SPRINT project
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
In the world of physiotherapy, where motivation and mindset are just as important as mobility and muscle strength, the strengths-based approach is gaining well-deserved attention. But what does this really mean, and how can this be implemented in practice?
A strengths-based programme focuses on a patient’s personal assets, confidence, and capabilities, rather than just their injuries or limitations. It encourages motivation, resilience, and self-determination—all crucial for successful rehabilitation outcomes. We will explore how a strengths-based programme in physiotherapy can help patients and how it can be implemented in practice.
1. Creating a sense of Hope
Creation of hope is one of the most important aspects of a strengths-based rehabilitation programme in physiotherapy. When patients feel hopeful, they are more likely to stay engaged, optimistic, and driven in their recovery.
This is particularly valuable in conditions like:
Multiple Sclerosis (MS): where the rehabilitation journey is often long-term and emotionally taxing.
Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI): where rapid and structured rehab is essential to prevent complications and mental health decline.
Studies have shown that hope-based interventions can reduce depression and increase resilience in patients with MS and SCI, which shows the importance of using practices that create a sense of hope for patients throughout treatment. (Turcotte, Vallée and Vincent, 2023).
How to Create Hope in Practice:
Set small, realistic, and meaningful goals with patients.
Use positive, motivational language; focus on what can be done rather than what can’t.
Tailor rehab goals around a patient’s personal hobbies and passions to keep them engaged.
Communicate clearly and honestly to set realistic expectations; avoid false hope but always strive to highlight progress.
Ensure you create a supportive environment where patients feel heard and empowered.
Offer community-based treatments so patients can share experiences and build a sense of hope and belonging.
2. Empowering Through Self-Determination
Self-determination plays a big role in increasing confidence in patients. It involves patients making their own decisions and can help patients to cope with their new life and the ability to adjust to challenges, which can increase their self-fulfillment as well as their outlook on life and long-term mental well-being.
Encouraging Self-Determination:
Let patients take the lead by setting their own goals and suggesting exercises they enjoy.
Avoid generalized treatments; customise interventions to align with each person’s situation.
Acknowledge the emotional and socio-economic factors that impact a person’s progress.
Allow patients to progress at their own pace; don’t rush rehabilitation.
3. Focusing on Personal Strengths
Every patient has personal strengths- whether it's mental resilience, a love for sports, or simply a strong desire to regain independence. A strengths-based approach seeks to draw on these qualities and use them as the foundation for a successful rehab plan. To help identify a person’s strengths, check out our online strengths profiling tool that's free for anyone to use! (https://www.sprintproject.org/interactive-strengths-profiling)
By aligning therapy goals with personal talents and interests, physiotherapists can significantly enhance patient engagement, motivation, and self-confidence.
Using Personal Strengths in Rehab:
Build therapy goals around the patient’s aspirations, talents, or values.
Integrate intellectual or mental strengths into exercises—such as problem-solving tasks or memory-based activities (see box of specific ideas below).
Choose exercises that align with the patient’s physical or psychological strengths.
Celebrate small wins and use strengths as a tool for motivation and reward.
Why Collaboration Matters
Physiotherapy doesn’t happen in isolation. When possible, a strengths-based programme thrives when developed in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team - including occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers, and family members. This team approach helps build a trusted support system, reinforcing the patient’s sense of belonging and empowerment.
Recent research exploring physiotherapists’ perspectives on delivering a strengths-based approach to rehabilitation highlights an important takeaway, according to Heywood et al. (2024), it takes a multidisciplinary team to make it work—otherwise, as one physio put it, it becomes “too much to hold yourself.”
Final Thoughts
A strengths-based approach is more than just a feel-good method. It's a powerful, evidence-informed strategy that can transform rehabilitation outcomes. By fostering hope, encouraging self-determination, and utilizing personal strengths, physiotherapists can help patients not just recover, but thrive.
Whether you're working with someone recovering from a stroke, helping a patient adjust to life after a life-changing diagnosis, or rehab after a traumatic injury, consider: How can I utilize this person's unique strengths to help produce a positive and motivational rehab programme, to reach their goals?
Written by: Lulu Donaghy – A second year physiotherapy student on placement helping support the SPRINT project
Image credits: https://www.csp.org.uk/news/2022-02-09-mix-person-remote-consultations-best-csp, https://therapiesonthames.co.uk/blog/post-hospital-physiotherapy/ , & iStock
References
Amati, M., Grignoli, N., Rubinelli, S., Amann, J., & Zanini, C. (2019). The role of hope for health professionals in rehabilitation: a qualitative study on unfavorable prognosis communication. PLoS One, 14(10), e0224394. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224394
Turcotte, S., Vallée, C., & Vincent, C. (2023). Exploration of a strengths-based rehabilitation perspective with adults living with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. Disabilities, 3(3), 352-366. https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities3030023
Heywood, S., Bunzli, S., Dillon, M., Bicchi, N., Black, S., Hemus, P., ... & Setchell, J. (2025). Trauma-informed physiotherapy and the principles of safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment: a qualitative study. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 41(1), 153-168. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593985.2024.2315521
Comments