Resilience and Relationships

Recently the American Psychological Association published a flyer on resilience. Resilience involves the capacity to rebound and recover from stressful life experiences, be they health issues, job stressors, or any number of life’s vicissitudes. Although some people seem to be born with more resilience than others, the article emphasizes that there are skills, behaviors, thoughts, and actions that can be learned and developed that improve resilience.

Research consistently shows that the number one factor that contributes to a person’s level of resilience involves having “caring and supportive relationships” both within the family and outside the family. “Relationships that create love and trust, provide role models and offer encouragement and reassurance help bolster a person’s resilience.”

Other factors that contribute to resilience involve being able to develop goals and plans, having realistic self-esteem and confidence that allows for strengths and weaknesses, communication skills and the capacity to problem solve, and the abilities to manage strong feelings and harness impulses

Much of the work in therapy with young adults is about helping them to develop resilience. Leaving home for college is often the first big test of how well the young adult can manage the trials and tribulations of life.

Find the flyer at:  http://apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx