AFFIRMATIONS

Affirmations are statements that emphasize service users’ strengths and reflect a sincere appreciation for who they currently are. Contrary to popular belief, affirmations are not the same as compliments. Compliments typically begin with “I” while affirmations begin with “you.” For example, a compliment is, “I think you are demonstrating great determination to overcome your addiction because you showed up to the appointment today and you refuse to give up.” An affirmation is, “You are demonstrating great determination to overcome your addiction because you showed up to the appointment today and you refuse to give up.”

While affirmations can help build a service user’s self-confidence to change, they can also have the opposite effect if a service user believes that the affirmations are not genuine. Therefore, it is important to get to know the service user and use affirmations that accurately capture their strengths.

In this Discussion, you will use affirmations with the service user from the case study you were assigned in Week 2. 

• Review your Course Announcements for possible information related to this week’s Discussion and Assignment.
• Review the Learning Resources on affirmations.
• Go to the Hart City virtual community using the link that is provided in the Learning Resources. Once you are in the community, review the case study you were assigned.
• Create three affirmations you would use with the service user from the case study to help them identify their critical needs. 

Identify the Hart City case study you were assigned in the subject line of your post.

Now that you have identified your Hart City service user’s most critical needs, post an explanation of how you will help them identify those needs using affirmations. In your explanation, provide three affirmations you would use with the service user, and explain why you chose them.