Strengths · Values · Growing
The Treasure Inside
Discover the strengths you already have, choose the ones you want to grow, and find out what really matters to you.
Discover the strengths you already have, choose the ones you want to grow, and find out what really matters to you.
We all have qualities and strengths that make us who we are. Pick 3–7 cards that best represent you — you don’t need to be perfect at them yet, just choose the ones that feel most like you.
Invite the young person to explore the cards and choose around three to seven strengths that feel familiar or meaningful to them. Reassure them that this is not a test or ranking, and that they do not need to create a picture of an ‘ideal self’. Strengths may emerge at different times, with different people or when the right support is available. If choosing feels difficult, begin with one strength they have noticed recently, one that a trusted person might recognise, or one they would simply like to explore.
Noticing and naming strengths can help a young person develop a fuller, more balanced picture of themselves (strengths identification and strengths knowledge). Linking a strength to a real moment, for example, ‘I kept going when that was difficult’, provides concrete evidence of what they have already managed (mastery experiences; self-efficacy). This can encourage curiosity and support a realistic, compassionate view of themselves.
Keep the language tentative and open. ‘This may be one of your strengths’ is often more helpful than making a fixed statement about who the young person is. Do not interpret hesitation as a lack of insight. Some young people may recognise their strengths more readily through actions, interests, relationships or real-life examples than through abstract descriptions of personal traits.
Turn a chosen strength into one small weekly action, collect a Treasure Deck of every strength you use, and celebrate how you are growing.
For the grown-up helpingStrengths-based practice: naming and repeatedly enacting character strengths builds self-efficacy and agency, and the collected deck makes growth visible over time.
Available in the full versionMeet a worry companion with kindness, notice how heavy a worry feels, and offer yourself the words you would give a good friend.
For the grown-up helpingSelf-compassion and cognitive defusion: the child meets a self-critical part with warmth rather than argument, which is associated with lower distress and greater resilience in young people.
Available in the full versionThe activities on this tab offer several gentle ways into the question, 'What matters to you?' The young person might pack an 'island suitcase' with qualities they would want to bring to a community, use a difficult or uncomfortable moment as a possible clue to a value they hold, or map how closely current actions feel aligned with chosen values across six areas of life. Treat every response as a current snapshot, not a score or judgement. Values belong to the young person and should not be inferred from adult expectations.
Values are the qualities we want to bring to our actions and relationships, while goals are outcomes we can work towards or complete (compass vs destination; values clarification). The bull’s-eye helps the young person notice the distance between what matters to them and what is happening now, without turning this into a score or judgement. Choosing one small step in a valued direction can build a sense of purpose and support flexible action (committed action; psychological flexibility; ACT).
Help the young person distinguish their values from rules, other people’s approval and desired outcomes. Statements such as ‘being successful’, ‘making Mum happy’ or ‘never feeling anxious’ can be explored gently to identify the personally chosen value or quality underneath — what truly matters to them. Distance from the centre, which represents their values, offers useful information rather than indicating failure or weakness. Explore their responses together, considering any barriers they face, competing needs they may be managing and the support available to them.
Values are the kind of person you want to be — not a to-do list to finish. Here are three ways to explore yours.
Imagine you’re helping to start a new community on a beautiful island with your family or carers, and you’ll live there for one whole month. Don’t worry about food, or a cosy place to sleep, or staying safe — the island already has all of that sorted. 🌴 What you get to choose is the kind of person you want to be, how you want to treat others, and how you wish they treat you too.
Tap to continue →
“When my values aren’t met”
Available in the full versionThe values bull’s-eye
Available in the full versionYour thoughts are like visitors on a bus. They get on and off at different stops. Some ride along for ages, some hop off quickly — and new ones are always arriving.
Offer one to three minutes to notice what is present: thoughts, images, feelings, body sensations or sounds. Use the bus language lightly: thoughts may arrive like passengers, while the young person practises noticing thoughts without needing to argue with them, follow them or get rid of them. There is a soft bell sound at the end to provide a predictable ending. Support the young person to notice and respond to what their body needs. They may keep their eyes open, practise for a shorter time or move if they wish. They should not feel that they need to remain still throughout.
The intended process is decentring: recognising thoughts as mental events that can be observed, rather than facts or instructions that must be followed. A brief pause can create a little distance and reduce automatic reactions (meta-awareness and reduced reactivity). The aim is simply to notice what the mind is producing, rather than trying to force a sense of calm.
The aim is simply to notice what is happening; the young person does not need to become still or calm, or to empty their mind. Check that they are comfortable continuing and look for signs of discomfort throughout. If focusing inward increases distress or sensory overload, help them reconnect with the room, pause or stop, or use something external as an anchor. Adapt or replace the bus metaphor if it is inaccessible or culturally unfamiliar.
Whoever gets on, you are always the driver.
Let’s take one quiet minute to notice who is on your bus today.
When you press start, you can gently close your eyes — there is no need to watch the clock.
A soft bell will let you know when time is up.
All kinds of thoughts and feelings ride with you on your bus — wobbly ones, quiet ones, warm ones. Every passenger is welcome.
Invite the young person to notice the thoughts or inner messages travelling with them today, including pleasant, neutral and difficult ones. They can choose an existing passenger, change its words or create their own. The key message is that a passenger, or thought, can be noticed and allowed to remain present without being treated as an instruction. The young person can still choose their direction of travel.
The passenger metaphor helps the young person relate differently to a thought, rather than feeling they must prove it wrong or treat it as an instruction (cognitive defusion). They can notice and make room for difficult thoughts and feelings when this feels right for them (acceptance), while still choosing actions guided by what matters to them. This can help them respond more flexibly to difficult inner experiences (psychological flexibility; ACT).
Keep acceptance separate from tolerating harm or dismissing a valid concern. The young person’s emotional safety should always come first. Include pleasant and neutral passengers as well as difficult ones, so that inner experiences are not automatically treated as problems. Allow the young person to adapt the metaphor or suggest an alternative that feels more meaningful to them at any time.
Pleasant and neutral feelings and thoughts ride along too. These visitors don’t have names — just pick any that feel like what’s travelling with you right now. They are as welcome as every other passenger.
Before you choose which way to travel, tap your compass (beside the bus) to remember the values that matter to you.
Your compass points to what matters to you. Which way does your bus feel like it’s heading right now?
Choose a direction on the compass to carry on to the next step.
What is one small step you could take right now to head back towards what matters?
Only you can see this — it isn’t saved.
Sort what you can and cannot control, and find helpful things you can do while you wait.
For the grown-up helpingLocus-of-control work: separating the controllable from the uncontrollable helps reduce anxiety and supports active, values-based coping.
Available in the full versionA gentle, private record of everything explored — including how heavy worries have felt over time.
For the grown-up helpingA visible record supports reflection and shared review with a trusted adult; the over-time view helps notice patterns and progress without turning it into a test.
Available in the full version
