Counselor finds insights in temperament

After years of counseling, why can't I understand my spouse? Why isn't my child socializing more? Why do I feel so stressed-out at work? Why do I feel so dissatisfied?

For counselor Lisa Woodworth, answers to questions like these can be found in "temperament."

In more than 20 years of counseling, Woodworth has found assessment of temperament to be the most important tool in her kit for getting to the essence of who and what her clients are.

Temperament is distinct from personality or character, she emphasizes.

"Your personality is your behavior," she said, noting that there are cognitive tools to manage behavior. "Underneath that is your character, your value system. Temperament is where you rest."

In the model Woodworth uses, temperament is considered innate, an inborn tendency that can't simply be "modified."

Assessment of temperament is straightforward. Woodworth uses a simple test, almost annoyingly repetitive, that produces an accurate and resonant map of fundamental qualities.

"Temperament is measured in three areas," she explains. "Inclusion - which is how you socialize and your thought process. Control - how much responsibility/decision-making do I want and how much do I want others to have - and Affection: how I operate with my deep relationships, ie. family.

"An individual can be (of) different temperaments in these areas," she noted. "All temperaments have strengths and weaknesses, which is how an individual can see clearly where they are operating and why."

Operating outside of your temperament is stressful. If you are naturally of a gregarious temperament that needs a lot of contact with others, yet your job requires a lot of time closeted away in an office with little interaction, you're going to be stressed. Maybe it's not the right kind of job for you.

If your spouse is temperamentally inclined to be quiet and reflective, dragging him out to those parties you like so much is stressful to him. He's not trying to be a wet blanket - it's hard for him.

"Sometimes we don't know why we're feeling the way we are," she said. "Sometimes it's because we're so far out of our temperament that we're highly stressed. Sometimes its because we have a need in our temperament that's not being met."

Understanding temperament can have profound effects on personal happiness and on the strength of your relationships, Woodworth believes.

"I have met with couples married for years and struggling who have said that if they had just known each other's temperament prior to marriage, it would have saved them years of heartache," Woodworth said.

Woodworth's practice is faith-based, but not restrictive. It is important that the client be able to accept that temperament is innate, brought with the individual into the world.

However, she notes, "I've had atheists come in; I've had every kind of person you could possibly imagine."

Temperament assessment is useful for a range of issues, not just profound matters of the heart and soul. It can ease family dynamics and can be used in business to help place people in the right position with the right kind of work environment.

And understanding our own temperament can answer a lot of uncomfortable questions about ourselves that we carry day to day.

"Once you see this, you can say, 'Oh! Got it!'" Woodworth says.

For more information, contact Lisa Woodworth at 541-420-3554.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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