ABSTRACT
Problem-solving is a process and skill that people can learn and develop. People with poor problem-solving skills are more likely to feel powerless, helpless, and hopeless when life's going gets tough. Without good skills to resolve problems in practical and productive ways it is easy to retreat into depression, explode in rages of anger, turn to substances to escape reality, or contemplate suicide as the only way out. One effective way of learning problem-solving skills is to observe how good problem-solvers go about practicing their own skills. Having good problem-solving abilities is one of life's essential skills. Good problem-solvers feel more in control and more empowered when problems-as they inevitably do and hit people unexpectedly. Effective evaluation, first helps people from blundering on in ineffective ways and, second, helps equip them to better manage life's next set of inevitable problems.
