A Study on Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

The emergence of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) marked a changing of the guard within the realm of psychotherapy. For the previous century, the profession had been dominated by theories and practices, which was focused on unearthing a client’s repressed memories or family issues in hopes of identifying cracks in their mental and/or their emotional foundation that needed to be fixed. The change in perspective and approach presented by Steven de Shazer and his counterparts provided therapist and clients alike an opportunity to center in on the presenting issue, instead of prolonging the process in search of hidden truths. While de Shazer presented an alternative thought process to the therapeutic process, his model was the culmination of various therapist and models continuing to push the envelope.

Solution-focused therapy is different from narrative and collaborative therapy because it focuses more on discovering solutions to problems by asking miracle and scaling questions (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2013). Solution-focused therapists utilize miracle and scaling questions to help clients change their thoughts and behavior. Miracle questions challenge clients to think about what their lives could be like if all their problems suddenly went away and were solved (Henderson & Thompson, 2016). Scaling questions challenge the client to magnify their view of the current circumstance (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2013). Solution-focused therapy is also different from narrative and collaborative therapy because the counselor leads the counseling session. Counselors lay out clear expectations for their clients to change, and expect them to actively participate in counseling so change occurs. The third difference between the three approaches is that solution-focused therapy is complaint-based, while narrative and collaborative therapy is not (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2013). Clients come to counseling with a complaint, and counselors typically work with those who ready and willing to change. Another difference is that solution-focused therapy consists of five steps, which are “co-constructing a problem and goal, identifying and amplifying exceptions, assigning tasks, evaluating effectiveness, and reevaluating problems and goals” (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2013, p. 382). Collaborative and narrative therapy do not follow these five

Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) has been gaining momentum as a powerful therapeutic approach since its inception in the 1980s (Franklin, 2012). It has proven to be an effective intervention across a wide range of problems across diverse fields in business, social policy, education, criminal justice service, child welfare and domestic violence offenders treatment programs (Dolan, n.d.). SFBT holds the assumption that problems do not happen in a vacuum, there are always fluctuations and changes happening (Molnar & de Shazer, 1987). What this implies is that there will be times when problems are less severe and those instances of success in the present and the past. By examining these exceptions to the problem, and having a vision of a preferred future, clients and therapist can collaborate together to generate ideas for solutions.

Solution-focused brief therapy aims to provide attainable goals for the client which is delivered in an empowering manner, whereas problem-focused therapy immediately targets the problem with a spotlight. SFBT builds upon the clients unknown strengths to determine their future fate. The overall quality of this approach is one that is creative due to its imaginative feature that allows to the client to design alternative realities based on certain questions.

The interview was with a 17-year-old male adolescent student who attends the high school where I work. I met the student in passing in the library and asked if he had a few minutes to answer some questions. The purpose of this interview was to apply solution-focused therapy (SFT) strategies and to ask a miracle question. I explained that I was taking a class and I needed to interview a student for the assignment. The student agreed and we started to discuss how his day began. My goal of quickly gathering precise, useful, and insightful information from the student that can help me solve a problem later. The student presented as relaxed and calm at the beginning. He lightly tapped his feet, fidgeted with his hands, and repeatedly shifted his

All therapy, in a wider sense, is designed to bring about change. Clients come to the therapy where, through a process of interaction with the therapist, “clients describe their problem hoping that the therapist will help them to solve their situation. Therefore, therapy can be understood as space where a conversation is aimed at bringing about change” (De Shazer 1994). The purpose of negotiating goals in solution focused therapy is to be clear about what goals the client want to pursue in therapy. This helps the client to point out when the problem is solved. In addition to knowing how goes the therapeutic process. The most commonly used technique is a projection into the future. It allows customers to see their problem from a new perspective, where the client is invited

Within this essay I shall provide a personal evaluation of Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). I shall endeavour to outline the main principles, processes and strengths. I will also explore some of the weaknesses of the approach demonstrating some of the limitations in terms of application to specific issues and problems. Additionally, the essay will explore issues of compatibility between SFBT and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I will also outline how and why I would incorporate SFBT into my personal practice as a companion to CBT.

To summarize, solution-focused brief therapy enables the individual to become aware of their strengths, resources, and it emphasizes that changes in their lives can be made. The person is always in control of the adjustments they want to make and the counselor is not an expert of the client’s needs. Techniques such as, the Miracle Question, Exceptions Questions, and Scaling Questions are used to stay in the here-and-now. SFBT may be accustomed to all cultures though it may have its limitations. Lastly, this approach can be applied to college students because it empowers them to focus in the present and future, which can lead them to change the way they view their situation thus, guiding them to pay attention of their actions and patterns of

It can be stated that solution focused therapist believe that people are constrained by narrow views of their problems into perpetuating rigid patterns of false solutions (Nichols, 2013, p. 246). Meaning there are noteworthy benefits in concentrating on the positive and solutions for the imminent future. Concentrating on strong suits and resolution talk will upturn the probability that therapy will be short-term. Clients who come to therapy do have the capability to act efficiently. This capability however is momentarily obstructed by undesirable cognitions, however one must remember that there are exceptions to each problem. Clients are usually inclined to speak on one side of the problem. Solution focused therapists ask clients to vision

Hannah, Becca, Paige, and I presented on solution-focused theory. We developed and prepared our presentation together, rather than breaking up the work. This was advantageous as each group member knew all of the material, rather than merely understanding one section of material. In the presentation, I gave an overview of the therapy. I discussed that solution-focused therapy incorporates ideas from many disciplines and theories. I also highlighted a few of the key ideas, such as shifting focus from problems to solutions. Later in the presentation, I explained the concept of externalizing and personifying problems, and I described the social worker/client relationship in this theory.

Solution-focused brief therapy offers clients an opportunity to find solutions to problems and evoke cognitive change unlike the Psychoeducational that work on the family by improving their coping skills, so the change in this model affects all the family and not just the clients

Under Solution Focused Therapy the pioneers of the therapy are Steve De Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg, Yvonne Dolan and Eve Lip chick. This therapy focuses on the thinking of an individual. Nichols (2013) notes that in this view “people may only need a slight shift of perspective to release their potential…Part of the shift involves changing the way people talk about their problems.”(p.247). I interpreted the text to mean that people need to change the way people talk about their problems from problem talk to solution talk. Nichols (2013) also notes that “Solution Focused therapist don’t believe that it’s necessary to delve into these deeper issues in order to help people resolve their problems” (p.248). This type of therapy focuses on the present

Clients in working with their therapists learn to rethink their situations. They learn to look at their life as the glass half-full, instead of almost empty. Showing clients how to spot the flowers in a sea of weeds enables them to face adversity or misfortune with an attitude of, “yes, that was a bad hit, but how do we move on from here? Where do I want to go tomorrow? How am I going to get there?” Solutions-focused therapy enables a client to multiply a smidgen of courage into enough to conquer a problem. Assisting clients to re-set their thinking stays with clients long after the therapy session has ended, and is another excellent benefit of solutions-focused therapy.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is solution building as oppose to problem solving. It is a Post Modern psychotherapy, alternative to pre Freudianism psychoanalysis. The client and the therapist work in

In the hospital setting, the use of solution-focused brief therapy helps patients understand their goals during treatment and creates a person-centered treatment process. Social workers