Solution Focused Therapy
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Solution focused therapy, also known as solution based therapy or solution-focused brief therapy, entered mainstream psychotherapy practices in the 1970s and 1980s. What began as an aspect of systems therapies has morphed into its own therapeutic practice entirely, which has increasingly grown in popularity in modern times.
What is solution-focused brief counseling?
When we experience a life challenge, it can take a long time to pinpoint the cause of the problem and devise a solution. That’s where solution focused brief therapy with a therapist or counseling center may help. When an individual or group of people attend SFBT therapy sessions, the experience is usually brief.
Solution focused therapy centers on the idea of honing in on solutions rather than problems. With previous solutions, a therapist may have spend many hours processing concerns with their clients, managing trauma, and talking about the possible origins of the problem. After learning solution focused therapy, the therapist tends to spend far less time talking about the problem to promote efficient, mentally healthy solutions to the client's life experiences and problems. This is the reason why solution focused brief therapy may be effective for families who are experiencing a major trial in their relationships with one another.
In 2011, Oxford University Press published a handbook called Solution Based Therapy: Evidence Based Practice that both analyzes research and offers interventions on this psychiatric treatment. It includes meta analyses of treatment of the SFBT approach on various mental health conditions such as major depressive disorder and substance abuse disorders, as well as offering an illustrated guide of therapeutic approaches for the SFBT practitioner. Additionally, according to Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation, SFBT may also be effective in treating internalizing disorders in children.
Principles of treatment
The effectiveness of solutions-focused therapeutic treatment may rely on using several principles to generate solutions for clients:
- Change will always happen; it's inevitable. Clients are asked to embrace change and want it
- Clients have the power to create their own goals and feel more confident
- Clients have their own strengths and skills to solve their problems
- Focusing on the past is not as relevant
- It's more short-term than other treatments
With a solution focused approach to therapy, one of the key concepts is that a client may quickly learn to move away from negative thinking patterns and feel empowered to find solutions to their problems by making behavioral changes. When the present problem arises, they may already know how to solve it from the first session.
Solution focused therapy can help you set goals
Because of its goal and future oriented nature, the therapeutic approach of solution focused therapy works often by jumping right in to focus on the here and now and how you can achieve your future hopes and goals. You are likely not going to spend sessions talking about your history and digging into old wounds and traumas, or past child behavioral problems if it is not necessary. Some people who seek mental health help need longer-term support to revisit old traumas. Solution focused therapy is not meant to discount the value in recovering from past events, but it is not necessary for everyone. Many people who benefit from this are going through a specific challenge or a major life transition, such as experience short-term relationship problems that don’t necessarily require long-term treatment. Individuals experiencing major psychiatric conditions that are chronic in nature may benefit form a more long-term focused therapy.
Solution focused therapy techniques
- What motivates you during times of stress?
- How do you usually cope with this situation?
- How do you solve this problem?
- If someone else experienced this problem, what advice would you give them?
- What has changed since our last session?
- When does the problem not occur?
- How do you feel when the problem does not occur?
- Are you doing anything differently when the problem doesn't occur?
Accepting that each family is different and that there is not a strict guideline on how a family should think and act can be a key element of marital and family therapy. For children with classroom behavioral problems, when SFBT therapists act as if the child were the expert in their own life, then the child may be more receptive to therapy. Visual representations, including diagrams, coloring sheets, and worksheets, can also give children a clear way to understand the goals and objectives lined out in front of them.
If you’re interested in trying solution focused therapy but feel hesitant to go to a therapist’s office, you might try online therapy, which outcome research shows to be just as effective as in-person therapy sessions. With an online service like BetterHelp, you can try solution focused therapy from home or anywhere with an internet connection. You can connect with a therapist via phone or video chat at a time that works for you. Also, if you’re interested in solution focused family therapy, this may be more convenient for your family if you have busy schedules.
How does solution focused therapy work?
The principles behind solution-focused brief therapy are as follows: change is constant and certain, emphasize what is possible, clients must want to change, clients are the expert in goal setting, and clients already have the resources and strength to find solutions for their problems. Solution focused brief therapy is a form of short-term treatment that is an evidence-based practice where practitioners help clients understand positive psychology principles through a recognition of the benefits of goal setting.
Is SFBT effective?
Research shows strong evidence that SFBT is effective at treating both behavioral problems and psychological conditions. Solution-focused practitioners tend to take a different approach to behavioral therapy by focusing on scaling questions and coping questions. These are usually built into a forward-looking mindset that focuses on the future goals a person wishes to attain through this approach and are backed by research showing the effectiveness of SFBT. While SFBT originated in the United States, it is used widely in both Western countries and non-Western countries.
Who would benefit from SFBT?
SFBT can be a healthy way for anyone to talk through their life challenges under the guidance of a licensed professional. Some examples of what you might discuss with your therapist could be relationship problems, marital issues like marital burnout, low self-esteem, and day-to-day concerns that might come up for you. For those who seek therapy that is short-term and goal-oriented, SFBT can be a great choice. Learning solution focused therapy techniques
may help you find tangible solutions and feel more confident coming up with your own solutions.
What is solution-focused brief therapy used for?
Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) is often used to focus on a person’s present and future circumstances, rather than past experiences, which distinguishes it from other forms of counseling. SFBT is a goal-oriented treatment that often differs from other types of treatment that are more people focused, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). SFBT concentrates on finding possible solutions by focusing on the present and future.
What are the key concepts of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)?
SFBT aims to offer problem-solving guidance to clients looking for quick resources to meet a specific goal. Throughout this therapeutic process, the client may work through key concepts of SFBT like the “miracle question,” charting, brainstorming, and other techniques with guidance from a therapist. With a technique like miracle questions, for instance, a therapist may ask you to imagine that after sleeping tonight, you wake up and a miracle has transformed your life, and then to imagine what has changed. This approach allows the client to imagine their desired future from a different perspective.
How long are sessions in solution focused therapy?
In SFBT, therapy sessions tend to last around 45 minutes and rarely extend past eight sessions. Unlike other types of therapy, this is a short-term treatment that is meant to help patients find solutions to a specific question or questions.
What is a coping question in mental health treatment?
Coping questions in SFBT are structured to help clients shift their focus away from problem elements and more toward what they are doing to overcome a painful or stressful situation. This method is used to help clients in a treatment center or counseling practice, regardless of what type of therapy is being used. Coping questions are evidence-based methods of redirecting a client’s focus and finding solutions to problems. For instance, these questions may ask clients to reflect on how they have successfully coped with challenges already and identify strategies that have previously worked for them. Many different types of mental health treatment use coping questions to help people tackle challenging situations and develop good behavior patterns.
How does person-centered therapy work?
In person-centered therapy, a client tends to do most of the talking and the therapist tries to guide their words in an attempt to understand their feelings or thoughts. As opposed to goal-centered therapy, such as SFBT, client-centered approaches allow a client to work through most of their problems verbally and head on in most cases with specific problem-solving techniques. If you have questions about these types of counseling, you might ask a therapist what approach might work best for your specific concerns.
What are the five types of coping strategies?
The main five types of coping strategies are meditation, journaling, reframing, cognitive distortions, and positive thinking or positive psychology. Traditional forms of evidence-based counseling often use these coping strategies in their treatment models through constructive collaboration. Modern psychology often emphasizes the thoughts and emotions people experience, and coping strategies can help a person focus on positive thoughts and goals.
What is the concept of solution focused brief therapy?
Solution-focused brief therapy came into popular practice in the 1970s and 1980s and was founded by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Although there are a variety of techniques, SFBT can help people navigate any mental health challenges they might be experiencing. Through scaling questions and a range of training exercises, couples and individuals have found motivation again while going through a diverse array of mental health issues and relationship challenges.
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