It encourages individuals to visualize their desired state of being and use their inherent strengths and past successes to build strategies toward achieving these goals. SFT is widely versatile and can be utilized in various situations and contexts. It’s applicable across various sectors within mental health services, community organizations, and educational institutions. It’s used in diverse clinical and non-clinical settings, making it a preferred choice for many psychology, counseling, social work, and education professionals. These techniques are used in life coaching, business coaching, education, leadership development, and even conflict resolution. The core idea—focusing on strengths and solutions—makes it effective in nearly any setting where growth and change are desired.

The practitioner will ask questions to gain an understanding of the client’s strengths and inner resources that they might not have noticed before. In a solution-focused therapy session, the practitioner and client will work collaboratively to set goals and find solutions together, to overcome the problem or issue. This form of therapy focuses on solutions to problems or issues and discovering the resources and strengths a person has rather than focusing on the problem like more traditional talking therapies do. A 2017 systematic review of 33 studies found that strength- and resource-oriented SFBT techniques were effective for the diverse challenges they were used for. The review also suggests that its effectiveness is partly attributed to both its purposeful use of language and co-construction of meaning between you and your therapist. You and your therapist can use scaling questions to identify, observe, and detail exceptions.

• This program has been approved for 6.0 continuing education hours by the South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Psycho-Educational Specialists.
• In fact, it’s been proposed by researchers in 2021 that this solution-based language may be effective in mental health crises and suicide interventions, even in teletherapy settings.
• We’ll discuss the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy below.
• Therapists have a variety of tools and techniques at their disposal, each designed to help you tap into your inner problem-solver.
• These techniques empower clients to understand their potential for creating solutions by allowing them to envision a future without their problems and identifying when their concerns were less severe or absent.
• This focus on positive possibilities can significantly benefit clients struggling with depression, anxiety or those feeling stuck in negative patterns.
• By focusing on specific, detailed descriptions of how life will be different when goals are achieved, therapists help you paint a vivid picture of the future you are working towards.

Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Remember, becoming a skilled therapist is a journey, not a destination.

Understanding Solution Focused Brief Therapy

This tight focus helps you move through therapy at a faster pace — allowing you to begin making positive changes sooner. Psychologists Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg developed SFBT in the late 1970s. It’s a type of therapy that’s done during a short time period and emphasizes finding solutions rather than unpacking the past. This therapeutic approach encourages focus on the present and motivates people to work on making changes to improve their lives and mental well-being. This activity consists of 380 minutes of continuing education instruction.

Techniques Used in SFBT

PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the Colorado Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. This program is approved by the Board of Allied Mental Health Practitioners (BAMHP) for 6.25 continuing education credits. This program has been approved for 6.0 continuing education hours by the South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Psycho-Educational Specialists. Our approach to therapy includes a flexible hybrid model, blending both online and face-to-face sessions. This option is perfect for clients situated close to our clinics in the Bay Area who prefer the flexibility of choosing between virtual consultations or meeting their therapist in person. Our aim with hybrid care is to ensure every client is matched with the ideal therapist and therapy environment, be it from the convenience of your own home or in one of our clinics.

Take advantage of their Free Online Assessment, and connect with a therapist who truly understands you. In group settings, SFBT can be applied by focusing on each individual’s strengths while working towards a common goal. Some critics fear that SFBT’s brief format may not be suitable for clients with more severe or long-standing issues, potentially resulting in superficial solutions and inadequate healing. The application of SFBT in addressing child behavioral issues is particularly useful at both individual and family levels.

• It’s a type of therapy that’s done during a short time period and emphasizes finding solutions rather than unpacking the past.
• Counselling Collective is a platform dedicated to empowering individuals with knowledge and insights from psychology.
• One of the coolest things about Solution-Focused Therapy is its unwavering belief in your inner resources and strengths.
• PESI, Inc. is an approved CEU provider with the State of Nevada Board of Examiners for Marriage and Family Therapists and Clinical Professional Counselors.
• Therapists then ask follow-up questions to explore the reasons behind the scores and discuss potential improvements.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): Techniques, Applications, and Effectiveness

However, some commonly used ones include the Miracle Question, goal solutions focused therapy interventions setting, exception finding, scaling questions, etc. In this technique, therapists and clients explore times when the problem was less severe or nonexistent. This can uncover successful coping strategies, resilience, and strengths that the client can use to address current challenges. Therapists ask clients to imagine a scenario where a miracle has occurred overnight, and their problem has disappeared. They then explore how their life would look different, what changes they would notice, and what others would observe.

Applications of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy in Treating Mental Health Disorders

This course has been approved by PESI, Inc., as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 6.0 CE in the Counseling Skills skill group. Key solution-focused therapy techniques include goal development questions, miracle questions, exception-seeking questions, scaling questions, and compliments. These techniques are designed to help clients stay focused on their preferred future and envision solutions to their present and future challenges. By utilizing solution talk, SFT practitioners guide clients to recognize previous solutions, explore future-oriented possibilities, and create positive behavioral changes in everyday life. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) provides a highly practical and goal-oriented approach to psychotherapy, distinguished by its emphasis on finding and implementing solutions rather than delving deeply into problems.

These techniques can be used with individuals, couples, families, and groups and are applicable across various age groups. They are also suitable for problems such as relationship issues, mental health challenges, stress, grief, and more. Healthcare practitioners can use these techniques to help students overcome their concerns and challenges. This exercise encourages clients to identify times when the problem could have been more impactful or they could manage it successfully.

Therapeutic Process and Techniques

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wake up one morning to find that a miracle has occurred, and the problem plaguing you has vanished? This is the essence of the miracle question, a cornerstone of solution focused brief therapy. It’s a technique that guides you to think beyond the confines of your current situation and explore the realm of what could be.