What is Solution-Focused Therapy? (Solution-Focused Brief Therapy)
This video describes Solution-Focused Therapy. Solution-Focused Therapy, which is sometimes referred to as solution-focused brief therapy, was developed by de Shazer and Berg in the 1980s. A number of modern modalities have some sort of theory associated with them. Solution-Focused Therapy is not theory driven. It is considered a positive approach that's also considered a constructivist approach. Solution-Focused Therapy is considered to be collaborative and collegial as opposed to confrontational, instructive, or needing to have an interpretation component. Many of the modern theories that we see do have confrontational, instructive, and interpretive components to them. Even though Solution-Focused Therapy is not theory based, there are principles and techniques associated with it. The first is that problems form in the context of human interaction. This is a bit different than reality therapy for instance, which looks at problems formed because of relationships. In Solution-Focused Therapy interactions could include relationships, but they're not exclusively relationships. The objective in Solution-Focused Therapy is to encourage a client to do something different, so there is the idea here that any change is a good change. Any change moves somebody further away from the problem. We recognize in mental health treatment that all change isn't good. There can be negative change as well. For example, if someone comes into treatment because they are consuming too much alcohol and the change they make is to consume more alcohol. That would be recognized as negative. In Solution-Focused Therapy there isn't really an emphasis on directionality, although generally of course, a positive change would be recognized as superior to a negative change. In Solution-Focused Therapy, the client is the expert. The modality does recognize that in all therapy there is a hierarchy, but the wisdom of the client is seen as the most valuable contribution to the therapeutic process. The therapist is not an expert and again there's no real instructive component to this therapy. One of the goals of therapists in Solution-Focused Therapy is to help the client to make contact with forgotten and unnoticed wisdom. The client comes to therapy with everything they need to make the change that would eliminate the problem. We see this component in other therapeutic modalities as well to some extent. It is in Person-Centered Therapy, Reality Therapy, and a component in a number of other therapeutic modalities. Another feature of Solution-Focused Therapy is that resistance helps the therapists to know how to help the client. Resistance is interpreted as positive it adds knowledge to the therapeutic process. With resistance being thought of as valuable, Solution-Focused Therapy is similar to motivational interviewing. To deal with resistance the therapist tries to build cooperation. This is done by connecting the present to the future. The past is largely ignored in Solution-Focused Therapy, except for exceptions to the problem. This would be when the problem was not around. Another technique in Solution-Focused Therapy is reframing. This technique is very similar to what we see in some cognitive behavioral therapies like Beckian Cognitive Therapy or Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy developed by Albert Ellis. So new meaning can be developed as the therapist listens to the client’s narrative. This new meaning would be conveyed to the client and potentially result in the problem being eliminated or being reduced in severity. Goals in Solution-Focused Therapy need to be small and achievable. There are a number of techniques that are fairly popular with Solution-Focused Therapy including the miracle question, exception to the problem, and scaling.
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Solution Focused Brief Therapy is great for Life Coaches because you are focused on the solution to the problem and not focused on the problems.
Good Video. One misunderstanding of SFBT. Any change is good change. At 1:45 you state that if a person consumes more alcohol that is change from a SFBT perspective. This can't be further from the truth. Drinking more alcohol would be considered doing more of the same by increasing the behavior. Please refer to the book Change: Problem Formation, Problem Resolution and I think you will gain a better understanding of what SFBT means by change. Otherwise, you articulate the model very well. Thanks.
Thank you for your practical, in depth, and easy to follow descriptions of treatment modalities !
Thank you for the easy to understand introduction to this theory! It is a good primer to get me started for studying it this week in class.
@DrGrande
6 жыл бұрын
You're welcome!
I liked the techniques of finding the exception to the problem and scaling. However, I found the technique of the miracle question confusing. I think it would be difficult for many clients to envision and describe how they would know when their problem is gone. I feel like many clients would not be able to describe this, except for how they would feel when the problem is gone. I like that this therapy has a reframing technique similar to Rational-Emotive Behavioral Therapy and helps the client discover new meanings. I do wish that Solution-Focused Therapy could focus more on the past.
Great video Dr Grande. I was actually in class for my masters degree a couple of days ago, and we were watching a video on solution-focused therapy. On the side list, this video was on there haha. So I thought I would check it out when I got home!
Thanks Dr. Grande! Studying and writing papers for CACREP is so much better since I found your channel 💜
very insightful views and summary of description about solution focused therapy. Thanks!
Very helpful, will be sharing this with my fellow students, thanks Dr. T
Excellent summary - thank you.
Another great easy to understand video.
Thank you Dr. Grande!
Excellent job doc! Very well done. Thanks for the education.
@DrGrande
5 жыл бұрын
You're welcome!
Solution focus therapy is a technique that I would consider integrated. The exception to the problem and the miracle question are useful tools to help the client see things in a positive light. I think the exception to the problem helps the client to see that the miracle did take place at one point in time and its achievable again. The goal aspect helps to reinforce that one small step at a time.
Great explanation on this form of therapy! This helps me to know how I should deal with 'resistance' with the clients' I am working with. I know resistance means something, but, how to work with it from an advantage point is not always easy. Thank you for sharing.:)
Thank you Dr Grande ☺️
I think like all therapies, this too has it's place and population that it would be useful with. I have a difficult time accepting the idea that a clients past is essentially ignored and focusing solely on the present can be completely effective. I do like the goal setting and not just the larger goal setting but the more achievable goals. In reality this is necessary if this therapy is brief.
@angelinastanton7996
6 жыл бұрын
I also wish that the client's past could be further explored in this type of therapy. I agree that small and achievable goals make much more sense for most clients. I could see myself using Solution-Focused therapy for clients who need immediate relief to problems.
I appreciate the emphasis on the distinction of Reality Therapy's view of problems and Solution-focused. In RT problems are because of relationships while with SF problems are within relationships. On that note, the same is true of the emphasis of the similarity shared of resistance with Motivational Interviewing. These comparisons and contrasts are helpful not only with understanding the concepts, but also determining how the approach and techniques work with various populations. While I disagree that any change should be deemed good, there are several aspects that I like about SF. These aspects include both the positive and collaborative approach and the client as the expert because, as stated; the goal is for the client to connect with forgotten and unrecognized wisdom. Accepting the responsibility for change allows individuals to reflect and think of appropriate solutions. I value the techniques of reframing as well as scaling and the miracle and exceptions questions.
I’m curious: is there a therapy that looks to address difficulties that arise primarily out of relationships to or with institutions? Not as in physical entities but societal institutions so to speak?
Interesting video, thank you Dr Grande. 😊
@DrGrande
5 жыл бұрын
You're welcome!
Great stuff. Very succinct and understandable.
@DrGrande
6 жыл бұрын
Thank you!
Thanks for this summary.
SFBT is absolutely a theory. It is considered a behavioral form of therapy which actively emphasizes positive reinforcement.
Thank you for the clear descriptions it seems to be like there's 2 camps of thoughts , one is structured more directive and based on empirical truth and the other more intuitive , up for interpretations where the client is king . Is there any therapy with a good mix of both ?
@DrGrande
6 жыл бұрын
That is an excellent question. I have never found one modality that really balances objective and subjective ideas terribly well. I suppose one idea would be an approach integrating REBT or CT with something like Narrative or SFBT, but the underlying philosophies are incompatible. So there would be a series of techniques used that did not fit together logically.
Please give more examples.
Don't quite agree with the idea that Solution Focused Therapy does not have any theory to underpin it - there's a raft of literature about the model that would say otherwise. It's also a constructionist approach (ie., social constructionist) rather than a constructivist approach as mentioned in the video - a subtle, yet important difference.
It has a theory of change, what do you mean when you say it has no theory to it?
What is this "universal truth" you speak of [9:55]? Which therapist (or scientist for that matter) knows the universal truth? Didn't Einstein disprove this concept? I'm asking sincerely.
The scientific method may provide a truth to work with but it is not universal.
This method is complete bullshit for anyone looking to actually talk about their issues. I can get more insight from one hour of CBT than I can in 6 sessions of “solutions” where the counselor just works on excel sheets to prove how depressed I apparently am 🤣