What Can Solution Focused Therapy Help You With?
There are many forms of therapy to help those with their problems, and today we'll be looking at one of them. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, or SFBT, is a somewhat recent form of therapy that, as the name suggests, looks at solutions rather than just the problems alone. In this article, we'll break down how SFBT works and how it can benefit you.
What is SFBT?
SFBT is based on your future. Many therapies go into detail about one's past. We all know of the therapist who wants to get to the bottom of your problems by finding your childhood trauma. While this is helpful, it doesn't tend to focus on the future too much. SFBT focuses on your goals and solutions.
One of the values of SFBT is how it's goal-driven, but the goals are quite clear and realistic. The client has to put some effort into it; they have to know what they want in their life to some point, but they need a little help.
History
Two main people developed SFBT: Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer, in the 1970s. Berg and Shazer observed different therapies over the years, looking at the client and therapist's behavior. It was discovered that more effort needed to be put into the answer rather than the question, and so SFBT was born. Since then, SFBT has been considered to be one of the greats of therapy, including
How can it help me?
SFBT is good for quite a few situations, including:
- Do you not know how to keep your business going or even how to start it? By creating small goals, SFBT can help.
- Marital problems. By creating small communication goals, you can save your marriage.
- Criminal offenders. You can take small goals to resist the urge to commit a crime or get back on your feet.
- Combined with medication, SFBT can help you find solutions to carry on with your life despite the weight of the world bringing you down.
- With SFBT, you can find solutions to help you climb the corporate ladder or find the job of your dreams.
- SFBT can help college students who are having trouble balancing their studies with the rest of their lives.
How it works
SFBT has a list of techniques, questions, and goals under its arsenal. Some of the solutions you can expect from SFBT include:
- Figuring out previous solutions. Everyone has solved their problems before. SFBT looks for previous ways a client has solved a problem and tries to apply them to their most recent problems.
- Finding out when there isn't a problem. Sometimes, there's a point in the client's life where the problem should have happened, but it didn't. What was the difference then? Can you apply that exception to other situations?
- Focusing on the future. While it is useful to talk about the past, there's a point where the client needs to think about tomorrow. The therapist may ask what the client can do next week to help with their problem.
- Positive reinforcement through compliments. If the client is doing something well, the therapist is going to compliment them. The therapist may not compliment the client directly but instead positively ask the client how they did.
- Encourages the client to do more of the positive. Again, positive reinforcement is key when it comes to success.
The miracle question
Perhaps the most interesting part of SFBT is the miracle question. Everyone wants a miracle to happen, and while therapists aren't miracle workers, they know how the human mind works, and to some people, that's almost miraculous. The miracle question is worded differently, but the basic premise is, "If a miracle happened when you woke up, what are some things you'll notice that will improve your life?"
Many clients come in not knowing how they want their solution to be, and while the miracle question may be an impossible event (such as a dead loved one coming back to life), it's still a good way to figure out how to fix a problem. For example, if the problem is wanting the companionship of a loved one now gone, the therapist asks the client to look for someone who can help fill that gap.
It's quite intriguing, and it requires some charisma to accomplish, but if done right, the miracle question can be, well, miraculous. We've all probably visualized an alternate world where all our problems are fixed, but the miracle questions let us dive deeper into just a brief fantasy, and it can find ways to make the miracle almost seem real.
Scaling questions
This is another form of questioning, and it's useful when the miracle question cannot be applied. It rates the clients' progress, solutions, and so on a scale from zero to 10, and it's great for those who may have trouble speaking well.
The therapist usually begins by asking how they'd rate their situation. For example, if it's marriage counseling, the therapist may ask to rate the marriage. It gives a good idea of how each client feels about a solution. The 0-10 rating is a very socially satisfying rating scale for a reason. You can give honest assessments of everything in your life, and those that have a low rating will be given priority.
Coping questions
Against all the odds, many clients manage to survive despite their depression. Those who are suicidal have found a way to continue living. Those who are chronically depressed manage to find a way to get out of bed and live their life.
Coping questions include "How did you keep living?" or "How do you manage to take care of your children?" These questions let the client realize just how much determination they have. Most of them will think they have none at all until they look at all the achievements they've made despite times being bleak. We all have our ways of coping in life, but some of us just haven't realized all of them yet.
Break time
SFBT has a consultation break during the session, which helps the therapist think about what has been accomplished so far. In addition, it's a good way to make sure the information is correct and see if the client has anything else they can provide. For example, the therapist may ask, "Is there anything else I need to know?" This helps the client provide useful information that may not have occurred to them.
Then, the client may get more information on how they can handle their problem. The client is encouraged to look at different solutions and behaviors that can help them achieve their goals. They'll formulate a plan and then work on it to achieve success. There may be a follow-up after a little bit to make sure everything is going effectively.
This is a basic outline of SFBT sessions. It may differ depending on the therapist.
Is it effective?
SFBT started in the late 1970s, so it's still a relatively new form of therapy if you consider the age of the therapies that precede it. The effectiveness does rely on the client to tell if the therapy worked or not, and of course, it relies on the client to put the effort in. Being a goal-focused therapy, SFBT won't work well if the client does not make any effort to achieve the goals or follow up with the therapist.
However, studies have looked into SFBT's effectiveness, and as it turns out, it's quite an effective way of treating people. It focuses on easy goals and doesn't dwell on the past helps the clients look at their future and find a way to help them succeed.
If you believe you need therapy, SFBT is a good method to look into, especially if you want to focus on your future. You need to have a balance. You learn from the past, live in the present, plan for the future, and SFBT can help balance everything out.
In summary, SFBT is a highly effective therapy method, and it can be used for many situations. If your problem can be solved by developing a goal and looking forward, SFBT may be the solution you need. Look for a licensed therapist and see what they can do for you.
Takeaway
Those who are having life problems should not be ashamed to look for a therapist. No matter how small our problems may seem, if they're holding your life back, then it's worth it to talk to a therapist. They're trained to know a lot about the human mind, and they can help you get back on track to find your goals. Look for one near you who is qualified and has good reviews, and then be on your way to helping yourself.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is solution-focused therapy?
Solution-focused therapy, also known as solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), is one of the therapy types that focuses on positive things and going right in a person’s life, rather than problem-solving and focusing on the negative things. When people seek out different therapy types, it is usually because there is something in their life that is not ideal.
While some therapists would describe themselves as a “solution-focused therapist,” they typically mean that they specialize in problem-solving and aim to help their patients change the negative things in their lives. While solution-focused therapists offer many benefits to a wide range of patients by helping them find solutions, it is not the same thing as actual solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT).
In solution-focused brief therapy sessions, the therapist and client work together to identify the positive things and what’s working in the client’s life. From there, rather than find solutions, the therapist finds ways to help the patient focus on those positives and helps them learn to shift their mindset to gratitude.
The main “therapy solution” taught in these solution-focused brief therapy sessions is that everyone creates their own reality. Then, the therapist and client work together to help the client change for the better while focusing on their strengths. Solution-focused therapy also involves visualizing the positive way the future will look when these positive changes are made, which helps encourage the client to make the changes.
What are the three rules of solution-focused treatment?
There are three broad rules to solution-focused brief therapy. These are:
Goal Orientation: A focus on creating a solution through the use of goals and self-discipline.
Resource Activation: Recognizing, acknowledging, and utilizing inherent strengths and resources.
Problem Disengagement: Learning to distance yourself from asking questions about the problems you may be facing and instead focusing on your goals, future, and how you will achieve them.
As you can see, unlike many other therapy types, solution-focused brief therapy puts a significant focus on the future and positivity, rather than dwelling on the past and trying to find the source of one’s problems.
Is solution-focused therapy CBT?
Solution-focused brief therapy is not considered cognitive behavioral therapy. Instead, it is constructive therapy. In constructivism, it is believed that humans learn to try to construct meaning in the world actively. Psychologists of this school of thought believe that people take an active role in their learning. If a patient has the desire and ability to change and learn, they will be able to with only minor assistance from their teacher or therapist.
Solution-focused therapy, therefore, tends to be very patient-led.
This can help tremendously build upon a patient’s self-esteem and self-worth since they are essentially in the driver’s seat of the therapy sessions. In turn, this helps them create a more positive future for themselves by utilizing their strengths and the positive things already in their lives.
What is the difference between CBT and solution-focused therapy?
Solution-focused brief therapy has been described in detail above. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, on the other hand, focuses on changing unwanted and unwelcome thoughts and behaviors. This form of therapy is especially effective for conditions such as phobias, OCD, and substance abuse.
It is important to stop the destructive behaviors and guide the patient toward other healthier coping methods with their conditions in these situations. Briefly, while SFBT focuses on acceptance and using a person’s strengths to enhance the positivity in their lives, CBT focuses on preventing and diverting destructive behavior and learning how emotions and thoughts interact with and influence each other.
Whereas solution-focused brief therapy can be very effective for people dealing with anxiety and depression, or people going through a tough period in their lives, it is not generally recommended for people with serious mental health conditions. In those cases, such as OCD, PTSD, BPD, etc., cognitive behavioral therapy is typically more effective.
What is the goal of solution-focused therapy?
Solution-focused therapy aims to help the patient find solutions to the present while simultaneously helping them prepare for a better future. By focusing solely on a person’s strengths, attributes, and the good parts of their character, a therapist and client work together to improve their self-esteem and self-worth and help the patient maintain a positive outlook on life and their situation.
There is no focus on a patient’s past and no discussion of the negative things that a person may think they need to change. Instead, the focus is entirely on the future and in the positive ways that the patient can achieve their future goals to make their life better.
What are the disadvantages of solution-focused therapy?
Solution-focused brief therapy is known as brief therapy because it is not meant to continue for a long time. Solution-focused therapy is one therapy type that therapists find to work well for certain mental health conditions and life events that don’t require long-term care.
What are some solution-focused therapy questions?
Which techniques are commonly used in solution-focused therapy?
Who would benefit from solution-focused therapy?
Does solution oriented therapy ignore people's pain?
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