1.

BACKGROUND OF SOLUTION
FOCUSED THERAPY (SFBT)
FOUNDERS : STEVE DE SHAZER, INSOO KIM BERG, AND THE BRIEF THERAPY CENTER IN
MILWAUKEE

GREATLY INFLUENCED BY MILTON ERICKSON WHO BELIEVED THAT EVERYONE

POSSESSED THE SKILLS AND ABILITIES TO SOLVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS AND THAT
SMALL CHANGES COULD LEAD TO BIGGER CHANGES.

GREGORY BATESON PLAYED AN INFLUENTIAL ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE

SOLUTION-FOCUSED MODEL.

OTHERS INCLUDE: DON JACKSON, JAY HALEY, JOHN WEAKLAND, AND BILL FRY, THE
MENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (MRI) PAUL WATZLAWICK, RICHARD FISCH, AND JANET
BEAVIN

CORE FOUNDERS
STEVE DE SHAZER (DIED 2005)

INSOO KIM BERG (DIED 2007)

SFBT :a future-focused, goal-directed approach to brief therapy that

uses questions designed to identify exceptions, solutions, and
scales, which are used both to measure the clients progress
toward a solution and reveal the behaviours needed to achieve or
maintain further progress

2. THEORITICAL CONCEPTS OF SOLUTION

FOCUSED THERAPY (SFT)
In SFT, therapist prefer to look at the future, where problems can be
solve
Therapists job is to steer clients from problem talk to solution talk
In SF model, clients are assumed to be experts on their own
situation.
Social constructionism has heavily influenced the solution-focused
approach: the therapist should take a not- knowing stance (de
shazer, 1988).
This means the therapist enters the therapy session not knowing
what the client should do to solve his or her problem-Client who the
one identify the goals to be accomplished in treatment.
Language can be a tool for creating change in therapy by conjuring
up new descriptions or meanings for the client

THE MAIN ASSUMPTIONS SFBT

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

CLIENTS HAVE STRENGTHS AND RESOURCES.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THERAPIST AND CLIENT HAS THERAPEUTIC

VALUE.
CHANGE HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.

A SMALL CHANGE WILL GENERATE LARGER CHANGE.

RAPID CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.

CONT
6. THE FOCUS IS ON THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE.
7. CLEAR GOALS ARE ESSENTIAL.
8. THE ATTEMPTED SOLUTION MAY BE PART OF THE PROBLEM.
9. THE FOCUS IS ON PEOPLE NOT PROBLEMS.
10. RESISTANCE IS A FUNCTION OF THE RELATIONSHIP.
11. KNOWING THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM IS NOT NECESSARY TO DO
EFFECTIVE THERAPY.

3. HOW THERAPY WORKS

Therapist assume that people already have the skills to solve their
problems
The goal is simply to help clients begin to shift their language
from talking about problems to talking about solution
Therapist help clients set concrete and reachable goals and think
about future is a large part of SFT
SFT works by helping clients amplify exception to their problems
Getting clients to talk positively will help them think positively
Thinks that therapist should avoid:

Dont ask a client to do something that he or she has not succeeded

at before.
Avoid analyzing the problem.
Be efficient! Dont look for problems or solutions that wont work.

4. ASSESSMENT
Brief description
of presenting
problem

Moves directly
to asking client
How thing will
be different if
the problem
solved?

Client set up
reachable and
achievable
goals

Therapist ask
clients to assess
their level of
progress (scale
1 to 10)

It is important
to assess
clients
motivation for
change

3 Types of Clients:
1. Visitors : someone whos not really in the market for therapy
2. Complainants: Do have clear complaints, but they are usually about
someone else
3. Customers: have clear complaint and ready to take action

1. Problem
Description

6. Taking a
break and
giving
feedback

2. Goal
Setting

Therapeutic
Techniques
5.
Compliments

3. Exploring
Exceptions

4. Scaling
Questions

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION

WHAT DO YOU THINK NEED TO HAPPEN SO THAT YOU PROBLEM WILL

BE SOLVED?

Therapist shift the conversation from problem talk to solution talk

A good idea to ask clients what they have already tried to resolve their
difficulties

GOAL SETTING

Establish clear and concrete goals

Therapist help translate vague or amorphous goals into concrete
Miracle Question: to activate problem solving mind-set by giving them
a mental picture of their goals.

BASIC RULES AND

ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT GOALS
IF IT AINT BROKE, DONT FIX IT:

THE CLIENT DETERMINES

THE GOALS OF COUNSELING, NOT THE THERAPIST.

ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT WORKS, DO MORE OF IT: THIS

HELPS THE CLIENT SEE POSITIVE BEHAVIORS AND
REINFORCES PROACTIVE BEHAVIORS.

IF ITS BROKE, DO SOMETHING TO FIX IT.

IF IT DOESNT
WORK, DONT DO IT AGAIN: IF IT IS NOT WORKING THERE IS
NO NEED TO TRY IT AGAIN.

EXPLORING EXCEPTIONS

Probing for exception: times when clients dont have problem

Some potential solutions may already be in their grasp
Find clues to what they can do to expand these exception
Coping question: Help clients recognize that they are more resourceful than they
realize
Therapist spends more of the sessions listening attentively fo evidence of previous
solutions, exceptions, goals

SCALING QUESTIONS

To help therapists and clients talk about vague topic

To get clients to quantify their confidence that they can maintain their resolve
2 majors characteristics of scaling question:

1.
2.

It is a solution- focused assessment device

It is powerful intervention in an of itself

COMPLIMENT

Pay attention to the facts that have already accomplished something

Eg:
WOW, HOW DID YOU DO THAT?
HAVE YOU EVER HAD DO SOMETHING BEFORE?

Compliment should point toward what to do more,, not what to eliminate

Compliment can be used to highlight successful strategies
TAKING A BREAK AND GIVING FEEDBACK

Therapist usually takes a 10 minutes break near the end of the session to
compasses a summary message to the client

Summary message begins with a recap of what the therapist heard and
therapist can make counsel about building on positive

The formula 1st

session task

Between now and next time we meet, I would like you to

observe what happen in your family that you want to
continue to have happen

Do more of what
works

Since you said that you usually can talk together when you
go for a walk, maybe you should try that once or twice and
see what happens

Do something
different

You mention that when you rely on your daughter to be

responsible for her own homework, she often fails to do it.
Maybe you should try something different

Go slow

To help client overcome fear and resistance to change by

asking about possible negative consequences of change

Do the opposite

If scolding a child for being bad is not working, parent can be

encouraged to start praising him/her for being good

The prediction
task

Before you go to bed tonight, predict whether the

problem will be better or the same tomorrow. Do it every
night and think whether you have accounted the right or
wrong prediction. Rate it

AMONG COUNSELS USED COMMONLY IN SFT

6. EVALUATION OF SFBT

ADVANTAGES OF SFBT
FITS IN NICELY WITH MANAGED CARE AND THE PRESSURE
TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE COUNSELING IN A BRIEFER TIME
FRAME.

EMPHASIZES THE POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES

IN CLIENTS.

IT CAN BE USED EFFECTIVELY WITH A VARIETY OF CLIENTS

AND ISSUES.

DISADVANTAGES OF SFBT

CRITICS SAY IT IS TOO SIMPLISTIC AND DOES NOT

HAVE ENOUGH EMPIRICAL RESEARCH TO
SUPPORT IT.

IT MAY BE CONTRAINDICATED WITH DEPENDENT

CLIENTS.

IT MAY NOT ADEQUATELY ADDRESS CLIENTS WITH

SERIOUS MENTAL ISSUES.

IT MAY NOT DEVELOP THE COUNSELOR/CLIENT

RELATIONSHIP IN ENOUGH DEPTH TO BE
THERAPEUTIC.

REFERENCES

NICHOLAS. M.P THE ESSENTIALS OF FAMILY THERAPY