What is solution-focused therapy?
Solution-focused therapy is a systematic approach useful for individuals, families, and couples (Selekman, 1997). Within this framework, the solutions clients create and the change process are interactional in nature. There is not one without the other but rather a constant interplay occurring at all moments of the day. de Shazer et al. (2021) understood change to happen when the language around the problem becomes solution-focused rather than problem-focused. When clients talk about solutions rather than problems, they create a new reality in which they can move toward their goals. The following list will discuss the eight main aspects of Solution-focused therapy.
The Principals of Solution-focused Therapy
- If It isn’t broke, don’t fix it.
- If it works, do more of it.
- If it’s not working do something different.
- Small steps can lead to big changes.
- The solution isn’t necessarily related to the problem.
- The language for solution development is different from that needed to describe a problem.
- There are always exceptions to the problems.
- The future is created and negotiable.
the Process of solution-focused therapy
As de Shazer et al. (2021) described, the client is viewed as the expert in their experience and the therapist as a non-directive guide who walks with the client as they first explain their experience and their problem. The therapeutic process focuses on asking questions to assist the client in identifying exceptions to their problem through the miracle question, exception questions, and client strengths. This allows the client a space to process and articulate what they want the future to be, creating change through solution-focused conversations. Solution-focused therapists provide a warm, supportive environment where clients can explore solutions without fear of judgment. Over time, the client becomes less focused on the problem, illustrated through their language, and the problem becomes the exception rather than the norm. Client cooperation is not an ‘if’ but a ‘when.’ Solution-focused therapists do not believe in “client resistance,” and see the client as resourceful and the master of their experience.
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Resources
de Shazer, S., Dolan, Y., Korman, H., Trepper, T., McCollum, E., & Berg, I. K. (2021). More than miracles: The state of the art of solution-focused brief therapy. Routledge.
Selekman, M. D. (1997). Solution-focused therapy with children: Harnessing Family Strengths for Systemic Change. Guilford Press.