We can all get bogged down with the mass of information a client gives us. Sifting through the detail to find a solution, can feel like wading through treacle. Sessions can become overwhelming, upsetting for the client and it’s easy for the most experienced professional to feel ‘stuck.’
If you have ever felt as if you are going around in circles with a client or feel drained after a client session, then solution focused therapy skills could be the answer. I have certainly found it to be the most powerful form of psychotherapy in promoting rapid and long lasting change.
I have taught brief therapy to teachers, social workers, human resource managers, doctors and business people. And use the skills in every day situations from dealing with tantrum filled youngsters to negotiating a business contract. However although I write about how the skills help therapists doing one to one work in this blog, the skills can be flexibly applied in many different professions.
What is solution focused brief therapy?
Solution focused brief therapy concentrates on a preferred future rather than the problem. It is goal orientated practical and recognises that the client has resources and strengths that will contribute to the solution.
You are encouraged to talk about past experiences only in order to construct a way forward, and highlight the client’s skills and resources.
Solution focused therapy has basic understandings such as
