Solution Focused Therapy

Solution Focused Therapy
Solution Focused Therapies are future oriented and goal directed therapies that focuses on solutions and what the client wants to change in their life, rather than dwelling on the why and the history of the problem that brought them to therapy (De Shazer, 1985). Solution focused therapies are brief forms of therapy that is applicable to diverse populations, making it the therapy of choice in a variety of settings (Corcoran & Pillai, 2009). To better understand what solution focused therapy entails, the following will be an overview of the basic assumptions in solution focused therapy, interventions, the process of therapy, application to diverse populations, research in solution focused therapies, and application to
In therapy, clients are viewed as the experts of their lives and they are capable of identifying goals and finding solutions to their problems using their existing capabilities and resources (Berg & De Jong, 1996). Solution focused therapist believe clients not only have the resources within them to carry out solutions to their problems, but also is likely to have already taken the steps to solve their problems, or otherwise referred to as “exceptions” (Berg, 1994). Similarly, solution oriented therapists follow the assumption that change is inevitable, for each client there are exceptions to when the client’s problem did not occur or is less severe (Berg, 1994). The role of the therapist in therapy then, is to guide clients to identify the goals and changes they wish to make and to highlight the client’s strength and capabilities that will help the client to reach their goals (Berg & De Jong,
Therapy begins with the establishing of a collaborative relationship between the therapist and client (Berg & De Jong, 1996). The therapist encourages hope in the client and recognizing strengths through the use of first session tasks (Berg & De Jong, 1996). What follows is the client describing their problems, and the therapist understanding the problem through the point of reference and language that the client uses (Franklin, 1998). Next, is the identification and refining of preferred goals through the use of miracle questions (Berg & De Jong, 1996). After the formulation of goals, client and therapist work on exploring exceptions to the problem, gaining awareness in what has worked in the past and what the client can continue to do (Berg & De Jong, 1996). In the sessions that follow, the client and therapist evaluate the progress made through scaling questions and fine tune solution oriented tasks that will lead to the changes the client wants (Berg & De Jong, 1996). As the sessions take place, the therapist recognizes positive changes, compliment when action is taken to alleviates the problem that brought the client into therapy, as well as instill in the client that from their strengths and assets they have the ability to affect positive change (Berg & De Jong, 1996). Lastly, therapy concludes when the client is confident the problem can be managed (Lethem,