Structural Family Therapy: Solution Focused Therapeutic Approach

Solution-focused therapy takes a different approach to helping people with their presenting problems. Here, it is believed that people do not necessarily have to know the causes of their issues in order to change (Nichols, 2013). They, instead, are capable of behaving effectively, however, are hindered by their negative mindset (Nichols, 2013). According to Nichols (2013), solution-focused therapists believe that people need to make slight alterations to their perspective about their problems to release their potential. Essentially, people do not have to know the causes of their problems in order to make positive changes. They just have to change let go of the negative and focus on the positive.
Solution-focused therapy is future oriented and the belief is that there is no correct or valid way for people to live their lives (Nichols, 2013). Solution-focused therapists believe that the engagement of
problem talk is ineffective, as it halts people from discovering effective solutions (Nichols, 2013). The goal of this type of therapy is to resolve the presenting problems as quickly as possible, as they do not investigate the underlying issues in order to solve problems (Nichols, 2013). Nichols (2013) illustrated that solution-focused therapists will redirect their clients to think about their goals. They are asked to look at how they would want to change the problem and/or how do they want things to be different once the problem is solved (Nichols, 2013). This is essentially creating an intervention based on the client’s goal.
Nichols (2013) explained that practitioners have to be observant of client’s motivation for change, as they have to know the difference between visitors (those that have been mandated), complainants (those that have complaints about others) and consumers (those that have clear complaints and ready to make a change). In solution-focused therapy, there are solution-focused techniques, which are organized around the development of well-focused goals in the clients’ framework and solutions based on expectations (Nichols, 2013). These therapeutic techniques include problem description, goal setting, miracle questions, exception questions, coping questions, scaling questions and compliments (Nichols, 2013).

When compared to Structural family therapy and Bowenian therapy, Solution-focused therapy is similar in some aspects, as they are all strength-based models. These models want clients to move beyond the blame game by implementing effective tools to create change. Solution-focused therapy is similar to Structural, in that they believe people have the capability of effective change their lives (Nichols, 2013). Though these models have different approaches to solve client’s presenting problems, they focus on the best interest of their clients.
For the most part, Solution-focused therapeutic approach is vastly different from Structural family therapy and Bowenian therapy.
Solution-focused therapy is not concerned with joining families; enactments; how clients’ behavior affects their relationship dynamics; or why their emotional attachments with family members (Bowen, 1978; Nichols, 2013). Bowenian therapy looks at the differentiation of self, emotional triangles and other aspects that focus on the family dynamics (Bowen, 1978). Structural family therapy follows an enactment model, where therapists (1) “notices problematic sequence”; (2) “initiates an enactment”; and (3) “guides the family to modify enactment” (Nichols, 2004, p. 133). Minuchin’s (1974) approach to this theory was a bit different in terms of the methods used, as her worked on subsystems and delineating individual boundaries. Overall, unlike Solution-focused therapy, therapist from Bowenian and Structural family therapy looked at the closeness and distance (for structural, it would be proximity and distance) in relationships (Nichols,
2013).
Solution-focused therapy primary goal is to have their clients rid themselves of their negative mindset and instead help them see the exceptions to problems, which are solutions already available in their lives (Nichols, 2013). Solution-focused therapy neither focuses on the root causes of the presenting complaints, nor dwell on the past or reason for failures, but instead focuses on solution talk (Nichols, 2013). Bowenian and Structural family therapy tend to address the underlying causes of the presenting complaints (which is more problem talk) to achieve solutions.