SolutionFocusedBriefTherapy.pptx

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
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Solution Focused Brief Therapy
Grew out of strategic therapy
Represents a departure from a focus on pathology-drive approaches to therapy by concentrating on skills, strengths, and resources that clients possess
It is change-oriented in that it emphasizes finding solutions for dealing with problems
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Major Theorists
Steve deShazer
Insoo Kim Berg
Michele Weiner-Davis
Eve Lipchik
Bill O’Hanlon
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Steve deShazer
Helped to establish the Brief Family Therapy Center
Emphasized solutions over problems, and identified his theory as brief family therapy
Often referred to later in life as the “Grand Old Man of Family Therapy”
Died unexpected in 2005 in Vienna, Austria
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Insoo Kim Berg
Helped to establish the Brief Family Therapy Center, where she served as Executive Director
Helped found the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association
Developed the miracle question
Authored or co-authored 10 books on solution-focused therapy and numerous articles
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Bill O’Hanlon
Trained under Milton Erickson
Has become a major proponent of solution-focused therapy, which he prefers to call possibility therapy
Characterizes his approach as one that is pragmatic and full of Midwestern values
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Michele Weiner-Davis
Has written popular books on solution-focused family, such as Divorce Busting.
Creator of the relationship program, Keeping Love Alive.
Recipient of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy’s Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Marriage and Family Therapy Award and Smart Marriages’ Impact Award
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Premises of the Theory
Built on the philosophy of social constructionism
Shares some of the same premises about families as the M R I strategic approaches
Emphasizes the belief that dysfunctional families get stuck in dealing with problems
Aim of therapy is to break repetitive, nonproductive behavioral patterns by setting up situation in which families take a more positive view of troublesome situations and participate actively in doing something different
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Premises of the Theory
Three basic rules for helping families make positive changes:
If it is not broken, do not fix it.
Once you know what works, do more of it.
If something does not work, do not do it again. Do something different.
Identifying what a problem is versus a nonproblem (or exception) is a key component in solution-focused brief therapy
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Premises of the Theory
Does not focus on a detailed family history of problems
Causal understanding is unnecessary.
Families really want to change.
Only a small amount of change is necessary.
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Treatment Techniques
Co-creation of a problem
Miracle question
Exceptions
Scaling
Second-order (qualitative) change
Compliment
Clue
Skeleton keys
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Treatment Techniques
Between now and next time we meet
Do something different
Pay attention to what you do when
A lot of people in your situation would have
Write, read, and burn your thoughts
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Role of the Therapist
Therapists determine how active a family will be in the change process. Clients usually fall into one of three categories
Visitors
Complainants
Customers
Therapists are facilitators of change
Presuppositional questioning
Positive blame
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Role of the Therapist
Solution-focused family therapists believe that it is important to fit therapeutic interventions into the context of family behavior
Often a team approach
Solution-focused family therapists encourage families to make small changes and to do so rapidly
Therapist does not distinguish between short- and long-term problems
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Process and Outcome
Solution-Focused Family Therapy is focused on encouraging client-families to seek solutions and utilize internal resources.
Pathology does not play a role in the process.
Assumes that change is inevitable – it’s only a matter of when.
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Unique Aspects of Solution-Focused Family Therapy
Solution-focused theories Concentrate on and are directed by a family’s theory
Therapists assist families in defining their situations clearly, precisely, and with possibilities
Solution-focused therapy does not focus on clinical understanding of the family situation by the family or the therapist
It is empowering and meant to assist families in assessing and utilizing their resources
Emphasizes achievable goals, such as small behavioral changes.
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