7 - Brief Soultion Focused Therapy

Question 1

Solution focused therapy

Answer 1

• directly coming from the MRI approach
• focuses on what solutions a client has taken to overcome or cope with their problems
• this model looks for forgotten solutions that actually work
• dev by Steve de Shazer etc
• therapists shift attention from their problems onto the things that are going well
• this shift ‘from failures to successes’ - thought to help ppl from dwelling on the neg

Question 2

Theoretical formulations

Answer 2

• de Shazer - therapists need to understand the nature of solutions that can apply across ppl, not the nature of their problems

Question 3

Normal family dev

Answer 3

• solution focused therapists believe that therapists should not impose what they think is normal onto clients
• they disagree with the structuralist’s claim that symptoms are signs of underlying problems, covert parental conflicts, deviant comm, repressed feelings or low self-esteem

Question 4

Dev of behaviour disorders

Answer 4

• causes of probs is deliberately avoided

- ‘problem talk’ etc is often the reason why ppl stay stuck in their dilemmas

Question 5

Goal of therapy

Answer 5

• amplifying exceptions to their problems
• attempts were ppl’s strengths can enter
• expanding client’s use of resources
• search for clients abilities that aren’t being used
• helping clients to define goals in small and manageable steps, based on the assumption that small change can initiate a positive spiral
• the use of questions and tasks designed to create an optimistic frame of mind and to start a snowball of solutions
• ‘formula first session task’ - clients are asked to observe what happens in their life and rels they want to continue. This helps clients to re-orient from a focus on bad things in their lives to thinking and expecting more positive thoughts.

Question 6

Therapeutic techniques

Answer 6

Exception question

• directs clients to think of a time when they didn’t have a problem
• therapist explores with the client what was different about those times and find clues to expand the number of exceptions to the problem

Miracle question

• used to activate a problem solving mindset by giving clients a clear vision of their goal in treatment
• helps clients look beyond their problem to what the solution would look like

Scaling questions

• used to identify concrete behavioural changes and goals, nurture small changes toward treatment goals
• also used to ask clients to quantify their confidence in solutions