Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
The original roots of Solution Focused Brief Therapy can be traced back to Gregory Bateson and Milton Erickson's Clinical Hypnotherapy.
Insoo Kim Berg, and Steve de Shazer, founded the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Berg and de Shazer have focused their attention on the types of questions therapists can use as tools to help clients get motivated to achieve their goals for therapy.
In solution-focused therapy we listen to the client and allow them to reflect their resources through solutions focused questioning. This empowering style of questioning recognises that the client is the expert in their own life and aware of what could work for them.
Solution Focused Thinking
· It is a way of thinking moving from 'problem focused' to 'solution focused'
· It can be used both formally and informally
· It can be applied to individuals or organisations
· We meet the person but separate the problem
· The client is the expert in relation to themselves
· It empowers the individual
· If something works do more of it, if it doesn’t do something else
· Explore preferred futures
· From the ‘here and now’ taking small steps to a preferred future
· When ‘good enough’ is enough
· Elicit resources
· What has / is already contributing to the preferred futures?
Motivational Interviewing
While motivational interviewing techniques can be applied in a wide range of mental disorders and problems, they were first developed for use with individuals with substance use disorders. Motivational interviewing was based on the assumption that most individuals are still indifferent about changing their drinking or drug taking when they consult for treatment. Therefore diagnosis of a problem or confrontation leads to "defensive" reactions (e.g., "I don't have a problem"). In contrast, motivational interviewing aims to help individuals themselves to be aware of the reasons for concern and the arguments for change.
