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Steve de Shazer and Insoo de
Kim Berg created solution-focused therapy. The technique
focuses on solutions, rather than problems. Clients are
encouraged to think about times when their problem did
not exist, and how these times contributed to the
absence of the problem. They are also encouraged to
recreate such circumstances in their present situations.
The focus is on the client’s strengths and abilities,
rather than their weaknesses. Clients themselves obtain
solutions and therefore not only are they more involved
in their success, but the solutions fit their unique
lifestyles. Because the clients find their own solutions
that work, oftentimes self-esteem is increased. Thus,
the approach is substantially different from traditional
therapy, which usually involves clients describing their
problems, therapists questioning them for a better
understanding, the clients and therapists discussing the
predicament, and then the therapist helping the client
to develop alternatives. The major difference is that
traditional counseling concentrates on failures and
inadequacies (analysing the reasons why you feel bad or
are stuck), often times making the client feel worse,
rather than better, at least in the short-term, whereas
solution-focused therapy concentrates on how you can
effectively meet the challenges in your life and get
what you want. Focusing on a problem can cause the
problem to become part of a person’s personal identity
and reinforce it. The focus in solution-focused therapy
is on health and on coping abilities. There is an
underlying belief that the more you talk about
solutions, the more solutions you get. In other words,
we tend to get what we notice, so we need to notice what
we want to get.
Thus, solution-focused treatment begins from the
observation that most psychological problems are present
only occasionally. For instance, individuals with panic
disorder do not spend every minute of every week in a
panic state. Solution-focused therapy tries to help the
patient notice when symptoms are diminished, or absent,
and use this knowledge as a foundation for recovery.
Thus, this approach builds on working solutions already
available to the patient. Oftentimes a client will be
asked to describe as fully as possible what they believe
their lives would be like without the problem. Many
clients are so preoccupied with their troubles that they
have not given much thought to this question. When their
attention is drawn to it, they often come up with useful
ideas. One way to phrase it is known as the miracle
question: "If a miracle occurs tonight while you are
asleep and the problem is eliminated, how will you know
the next morning?” and “How will others know?” and “What
will you be doing differently or saying differently?”
Solution focused therapy has been applied very
successfully in a variety of situations, including
addictions counseling, marriage counseling, pastoral
counseling, mediation, and with groups of school
children. It is effective with emotions and beliefs and
thus has been very effective with anxiety disorders,
depression, bulimia, alcohol and drug dependence,
marital and family conflict, and other stress-related
conditions. One reason for its popularity is its
simplicity, as no complex theory is involved. Another
reason for its popularity is the growing belief that
psychological problems can oftentimes be solved without
investigating their origins. Another advantage is that
it tends to produce successful results very quickly.
References:
LaFountain, R. M., & Garner, N. E. (1996).
Solution-focused counseling groups: The results are in.
Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 21(2),
128-143.
Metcalf, L. (1995). Counseling toward solutions: A
practical solution-focused program for working with
students, and parents. West Nyack, NY: Center for
Applied Research in Education.
Polk, G. W. (1996). Treatment of problem drinking
behavior using solution-focused therapy: A single
subject design. Crisis Intervention, 3(1), 13-24.
Sundman, P. (1997). Solution-focused ideas in social
work. Journal of Family Therapy, 19(2), 159-172.
Zimmerman, T. S., Prest, L. A., & Wetzel, B. E. (1997).
Solution-focused couples therapy groups: An empirical
study. Journal of Family Therapy, 19(2), 125-144.
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