Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) focuses on the future and what has worked in the past. SFT can be brief, bringing lasting change by building solutions and not attempting to directly solve problems. It does not matter what your issue is — stress, anxiety, depression, pain, trauma, addiction, parenting, relationships, issues at work, mental health problems or something else. Focusing on a solution could be very helpful to you. This process avoids rehashing, complaining and re-traumatizing that tend to bring people down. With Solution-Focused Therapy you envision your future without the problem, using detailed descriptions.
Solution-Focused Therapy, also known as Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) consists of a few main approaches: deciding what you want, recognizing your resources, finding exceptions and noticing change.
Deciding what you want
You can’t get somewhere if you don’t know where you’re going. What do you really want and what will it look like when you have it?
Recognizing Resources
The more problems you have had in your life, the more resources you have built up.
Think of a time you have walked away from an altercation instead of fighting.
Think of a time when you have been agitated or angry and didn’t fly off the handle.
Think of a time you chose not to do something that you have done in the past.
How did you do it? Your personal resources are the tools you used to make those things happen.
Finding Exceptions
Everything has exceptions. Nothing is exactly the same all day long, every single day. Some days you might feel less depressed than other days. Some days your child is unexpectedly well-behaved, or, at least, behaves better. Some days your anxiety is not so bad and you feel just a little bit of calm. Some days when your pain is more bearable than others. These exceptions are windows into solutions. These are the exceptions that keep you going. They give you strength. Your problem is not as constant as you probably believe. Think about it.
Noticing Change
When you have what you want, what will be different? What will you notice that is evidence that the change you want is present in your life? When you know what to look for, you will find it easier.
Solution-Focused Therapy and You
You can start your transformation into the person you want to be by visualizing that new version of yourself. Solution-Focused Therapy has helped many people to see what is possible and then get there. What is possible for you? What are your hopes and dreams? Let’s explore them and help get you there!