Monday, May 31, 2010

Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) Theories

Solution focused Therapy SFT is a type of talking therapy that is based upon social constructionist philosophy. Focuses on what clients want to achieve through therapy rather than on the problems that made them to seek help. The approach does not focus on the past, but instead, focuses on the present and future. The therapist uses respectful curiosity to invite the client to envision their preferred future and then therapist and client start attending to any moves towards it whether these are small increments or large changes.

To support this, questions are asked about the client’s story, strengths and resources, and about exceptions to the problem.

Questions :
The miracle question
The miracle question is a method of questioning that a coach, therapist, or counselor uses to aid the client to envision how the future will be different when the problem is no longer present. Also, this may help to establish goals.

Miracle Question Sample
Counselor Ask : "If you woke up tomorrow, and a miracle happened so that you no longer easily lost your temper, what would you see differently?" What would the first signs be that the miracle occurred?"
Client (a child) Respond: "I would not get upset when somebody calls me names"

Counselor wants the client to develop positive goals, or what they will do, rather than what they will not do, to better ensure success. So, the counselor may ask the client, "What will you be doing instead when someone calls you names?"

Scaling Questions
Scaling Questions are tools that are used to identify useful differences for the client and may help to establish goals as well. The poles of a scale can be defined in a bespoke way each time the question is asked, but typically range from "the worst the problem has ever been"  to "the best things could ever possibly be".

The client is asked to rate their current position on the scale, and questions are then used to help the client identify resources (e.g. "what's stopping you from slipping one point lower down the scale?"), exceptions (e.g. "on a day when you are one point higher on the scale, what would tell you that it was a 'one point higher' day?") and to describe a preferred future (e.g. "where on the scale would be good enough? What would a day at that point on the scale look like?")

Exception Question
Exception Seeking Questions Proponents of SFT insist that there are always times when the problem is less severe or absent for the client. The counselor seeks to encourage the client to describe what different circumstances exist in that case, or what the client did differently. The goal is for the client to repeat what has worked in the past, and to help them gain confidence in making improvements for the future.

Coping questions
Coping questions are designed to elicit information about client resources that will have gone unnoticed by them. Even the most hopeless story has within it examples of coping that can be drawn out: "I can see that things have been really difficult for you, yet I am struck by the fact that, even so, you manage to get up each morning and do everything necessary to get the kids off to school. How do you do that?" Genuine curiosity and admiration can help to highlight strengths without appearing to contradict the clients view of reality. The initial summary "I can see that things have been really difficult for you" is for them true and validates their story. The second part "you manage to get up each morning etc.", is also a truism, but one that counters the problem focused narrative. Undeniably, they cope and coping questions start to gently and supportively challenge the problem-focused narrative.

Problem free talk
Problem free talk is often overlooked by whom? as a technique. In solution-focused therapy it is thought to be a useful technique for eliciting resources. Many people (who?) do leisure activities that relax them, or have experiences of being assertive, and many other useful resources that can help within the therapy.

Solution focused therapists will talk about seemingly irrelevant life experiences, like leisure activities, meeting with friends, relaxing and managing conflict. The therapist can also gather information on the clients values and beliefs and their strengths. From this discussion during the therapy session the therapist can use these strengths and resources to move the therapy forward.

For example:
If a client wants to be more assertive it may turn out that under certain life situations they are assertive. This strength from one part of their life can then be transferred to the area with the current problem.

if you want complete explanation, i suggest you http://www.psychpage.com/family/library/sft.htm

Solution Focused Therapy