A Primer on Solution-Focused Therapy

Jeff Chang, Ph.D, R.Psych.Associate Professor

Graduate Centre for Applied PsychologyAthabasca University

May 6, 2014

A Primer on Solution-Focused Therapy

O AssumptionsO Video demo: ProcessO Five useful (kinds of) questionsO Relationship patternsO Resources

AssumptionsO Attempting to understand the cause of a

problem is not a necessary step toward its resolution;

O Successful therapy depends on knowing where the client wants to get to;

O However fixed the problem pattern seems to be, there are always times when the client is already doing some solution building;

O Problems may or may not represent underlying pathology or deficits;

AssumptionsO Sometimes only the smallest of changes

is needed to set in motion a solution to the problem;

O It is the counsellor’s task to: O Discover how clients can cooperate with

counselling (the concept of resistance is considered unhelpful)

O Listen carefully for when things are better (or not as bad)

O Carefully craft your responses to amplify when things are better

Video demo: ProcessMatthew Selekman

O Hypothetical solutions: The Miracle Question O Real-life exceptions: “Is a little bit of this

happening already?”O Describing and amplifying solutionsO In sessionO Between sessionsO Jeff

Five Useful QuestionsO Miracle QuestionO Exception QuestionsO Relationship QuestionsO Coping QuestionsO Scaling Questions

O ProgressO MotivationO Optimism

Video demo: Process

Jeff ChangO Looking for openings/listening for

changeO Accepting client ideasO Regrouping

Three Relationship Patterns

O Visitor-HostO Complainant-ListenerO Customer-Seller

Visitor-HostO Compliments only

Complainant-Listener: Tasks of observation and prediction

 

Increase client's recognition of solution patterns:

When the client cannot identify exceptions/doesn’t have well-formed goals:O"pay attention to what’s happening in your life that tells you the problem can be solved” OThe Formula First Session Task

When the client can identify exceptions, but they are random:O“pay attention to what’s going on when things are better”O"See if you can tell whether it's a normal version of the problem or a clinical version of the problem.”….OPredict and Reconcile TaskO“What are you doing when you overcome the urge to ____?”

Customer-SellerTasks of action: Increase the enactment of solutions:When the client has a clear miracle picture but cannot identify exceptions: O"Pretend the miracle happened.“

When the client is highly motivated, but does not have well-formed goals:O"Do something different”

When the client has well-formed goals and deliberate exceptionsO“Continue to do more of what works."

When clients are motivated, but have different ideas about the solutionOCoin Flip Task or The Surprise Task

ResourcesO Linda MetcalfO Michael DurrantO John Murphy