Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

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Solution-focused brief therapy is a strength-based and goal-oriented form of treatment. This particular form of therapy looks at client accomplishments as opposed to “focusing and exploring clients’ problems and deficiencies,” with main focuses on a “systems perspective” and “solutions, strengths, and health” (Lee). Together, these focuses propose that change is a constant, especially in day-to-day human experience. It also emphasizes importance of client ability: rather than concentrating on the immediate problems, clients are encouraged to explore their current strengths and how they can create positive change in their lives. While there is a lot of research questioning the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy, studies have shown …show more content…
Since the methodology behind solution-focused brief therapy is to explore a client’s strengths and to set goals that invoke positive change, it can be applied “across a range of contexts and client groups” (Bond, 707). The basic approaches of solution-focused brief therapy include the following assumptions:
“Change is constant and inevitable; Small changes result in bigger changes; Since you can’t change the past, concentrate on the future; People have the resources necessary to help themselves: they are the experts; Every human being, relationship, and situation is unique; Everything is interconnected; Every problem has at least one exception; Therapy is not the only way people change, there are many things that are therapeutic” (Berg, 2).
A key part of development throughout childhood is empowerment, and solution-focused therapy helps create a safe environment to do so. Through an examination of different studies, this form of therapy seems to have a more prolonged effect when used with children and families. In a review of its effectiveness, specifically with children and their families, solution-focused brief therapy helped with “internalizing and externalizing child behaviour problems,” especially when it is used early on (Bond,

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