Solution-Focused Family Therapy Vs Cbt Essay

Although from different models, the foundations of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and solution-focused family therapy (SFBT) share many characteristics allowing the two frameworks to work well together. When tailored for families, CBT is brief and solution-focused. Therapist examines patterns, especially around issues of conflict, to identify the roots of the problem, as well as the goals for the therapy. The work is focused on helping the family members to gain insight into distorted or irrational thinking and identify their contribution to the family’s problematic patterns. This helps the individual change the behaviors and emotions attached to the thoughts. Additionally, the therapist helps each member to think and behave more adaptively, and to learn to make better choices in efforts to get needs met, so that the family environment is more stable and peaceful.
In a similar fashion, Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) places focus on a person's present and future circumstances and goals rather than past experiences. SFBT is also a goal-oriented therapy and does not …show more content…
This structured approach is unlike SFBT in that it assumes that the formal assessment can somehow uncover information that the family cannot. In addition, the CBT practitioner bases much of his assessment on observable behavior and continual empirical assessment to measure the ongoing success of interventions. In contrast, the SFBT therapist believes that a family is by nature an expert on their own life and capable of discovering solutions to their own unique challenges. The assessment is unstructured and focused on exploring the interpretations family members have on their problems and how to best address them. Unlike CBT, who uses standardized measures, the family’s view of the problem is always paramount for evaluating