Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, also referred to as SFBT, is a widely used form of mental health counseling. SFBT is a present-focused therapeutic modality. That is to say, it focuses on discovering resolutions to current issues and exploring future possibilities to ensure that you will find a swift, practical solution to your problems. In this way, it is unlike traditional forms of talk therapy where you take time to analyze concerns.
A solution-focused brief therapist believes that you know what you need to do in order to enhance the quality of your own life and, with the appropriate guidance, you will be successful. Instead of taking a problem-solving approach, SFBT therapy views mental health counseling from a solution-building perspective.
What is Solution-Focused Therapy?
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, or Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT), is a form of psychotherapy.
In traditional therapy, you may do the following:
Analyze how the given issue arose
Interpret the problem
Discuss why the issue came into play
Discover what the issue means to you
On the other hand, in SFT counseling, you are solely examining the current issue you are facing and actively working towards a solution so you can move forward with your life. Instead of just focusing on the problem, the focus is on the solution to the problem(s). From there, your SFT therapist will help you uncover your strengths and the resources needed to foster positive change in your life.
If you are looking for brief counseling that highlights solutions rather than delving deeper into your issue and the underlying causes, SFBT may be the right choice for you. In SFBT psychotherapy, you are not looking backwards. Instead, you are staying grounded in the current moment, focusing on the present issue, and looking to the future to outline your goals and take the necessary steps to achieve your aspirations.
Whatever problem you may be facing, the issue will not be the primary focus of your SFBT counseling sessions. The focal point of SFT therapy is on your health.
In brief focused therapy, your SFBT counselor will focus on:
Your strengths
Your skills
The resources available to you
Coping skills that will help you reach your fullest potential
You describe what you want to occur in your life, particularly with the specific concerns you are facing. Then, you and your SFT mental health counselor will map out a game plan for you to utilize personal resources to solve your issues. Your SFT therapist will remind you that positive, realistic change is always possible.
The Origins of Brief Solution Therapy
During the therapy process, many mental health professionals were recognizing the need for an alternative approach as there was a considerable amount of time, energy, and money being used to analyze challenges in sessions. However, there was limited time to focus on solutions which allowed the issues that were originally bringing a person to therapy to grow and cause a negative impact on the client’s life.
Therefore, the SFBT method was created in the 1980s in response to this common observation by licensed mental health professionals. SFBT therapy was created by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg of the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
SFBT counseling helps you reach realistic solutions to your issues as quickly as possible. You will receive long-lasting relief while ensuring that you are not in therapy for an extended period of time.
SFT psychotherapy is continuing to expand to different regions and grow over time.
What is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) Used For?
SFBT can be a stand alone therapeutic intervention or it can be used alongside additional therapeutic styles and treatments. Unlike other types of therapy treatment methods, SFT is not used for a specific age population. From children and teens to adults and senior citizens, SFBT counseling is effective. SFBT has also been used in individual mental health counseling along with both families and couples.
The primary purpose of SFBT therapy is to help those attending this form of counseling find solutions to their problems and address other current issues in their life, such as school or work problems. Regardless of your age, culture, or background, SFBT counseling can help.
SFT therapy can be used to treat a wide range of issues. Typically, most people who take part in SFT psychotherapy attend this form of counseling because they have some sort of idea regarding potential solutions to their pressing issues.
In SFBT counseling, you are the “expert” on your mental health problems. Your SFBT counselor is there to help encourage you to brainstorm the solution to your issue or, at the very least, assist you in envisioning what change will look like. Once this is completed, you can begin to draft a plan where you outline the steps necessary to achieve your goals and effectively solve your problems.
As a reminder, this therapy treatment form focuses on solutions to your problems instead of the reasons behind the problems, so it may be more effective at treating some mental health concerns over others. At your intake session with your therapist, you will discuss which treatment form is best for you, and your unique symptoms and goals.
Some emotional and mental health problems where solution focused psychotherapy may be employed include:
Behavioral concerns
Self-esteem
Personal stress and work-related stress
School or academic-related concerns
SFBT is typically the best treatment form when you have a specific issue or concern that you are looking to tackle and overcome. If you are experiencing severe mental health issues, SFBT may not be recommended.
Solution-Focused Treatment in Hoboken, New Jersey
At Anchor Therapy, we have trained SFBT therapists. At the core of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is setting goals.
The first step of SFBT psychotherapy is your SFBT mental health counselor asking you what is known as the miracle question- “If a miracle occurred while you were asleep tonight, what changes would you notice in your life tomorrow?”.
The purpose of this question is to help you identify and truly understand the issue at hand. It will help you think about how this issue is affecting you, and can even be a source of inspiration to want you to make changes and move forward in a positive direction.
This visualization exercise allows you to begin crafting solutions to your problems. In other words, you and your SFT therapist will begin to arrange small, effective ways in which you can achieve your goals.
One facet of SFBT psychotherapy that a lot of people enjoy is the positive and respectful outlook on behalf of your SFT clinician. Your SFBT therapist knows that you have the strength, wisdom, and resilience to achieve your goals, and they are working with you so you can recognize that same potential.
Instead of a therapy treatment dynamic where the therapist holds all of the power and the relationship is hierarchical, it feels more collegial in SFBT mental health counseling.
Our SFBT therapists offer in-person sessions in our downtown Hoboken, New Jersey office. We also offer online therapy to all residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
Popular Brief Solution Focused psychotherapy Techniques and Interventions
If you cannot solve your problems on your own, seeking the help of a SFBT psychotherapist near you is recommended.
Your SFT mental health counselor highlights the solutions to your problems, evaluating the solutions for effectiveness and, if necessary, replacing them with problem-solving strategies that are more likely to work and achieve the results you desire.
The SFBT therapeutic approach assumes the following:
Change is unavoidable and constant
You must want to change
You are to focus on what is possible and changeable
SFBT therapy is short-term
You have the resources and strengths within you to solve your concerns
You are an expert on your emotional health concerns and you will come to create your own goals
The focus is on the present and future (Your past is not a primary component in this form of mental health counseling)
In SFBT therapy sessions, your licensed SFT counselor will:
Ask questions instead of forcing you to accept their solutions
Help you focus on what is in your control
Notice and reinforce evidence of your strengths and the resources available to you to construct positive change
Highlight the details of the solution instead of ruminating on the given problem
Create a game plan that works for you
Identify helpful behaviors that you are engaging in and discover ways to amplify problem-solving abilities through these behaviors
Instead of gaining new characteristics out of thin air, your SFT therapist will help amp up the skills, abilities, and strengths that you already have. Many techniques and exercises employed in SFBT counseling will enhance your ability to work through your own concerns and craft meaningful solutions.
Some SFT mental health counseling techniques include:
Asking questions
While this may seem obvious, SFBT has formulated questions to help you discover solutions to your emotional and mental health problems. These specific questions were crafted with the intention to spark deep thinking and open up to a conversation about goal-setting and problem-solving.
An example of a common SFT question is the coping question- How do you fulfill your daily obligations despite having issue X in your life? By answering this question, you gain insight into your own resiliency. You may not even have recognized this as a form of strength at first since you do it automatically. Additionally, this question will help you point out some ways that you are already coping with your problem effectively.
Your SFBT therapist may also use what is known as “best hope” questions. Some examples of best hope questions can encompass the following:
What are your best hopes for today’s SFT therapy session?
What needs to occur in today’s session for you to feel like it was a good idea to come into the office today?
How do you know when you feel “accomplished enough” for our session to end?
These questions will help you establish your realistic, achievable goals.
Your SFBT counselor may also ask you “exception questions.” These are asked in an effort for you to witness the exceptions to the problems you are experiencing. Questions are asked about your experiences with and without the issue present in your life.
Some examples of “exception questions” can include:
When was a time when you felt the happiest?
Can you tell me about a time when the problem was not present in your life?
What was it about day X that made you feel like it was better than a typical day in your life?
These questions lay out the difference between case scenarios where the given issue is very active in your life and situations where the issue holds no or little power over you.
2. Presupposing change
This is a very common technique that your SFBT counselor will use at one point or another in your counseling sessions.
When you have an issue occurring in your life, it is easy to only think about the problem and proceed with daily life without recognizing the positive things occurring for you. Therefore, this technique helps you be attentive to the little things, no matter how insignificant they may seem to you at the moment. Any positive step towards change should be celebrated.
To reinforce this concept, your SFT counselor may ask you something like, “What is different or better in your life since the last time we spoke?”.
All in all, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is a short-term form of mental health counseling. On average, sessions last for 6 to ten weeks. In SFBT counseling, you are encouraged to pinpoint your problems and formulate goals to overcome them. Your SFBT therapist at Anchor Therapy will offer you guided support throughout your mental health healing journey so you can feel like your best self again!
How Can I Start Brief Focused Therapy at Anchor Therapy?
WORKING WITH anchor therapy IS EASY
Fill out the contact form below.
From there, our Intake Coordinator will read your form and match you with a SFBT counselor on our team who fits what you are looking for.
You are now one step closer to feeling like the best version of yourself!
