Solution-focused therapy: what it is, objectives and how it is applied

When we are faced with problems, we can opt for a series of alternatives. On the one hand, there will be those people who decide not to do anything in the face of these inconveniences, and there will be other people who seek solutions to solve these situations. Who has not had difficulties in life? Problems are a frequent factor in the course of life and society offers a wide variety of solutions to deal with them.

However, when our emotions bring us obstacles in our daily lives, it is important pay attention to what happens to us so that this does not imply having major inconveniences in the future. One of the keys is to act in time to find effective solutions, which allow us to go through certain situations in another way. Do you want to know more about this? In this Psychology-Online article we will provide you with information about the Solution-focused therapy: what it is, objectives and how it is applied.

Index

1. What is solution-focused therapy
2. Goals of solution-focused therapy
3. How is solution-focused therapy applied?

It is a type of therapeutic approach that focuses on finding possible solutions instead of focusing on the problems that a patient may have. The purpose of solution-focused therapy is to solve certain difficulties in a limited period of sessions.

It should be said that solution-focused therapy is related to other types of brief therapies that provide various tools to patients so that they can cope in another way with the conflictive situations that occur in life everyday.

In order to better understand what solution-focused therapy is, it is important to establish certain goals that appear in the course of treatments. In this way, we will divide them into the following items:

• Establishment of strengths: consists of locating the positive aspects of the patient and highlighting them so that they can be used in life.
• construction of reality: another of the purposes of solution-focused therapy is about understanding that the events that occur to the person are related to the actions and thoughts they have. These result in a particular interpretation of reality, which implies that there is no single vision of the same situation.
• Solution Creation: through joint work between therapist and patient, the person tries to invent different ways of dealing with a problem. This suggests that dependency on other people can be cut off.
• Assessment of situations: this section is intended for the person to score on a scale that goes from one to ten different moments that occur in her life. After doing this, during the sessions they talk about how it would be possible to improve these situations.
• Establishment of ideal situations: here the purpose encompasses the elaboration of a situation in which the problems have completely disappeared. This has the effect that the person faces those moments differently.

Finally, we will talk about what the techniques of solution-focused therapy are, that is, how it is possible to apply the principles mentioned in the previous paragraphs in order to achieve a greater understanding in the theme. Next, we will exemplify the main techniques:

• Strengthening of positive aspects: consists in praise the patient so that he achieves greater confidence in situations that present problems. If a patient has difficulty speaking in public, the therapist can emphasize that her tone of voice has a positive impact on the listener.
• Emphasis on maintaining virtues: this technique is based on proposing to the patient to describe in detail those things that he considers as strengths. This provides the possibility that the person can maintain those skills. For example, if a patient claims to be friendly and respectful to others, the therapist will ask you to describe a situation in which these characteristics are highlighted to make them visible.
• task prediction: the patient writes his problem behaviors to later corroborate if she was able to fulfill them or not. As an example, a person might write that he is afraid to tell her partner that he no longer loves her in order to avoid an unpleasant situation. The next day, the idea would be for her to write on a piece of paper if she was able to strike up a conversation.
• Simulation of ideal situations: the main point would be for the person to describe situations in which there are no difficulties. If a patient feels guilty about not arriving at work on time, he or she is asked to describe a day on which he or she arrives on time. no inconvenience. This generates that the person understands that it is possible to modify these problematic situations.
• Diverted focus of attention: this technique refers to paying attention to other situations when they appear lingering thoughts that generate anxiety. In this way, if someone feels stressed in front of an oral exam, they can think of a nice day to relieve thoughts.

If you liked this article on solution-focused therapy: what it is, objectives and how it is applied, we recommend you consult our post Troubleshooting process.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Solution-focused therapy: what it is, objectives and how it is applied, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

Beyebach, M. (1999). Introduction to solution-focused brief therapy. Intervention and prevention in Mental Health. Salamanca: Amaru.

Cornejo Troche, O.M. (2021). Brief solution-focused therapy in a case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Ajayu Magazine, 19 (1), 160-194.