SolutionFocusedBriefTherapy.pptx

SolutionFocusedBriefTherapy.pptx

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

Chapter 15

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Solution Focused Brief Therapy

Grew out of strategic therapy

Represents a departure from a focus on pathology-drive approaches to therapy by concentrating on skills, strengths, and resources that clients possess

It is change-oriented in that it emphasizes finding solutions for dealing with problems

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Major Theorists

Steve deShazer

Insoo Kim Berg

Michele Weiner-Davis

Eve Lipchik

Bill O’Hanlon

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Steve deShazer

Helped to establish the Brief Family Therapy Center

Emphasized solutions over problems, and identified his theory as brief family therapy

Often referred to later in life as the “Grand Old Man of Family Therapy”

Died unexpected in 2005 in Vienna, Austria

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Insoo Kim Berg

Helped to establish the Brief Family Therapy Center, where she served as Executive Director

Helped found the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association

Developed the miracle question

Authored or co-authored 10 books on solution-focused therapy and numerous articles

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Bill O’Hanlon

Trained under Milton Erickson

Has become a major proponent of solution-focused therapy, which he prefers to call possibility therapy

Characterizes his approach as one that is pragmatic and full of Midwestern values

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Michele Weiner-Davis

Has written popular books on solution-focused family, such as Divorce Busting.

Creator of the relationship program, Keeping Love Alive.

Recipient of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy’s Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Marriage and Family Therapy Award and Smart Marriages’ Impact Award

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Premises of the Theory

Built on the philosophy of social constructionism

Shares some of the same premises about families as the M R I strategic approaches

Emphasizes the belief that dysfunctional families get stuck in dealing with problems

Aim of therapy is to break repetitive, nonproductive behavioral patterns by setting up situation in which families take a more positive view of troublesome situations and participate actively in doing something different

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Premises of the Theory

Three basic rules for helping families make positive changes:

If it is not broken, do not fix it.

Once you know what works, do more of it.

If something does not work, do not do it again. Do something different.

Identifying what a problem is versus a nonproblem (or exception) is a key component in solution-focused brief therapy

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Premises of the Theory

Does not focus on a detailed family history of problems

Causal understanding is unnecessary.

Families really want to change.

Only a small amount of change is necessary.

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Treatment Techniques

Co-creation of a problem

Miracle question

Exceptions

Scaling

Second-order (qualitative) change

Compliment

Clue

Skeleton keys

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Treatment Techniques

Between now and next time we meet

Do something different

Pay attention to what you do when

A lot of people in your situation would have

Write, read, and burn your thoughts

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Role of the Therapist

Therapists determine how active a family will be in the change process. Clients usually fall into one of three categories

Visitors

Complainants

Customers

Therapists are facilitators of change

Presuppositional questioning

Positive blame

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Role of the Therapist

Solution-focused family therapists believe that it is important to fit therapeutic interventions into the context of family behavior

Often a team approach

Solution-focused family therapists encourage families to make small changes and to do so rapidly

Therapist does not distinguish between short- and long-term problems

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Process and Outcome

Solution-Focused Family Therapy is focused on encouraging client-families to seek solutions and utilize internal resources.

Pathology does not play a role in the process.

Assumes that change is inevitable – it’s only a matter of when.

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Unique Aspects of Solution-Focused Family Therapy

Solution-focused theories Concentrate on and are directed by a family’s theory

Therapists assist families in defining their situations clearly, precisely, and with possibilities

Solution-focused therapy does not focus on clinical understanding of the family situation by the family or the therapist

It is empowering and meant to assist families in assessing and utilizing their resources

Emphasizes achievable goals, such as small behavioral changes.

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