Solution Focused Therapy Flashcards
(13 cards)
Client-Defined Goal
In soution-focused therapy (SFT), the goal is defined by the client, not the therapist. The therapist only aids the client in helping to visualize or describe the goal.
Compliments
Feedback given to clients designed to be supporting and normalizing.
Exception-Finding Questions
Questions that ask the client to think about a time when a problem did not occur or did not interfere with the client’s life. The client’s responses offer clues to help build more solutions.
Miracle Question
A question that explores what the solution might look like (not necessarily the elimination of the problem). For example, “Suppose that one night while you were sleeping, there was a miracle and this problem was solved. How would you know? What would be different when you woke up?”
Normalizing Statements
Comments by the therapist that help the client to realize his or her reactions, feelings, or behaviors are normal and natural responses to certain life events.
Preferred Future
A vivid description developed by the client that describes how their life will be when the problem is solved.
Presuppositional Questions
Types of questions designed to function as “interventions” by assuming that change will happen. For example, “Someday when you and your wife are communicating better, what will be different?”
Reframing
A technique that relabels a behavior by placing it in a new, more positive perspective; for example, labeling a client as “sad” rather than “depressed.” This helps to change the perception of the behavior and invite new responses to the same behavior.
Resistance
A client’s inability or unwillingness to change. In SFT, resistance is attributed to the therapist not having found what works for the client, because, fundamentally, solution-focused therapists believe that clients want to change.
Scaling Questions
Helpful questions where clients are asked to rate their progress on a scale of 1 to 10. The questions are used to see where the client is currently in regard to finding solutions. The questions also help to maintain and amplify change when the client sets goals to reach a certain point on the scale in a certain amount of time.
Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT)
A strengths-based model of brief therapy that shifts the focus from problems to solutions, with little focus on why problems occured and more focus on how the client has avoided similiar problems in the past. Originally developed by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg.
Solution-Oriented Therapy
A results-oriented therapy approach adapted from SFT and later developed by Bill O’Hanlon and Michelle Weiner-Davis. It is short term, meaning that goals are usually accomplished in a limited number of sessions, focus on times when the problem occurs less, and are task-oriented.
1st Session Formula Task
A directive given to clients where they are asked to observe their lives between the first and second sessions to identify what aspects are working well or could potentially improve the situation.
