SOLUTION

FOCUSED BRIEF
FAMILY
THERAPY
Nayana Mathew
22023
STEVE de SHAZER (1940–2005)
was one of the pioneers of solution-
focused brief therapy.

INSOO KIM BERG (1934– 2007)

was a Korean-born American
psychotherapist and a pioneer of
solution focused brief therapy
SFBT). In 1978 she and her
husband, Steve de Shazer,
cofounded the Brief Family Therapy
Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
 INTRODUCTION
• Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) is a therapeutic approach created in the early 1980s by Steve de Shazer and
Insoo Kim Berg at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• SFBT is centered on future goals and is designed to be brief in duration.
• The approach highlights the strengths and resilience of individuals rather than dwelling on their problems.
• It involves focusing on exceptions to problems and actively listening to clients' ideas about potential solutions.
• Therapists use a series of interventions to encourage clients to amplify behaviors that have previously proven
effective for them.
• Motivational interviewing (MI) and solution-focused brief therapy have similarities.
• When working with different groups, practitioners have the option to merge principles and techniques from
solution-focused brief therapy and motivational interviewing.
• Combining these two approaches can enhance the therapeutic process.
• The integration aims to promote change through collaboration and respect within the therapeutic relationship.
“FOCUS ON
SOLUTIONS
NOT PROBLEMS”
 “Once you know what works, do more of it.” If
something is not working, clients are encouraged
WHAT IS WORKING?
to try something different (Guterman, 2013;
Hoyt, 2011).
02 - WEBSITE
Walter and Peller (1992, 2000) think of solution-
focused therapy as a model that explains how
GUIDING PRACTICE
people change and how they can reach their
goals.
 BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
• There are advantages to a • Participants often present only one
positive focus on solutions side of themselves.
and on the future.
• No problem is constant, and
change is inevitable.
• Individuals who come
to a counseling group • People want to change, have
have the capability of
the capacity to change, and
behaving effectively
are doing their best to make
change happen.

• There are exceptions to

every problem, or times • Group members can be trusted
when the problem was in their intention to create
minimal or even absent. solutions to their problems.
ROLE AND A Not Knowing Position Creating A Therapeutic
Partnership
FUNCTIONS OF
Solution-focused group The qualities of the therapeutic
THE GROUP counselors adopt a “not knowing” relationship are at the heart of the
position (Anderson & Goolishian, effectiveness of SFBT. The
LEADER 1992) as a route therapeutic outcome is significantly
to putting group members into the related to the alliance formed between
position of being the experts about group members and the group
their own facilitator (Bertolino, 2010; Murphy,
life. 2013).
 PROCESS OF
SOLUTION FOCUSED
THERAPY
Steps in the
• Find out what group members want rather than
Change Process searching for what they do not want.
• Do not look for pathology.
• Encourage them to experiment with doing something
different.
• Keep therapy brief
Walter and Peller (1992) describe four steps;
steps involved based on
Metcalf’s (1998);

• Setting the Tone for the Group

• Beginning to Set Goals
• Searching for Exceptions to the Problem
• Encouraging Motivation
• Assisting Group Members With Task
Development
• The Next Group Session
 Creating member goals
SFBT reflects some basic notions about change, about
interaction, and about reaching goals. The facilitator believes
people have the ability to define meaningful personal goals and
that they are in the best position to choose the goals they want to
accomplish in the group because they know themselves better
than anyone else.

Terminating
Establishing clear goals from the beginning
of a group lays the groundwork for effective
termination (Murphy, 2008).
APPLICATION:THERAPEUTIC
TECHNIQUES and Procedures
Murphy (2008) reminds us that these solution-focused techniques should be
used flexibly and tailored to the unique circumstances of the members. The
group counseling process is best guided by the members’ goals, perceptions,
resources, and feedback.
Pretherapy
change
Pretherapy change
addresses any changes
Questioning
made before the initial Questions become the
session. primary communication tool
and main intervention.
Exception
Question Miracle
Exception questions direct Question
members to times when the Scaling
problem does not occur, or “If a miracle happened and
occurs less often or less
intensely.
the problem you have
disappeared overnight, how
Question
would you know it was scaling questions when
solved, and what would be changes in human
different?” Group members experiences are not easily
are then encouraged to observed, such as feelings,
enact “what would be moods, or communication.
different” in spite of
perceived problems.
Formula First Session The formula first session task (FFST) is a
form of homework a group leader might
Task give members to complete between their
first and second sessions.

Group Leader Feedback The feedback is based on information that

group members have revealed in their
to Group Members interactions in the group and what they
need to do more of or what they need to do
differently to increase their chances of
successfully meeting their goals (De Jong
& Berg, 2013).
 REFERENCE
Corey, G., & Fullerton, G. S. U. C. (2020). Theory and practice of group

counseling.
THANK
YOU