SOLUTION FOCUSED

7 PRINCIPLES• Emphasis on Mental Health - Focus on the

success of clients in dealing with their problems.

7 PRINCIPLES• Emphasis on Mental Health - Focus on the success of clients in dealing with their

problems

• Utilization - Quality treatment involves eliciting from the client their strengths, resources, and health attributes that are needed to solve the presenting problem.

7 PRINCIPLES• Emphasis on Mental Health - Focus on the success of clients in dealing with their

problems.• Utilization - Quality treatment involves eliciting from the client their strengths,

resources, and health attributes that are needed to solve the presenting problem.

• An Atheoretical/Nonnormative/ Client Determined View - Therapist serves client by learning his unique way of understanding the problem.

7 PRINCIPLES• Emphasis on Mental Health - Focus on the success of clients in dealing with their

problems.• Utilization - Quality treatment involves eliciting from the client their strengths,

resources, and health attributes that are needed to solve the presenting problem.• An Atheoretical/Nonnormative/ Client Determined View - Therapist serves

client by learning his unique way of understanding the problem.

• Parsimony - KISS - “Tipping the first Dominos.”

7 PRINCIPLES• Emphasis on Mental Health - Focus on the success of clients in dealing with their

problems.• Utilization - Quality treatment involves eliciting from the client their strengths,

resources, and health attributes that are needed to solve the presenting problem.• An Atheoretical/Nonnormative/ Client Determined View - Therapist serves

client by learning his unique way of understanding the problem.• Parsimony - KISS - “Tipping the first Dominos.”

• Change is Inevitable - “Nothing always happens”

7 PRINCIPLES• Emphasis on Mental Health - Focus on the success of clients in dealing with their

problems.• Utilization - Quality treatment involves eliciting from the client their strengths,

resources, and health attributes that are needed to solve the presenting problem.• An Atheoretical/Nonnormative/ Client Determined View - Therapist serves

client by learning his unique way of understanding the problem.• Parsimony - KISS - “Tipping the first Dominos.”• Change is Inevitable - “Nothing always happens”

• Present and Future Orientation

7 PRINCIPLES• Emphasis on Mental Health - Focus on the success of clients in dealing with their

problems.• Utilization - Quality treatment involves eliciting from the client their strengths,

resources, and health attributes that are needed to solve the presenting problem.• An Atheoretical/Nonnormative/ Client Determined View - Therapist serves

client by learning his unique way of understanding the problem.• Parsimony - KISS - “Tipping the first Dominos.”• Change is Inevitable - “Nothing always happens”• Present and Future Orientation

• Cooperation

CENTRAL PHILOSOPHY If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Once you know what works, do more of it!

If it doesn’t work, then don’t do it again. Do something different!

The Basics -Let’s Getting Started

Problem Description

• Asking for Client’s Perception & Respecting Client Language

(Posture of “Not Knowing”)

Problem Description

• How does the problem affect the client?

(How is this problem a problem for you?)

Problem Description

• What has the client tried?

(Focus is on client competencies)

Problem Description• What is most important for client to work on first?

Questions to ask• “Which of these is the most important to work on

first?”• “What is happening in your life that tells you it’s

important to work on this first?”

7 Qualities of Well-Formed Goals

• Saliency to the client - (Important to the client).

7 Qualities of Well-Formed Goals

• Saliency to the client - (Important to the client).

• Small - small enough so they can be achieved

7 Qualities of Well-Formed Goals

• Saliency to the client - (Important to the client).• Small - small enough so they can be achieved.

• Concrete, Specific, & Behavioral.

7 Qualities of Well-Formed Goals

• Saliency to the client - (Important to the client).• Small - small enough so they can be achieved.• Concrete, Specific, & Behavioral.

• The presence of rather than absence of something.

7 Qualities of Well-Formed Goals• Saliency to the client - (Important to the client).• Small - small enough so they can be achieved.• Concrete, Specific, & Behavioral.• The presence of rather than absence of something.

• A beginning rather than an end.

7 Qualities of Well-Formed Goals• Saliency to the client - (Important to the client).• Small - small enough so they can be achieved.• Concrete, Specific, & Behavioral.• The presence of rather than absence of something.• A beginning rather than an end.

• Realistic and achievable within the context of the clients’ life.

7 Qualities of Well-Formed Goals

• Saliency to the client - (Important to the client).• Small - small enough so they can be achieved.• Concrete, Specific, & Behavioral.• The presence of rather than absence of something.• A beginning rather than an end.• Realistic and achievable within the context of the clients’ life.

• Perceived as involving “hard work.”

Useful Questions

• Miracle Question

Useful Questions

Miracle Question

Hidden Miracles (exception question)

Useful Questions Miracle Question Hidden Miracles (exception question)

Scaling Question

Useful Questions Miracle Question Hidden Miracles (exception question) Scaling Question

Coping Questions

Useful Questions Miracle Question Hidden Miracles (exception question) Scaling Question Coping Questions

What Else

Useful Questions Miracle Question Hidden Miracles (exception question) Scaling Question Coping Questions What Else

How do you do it?» * Don’t ask why» Stance of therapist - genuine curiosity

Client-Therapist Relationship• Customer - Type Relationship Goal for treatment has been identified

jointly by client and therapist. Client indicates that he sees himself as part of the solution and is willing to do something.

• Complaint - Type Relationship Therapists and client are jointly able to identify goal or complaint but have identified concrete steps toward solution.

• Visitor - Type Relationship At end of session, the therapist and client have not jointly identified a complaint or goal.