Using Solution-Focused Therapy

Application: Using Solution-Focused Therapy

Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) is a goal-oriented therapeutic approach that emphasizes practical solutions to current problems rather than delving into past issues. It focuses on identifying clients’ strengths and resources to achieve rapid and lasting change. In SFT, therapists collaborate with clients to set clear, specific, and achievable goals. The therapy session typically begins by exploring the client’s desired future and what life would be like if the problem were solved. Therapists use scaling questions to assess the client’s motivation and progress towards their goals. Through respectful curiosity and active listening, therapists help clients recognize exceptions to their problems—times when the issue was less severe or absent. These exceptions serve as blueprints for generating solutions. SFT encourages clients to experiment with small changes between sessions, promoting a sense of agency and empowerment. By amplifying successes and building on strengths, SFT fosters a positive cycle of change. Its brief, solution-focused nature makes it particularly effective for clients seeking concrete strategies and rapid progress in addressing specific challenges.

When social workers use solution-focused therapy to work with a client, they employ a variety of principles and techniques. For example, social workers may de-emphasize client problems, look for previous solutions to client problems, and use the compliments technique to work with clients. Using these techniques and others in solution-focused therapy is important to the success of the intervention.

For this Application Assignment, review the case studies provided in this week’s Learning Resources, and select one. Think about intervention and assessment strategies that you might use based on the case study. Consider how you might use compliments and at least one other technique associated with solution-focused therapy to work with the clients in case study you selected.

The assignment (1–2 pages):

·  Briefly describe the case study you selected.

·  Explain two strategies you might use to develop an intervention to address issues in the case study.

·  Explain how you might use the compliments technique and at least one other technique to move the client toward solutions.

·  Explain why the compliments technique and the other technique you selected could be effective solution-focused therapy techniques to use with clients in the case study.

·  Share an insight or conclusion you drew about the nature of solution-focused therapy in social work. Support your response with references to the Learning Resources.

Note: Support your Application Assignment with specific references to the Learning Resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list only for those resources not included in the Learning Resources for this course.