solution focused approach to problem solving

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Key Skills for Solution-Focused Problem-Solving

Imagine that you just received an unexpected complex problem and need to find a solution fast. You have never experienced this situation before. What is your approach? Most of us focus on the problem by asking questions such as: “Why do I have this problem? What shall I do to get rid of this problem? Are you sure this is my problem?” Before you know it, the challenge becomes bigger by the minute. Your attention and effort are fully focused on overcoming the problem and you begin to feel less resourceful to find an acceptable solution.

When you focus on the problem instead of the desired outcome, you get stuck in the depths of the problem, as if you are in quicksand. Some people walk into the quicksand with lead boots on. One of the most powerful frames you can use to achieve results is to shift from a problem approach (I don’t want X) to an outcome approach (What I want is Y). This immediately shifts your thinking and the way you feel.

Only when your frame of mind is changed to focusing on the desired result can you begin to move forward toward the desired outcome. Using the Solution-Focused approach, you will be surprised how competently you can tackle even the thorniest of problems and turn them into opportunities.

Interested in becoming a coach? Discover how Solution-Focused coaching skills enable you to create transformational change in yourself and others.

Solution-Focused communication magnetizes our attention toward getting the desired outcome, and so the outcome is held in mind as the vision for the future . Others naturally tend to respond positively to our leadership because we hold the vision that serves everyone. Rather than dwelling on the difficulties or the setbacks, the idea of the solution becomes the road to results, and people feel cheered when they can see a strong pathway toward the solution and are inspired by the plan.

Imagine running a race where there are hurdles every 100 yards. With problem framing, you are focused on the hurdles, “Oh my, how high they are! How hard will I have to work to jump them?” Such a focus, with little or no attention on the finish line, will not make you a champion—guaranteed! The hurdles symbolically (and in reality) stand in your way. When you are focused on the hurdles, you cannot see past them to the finish line that is your true aim. The hurdles loom large in your mind, and the race seems difficult (if not impossible) to run.

With a Solution-Focused approach to communication, your mind is galvanized by your purpose and you are able to see past the hurdles before you. Your purpose always leads you to the finish line, and the hurdles become less important and less of an obstacle. In fact, they may seem so unimportant that they become nonexistent and are just part of the journey. They are still the same height and you’ll still have to jump as high. Yet with the focus on the value of the goal and what is working to move forward towards it, jumping hurdles seems natural and easy. The end of the race is always drawing you onward. The race itself becomes a means to achieve the vision, and it’s the vision—who you are becoming and who you are contributing to—that looms large in your mind. This difference in your focus is the power that leads you to success.

Notice how efficient this approach is – Solution-Focused thinking is far more useful than problem-focused thinking because the focus is on getting the desired outcome, rather than dwelling on the difficulties or setbacks. Constantly operating from a solution perspective is a noticeable characteristic of high achievers.

Focusing on who you are becoming

One of the main ways of producing Solution-Focused results that serve the world is to focus the mind and heart on who you are becoming— and not what you are overcoming. Allowing yourself to go into the lower energies of an overcoming focus puts you into a very challenging and unpleasant hurdle race. People can spend most of their lives running such a race. As soon as you put your attention on what doesn’t work as a ‘reality,’ it is hard to explore what really could work. This is one reason why the Erickson Solution-Focused method is successful in moving people quickly beyond mindsets and models that ‘realistically’ start by focusing on the problem as the necessary aspects to deal with.

As a transformational communicator using the coaching approach, once you are secure in this skill for yourself, you will quickly discover the value of using it consistently in coaching conversations with others. This simple and subtle skill of flipping a problem or conflict into a Solution-Focused orientation may be the single most powerful characteristic of transformational coaches who become known as integral change maestros.

Declaring and visualizing outcomes

When outcomes are declared and visualized carefully, people move toward them naturally, almost effortlessly. What was once considered a problem is now little more than a pebble on the road! Having a strong, inspiring, value-based vision for the future cuts all other concerns down to size. We grow and our ‘problems’ diminish.

Once you, the transformational communicator, know how to consciously assist people to orient toward their larger purpose and goals, your clients will move consistently and more easily toward their desired outcomes. They will achieve their outcomes by choice, not by chance.

Creating a compelling future

Developing, holding, and feeling a vision of a compelling future is the single most important task for a person, in order to achieve their goals and dreams.

Without this vision and the process of consistently visualizing potential action steps to accomplish it, people move in a random, scattered fashion. They are likely to struggle and get frustrated and stuck.

When people make the choice to hold a specific outcome securely on the movie screen of their minds, they naturally begin to move toward making their vision a reality—no matter how large or small it is. Their chosen outcome becomes their future.

Who you are is the future you are moving into! What is in your mind becomes your reality. You have two choices. You can visualize how your problems continue, which will move you towards having even more problems. Or, you can visualize your outcome becoming real and move toward having it. Which do you prefer?

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It has analyzed a person’s problems from where they started and how those problems have an effect on that person’s life.

Out of years of observation of family therapy sessions, the theory and applications of solution-focused therapy developed.

Let’s explore the therapy, along with techniques and applications of the approach.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology including strengths, values, and self-compassion, and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students, or employees.

This Article Contains:

5 solution-focused therapy techniques, handy sft worksheets (pdf), solution-focused therapy interventions, 5 sft questions to ask clients, solution-focused brief therapy (sfbt techniques), 4 activities & exercises, best sft books, a take-home message.

Solution-focused therapy is a type of treatment that highlights a client’s ability to solve problems, rather than why or how the problem was created. It was developed over some time after observations of therapists in a mental health facility in Wisconsin by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg and their colleagues.

Like positive psychology, Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) practitioners focus on goal-oriented questioning to assist a client in moving into a future-oriented direction.

Solution-focused therapy has been successfully applied to a wide variety of client concerns due to its broad application. It has been utilized in a wide variety of client groups as well. The approach presupposes that clients have some knowledge of what will improve their lives.

The following areas have utilized SFT with varying success:

relationship difficulties
drug and alcohol abuse
eating disorders
anger management
communication difficulties
crisis intervention
incarceration recidivism reduction

Goal clarification is an important technique in SFT. A therapist will need to guide a client to envision a future without the problem with which they presented. With coaching and positive questioning, this vision becomes much more clarified.

With any presenting client concern, the main technique in SFT is illuminating the exception. The therapist will guide the client to an area of their life where there is an exception to the problem. The exception is where things worked well, despite the problem. Within the exception, an approach for a solution may be forged.

The ‘miracle question’ is another technique frequently used in SFT. It is a powerful tool that helps clients to move into a solution orientation. This question allows clients to begin small steps toward finding solutions to presenting problems (Santa Rita Jr., 1998). It is asked in a specific way and is outlined later in this article.

Experiment invitation is another way that therapists guide clients into solution orientation. By inviting clients to build on what is already working, clients automatically focus on the positive. In positive psychology, we know that this allows the client’s mind to broaden and build from that orientation.

Utilizing what has been working experimentally allows the client to find what does and doesn’t work in solving the issue at hand. During the second half of a consultation with a client, many SFT therapists take a break to reflect on what they’ve learned during the beginning of the session.

Consultation breaks and invitations for more information from clients allow for both the therapist and client to brainstorm on what might have been missed during the initial conversations. After this break, clients are complemented and given a therapeutic message about the presenting issue. The message is typically stated in the positive so that clients leave with a positive orientation toward their goals.

Here are four handy worksheets for use with solution-focused therapy.

Miracle worksheet
Exceptions to the Problem Worksheet
Scaling Questions Worksheet
SMART+ Goals Worksheet

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Compliments are frequently used in SFT, to help the client begin to focus on what is working, rather than what is not. Acknowledging that a client has an impact on the movement toward a goal allows hope to become present. Once hope and perspective shift occurs, a client can decide what daily actions they would like to take in attaining a goal.

Higher levels of hope and optimism can predict the following desirable outcomes (Peterson & Seligman, 2004):

achievement in all sorts of areas
freedom from anxiety and depression
improved social relationships
improved physical well being

Mind mapping is an effective intervention also used to increase hope and optimism. This intervention is often used in life coaching practices. A research study done on solution-focused life coaching (Green, Oades, & Grant, 2006) showed that this type of intervention increases goal striving and hope, in addition to overall well-being.

Though life coaching is not the same as therapy, this study shows the effectiveness of improving positive behavior through solution-focused questioning.

Mind mapping is a visual thinking tool that helps structure information. It helps clients to better analyze, comprehend, and generate new ideas in areas they might not have been automatically self-generated. Having it on paper gives them a reference point for future goal setting as well.

Empathy is vital in the administration of SFBT. A client needs to feel heard and held by the practitioner for any forward movement to occur. Intentionally leaning in to ensure that a client knows that the practitioner is engaged in listening is recommended.

Speaking to strengths and aligning those strengths with goal setting are important interventions in SFT. Recognizing and acknowledging what is already working for the client validates strengths. Self-recognition of these strengths increases self-esteem and in turn, improves forward movement.

The questions asked in Solution-Focused Therapy are positively directed and in a goal-oriented stance. The intention is to allow a perspective shift by guiding clients in the direction of hope and optimism to lead them to a path of positive change. Results and progress come from focusing on the changes that need to be made for goal attainment and increased well being.

1. Miracle Question

Here is a clear example of how to administer the miracle question. It should be delivered deliberately. When done so, it allows the client to imagine the miracle occurring.

“ Now, I want to ask you a strange question. Suppose that while you are sleeping tonight and the entire house is quiet, a miracle happens. The miracle is that the problem which brought you here is solved. However, because you are sleeping, you don’t know that the miracle has happened. So, when you wake up tomorrow morning, what will be different that will tell you that a miracle has happened and the problem which brought you here is solved? ” (de Shazer, 1988)

2. Presupposing change questions

A practitioner of solution-focused therapy asks questions in an approach derived way.

Here are a few examples of presupposing change questions:

“What stopped complete disaster from occurring?” “How did you avoid falling apart.” “What kept you from unraveling?”

3. Exception Questions

Examples of exception questions include:

1. Tell me about times when you don’t get angry. 2. Tell me about times you felt the happiest. 3. When was the last time that you feel you had a better day? 4. Was there ever a time when you felt happy in your relationship? 5. What was it about that day that made it a better day? 6. Can you think of a time when the problem was not present in your life?

4. Scaling Questions

These are questions that allow a client to rate their experience. They also allow for a client to evaluate their motivation to change their experience. Scaling questions allow for a practitioner to add a follow-up question that is in the positive as well.

An example of a scaling question: “On a scale of 1-10, with 10 representing the best it can be and one the worst, where would you say you are today?”

A follow-up question: “ Why a four and not a five?”

Questions like these allow the client to explore the positive, as well as their commitment to the changes that need to occur.

5. Coping Questions

These types of questions open clients up to their resiliency. Clients are experts in their life experience. Helping them see what works, allows them to grow from a place of strength.

“How have you managed so far?” “What have you done to stay afloat?” “What is working?”

3 Scaling questions from Solution Focused Therapy – Uncommon Practitioners

The main idea behind SFBT is that the techniques are positively and solution-focused to allow a brief amount of time for the client to be in therapy. Overall, improving the quality of life for each client, with them at the center and in the driver’s seat of their growth. SFBT typically has an average of 5-8 sessions.

During the sessions, goals are set. Specific experimental actions are explored and deployed into the client’s daily life. By keeping track of what works and where adjustments need to be made, a client is better able to track his or her progress.

A method has developed from the Miracle Question entitled, The Miracle Method . The steps follow below (Miller & Berg, 1996). It was designed for combatting problematic drinking but is useful in all areas of change.

State your desire for something in your life to be different.
Envision a miracle happening, and your life IS different.
Make sure the miracle is important to you.
Keep the miracle small.
Define the change with language that is positive, specific, and behavioral.
State how you will start your journey, rather than how you will end it.
Be clear about who, where, and when, but not the why.

A short selection of exercises which can be used

1. Solution-focused art therapy/ letter writing

A powerful in-session task is to request a client to draw or write about one of the following, as part of art therapy :

a picture of their miracle
something the client does well
a day when everything went well. What was different about that day?
a special person in their life

2. Strengths Finders

Have a client focus on a time when they felt their strongest. Ask them to highlight what strengths were present when things were going well. This can be an illuminating activity that helps clients focus on the strengths they already have inside of them.

A variation of this task is to have a client ask people who are important in their lives to tell them how they view the client’s strengths. Collecting strengths from another’s perspective can be very illuminating and helpful in bringing a client into a strength perspective.

3. Solution Mind Mapping

A creative way to guide a client into a brainstorm of solutions is by mind mapping. Have the miracle at the center of the mind map. From the center, have a client create branches of solutions to make that miracle happen. By exploring solution options, a client will self-generate and be more connected to the outcome.

4. Experiment Journals

Encourage clients to do experiments in real-life settings concerning the presenting problem. Have the client keep track of what works from an approach perspective. Reassure the client that a variety of experiments is a helpful approach.

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These books are recommended reads for solution-focused therapy.

1. The Miracle Method: A Radically New Approach to Problem Drinking – Insoo Kim Berg and Scott D. Miller Ph.D.

The Miracle Method by Scott D. Miller and Insoo Kim Berg is a book that has helped many clients overcome problematic drinking since the 1990s.

By utilizing the miracle question in the book, those with problematic drinking behaviors are given the ability to envision a future without the problem.

Concrete, obtainable steps in reaching the envisioned future are laid out in this supportive read.

Available on Amazon .

2. Solution Focused Brief Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques – Harvey Ratney, Evan George and Chris Iveson

Solution Focused Brief Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques is a well-received book on solution-focused therapy. Authors Ratner, George, and Iveson provide a concisely written and easily understandable guide to the approach.

Its accessibility allows for quick and effective change in people’s lives.

The book covers the approach’s history, philosophical underpinnings, techniques, and applications. It can be utilized in organizations, coaching, leadership, school-based work, and even in families.

The work is useful for any practitioner seeking to learn the approach and bring it into practice.

3. Handbook of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (Jossey-Bass Psychology) – Scott D. Miller, Mark Hubble and Barry L. Duncan

It includes work from 28 of the lead practitioners in the field and how they have integrated the solution-focused approach with the problem-focused approach.

It utilizes research across treatment modalities to better equip new practitioners with as many tools as possible.

4. More Than Miracles: The State of the Art of Solution -Focused Therapy (Routledge Mental Health Classic Editions) – Steve de Shazer and Yvonne Dolan

It allows the reader to peek into hundreds of hours of observation of psychotherapy.

It highlights what questions work and provides a thoughtful overview of applications to complex problems.

Solution-Focused Therapy is an approach that empowers clients to own their abilities in solving life’s problems. Rather than traditional psychotherapy that focuses on how a problem was derived, SFT allows for a goal-oriented focus to problem-solving. This approach allows for future-oriented, rather than past-oriented discussions to move a client forward toward the resolutions of their present problem.

This approach is used in many different areas, including education, family therapy , and even in office settings. Creating cooperative and collaborative opportunities to problem solve allows mind-broadening capabilities. Illuminating a path of choice is a compelling way to enable people to explore how exactly they want to show up in this world.

Thanks for reading!

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free .

de Shazer, S. (1988). Clues: Investigating solutions in brief therapy. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Co.
Green, L. S., Oades, L. G., & Grant, A. M. (2006). Cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused life coaching: Enhancing goal striving, well-being, and hope. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1 (3), 142-149.
Miller, S. D., & Berg, I. K. (1996). The miracle method: A radically new approach to problem drinking. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Co.
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P., (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification (Vol. 1). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Santa Rita Jr, E. (1998). What do you do after asking the miracle question in solution-focused therapy. Family Therapy, 25( 3), 189-195.

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What is Solution-Focused Therapy?

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), also called Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) was developed by Steve de Shazer (1940-2005), and Insoo Kim Berg (1934-2007) in collaboration with their colleagues at the Milwaukee Brief Family Therapy Center beginning in the late 1970s. As the name suggests, SFBT is future-focused, goal-directed, and focuses on solutions, rather than on the problems that brought clients to seek therapy.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a short-term goal-focused evidence-based therapeutic approach, which incorporates positive psychology principles and practices, and which helps clients change by constructing solutions rather than focusing on problems. In the most basic sense, SFBT is a hope friendly, positive emotion eliciting, future-oriented vehicle for formulating, motivating, achieving, and sustaining desired behavioral change.

Solution-Focused practitioners develop solutions by first generating a detailed description of how the client’s life will be different when the problem is gone or their situation improved to a degree satisfactory to the client. Therapist and client then carefully search through the client’s life experience and behavioral repertoire to discover the necessary resources needed to co-construct a practical and sustainable solution that the client can readily implement. Typically this process involves identifying and exploring previous “exceptions,” e.g. times when the client has successfully coped with or addressed previous difficulties and challenges. In an inherently respectful and practical interview process, SF therapists and their clients consistently collaborate in identifying goals reflective of clients’ best hopes and developing satisfying solutions.

The practicality of the SFBT approach may stem in part from the fact that it was developed inductively in an inner-city outpatient mental health service setting in which clients were accepted without previous screening. The developers of SFBT spent countless hours observing therapy sessions over the course of several years, carefully noting any sorts of questions, statements or behaviors on the part of the therapist that led to positive therapeutic outcome. Questions, statements, and activities associated with clients reporting progress were subsequently preserved and incorporated into the SFBT approach.

Since that early development, SFBT has not only become one of the leading schools of brief therapy , it has become a major influence in such diverse fields as business, social policy, education, and criminal justice services, child welfare, domestic violence offenders treatment. Described as a practical, goal-driven model, a hallmark of SFBT is its emphasis on clear, concise, realistic goal negotiations.

SFBT has continued to grow in popularity, both for its usefulness and its brevity, and is currently one of the leading schools of psychotherapy in the world.

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Key Concepts and Tools

Almost all psychotherapy is language-based and each utilizes its own form of specialized conversations. With SFBT, the conversation is directed toward developing and achieving the client’s envisioned solutions. The following techniques and questions help clarify those solutions and the means of achieving them.

Goal Development Questions

SF therapists variously begin a first session with one or more goal development question. These might variously include asking clients to describe their best hope for what will be different as a result of coming to therapy, what needs to happen as a result of coming in so that afterwards the client (and/or a person who cares about them) will be able to look back and think that it had been a good idea to come, or what needs to happen so that clients would be able to say afterwards that coming was not a waste of their time.

Once a goal has been identified, SF therapists ask their clients questions designed to generate a detailed description of what the client’s life will be like when the goal has been achieved. In some cases, this may include the SF Miracle Question (see below). Once a detailed description has been developed of how the client’s life will be different after the goal has been achieved, the therapist and client begin searching through the client’s life experiences and behavioral repertoire for exceptions, e.g. times when in at least some parts of the goal have already happened.

Pre-Session Change Question

In first sessions, once a client has identified a goal, a SF therapist usually asks some version of the following question: We have learned over the years that sometimes in between making an appointment and coming in, something happens to make things better. Did anything think like that happen in your case?

If the client answers no, the SF therapist simply moves on, however in the event that the client answers in the affirmative, it may likely be that the solution-development process has already begun in which case the SF therapist follows up with questions about the details of how, when and where things have begun to get better and how this might possibly continue.

Looking for previous solutions

As illustrated above, SF therapists have learned that most people have previously solved many, many problems and may likely have some ideas of how to solve the current problem. To help clients discover these potential solution ingredients, they may ask, “Are there times when this has been less of a problem?” or “What did you (or others) do that was helpful?” Or “When was the last time when something like this (client’s goal description) perhaps happened, even a little bit?”

Looking for exceptions

Even when a client does not have a fully developed previous solution that can be readily repeated, most have recent examples of at least partial exceptions to their problem; no problem happens to the same degree all the time. There are for example, times when a problem could occur, but does not.

The difference between a previous solution and an exception is small, but potentially significant. A previous solution is something that clients previously that worked, but was perhaps later discontinued. An exception, on the other hand, is something that happens instead of the problem, sometimes spontaneously and without conscious intention. SF therapists may help clients identify these exceptions by asking, “What is different about the times when this is less of a problem?”

Present and future-focused questions vs. past-oriented focus

The questions asked by SF therapists are usually focused on the present or on the future. This reflects the basic belief that problems are best solved by focusing on what is already working, and how a client would like their life to be, rather than focusing on the past and the origin of problems. For example, they may ask, “What will you be doing in the next week that would indicate to you that you are continuing to make progress?”

Compliments

Direct and indirect compliments based on careful observation of positive things the client has done or said are an essential part of solution focused brief therapy and are used throughout the therapeutic process. Validating what clients are already doing well, and acknowledging how difficult their problems are encourages the client to change while giving the message that the therapist has been listening (i.e., understands) and cares.

Compliments in therapy sessions serve to punctuate and validate what the client is doing that is working. In SF therapy, indirect compliments are often conveyed in the form of appreciatively toned questions of “How did you do that?” that invite the client to self-compliment by virtue of answering the question.

Inviting the clients to do more of what is working

Once SF therapists and their clients have identified some previous solutions and exceptions to the problem, the therapists gently invite the clients to do more of what has previously worked, or to try changes they have brought up which they would like to try – frequently called an “experiment” or a “homework experiment.”

Miracle Question (MQ)

The Solution-Focused Miracle Question is oftentimes used as a vehicle for clients identifying the unique details of the first small behavioral steps that gradually lead towards a viable solution in the context of their everyday life. Here is an example of the Miracle Question:

T: I am going to ask you a rather strange question . . . that requires some imagination on your part . . . do you have good imagination. C: I think so, I will try my best.

T: Good. The strange question is this; After we talk, you go home (go back to work), and you still have lots of work to do yet for the rest of today (list usual tasks here). And it is time to go to bed . . . and everybody in your household is sound asleep and the house is very quiet . . . and in the middle of the night, there is a miracle and the problem that brought you to talk to me about is all solved . But because this happens when you are sleeping, you have no idea that there was a miracle and the problems is solved . . . so when you are slowly coming out of your sound sleep . . .what would be the first small sign that will make you wonder . . .there must’ve been a miracle . . .the problem is all gone! How would you discover this? C: I suppose I will feel like getting up and facing the day, instead of wanting to cover my head under the blanket and just hide there.

T: Suppose you do, get up and face the day, what would be the small thing you would do that you didn’t do this morning? C: I suppose I will say good morning to my kids in a cheerful voice, instead of screaming at them like I do now.

T: What would your children do in response to your cheerful “good morning?” C: They will be surprised at first to hear me talk to them in a cheerful voice, and then they will calm down, be relaxed. God, it’s been a long time that happened.

T: So, what would you do then that you did not do this morning? C: I will crack a joke and put them in a better mood.

These small steps become the building blocks of an entirely different kind of day as clients may begin to implement some of the behavioral changes they just envisioned. Most clients visibly change in their demeanor and some even break out in smiles as they describe their solutions in the context of the Miracle Question.The next step is to invite clients to identify the most recent times when the have experienced some aspect (even the smallest pieces) of their miracle description (exceptions) and invite them to experiment with replicating these in the context of their everyday life.

Scaling Questions

Scaling questions simultaneously allow both client and therapist to assess the client’s situation, identify their current distance from the goal, what it will to maintain their current level of progress and move forward. Clients can variously be invited to rate their level of motivation, confidence, as well as identifying what specifically helps them progress on the scale in the direction of their goal, “best hope,” or “miracle.”

The couple in the following example sought help to decide whether their marriage can survive or they should get divorced. They reported they have fought for 10 years of their 20 years of marriage and they could not fight anymore.

T: Since you two know your marriage better than anybody does, suppose I ask you this way. On a number of 1 to 10, where 10 stands for you have every confidence that this marriage will make it and 1 stands for the opposite, that we might just as well walk away right now and it’s not going to work. What number would you give your marriage? (After a pause, the husband speaks first.) H: I would give it a 7. (the wife flinches as she hears this)

T: (To the wife) What about you? What number would you give it? W: (She thinks about it a long time) I would say I am at 1.1.

T: (Surprised) So, what makes it a 1.1? W: I guess it’s because we are both here tonight. That’s at least a beginning.

The Miracle 10 Question

A hybrid of the Miracle Question and Scaling, the Miracle 10 Question is worded as follows: Imagine a 0-10 scale in which 10 represents that you have now fully achieved your goal and 0 represents the exact opposite. Let’s suppose that tonight while you are sleeping somethings shifts during the night and when you wake up tomorrow you are suddenly at a 10. But since you were asleep when it happened, you don’t initially realize it. What will be the first differences(s) that you or people around you begin to notice about you that begins to give you (and/or them) the idea that something has changed, that in fact you are a 10 now?

Coping Questions

This question is a powerful reminder that all clients engage in many useful things even in times of overwhelming difficulties. Even in the midst of despair, many clients do manage to get out of bed, get dressed, feed their children, and do many other things that require major effort. Coping questions such as “How have you managed to carry on?” or “How have you managed to prevent things from becoming worse?” open up a different way of looking at client’s resiliency and determination.

Consultation Break and Invitation to Add Further Information

Solution focused therapists traditionally take a brief consultation break during the 2nd half of each therapy session during which the therapist reflects carefully on what has occurred in the session. Some time prior to the break, the client is asked “Is there anything that I did not ask that you think it would be important for me to know?” During the break, the therapist or the therapist and a team reflect carefully on all that has occurred in the session.

Following that, the client is complimented and usually offered a therapeutic message based on the client’s stated goal. Usually this takes the form of an invitation for clients to observe and experiment with behaviors that help maintain or result in further positive movement in the direction of their identified goal.

Research Findings

Solution-focused brief therapy is an evidenced-based psychotherapy approach. There have been close to 150 randomized clinical control studies with different control populations in different clinical settings in multiple countries, almost all showing positive benefit of SFBT. There have also been eight meta-analyses on a range of outcome studies with an overall effect size ranging from small to large, for child, adolescent, and adult populations, for presenting problems such as depression, stress, anxiety, behavioral problems, parenting, and psychosocial and interpersonal problems (Kim et al, 2010; 2019). Click Here for more about the research in SFBT .

What Is Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)?

Heather Murray

Counsellor & Psychotherapists

B.A.C.P., B.A.M.B.A

Heather Murray has been serving as a Therapist within the NHS for 20 years. She is trained in EMDR therapy for treating trauma and employs a compassion and mindfulness-based approach consistently. Heather is an accredited member of the BACP and registered with the HCPC as a Music Therapist. Moreover, she has been trained as a Mindfulness Teacher and Supervisor by BAMBA and is a senior Yoga Teacher certified by the British Wheel of Yoga.

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Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

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Take-home Messages

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a therapeutic approach that emphasizes clients’ strengths and resources to create positive change, focusing on present and future goals rather than past problems. It’s brief, goal-oriented, and emphasizes solutions rather than delving into underlying issues.
The focus is on the client’s health rather than the problem, strengths rather than weaknesses or deficits, and skills, resources, and coping abilities that would help reach future goals.
Clients describe what they want to happen in their lives (solutions) and how they will use personal resources to solve their problems.
Clients are encouraged to believe that positive changes are always possible and are encouraged to increase the frequency of current useful behaviors.
Research has shown SFBT effectively decreases marital issues and marital burnout in women (Sanai et al. 2015). Research on children has shown an improvement in classroom behavioral problems in children with special educational needs after 10 SFBT sessions (Franklin et al. 2001).

a woman sat on a sofa grasping her hands together

What is Solution-Focused Therapy?

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), also referred to as Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT), is a form of psychotherapy or counseling.

This form of therapy focuses on solutions to problems or issues and discovering the resources and strengths a person has rather than focusing on the problem like more traditional talking therapies do.

Thus, instead of analyzing how the issue arose or interpretations of it and why it is there and what it really means for the person, SFBT instead concentrates on the issue in the here and now and how to move forward with a solution for it (De Shazer, 1988; De Shazer & Dolan, 2012).

Solution-Focused Therapy was created in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee by De Shazer and Berg (De Shazer et al. 1986).

The reason for its creation was that De Shazer and Berg noticed that clients would often speak about their problems and issues, seeming unable to notice their own inner resources for overcoming these problems and focusing on the future.

They also noticed that the client’s problems or issues showed inconsistency in the way that sometimes they were present and other times they were not, as the person did have moments in life where they could function without the problems being there.

Thus it was important to think about and explore these exceptions when the problem is not affecting the person (Iveson, 2002).

What is Solution-Focused Therapy used for?

Solution-Focused Therapy is currently used for most emotional and mental health problems that other forms of counseling are used to treat, such as:

Self-esteem
Personal stress and work-related stress
Substance abuse/ addiction
Relationship problems

SFBT is best used when a client is trying to reach a particular goal or overcome a particular problem.

While it is not suitable to use as a treatment for major psychiatric conditions such as psychosis or schizophrenia, it could be used in combination with a more suitable psychiatric treatment/ therapy to help alleviate stress and bring awareness to the person’s strengths and internal resources.

Research has shown that after a one-year follow-up, SFBT was effective in reducing depression, anxiety, and mood-related disorders in adults (Maljanen, et al., 2012).

A study on substance abuse in adults showed SFBT to be just as effective as other forms of talking therapy (problem-focused therapies) in treating addiction and decreasing addiction severity and trauma symptoms (Kim, Brook, & Akin, 2018).

A literature review showed SFBT to be most effective on child behavioral problems when it was used as an early intervention before behavioral issues became very severe (Bond et al. 2013).

Solution-Focused Therapy Techniques

In a solution-focused therapy session, the practitioner and client will work collaboratively to set goals and find solutions together, to overcome the problem or issue.

The practitioner will ask questions to gain an understanding of the client’s strengths and inner resources that they might not have noticed before.

The practitioner will also use complimentary language to bring awareness to and to support the strengths that the client does have, to shift the client’s focus to a more solution-oriented, positive outlook, rather than ruminating on the problem, unaware of the strengths and abilities that they do have.

Sessions usually will last between 50 – 90 minutes, but can be as brief as 15 – 20 minutes, usually once per week, for around 6 – 12 weeks, but are also given as one-off, stand-alone sessions.

There are lots of techniques used in SFBT to shift the client’s awareness onto focusing on the future and on a solution.

These techniques include the miracle question, coping questions, exceptions to the problem, compliments, and using scales, which are explained in more detail below:

1. The Miracle Question

This is where the practitioner will ask the client to imagine that they have gone to sleep and when they wake up in the morning, their problems have vanished.

After this visualization, they will ask the client how they know that the problems or issues have gone and what is in particular that is different.

For example:

‘Imagine that when you next go to sleep, a miracle occurs during the night, so that when you wake up feeling refreshed, your problem has vanished. I want to ask you how do you know that your problem has gone? What is different about this morning? What is it that has disappeared or changed in your life?’

This question can help to identify and gain a greater understanding of what the problem is and how it is affecting the person and can provide motivation to want to move forward and overcome it after imagining what it could be like to wake up without it (De Shazer et al., 1986).

2. Coping Questions

Coping questions are questions that the practitioner will use to gain an understanding of how the person has managed to cope.

When someone has been suffering from depression or anxiety for a long time, it often begs the question of how they have continued in their life despite the potentially degrading or depleting effects of such mental and emotional health problems.

Examples of coping questions include:

‘After everything you have been through, I am wondering what has helped you to cope and keep you afloat during all this?”;

‘I feel to ask you, what it is exactly that has helped you through this so far?’.

These questions cause the client to identify the resources they have available to them, including noticing the internal strength that has helped them make it thus far, which they might not have been consciously aware of before (De Shazer et al., 1986).

3. Exceptions to the Problems

Solution-focused therapy believes that there are exceptions or moments in a person’s life when the problem or issue is not present, or the problem is there; however, it does not cause any negative effects (De Shazer et al., 1986).

Thus, raising the question of what is different during these times. The practitioner can investigate the exceptions to the problem by asking the client to think about and recall moments in their life when the problem was not an issue; they can then inquire as to what was different about these moments.

This could lead to clues for helping to create a solution for the problem. It also will help the client to know that there are times when they are not affected by the problem, which could help lessen the power it has over their emotional and mental state.

As we can often be ‘clouded’ or consumed by our problems, it can be empowering to notice or be reminded of times when we were not.

4. Compliments

This involves the practitioner actively listening to the client to identify and acknowledge their strengths and what they have done well, then reflecting them back to the client whilst also acknowledging how difficult it has been for them.

This offers encouragement and values the strengths that the client does have. The practitioner will use direct compliments (in reaction to what the client has said), for example, ‘that’s amazing to hear!’, ‘wow, that’s great.’

Indirect compliments are also used to encourage the client to notice and compliment themselves, such as coping questions or using an appreciatively toned voice to dive deeper into something highlighting the positive strengths of the client.

For example, ‘How did you manage that?!’ with a tone of amazement and happy facial expressions.

The practitioner will ask the client to rate the severity of their problem or issue on a scale from 1-10. This helps both the practitioner and client to visualize whereabouts they are with the problem or issue.

Examples of scaling questions include:

‘On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you rate your current ability to achieve this goal?’;
‘From 1-10, how would you rate your progress towards finding a job?’;
‘Can you rate your current level of happiness from 1-10?’;
‘From 1-10, how much do you attribute your level of alcohol consumption to be one of the main obstacles or sources of conflict in your marriage?’.

They can be used throughout sessions to compare where the client is now, in comparison to the first or second session, and also to rate how far from or near their ideal way of being or to complete their goal.

This can help both practitioner and client notice if something is still left to be done to reach a 9 or 10, and can then start exploring what that is.

Scaling helps to give clarity on the client’s feelings, it also helps to give sessions direction and highlights if something is holding back the client’s ability to solve the problem still or not.

Critical Evaluation

SFBT is a short-term therapy; on average, sessions will last for 6-10 weeks but can even be one stand-alone session, which helps it be more cost-effective compared to longer-term therapy that lasts for months or years (Maljanen et al. 2012).
It can help clients to identify their problems and then find a goal to overcome them; the practitioner also offers the client support through compliments which gives them the motivation to notice their strengths, increase their self-esteem, and keep striving to achieve their goals.
It is future-oriented, so it helps to motivate the client to move forward in life and not to feel stuck in their past; also, SFBT is positive in nature, so it gives the client the optimism needed to move forward into the future.
It is non-judgmental and compassionate in its approach; the client chooses their own goals, not the therapist, and they are praised/ complimented for their strengths no matter how small; even if they fail at achieving their set goal, they are praised for showing their strengths in other ways in life, helping them not to lose sight of their inner resources and still feel encouraged.

Disadvantages

Because it is short term, it is not a good fit for everyone, for example, clients with more severe problems that need more time and clients who are withdrawn or struggle to speak and open up fully to the therapist, who would naturally need more time to gain trust and feel comfortable, before being able to work towards a solution with the help of the practitioner.
Has less importance placed on past traumas, giving less room during sessions to explore these significant events (sometimes of great complexity), and help the client to understand why something in their past happened and why it is still affecting them today.
As it is solution-focused, it could minimize the client’s pain, making them feel like their past traumas have not been heard or felt by the counselor, which can and does affect the therapeutic alliance, as you are more likely to openly and honestly speak about something traumatic, if you feel the other person deems it important as well, and if they give you space for it. It is also a reason some people choose to see a counselor because they have not had the opportunity to speak about their problems or traumas with other people in their life.
As the therapy is client-led, this could lead to a few problems. For example, if the client wishes to talk about and explore a past trauma or gain an understanding of a past issue, despite cues from the practitioner to focus on the near future in a solution-focused way, then it will be difficult for the practitioner to actually use this method at all with the client, as SFBT requires the client to actively be ready and want to find a solution and focus towards their near future.
Also, the client-led approach means that the client can decide when their goals have been sufficiently reached. Therefore, they can end the therapy sessions early if they feel it’s enough, even if the practitioner is concerned about this.

Bond, C., Woods, K., Humphrey, N., Symes, W., & Green, L. (2013). Practitioner review: The effectiveness of solution focused brief therapy with children and families: A systematic and critical evaluation of the literature from 1990–2010 . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54 (7), 707-723.

De Shazer, S. (1988). Clues: Investigating solutions in brief therapy . New York: Norton & Co.

De Shazer, S., Berg, I. K., Lipchik, E., Nunnally, E., Molnar, A., Gingerich, W., & Weiner-Davis, M. (1986). Brief therapy: focused solution development. Family Process , 25(2): 207–221.

De Shazer, S., & Dolan, Y. (2012). More than miracles: The state of the art of solution-focused brief therapy . New York: Haworth Press

Franklin, C., Biever, J., Moore, K., Clemons, D., & Scamardo, M. (2001). The Effectiveness of Solution-Focused Therapy with Children in a School Setting. Research on Social Work Practice, 11 (4): 411-434.

Iveson, C. (2002). Solution-focused brief therapy . Advances in Psychiatric Treatment , 8(2), 149–157.

Kim, J, S., Brook, J., Akin, B, A. (2018). Solution-Focused Brief Therapy with Substance-Using Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study . Research on Social Work Practice, 28 (4), 452-462.

Maljanen, T., Paltta, P., Härkänen, T., Virtala, E., Lindfors, O., Laaksonen, M. A., Knekt, P., & Helsinki Psychotherapy Study Group. (2012). The cost-effectiveness of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy and solution-focused therapy in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorder during a one-year follow-up. Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics. 15 (1), 13–23.

Sanai, B., Davarniya, R., Bakhtiari Said, B., & Shakarami, M. (2015). The effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) on reducing couple burnout and improvement of the quality of life of married women. Armaghane danesh, 20 (5), 416-432.

Further Information

Solution-Focused Therapy Treatment Manual.

De Shazer, S., & Berg, I. K. (1997). ‘What works?’Remarks on research aspects of solution‐focused brief therapy. Journal of Family therapy, 19(2), 121-124.

Dermer, S. B., Hemesath, C. W., & Russell, C. S. (1998). A feminist critique of solution-focused therapy. American Journal of Family Therapy, 26(3), 239-250.

Trepper, T. S., Dolan, Y., McCollum, E. E., & Nelson, T. (2006). Steve De Shazer and the future of solution‐focused therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 32(2), 133-139.

De Shazer, S., Berg, I. K., Lipchik, E. V. E., Nunnally, E., Molnar, A., Gingerich, W., & Weiner‐Davis, M. (1986). Brief therapy: Focused solution development. Family process, 25(2), 207-221.

Ayisha Amatullah

December 18, 2023

14 Solution-Focused Techniques for Therapy and Coaching

Solution-focused techniques are a transformative approach in therapy and coaching. It emphasizes the client’s potential and resources for change. Instead of focusing on problems, these techniques prioritize the desired future and the steps to achieve it. The goal is to foster a solution-focused mindset and promote resilience, optimism, and self-efficacy.

This guide will explore 14 techniques commonly used in solution-focused therapy and coaching. It will include practical applications and examples.

Solution-focused techniques are effective, but they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. Take into account each client’s unique needs. Seek professional guidance and tailor techniques accordingly. Exercise caution when working with individuals who have experienced severe trauma. Prioritize their well-being and readiness for solution-focused work. Seek professional supervision when working with this client group.

In This Post

1 Problem-Free Talk
2 Strength-Based Questions
3 Future Perfect
4 Miracle Question
6 Counter Finding
7 Exception Questions
8 Coping Questions
9 Reframing Questions
10 Externalization
11 Affirming and Complementing
12 Feedback
13 Goal Setting and Action Planning
15 Takeaway

Problem-Free Talk

Problem-Free Talk is a technique in solution-focused therapy that involves steering the conversation toward topics unrelated to the client’s problem.

Purpose: The purpose of Problem-Free Talk is to provide a breather from problem-oriented discussions, encouraging clients to explore areas of their life where they experience success, satisfaction, or competence.

Benefits: The benefits of Problem-Free Talk include reducing stress associated with the problem, igniting hope, and fostering a positive therapeutic relationship. It also assists in uncovering resources and strengths that might be useful in addressing the problematic areas.

When to use it: In solution-focused sessions , start with Problem-Free Talk to establish a positive and relaxed tone. This builds rapport and trust, allowing clients to approach problem-solving confidently and openly. It’s also helpful when clients feel overwhelmed or when shifting the conversation to a more positive direction is beneficial.

How to use it: To implement Problem-Free Talk, a therapist or coach can divert the conversation to non-problematic areas such as hobbies, interests, or positive experiences.

A potential question: “Let’s talk about something you enjoy doing during your free time. How does engaging in this activity make you feel?”

Such conversations facilitate a more positive and hopeful outlook, which can be beneficial in the solution-building process.

Strength-Based Questions

Strength-based questions are a key tool in solution-focused therapy and coaching, designed to help clients identify and utilize their personal strengths and resources.

Purpose: Strength-based questions shift the client’s focus from problems to abilities, fostering empowerment and self-efficacy. They help clients recognize their strengths and potential for growth. This approach promotes resilience and the belief in one’s ability to navigate challenges successfully.

Benefits: The benefits of strength-based questions are manifold. They foster positive self-perception, enhance self-confidence, boost resilience, and encourage clients to leverage their strengths to overcome challenges. Additionally, they promote a positive attitude, foster resilience, and facilitate personal growth and self-improvement.

When to use it: Strength-based questions are used to help clients identify their strengths and personal resources to achieve their goals. These questions can be used at the beginning of a session, throughout the process, and during goal setting and action planning. It can be used when clients struggle with self-esteem, feel overwhelmed by problems, or appear stuck in a negative mindset. However, they are not suitable for individuals in severe crisis or trauma who may require a different therapeutic approach.

How to use it: To employ strength-based questions, the therapist or coach may ask the client to reflect on instances where they successfully handled a difficult situation and what personal strengths enabled them to do so. This approach helps clients recognize their abilities, boosting their confidence and motivation to navigate current challenges.

Examples of strength-based questions

Here are a few examples of strength-based questions:

“Can you tell me about a time when you faced and overcame a similar challenge?”
“What personal strengths or skills did you utilize to overcome past challenges?”
“What’s going well in your life right now, and how have you contributed to making that happen?”
“What strengths do you have that can be applied to the current situation or challenge?”
“Can you recall an experience where you felt proud of yourself? What strengths could you draw from that experience?”
“What have you done that has helped in similar situations?”
“Can you describe a time when you felt most alive or fulfilled? What skills or strengths were you using at that time?”

These questions are designed to highlight an individual’s resources, abilities, and skills, encouraging them to draw upon these strengths to devise solutions.

Future Perfect

The Future Perfect is a solution-focused technique that primarily encourages clients to visualize a desirable future where their issues are resolved.

Purpose: This technique aims to help clients identify their goals and desired outcomes in a tangible and concrete manner. It promotes optimism, fosters motivation, and provides a clear direction for the therapy or coaching process .

Benefits: The benefits of the Future Perfect include enhanced clarity, increased motivation, and a proactive approach towards problem-solving. It stimulates constructive thinking and encourages clients to have a forward-looking perspective.

When to use it: The Future Perfect is normally done early in the session, right after the therapist or coach understands the purpose of the coaching session. It is then used to guide the rest of the session. It’s also useful when clients feel stuck or struggle to envision positive outcomes. It’s particularly effective in overwhelming situations or when clients dwell on past failures.

How to use it: To utilize the Future Perfect, therapists or coaches guide clients to envision a future where their problems have been resolved. This approach helps clients articulate their desired outcomes and set tangible targets, facilitating effective action towards achieving their goals.

Examples of Future Perfect Questions:

“Imagine waking up tomorrow and a miracle has happened. How would you know? What would be the first thing you notice?”
“Imagine a hypothetical situation where your current challenges have been resolved. What activities would you engage in that you cannot do now?”
“Let’s say you went to sleep tonight and woke up tomorrow with no problems. What would you do first?”
“If we were to fast-forward to a time when your issues are no longer a barrier, how would that change your approach to achieving your goals?”
“Envision yourself in a future where your current obstacles don’t exist. How would that positively affect your mental and physical wellbeing?”
“In a world where your problems are resolved, what would your ideal day look like?”

Miracle Question

The Miracle Question is the most widely used form of the Future Perfect. It is a fundamental tool in solution-focused therapy that encourages clients to ponder a hypothetical situation wherein their concerns have been magically resolved.

Purpose: The Miracle Question is designed to help clients articulate their desired state of existence and pinpoint the changes required to achieve this. It aims to shift their mindset from problem-oriented to solution-oriented.

Benefits: Utilizing the Miracle Question can increase client optimism and motivation. It encourages forward thinking and helps clients identify and focus on their strengths and resources to bring about positive change.

When to use it: The Miracle Question is normally done early in the session, right after the therapist or coach understands the purpose of the coaching session. It is then used to guide the rest of the session. This technique is also effective when clients find it challenging to envision their lives without their current issues. It is not advisable for severely traumatized individuals or those who are not ready to contemplate the future.

How to use it: To apply the Miracle Question, the therapist or coach asks the client:

“Suppose tonight you go to bed and go to sleep as usual. And during the night, a miracle happens. And the problem vanishes. And the issues that concern you are resolved, but you’re still asleep. Therefore, you don’t know that the miracle has happened. When you wake up tomorrow, what will be the first things that will tell you that the miracle has happened? How will you know that the transformation has occurred?”

This approach aids clients in defining their goals and the steps needed to reach them.

The Miracle Question with Examples, Worksheets, Exercises, & Demo Video

Scaling is a pivotal technique in solution-focused therapy, where clients are asked to rate their problem on a scale, typically from 1 to 10.

Purpose : The primary purpose of Scaling is to provide a visual and measurable representation of the client’s issues and progress. It assists clients in recognizing incremental improvements that may otherwise go unnoticed.

Benefits: The benefits of Scaling include promoting a sense of control and self-awareness in clients. By visualizing their problem and progress, they understand where they are, where they want to be, and the steps needed to get there.

When to use it: Scaling is normally used after the Furtue Perfect. It can also be useful when clients struggle to recognize or articulate their progress. Additionally, it can be helpful when clients are stuck and need to identify small signs of improvement to stay motivated in their continued efforts.

How to use it: To implement Scaling, therapists or coaches might ask:

“On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the worst possible situation and 10 being the best possible situation (the Future Perfect), where would you rate your current situation?”

Follow-up questions might include:

“What would need to happen for you to move up one point on the scale?”

These questions facilitate self-reflection and goal-setting, furthering the solution-building process.

Counter Finding

Counter-finding is a potent technique in solution-focused therapy that involves identifying potential solutions based on how past situations were managed. This method focuses on finding “counters,” or elements that contribute toward a solution.

Purpose: The main purpose of counter-finding is to draw upon past successes and strengths and use these as a blueprint for managing current and future challenges.

Benefits: This technique allows clients to realize they have previously demonstrated resilience and problem-solving abilities.

When to use it: Counter-finding is used throughout the session. Practioners should use their active listening skills to listen for counters. It is also effective when clients feel overwhelmed by their current situation, as it helps them recall successful ways they have navigated past challenges.

How to use it: To put Counter Finding into practice, therapists or coaches can ask questions like:

“Can you remember a time when you faced a similar situation and found a way to handle it?” or “What skills or strengths did you use then that might be helpful now?”

Such inquiries encourage clients to tap into past successes to devise solutions for present issues.

Exception Questions

Exception Questions are aimed to identify times when the problem was less severe or absent.

Purpose: The primary purpose of Exception Questions is to help clients discover situations or behaviors that contribute to problem resolution, providing a basis for potential solutions.

Benefits: The main benefit of Exception Questions is that they enable clients to recognize their own problem-solving abilities, enhancing self-efficacy and promoting a sense of empowerment.

When to use it: Exception Questions are suitable when clients feel overwhelmed by their problems and struggle to see instances of success. They are less effective with clients who are reluctant or unable to reflect on past experiences.

How to use it: To implement Exception Questions, a therapist or coach might ask:

“Can you recall when the problem was less intense or didn’t occur at all? What was different then?”
“Tell me about a time when you managed the situation better than usual. What was different about that time?”
“Can you recall a moment when you expected the problem to occur, but it didn’t? What were you doing differently?”
“In the past week, was there a day or even just a moment when the problem didn’t affect you as much? Can you describe what was happening then?”

Such questions invite clients to reflect on positive past experiences and identify useful strategies or behaviors.

14 solution-focused techniques for therapy and coaching

Coping Questions

Coping Questions are a tool used in solution-focused therapy to help clients recognize and value their resilience.

Purpose: These questions highlight positive changes, no matter how small, shifting the client’s perspective towards solution-building.

Benefits: This technique can enhance resilience, promote self-efficacy, and create a positive outlook. It can underscore the client’s ability to navigate difficulties and affirm their potential for change.

When to Use: Use this approach at the start of subsequent sessions after establishing a baseline in the first one or whenever there is a need to shift from problem-focused to solution-focused discussions.

How to Use: To use Coping Questions, therapists might ask:

“Despite all your challenges, how are you managing?”
“How did you manage to prevent things from worsening?”
“What helped you keep going despite the difficulties?”

These questions ensure clients appreciate their strengths, resilience, and coping mechanisms, fostering self-efficacy and a positive attitude toward change.

Reframing Questions

Reframing Questions is a significant tool used to change the client’s perspective on their problems or situation.

Purpose: The primary purpose of Reframing Questions is to shift the client’s view from a negative, problem-focused perspective to a positive, solution-oriented one.

Benefits: The strength of Reframing Questions lies in their ability to promote a more positive outlook, enhance resilience, and encourage creative problem-solving skills.

When to Use: Reframing Questions can be employed anytime during the therapy or coaching process , particularly when the client is stuck in a negative viewpoint or when facilitating a shift from discussing problems to exploring solutions.

How to Use: To use Reframing Questions, therapist or coaches might ask:

“What if you viewed this challenge as an opportunity? How would that change your approach?” or

“Despite the hardship, what’s something positive you can take away from this situation?”

These questions inspire optimism and a sense of possibility, stimulating the client’s ability to envision and work toward solutions.

Externalization

Externalization is a strategic technique used to separate clients from their problems.

Purpose: The primary purpose of Externalization is to help clients perceive their issues not as innate, personal failings but as external challenges that can be managed and overcome.

Benefits: Externalization can reduce self-blame and guilt, increase objectivity, and empower clients to confront and handle difficulties more effectively.

When to Use: This technique is beneficial when clients exhibit strong self-criticism or when their identity appears intertwined with their problems.

How to Use: To employ Externalization, therapists and coaches might say:

“If the problem were a separate entity, how would you deal with it?” or “Let’s think of the problem as a ‘monster.’

How would you fight this ‘monster’?” These questions aim to help clients view their problems from a fresh perspective, encouraging problem-solving and resilience.

Affirming and Complementing

Affirming and Complementing is a powerful technique used in solution-focused therapy to reinforce positive behaviors and achievements.

Purpose: The primary purpose of affirming and complementing is to boost the client’s confidence and self-esteem. It encourages clients to continue engaging in behaviors that contribute to their progress.

Benefits: The benefits include enhanced self-efficacy, motivation, and a stronger therapeutic relationship. It fosters a sense of accomplishment and positivity within clients.

When to use it: Affirming and Complementing is beneficial in all stages of therapy or coaching, but especially when a client has made progress, however minor, towards their goals.

I teach my coaching students to use it toward the end of the session, just before action planning. The point is to affirm and summarize everything you heard throughout the session to the client. This helps create an awareness about all the possibilities for the client.

How to use it: To implement Affirming and Complementing, therapists or coaches highlight and praise the clients’ achievements, strengths, and positive actions.

At the end of the session, the therapist or coach might say something like:

“I want to take a moment to acknowledge the courage it’s taken for you to share your experiences and feelings today. I’ve heard you express a lot of resilience in managing your challenges. For instance, you’ve noticed that taking a walk in nature helps alleviate your anxiety, and you’ve been proactively incorporating this into your daily routine. You also shared a recent occasion when you successfully handled a stressful situation at work without letting it overwhelm you. These are significant accomplishments. Your increased awareness and active efforts in managing your stress are commendable. Let’s continue to explore and build upon these strategies in our future sessions.”

Feedback is a crucial technique in solution-focused centered around providing clients with constructive insights on their progress and behaviors.

Purpose: The primary purpose of feedback is to guide clients toward their desired outcomes by clearly understanding their strengths, achievements, and areas for improvement.

Benefits: Feedback fosters self-awareness, informs clients of their progress, and motivates further improvement. It reinforces positive behaviors, aids in the rectification of unhelpful ones, and promotes active participation in their therapeutic journey.

When to use it: Feedback is beneficial throughout the therapy or coaching process but is particularly useful after a significant interaction achievement or when clients seem unsure about their progress.

How to use it: To implement feedback, therapists or coaches should highlight the client’s achievements, discuss areas of improvement, and collaboratively plan future strategies. The feedback should be specific, balanced, and done in a supportive and non-judgmental manner.

For instance: “You’ve made good progress in managing your stress, especially in ‘X’ area. What do you think worked for you there? How can we replicate this success in ‘Y’ area?”

Goal Setting and Action Planning

Goal Setting and Action Planning is an essential technique in solution-focused therapy that involves establishing clear, achievable goals and outlining steps to reach those goals.

Purpose: The primary purpose of Goal Setting and Action Planning is to provide direction and motivation for clients. It helps clients focus on their desired outcomes and the steps necessary to achieve them.

Benefits: Goal setting and action planning enhance clients ‘ sense of control, self-efficacy, and motivation. It enables clients to visualize their progress and holds them accountable for their own change process, which can lead to long-lasting success.

When to use it: Goal setting and action planning mostly come towards the end of the session. It is useful when a client is ready and motivated to make changes but requires structure and clarity in initiating the change.

How to use it: To implement Goal Setting and Action Planning, therapists or coaches might ask:

“What are some of the changes you wish to see? How will you know when you have achieved this?”
“What are some steps you can take towards this goal?”

These questions encourage self-reflection, decision-making, and proactive behavior, which are key components in the solution-building process.

EARS stands for Elicit, Amplify, Reinforce, and Start Again. In solution-focused, this technique identifies improvements and changes since the last session.

Purpose: The primary purpose of using EARS in this context is to help clients recognize the positive changes and progress they’ve made since the last session. This can include any improvements, no matter how small.

Benefits: Using EARS to track progress reinforces a client’s self-efficacy and motivation, highlighting their ability to effect positive change. This can foster a sense of empowerment and boost confidence in their problem-solving skills.

When to use it: EARS is used at the beginning of a follow-up session to gauge changes since the previous meeting. It’s especially beneficial when clients struggle to see their progress or need a boost in motivation.

How to use it: To implement EARS in tracking progress, the therapist or coach should:

Elicit: Ask the client to reflect on any changes or improvements since the last session.
Amplify: Have the client elaborate on these changes and the actions they’ve taken to bring them about.
Reinforce: Highlight these positive changes and actions, reinforcing their ability to effect change.
Start Again: Begin the process anew in the subsequent session, continually helping the client to recognize and build upon their progress.

Check out 101 Solution-Focused Questions for Therapy and Coaching

Solution-focused therapy and coaching offer many techniques designed to shift clients’ perspectives, foster resilience, and enhance their ability to navigate challenges. Factors such as goal setting and action planning, coping and reframing questions, and externalization all play a pivotal role in this therapeutic and coaching approach. Although each technique varies in the application, they share a common objective: to empower clients to envision and work towards solutions rather than remain entangled in their problems. Remember, it’s about facilitating a journey from a problem-focused mindset to a solution-oriented one.

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Solution-Focused Counseling

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Solution-Focused Therapy/Counseling, or Solution-Focused Brief Therapy as it is sometimes referred, is one of the postmodern psychotherapeutic methodologies which developed out of a critique of the traditional approaches to psychotherapy. The impetus of the critique was that traditional models of psychotherapy take an overly hierarchical and pathologizing approach, based on biased presuppositions and worldviews. Thus, traditional approaches of psychotherapy focus predominately on identifying the cause of problems (interpreted by an objective observing expert) while the solution-focused approach believes that knowing about the problem is no longer necessary, and in fact, can be limiting in many cases (Walter and Peller 1992 ). Moreover, the client, not the therapist, is actually the expert on his or her experience and determines what is problematic as well as what will be helpful. In short, the emphasis is on solution building rather than problem solving wherein solutions are...

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Roozeboom, W.D. (2014). Solution-Focused Counseling. In: Leeming, D.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6086-2_9220

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Solution-focused practice toolkit

The solution-focused practice toolkit provides inspiration for worksheets and activities to use, adapt or devise for the children and young people you work with.

Developed by practitioners from our Face to Face service, the toolkit is based on their experiences using a solution-focused approach. It's available as one download or 11 printable sections covering different aspects of solution-focused practice.

Published: 2015

What is solution-focused practice?

Solution-focused practice concentrates on helping people move towards the future that they want and to learn what can be done differently by using their existing skills, strategies and ideas – rather than focusing on the problem.

It was originally developed in the USA in the 1980s and 1990s. The approach has always been used with children and young people, as well as adults. We've been using solution-focused practice in our Face to Face service [internal link] since September 2011.

This approach treats the child or young person as the expert on their own life. Practitioners ask questions to help the young person begin moving towards the future they want and help them make positive changes in their lives.

Although the principle is simple, the delivery is often not an easy process. Practitioners need to ask questions that really get to the heart of the issue and come up with creative ways to help young people find their solution.

Who is the toolkit for?

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The worksheets and activities are designed to be used with children and young people aged 5-19 years old.

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Our practitioners have lots of experience using a solution-focused approach with children of different ages, interests and needs.

And in the process, they’ve come up with some really creative ways of working with children and young people.

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Solution-focused practice toolkit: helping professionals use the approach when working with children and young people (PDF)

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Solution-focused brief therapy.

Mo Yee Lee Mo Yee Lee College of Social Work, Ohio State University
https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.1039
Published online: 03 September 2013

Building on a strengths perspective and using a time-limited approach, solution-focused brief therapy is a treatment model in social work practice that holds a person accountable for solutions rather than responsible for problems. Solution-focused brief therapy deliberately utilizes the language and symbols of “solution and strengths” in treatment and postulates that positive and long-lasting change can occur in a relatively brief period of time by focusing on the solution-building process instead of focusing on the problems. Currently, this practice model has been adopted in diverse social work practice settings with different client populations, which could be partly accounted by the fact that the assumptions and practice orientation of solution-focused brief therapy are consistent with social work values as well as the strengths-based and empowerment-based practice in social work treatment.

brief treatment
empowerment-based
social work treatment
solution-focused
strengths-based

The development of solution-focused brief therapy was originally inspired by the work of husband and wife Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg, along with their associates at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee. The Brief Therapy Center was first established by de Shazer and Berg in 1978 and formally became the home of solution-focused brief therapy in 1982. With the passing of de Shazer in September 2005 and then Berg in January 2007, the stewardship of the Brief Therapy Center was transferred to the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association (SFBTA). De Shazer was instrumental in the development of SFBTA because he was the one who first invited the solution-focused community to meet in 2001. This group, including de Shazer, Berg and 27 colleagues, founded the SFBTA in the fall of 2002. The European Brief Therapy Association (EBTA), which was established earlier in 1993, shares similar aims to promote the development and dissemination of solution-focused brief therapy. Both the SFBTA and the EBTA hold annual conferences, support research efforts, and further the development and promotion of solution-focused brief therapy in practice.

When de Shazer and Berg first conceptualized the approach, solution-focused brief therapy was atheoretical, and the focus was on finding “what works in therapy.” Wary of the potentially limiting effects of assumptions or presumptions of theory-based practice approaches pertaining to clients, problems, and diagnoses, these pioneers of solution-focused brief therapy took a new and different approach in exploring the treatment process by asking one simple question: “What works in treatment?” They were interested in listening to what clients have to share, noticing what actually happens in session that helps positive improvement, and distancing themselves as much as possible from presumptions about what works as proposed by diverse treatment approaches. The original team regularly met and observed therapy sessions using a one-way mirror. While observing the therapeutic dialogues and process, the team behind the mirror diligently attempted to identify, discover, and converse about what brought beneficial positive changes in clients and families. In other words, the early development of solution-focused brief therapy was antithetical to the modernist epistemology of understanding human behavior and change based on a presumed understanding of the observed phenomena. Instead of taking a positivistic, hierarchal, or expert stance, the understanding is accomplished by a bottom-up and grounded approach, which strives for a contextual and local understanding of what works in therapy (Berg, 1994 ; Lee, 2011 ).

De Shazer, the co-founder of solution-focused brief therapy, was trained in brief therapy at the Mental Research Institute (MRI) in Palo Alto, CA. Consequently, the brief therapy tradition at MRI does have some legacy on the development of solution-focused brief therapy. Brief therapy, as based on MRI, is influenced by a systems perspective (Bateson, 1979 ), social constructivism (for example, see Berg & Luckmann, 1966 ; Neimeyer & Mahoney, 1993 ; Rosen & Kuehlwein, 1996 ), and the work of the psychiatrist Milton Erickson, who was an expert in observing and utilizing what clients brought to the session in order to solve their presenting problems. Erickson’s work exemplified the belief that individuals have the strengths and resources to solve their problems (Erickson, 1985a ; Erickson, 1985b ). To note, a major difference between MRI and solution-focused brief therapy is that while the brief therapy approaches that were developed at MRI focus on disrupting the problem-maintaining pattern, solution-focused brief therapy emphasizes the solution-building process. Such a shift in treatment focus is influenced by a strong emphasis on the role of language in creating and sustaining reality as embraced by solution-focused brief therapy (de Shazer, 1994 ).

Practice Assumptions of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

Insoo Kim Berg, Steve de Shazer, and the solution-focused community emphasized that solution-focused brief therapy is not simply a set of therapeutic techniques but instead represents a way of thinking (de Shazer, 1985 ). Mastering the techniques without embracing underlying assumptions and beliefs of solution-focused brief therapy toward clients and change is not helpful in the treatment process. While the original development of solution-focused brief therapy was atheoretical, the practice of solution-focused brief therapy is consistent with the views posed by a systems perspective, social constructivism, and the work of the psychiatrist Milton Erickson. The practice assumptions of solution-focused brief therapy are:

Focus on solutions, strengths, and health . Solution-focused brief therapy focuses on what clients can do versus what clients cannot do. Instead of focusing and exploring clients’ problems and deficiencies, the focus is on the successes and accomplishments when clients are able to satisfactorily address their problems of living. The focus is on how to notice, identify, expand, and use these successes them more often (Berg & Kelly, 2000 ; de Shazer, 1985 ). The emphasis on solutions and successes is neither a consequence of “naive” beliefs regarding strengths in clients nor simplistic “positive thinking.” It is a deliberate therapeutic choice, which is supported by repeated clinical observations that clients discover solutions more quickly when the focus is on what they can do, what strengths they have, and what they have accomplished (de Jong & Berg, 2013 ). Theoretically speaking, the focus on solutions and successes to facilitate positive changes in clients is supported by a systems perspective (Bateson, 1979 ) and the role of language in creating reality (de Shazer, 1994 ). Systems perspective . One major proposition of a systems perspective is that change is constant in any system (Bateson, 1979 ). Because change is constant and there is movement in any system, every problem pattern includes an exception to the pattern (de Shazer, 1985 ). For example, no matter how conflicted a relationship is, there must be times that the dyads (that is, a couple or two people) are not fighting or bickering. The time when the dyad is doing something else to handle its differences constitutes an exception to the problem pattern, which also contains potential solution to the problem of fighting. Underlying such a view is a belief in the inherent strengths and potentials of clients to engage in behavior that is outside the problem pattern (De Jong & Berg, 2013 ). In other words, despite the multi-deficiencies and problems that clients may perceive that they have, there are times when clients handle their life situations in a more satisfying way or in a different manner. These exceptions provide the clues for solutions (de Shazer, 1985 , 1988 ) and represent the client’s “unnoticed” strengths and resources. The task for the solution-focused practitioner is to assist clients in noticing, amplifying, sustaining, and reinforcing these exceptions, regardless of how small or infrequent the exceptions may be (Berg & Kelly, 2000 , Lee, Sebold, & Uken, 2003 ). Once clients are engaged in non-problem behavior, they are on their way to a solution-building process (Berg & Steiner, 2003 ).

Another major assumption of a systems perspective is the inter-relatedness of all parts of a system, which presumes that everything is connected. Change in one part of a system leads to change in other parts of the system (Bateson, 1972 ; Becvar & Becvar, 2012 ; Keeney & Thomas, 1986 ). As such, a systems perspective does not assume a one-to-one linear relationship between problem and solution. The focus is on circular relationships rather than linear relationships among different parts of a system. The complex inter-relatedness of different parts of systems also renders the effort to establish a causal understanding of problems essentially futile. It is almost impossible to precisely ascertain exactly why any problem occurs in the first place and the trajectory of development. As such, solutions to a problem can happen in multiple pathways and do not necessarily have to be directly related to the presenting problem (de Shazer, 1985 ). In other words, insight into the problem’s origin is not necessary to initiate a process of change in clients. Without minimizing the importance of a person’s experience and perception of the history of the problem, solution-focused brief therapy views what is going on in the present as more important than what caused the problem at the very beginning.

The choice of not drilling into the history and patterns of problem but focusing on what clients do well is further influenced by the power of language in shaping clients’ experience of their reality (de Shazer, 1994 ; Lee et al., 2003 ).

Language and reality.

There is a conscious effort in solution-focused brief therapy to stay focused on solution dialogues and to de-emphasize problem dialogues. Such a conscious effort grows out of a concern about the role of language in creating or sustaining reality. Solution-focused brief therapy views language as the medium through which personal meaning and understanding are expressed and socially constructed in conversation (de Shazer, 1991 , 1994 ). Furthermore, the meaning of things is contingent on the contexts and the language within which issues are described, categorized, and constructed by clients (Wittgenstein, 1958 ). Wittgenstein ( 1958 ) suggested that the way an individual experiences the reality is framed and limited by the language available to him or her to describe it. As such, these meanings are inherently unstable and shifting (Wittgenstein, 1958 ). Consequently, a major therapeutic task for social work professionals is to consider how we can use language in treatment that will facilitate the description and construction of a “beneficial” reality that will open space for individuals to find solutions to their presenting problems.

Recognizing the power of language in creating and sustaining realities, the “conversation of change” is the preferred language of solution-focused brief therapy. The “conversation of change” uses language with the following characteristics (Lee, et al, 2003 ):

Language that implies the person wants to change

Language that implies that the person is capable

Language that implies change has occurred or is occurring

Language that implies the changes are meaningful

Language that encourages the person to explore possibilities for change

Language that suggests that the person can be creative and playful about life

Language that conveys recognition of the persons’ evolution of their personal story

Language that does not encourage negative, blaming, or self-defeating descriptions

This “conversation of change” uses presuppositional language that assumes a possibility of change and thereby induces hopefulness in clients (Lee et al., 2003 ; Walter & Peller, 1992 ).

Accountability for Solutions

Practitioners of solution-focused brief therapy choose to hold the client responsible for solutions instead of problems in the treatment process in order to ethically and effectively facilitate positive changes in clients (de Shazer, 1985 ). The advantage of such a focus is that the practitioner and the client can direct therapeutic efforts toward supporting the client’s responsibility for building solutions and avoiding the potential negativity cycle that might be perpetrated by the language of blaming (Lee et al., 2003 ). However, holding clients to be accountable for solutions is neither simple nor easy. Clients usually seek treatment because they do not know or even feel that there are solutions to their presenting problems. Change requires hard work and a solution-building process requires discipline and effort (Berg & Kelly, 2000 ; De Jong and Berg ( 2013 ). In solution-focused treatment, the “solution” is established in the form of a goal that is to be self-determined and attained by the client (Lee, Uken, & Sebold, 2007 ). Characteristics of useful goals are:

personally meaningful and important to the clients;

small enough to be achieved;

concrete, specific, and behavioral so that indicators of success can be established and observed;

positively stated so that the goal represents the presence rather than the absence of something;

realistic and achievable within the context of the client’s life; and (6) perceived as involving hard work (Berg & Miller, 1992 ; Lee et al., 2007 ).

A Present and Future Orientation

People can take helpful actions to impact the present and the future, but obviously we cannot change what has already happened in the past. Solution-focused brief therapy believes that problems belong to the past while solutions exist in the present and future. Solution-focused brief therapy assumes that the meanings of a problem are artifacts of the context (de Shazer, 1991 ). Because one can never know exactly why a problem exists and because problem perceptions are not external objective “realities,” insight into the problem’s origin is not necessary to initiate a process of change in clients. Without minimizing the importance of the client’s experience and perception of the history of the problem, a solution-focused practitioner listens attentively to clients’ sharing of their stories and experiences. However, the practitioner does not reinforce this line of conversation and instead looks for opportunities to shift to a “conversation of change” that assists clients in “staying at the surface of their problems” (de Shazer, 1991 ). “Staying at the surface of problems” should not be equated with being superficial in the treatment process. The treatment process avoids going “deep” into the problem; rather, it aims to assist clients to do something attainable and observable in their present, immediate life context (de Shazer, 1994 ). Solution-focused brief therapy acknowledges that we cannot change the past but assumes that we can do something helpful in the present.

Solution-focused brief therapy also assumes that “the future exists in our anticipation of how it will be” (Cade & O’Hanlon, 1993 , p. 109). In other words, how we construct a picture of a desirable future will influence how events will unfold in life. Consequently, the solution-focused practitioner asks questions that will help clients to describe a future that does not contain the problem. The more specific and clearer the vision of a desirable future, the more likely it will happen because the client will have a goal to aspire to and steps to follow. Consequently, the task of therapy is to help clients envision a desirable future and identify the first small step that they can take to attain a future without the problem (Berg, 1994 , De Jong & Berg, 2013 ). Such descriptions also inspire hope and enhance motivation in clients to engage in beneficial behaviors that will lead to positive changes in their lives.

Clients define their goals: The client as assessor

Solution-focused brief therapy views goals as individually constructed by clients in a collaborative process during treatment. Aligned with social constructivism (Berg & Luckmann, 1966 ; Neimeyer & Mahoney, 1993 ; Rosen & Kuehlwein, 1996 ), solution-focused brief therapy believes that solutions to problems are not objective “realities” but rather individually constructed. Clients are the most legitimate “knower” of their life experiences and should be the center of the change process. Externally imposed therapeutic goals, as promoted by therapy approaches or society, may be inappropriate or irrelevant to the needs of clients. In addition, clients generally are willing to work harder if they define the goal of therapy and perceived the goal as personally meaningful (Lee et al., 2007 ). Consequently, a distinctive characteristic of solution-oriented assessment is its focus on the client as the assessor (Lee et al., 2003 ). Contrary to most medical models of assessment, which view professionals as possessing expert diagnostic knowledge and clients as the objects for assessment, solution-focused assessment emphasizes the client as the assessor who constantly self-evaluates what the problem is, what may be feasible solutions to the problem, what the desirable future is, what the goals of treatment are, what strengths and resources the client has, what may be helpful in the process of change, how committed or motivated the client is to make change a reality, and how quickly the client wants to proceed with the change, etc (Lee et al., 2003 ). Solution-focused practitioners are experts on the “conversation of change” and keep the dialogues going in search of a description of an alternative and beneficial reality (de Shazer, 1994 ).

Collaborative therapeutic relationship.

This view of clients as the assessor fundamental shifts the relationship between the client and the social work practitioner, so that it is no longer a hierarchal relationship but rather a collaborative one, with the client as the assessor and the social work practitioner as an expert of the conversation of change. Clients no longer simply provide “data” for professionals to use in determining a diagnosis and a treatment plan. The role of the solution-focused practitioner is to provide a therapeutic context for clients to construct and develop a personally meaningful goal. The practitioner enters into their perspective, adopts their frame of mind, listens to and understands their goals, and looks for strengths instead of weaknesses or diagnoses (Lee, 2011 ). Instead of being hierarchical, the solution-focused practitioner-client relationship is an egalitarian and collaborative relationship in which both the client and social work professional work together to facilitate positive changes (de Jong & Berg, 2013 ). This collaborative relationship inherently enhances the process of engagement and client’s ownership of the treatment process.

Utilization.

Milton Erickson was an expert in utilizing clients’ symptoms to help resolve their presenting problems. He firmly believed that individuals have the strengths and resources to solve their problems and that the main therapeutic task is to uncover and activate these resources in clients (Haley, 1973 ). Influenced by Erickson’s work, solution-focused practitioners utilize whatever resources clients bring with them, whether these are skills, knowledge, beliefs, motivations, behaviors, symptoms, social networks, circumstances, and personal idiosyncrasies, to uncover the solution (de Shazer, 1985 ; O’Hanlon & Wilk, 1987 ). Such a practice orientation is based on several beliefs: (1) there is the presence of exception in every problem situation (de Shazer, 1985 ); (2) instead of attempting to teach clients something new or foreign based on the practitioner’s presumed notions of what is best for the client, it is usually more efficient to focus on what clients are doing when they engage in non-problem behaviors; (3) utilizing and building on exceptions is a more efficient and effective way for clients to develop solutions that are relevant to and viable in their unique life circumstances as opposed to suggestions from professionals; (4) people are usually more invested in solutions that they discover or identify by themselves. As such, the task for the solution-focused practitioner is to elicit, trigger, reinforce, expand, and consolidate the exceptions that the client generates. Solution-focused practitioners stay away from teaching clients skills or intervening in their lives in ways that may fit our “model” of what is good, but may not be appropriate or viable in their lives (Lee, et al., 2003 ; Lee, 2011 ).

Tipping the first domino: A small change.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” (Laozi, Dao Te Ching , Chapter 100) Solution-focused brief therapy fully embraces the wisdom of beginning the change effort with the first, small step. There are many benefits of focusing on the first small step: (1) small changes are more feasible, doable, attainable, and manageable than big changes; (2) small steps provide indicators of improvement; (3) people are usually more encouraged and committed to the change process when they experience successes; and (4) small successes provide feedback for more successes in the process of change. Change requires both the vision of a “big” picture and a pragmatic plan for the first small step.

The emphasis on the first small step is also influenced by systems perspective. Introducing any change in a system may disturb a person’s equilibrium in unpredictable ways as a result of reiterating feedback. Repetitive attempts at the same unsuccessful solution are precisely what create problems in the first place (Watzlawick, Weakland, & Fisch, 1974 ). Consequently, solution-focused brief therapy believes that the best responses to client’s problems involve minimal, but personally meaningful, intervention by the solution-focused practitioner into their lives (Lee et al., 2003 ). Clients should determine what constitutes acceptable solutions. The most important thing is for practitioners to help clients identify the first small behavioral step toward desirable change.

The Solution-Focused Treatment Manual adopted by SFBTA succinctly describes the basic tenants of solution-focused brief therapy. It can be found at: http://www.sfbta.org/researchDownloads.html (Trepper, McCollum, De Jong, Korman, Gingerich, & Franklin, 2010 ).

Solution-Focused Interventions

Solution-focused interventions engage the client in a “conversation of change” that is conducive to the solution-building process. In this conversation, the solution-focused practitioner invites the client to be the “expert of change.” Collaboratively, the solution-focused practitioner and the client co-construct a desirable future that does not contain the problem. The practitioner listens intensely and explores the meaning of the client’s perception of his or her situation. Practitioners utilize solution-oriented questions, including exception questions, outcome questions, coping questions, scaling questions, and relationship questions to assist clients in constructing a reality that does not contain the problem. De Shazer, Berg, and their colleagues develop these questioning techniques to fully utilize the resources and potential of clients (for example, Berg & Kelly, 2000 ; de Jong & Berg, 2013 ; de Shazer, 1985 ). Questions are perceived as better ways to create open space for clients to think about and self-evaluate their situation and solutions.

First session.

In terms of the treatment process, clients are first oriented to a solution-focus frame in which the focus of therapy is to assist clients in finding solutions to their problems with as few sessions as needed. The clients are immediately encouraged to give a clear and explicit statement of their presenting complaint. Without focusing on the history of the problems, the solution-focused practitioner uses solution-building questions to begin assisting clients in identifying solutions for their problems. Specific interventions include:

Pre-session change . Early in treatment, the solution-focused practitioner helps clients to notice positive changes in their natural environment before they receive any treatment. “What changes have you noticed that have happened or started to happen since you called to make the appointment for this session? (Trepper et al., 2010 ). Pre-session change assumes that change is ongoing and is initiated by the clients and not the professionals.

Exception questions inquire about times when the problem is either absent, less intense, or dealt with in a manner that is acceptable to the client (de Shazer, 1985 ). The solution-focused practitioner presupposes that change is happening in the client’s problem situation. Such an effort shakes the rigid frames constructed by many clients with respect to the pervasiveness and permanency of their complaints. Examples of exception questions include: When was the last time that you didn’t have this problem? When was the last time that you expected that you’d have the problem but it did not happen? When was the last time that you thought you would lose your temper but you didn’t? What was different about these times?

Miracle questions allow clients to separate themselves from their problem-saturated context and construct a future vision of life without the presenting complaint or with acceptable improvements in the problem. Miracle questions foster a sense of hopefulness and offer an opportunity for clients to develop a beneficial direction for improving their lives. The focus is on identifying small, observable, and concrete behaviors that are indicators of small changes, which can make a difference in the client’s situation (de Shazer, 1985 ). A widely used format of miracle question is: Suppose that after our meeting today, you go home, do your things, and go to bed. While you are sleeping, a miracle happens and the problem that brought you here is suddenly solved, like magic. The problem is gone. Because you were sleeping, you don’t know that a miracle happened, but when you wake up tomorrow morning, you will be different. How will you know that a miracle has happened? What will be the first small sign that tells you that the problem is resolved? (Berg & Miller, 1992 ). Variations of the miracle question include the dream question (Greene, Lee, Mentzer, Pinnell, & Niles, 1998 ) and the nightmare question (Reuss, 1997 ).

Coping questions help clients to notice times when they are coping with their problems and what they are doing when they are successfully coping. Asking coping questions indirectly reframes the meaning frames of clients who have assumed that they are entirely helpless and thus they have no control over the problem situation (Berg, 1994 ; Berg & Steiner, 2003 ). Examples of coping questions include: How have you been able to keep going despite all the difficulties you’ve encountered? How are you able to get up despite being so depressed? A newly developed question is the “lemon question” that embraces personal pride and dignity in assisting clients to look for personal strengths in coping with difficult situation: Suppose you came to see, with a new clarity, that ______ [a normalized statement of the difficult life predicament in which the clients find themselves], what would you be most proud of as your response to that situation? (Taylor, 2012 ).

Scaling questions ask clients to rank their situation or goal on a 1-to-10 scale (de Jong & Berg, 2013 ). Usually, 1 represents the worst scenario that could possibly be and 10 is the most desirable outcome. Scaling questions provide a simple tool for clients to quantify and evaluate their situation and progress so that they can establish a clear indicator of progress for themselves. Some examples of commonly used scaling questions are: On a 1-to-10 scale, with 1 being the worst the problem could possibly be and 10 as the most desirable outcome, where would you put yourself on the scale? On a 1-to-10 scale with 1 being you don’t believe you can do anything to change the situation and 10 meaning you are absolutely determined to do something to change the problem, how would you put yourself on the scale? What would your wife say using the same scale?”

Relationship questions ask clients to imagine how significant others in their environment might react to their problem or situation and changes they make (Berg, 1994 ; de Jong & Berg, 2013 ). Relationship questions recognize the interactional aspect of many problems. These questions not only contextualize problem definition but also the client’s desired goals and changes. In addition, relationship questions help establish multiple indicators of change as grounded in clients’ real life context. Examples of relationship questions include: Who would be the first to notice changes in you? What would your friends notice that is different about you if you are more comfortable with the new college environment? How would your mother rate your motivation to do something different and helpful on a 1-to-10 scale?

Taking a break.

Solution-focused practitioners are encouraged to take a break near the end of the session prior to wrapping up the session. The break serves several important functions: (1) the practitioner can consult with his or her team or supervisor about the session and solicit ideas and feedback for complimenting and providing solution-focused interventions to the client; (2) the practitioner can use the time to organize his or her thoughts and develop with compliments and ideas for possible interventions (Berg, 1994 ; Trepper et al., 2010 ); and (3) the break prepares the client or family to focus and receive the feedback from the solution-focused practitioner.

The end-of-session message usually consists of three components: a compliment, a bridging statement, and tasks. The compliment helps the client or family to clearly notice, register, and anchor what they have done well, what might be helpful in the change process, and what things that they should be proud of, and so on. Authentic compliments serve to motivate and direct clients for positive changes. A bridging statement serves to connect the compliment with the solution-focused tasks and experiments. An example of an end-of-session message is:

Apparently, you are determined to be a better mom for your children despite your kids being in foster care right now. Some parents might choose to distance from their children because of the pain of not able to be with them and you are determined not to let that pain takes control over you (compliment). Since you are such a keen observer (bridging statement), between now and next time we meet I would like you to observe, what happens in your daily life and in particular your interaction with the child welfare people that you want to continue to have happen more often so that you have a better chance to reunite with your children in the near future (observation task) .

Solution-focused tasks and experiments.

Solution-focused brief therapy routinely uses task assignments and experiments to assist clients in noticing solutions in their natural life context (de Shazer & Molnar, 1984 ; Molnar & de Shazer, 1987 ). Some common solution-focused tasks and experiments are:

If clients can identify exception behaviors to the problem, then clients are asked to “do more of what works.”

For clients who focus on the perceived stability of their problematic pattern and fail to identify any exceptions, an observation task is given: “Between now and next time we meet, we (I) want you to observe, so that you can tell us (me) next time, what happens in your (life, marriage, family, or relationship) that you want to continue to have happen” (Molnar & de Shazer, 1987 ). Another observation task directs clients to notice what they do when they overcome the temptation or urge to engage in the problem behavior.

Other tasks that assist clients in interrupting their problem patterns and developing new solutions include: Do something different (“Between now and next time we meet, do something different and tell me what happened”) and the prediction task , which asks the client to predict his or her behavior by tossing a coin (“If it is heads, do what you normally do; if it is tails, pretend that the miracle day has happened”) (Berg, 1994 ).

Second session and after.

The focus of second session and afterwards is on facilitating clients to notice and expand changes that have happened or were observed between sessions. A typical question is the “What’s better?” question: So, what is better, even a little bit, since last time we meet? (Berg, 1994 ; Trepper et al., 2010 ). Noticing change is a small but important step for clients to realize their desired future. The solution-focused practitioner continues to use solution-focused questions and interventions to elicit, amplify, and consolidate positive goal efforts that are demonstrated by the client. An important skill is to encourage clients to describe their small change effort in great detail so that the “ordinary” becomes “extraordinary” (Lee et al., 2003 ). Another important therapeutic task in the second session is to help clients notice the connection between their behaviors, feelings, thoughts, and their desired solutions. Examples of these questions include: How are you able to go out together for a walk four out of seven days last week? How did both of you do that? How did you feel when you decided to stop arguing instead of exploding despite your anger? What’s in you mind when you chose not to talk back and argue with your parents?

It is not uncommon for clients become distracted by problems, for things to not get better, or for clients to have not acted on the solution-focused tasks, and so on. From a solution-focused perspective, there is no good or bad response, because clients’ responses are just feedback to the practitioners to continue co-construct a beneficial reality with the clients (Lee et al., 2003 ). In other words, there is no failure because responses are just feedback (de Shazer, 1985 ). Oftentimes, clients might have overlooked the small change or been distracted by problems. The trick is for the solution-focused practitioners to remain persistent and patient. It is helpful to ask the client to restate in a different way his or her goal and the things that he or she has noticed. The task is to help the client to look for small changes that can be further amplified and expanded. Other times, the client might need to reevaluate his or her goals based on experimentation. People might need to experiment using trial and error to determine what is important and helpful to them. When clients do not improve or have done nothing by the second session, it is likely that the stated goals or tasks are not important, not appropriate, or not relevant to the extent that the clients are committed to do something different. It is important for the practitioner to offer choices as much as possible and to continue helping the clients to self-assess what might be beneficial for them. Solution-focused practitioners should not view clients as resistant or unmotivated. Instead, they should look for ways that clients are cooperating (Lee et al., 2003 ).

The solution-building process is allows the clients to notice a difference that can make a difference in their livesin their natural environment. The solution-focused practitioner cautiously refrains from providing or suggesting solutions. The solution-focused practitioner is responsible for creating a therapeutic dialogical context in which clients experience a solution-building process that is initiated from within and grounded in clients’ cultural strengths as well as thier personal construction of the solution reality (Lee, 2003 ). It is for clients to discover what works for them in their unique life context.

Termination.

The goals of termination in solution-focused brief therapy is to (1) review goals and discuss progress; (2) facilitate clients to own and take full credit for their improvement and positive changes; (3) assist clients in developing connections between their actions and positive change efforts; and (4) assist clients in establishing indicators of relapse and follow-up measures. Oftentimes, the solution-focused practitioners use scaling questions to help clients evaluate differences in their presenting problem between now and before: Suppose when we first started meeting, your problem was at a 1 and where you wanted to be is at a 10. Where would you say you are at today on a scale of 1-to-10? In addition, scaling questions are used to e valuate the clients’ confidence in their ability to maintain change: On a scale of 1-to-10, with a 10 meaning that you have every confidence that you will keep up with your progress and a 1 meaning that you have no confidence at all to maintain the change, where would you put yourself today? What would it take for you to move from a 5 to a 6?

In addition to complimenting clients for the positive change efforts, one major solution-focused intervention at termination is to use questions that assist clients to make connections between their actions and positive changes as well as to take ownership of the change. Looking back, what have you done to help you in making these changes? How do you decide that you are determined to make the change despite not being easy? “When did you decide to do that?” “Where do you think it comes from for you, the commitment?”

Change will be more long lasting when clients are able to consolidate their changes into alternative, beneficial “self-descriptions” such as an honest man, a caring parent, or a loving husband. These descriptions encapsulate the overall change so that clients develop “the language of success” in place of the “language of problem” in describing the self (Lee et al., 2003 ). How would you describe yourself as a husband now as compared to when we first met a few months ago?

In addition to consolidating change efforts, it is important to help clients prepare for the ups and downs in life. Solution-focused practitioners use scaling and relationship questions to assist clients establish earliest indicator(s) of relapse and develop contingency plan: What will need to happen in order for you to slide back again? What you will need to do to prevent that happen again? What would be the earliest sign to you that you are starting to go backward? When you notice that you are sliding back, what can you do differently to pull yourself up?

Solution-focused brief therapy takes a developmental perspective in viewing change. In other words, there are always ups and downs in life, and clients might need to seek help again in the future for different problems of living, which is normal and not an indicator of failure. The important thing is for clients to learn something new and useful each time that they can use in addressing future problems.

In sum, solution-focused brief therapy advocates for an open process of self-evaluations and choice making through a “conversation of change.” There is no longer an objective problem or reality that exists independently outside the client. Treatment is essentially an ongoing and open process in which the client and the social work practitioner actively engage in co-constructing an inherently unstable reality that is different from the problem reality and contains the desirable future as defined by the client. The practitioner listens for and absorbs clients’ descriptions, words, and meanings, and then formulates responses by building on clients’ frames of reference and connecting to clients’ words and meanings. This cyclical and ongoing process of listening, connecting, and responding allows solution-focused practitioners and clients to co-construct a new, alternative, and beneficial solutions or desired future as determined by the clients (Trepper, 2010 ). Assessment and treatment are no longer alienated procedures operated on the client by an expert. Instead, treatment focuses on co-constructing a “conversation of change” that deliberately utilizes the language of change, strengths, and resources to help clients developing useful goals, recognizing exceptions, amplifying change efforts, and consolidating the new behaviors in their life. It becomes an open process in which the clients continuously make evaluations and choices. Ownership, options, and choices become an integral part of the treatment process (Lee et al., 2003 ).

Clinical Applications of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

Solution-focused brief therapy has gained prominence in social work practice despite its relatively short history as compared to other established practice approaches in social work treatment. One plausible reason is that solution-focused brief therapy has its roots in social work because social work professionals actively participate in its development and dissemination. The late Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer, the founders of solution-focused brief therapy, were social work professionals. Peter de Jong, Michelle Weiner-Davis, and Eve Lipchik, who all belonged to the original group at BFTC, were social work professionals. Cynthia Franklin, Johnny Kim, and Michael Kelly applied solution-focused brief therapy to family practice and school social work (Franklin & Jordan, 1998 ; Kelly, Kim, & Franklin, 2008 ). Mo Yee Lee, Adriana Uken, and John Sebold are social work professionals who use solution-focused brief therapy to work with domestic violence offenders (Lee et al., 2003 ). Wally Gingerich, who conducted the first systematic narrative review of solution-focused brief therapy outcome studies, is a social work professional (Gingerich & Esiengart, 2000 ). This list is certainly not exhaustive as there are many other social work professionals actively applying solution-focused brief therapy with their client populations in creative and beneficial ways. Because the founders of solution-focused brief therapy were social work professionals, it is not surprising that the practice and value orientation of solution-focused brief therapy are consistent with the social work overarching framework of person-in-environment as well as the social work values of respecting clients’ dignity and self-determination (Karls, 2009 ; NASW, 1999 ). The practice of solution-focused brief therapy—being systems-based, collaborative, strengths-based, respectful, pragmatic, and focused—facilitates the adoption of this model by social work professionals in their work (Lee, 2011 ).

The increasing adoption of solution-focused brief therapy by social work professionals is plausibly related to its focus on clients’ strengths and resources, which is consistent with the empowerment-based and strengths-based approaches in human services; approaches that have gained increased prominence since the late 1990s (Rees, 1998 ; Saleebey, 2009 ). In addition, solution-focused brief therapy provides a specific set of treatment skills and techniques that help to operationalize strengths-based and empowerment-based practice in daily social work practice. In other words, solution-focused brief therapy translates the concept of strengths and empowerment to every day practice of using the “language of empowerment” (Rappaport, 1985 ; Rees, 1998 ) and the “lexicons of strengths” (Saleebey, 2008) in social work treatment. Finally, while the development of solution-focused brief therapy is entirely independent of the development of managed care, its emphasis on being brief, efficient, and effective clearly aligns with the mandate of managed care, which is on cost-effectiveness and cost-containment.

To date, solution-focused brief therapy has been adopted in a variety of social work practice settings (Nelson & Thomas, 2007 ). Examples of these settings or practices include but are not limited to the followings:

Child welfare, for example, the Sign of Safety (Berg & Kelly, 2000 ; Turner, 2007 )

Family practice (Berg, 1994 ; Franklin & Jordan, 1998 )

Child and adolescent practice (for example, Berg, & Steiner, 2003 ; Selekman, 1993 , 1997 ).

Students from single-parent families and their parents (Lee & Grover-Ely, 2013 )

Schools (for example, Franklin & Gerlach, 2007 ; Kelly, Kim, & Franklin, 2008 ; Metcalf, 2008 )

Substance use (for example, Berg & Reuss, 1998 ; Smock & Trepper et al., 2008 )

Mental health (Knekt & Lindfors, et al., 2008a ; Knekt & Lindfors, et al., 2008b ; Macdonald, 2007 )

Domestic violence (Lee, 2007 ; Lee et al., 2003 ; Lee et al., 2012 ; Uken, Lee, & Sebold, 2013 )

Health (O’Connell & Palmer, 2003 )

Suicide prevention (Fiske, 2008 ; Hendon, 2008 )

Restorative justice (Walker & Hayashi, 2009 )

Administration and management (Lueger & Korn, 2006 )

Culturally competent practice (Lee, 2003 ; Kim, 2013 )

Coaching (for example, Berg & Szabo, 2005 ; Szabo & Meier, 2009 )

Supervision (Triantafillou, 1997 ; Wheeler, 2007 )

Relevant Research and Challenges

SFBT is gaining increased recognition as an evidence-based model. Solution-focused brief therapy is currently listed in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquent Prevention Model Program Guide ( http://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg/mpgProgramDetails.aspx?ID = 712) and is included in SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. In addition, Franklin and her associates published the book Solution-focused brief therapy: A handbook of evidence based practice (Franklin, Trepper, Gingerich, & McCullum, 2012 ). These are important milestones for solution-focused brief therapy, in part because the history of solution-focused brief therapy is relatively recent compared to other established treatment approaches such as cognitive-behavioral approaches. In addition, solution-focused brief therapy was developed by social work professionals in practice and not by academics at universities or research institutes. Nonetheless, the founders of solution-focused brief therapy, Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer, had a clear vision and support for advancing research in solution-focused brief therapy (de Shazer & Berg, 1997 ). At the EBTA conference at Brugge, Belgium, in 1997, t Berg facilitated a one-day post-conference meeting of people who were interested in solution-focused brief therapy research. This was probably the first “Research Day” to discuss research development in solution-focused brief therapy. The Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association (SFBTA), which is the professional organization promoting solution-focused brief therapy in North America, continues its vision for promoting research of solution-focused brief therapy. The Research Committee of SBFTA is charged with the mission to promote, strengthen, and disseminate research pertaining to solution-focused brief therapy. This committee organizes a Research Day as part of the pre-conference activities. Since 2010, SFBTA has also funded the SFBTA Research Award, under the auspice of the Research Committee, to continue promote and support research in SFBT.

Outcome research.

Over the years, numerous intervention studies have been conducted for solution-focused brief therapy in diverse practice settings. Gingerich and Eisengart ( 2000 ) conducted the first systematic narrative review of solution-focused brief therapy outcome study. They conducted a systematic review of 15 outcome studies on solution-focused brief therapy. More recently, Johnny Kim has conducted a meta-analysis that consisted of outcome studies that were conducted between 1988 and 2005 (Kim, 2008 ). This review included 22 studies that used a control or comparison group in their study design. In addition, the meta-analysis focused on external behavioral outcomes, internal behavioral outcomes, and family or relationship problem outcomes. In addition, Corcoran and Pillai ( 2009 ) reviewed 10 studies that used SFT in treatment. The analysis of these studies found about 50% of the studies can be viewed as showing improvement over alternative conditions or no-treatment control.

While there is increasing empirical evidence of the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy, the rigor of these studies is limited by numerous issues in research design. These limitations, however, are not unusual in intervention studies conducted in real life practice settings. The identified problems include small and non-representative samples, lack of randomized controlled procedures, lack of specific manualized protocol, problems with treatment fidelity, measurement problems, and so on (Gingerich & Eisengart, 2000 ; Kim, 2008 ; Lee et al., 2007 ). To further develop and strengthen evidence for the efficacy of solution-focused brief therapy, future studies should consider a more rigorous research design that (1) uses larger and more representative samples; (2) includes control or comparison groups using randomized assignment procedures; (3) uses standardized measures that are sensitive enough to measure treatment changes; (4) uses observation-based rating systems in data collection when possible and appropriate, (5) further refines and develops the treatment manual for training purposes and fidelity analyses, (6) increases the rigor of the fidelity procedures by using observation-based approaches with a refined, specific, and rigorous fidelity measurement protocol; (7) carefully monitors the data collection process to reduce problems in measurement attrition; and (8) includes research sites that serve ethnically and racially diverse populations (Lee, 2011 ).

Process research.

A unique development in solution-focused brief therapy research is its incorporation of microanalysis as a major research effort. Microanalysis is the close examination of moment-by-moment, utterance-by-utterance communicative actions in conversations, with an emphasis on how these sequences function in the interaction (Bavelas, McGee, Phillips, & Routledge, 2000 ). Microanalysis views communication as constructive and directive (Bavelas, Coates, & Johnson, 2000 ). Consequently, microanalysis as a research method allows us to closely examine the co-constructive process in treatment, which is a hallmark of solution-focused brief therapy. A group of researchers led by Janet Bevalas that includes Peter de Jong, Harry Korman, Sara Smock, Adam Froerer, Christine Tomori, and Sara Healing are using microanalysis to study therapeutic communication as a mechanism of change in solution-focused brief therapy. Their work includes the following types of research: (1) process research (for example, microanalysis of communication within therapy sessions) that assesses congruence between theory and practice and reveals similarities and differences in therapeutic approaches (De Jong & Bavelas, 2009 ; Froerer & Smock, 2009 ; Tomori & Bavelas, 2007 ), and the communication process such as formulation and grounding sequences in treatment (Bavelas, 2011 ); (2) basic experiments in a laboratory setting that provide evidence supporting fundamental assumptions such as co-construction in the treatment process (for example, Bavelas et al., 2000 ; 2002 ); and (3) experiments on therapeutic techniques, which test key techniques such as the miracle question in the laboratory using non-therapeutic tasks and populations (Healing & Bavelas, 2009 ). Such research program illuminates important mechanisms of change and other process issues involved in the solution-focused treatment process. In addition, microanalysis in itself introduces novel research methodologies in understanding the therapeutic processes that may be relevant to other types of social work treatment approaches.

Each social work treatment approach makes different assumptions about how problems of living should be approached as well as how change happens. Recognizing the power of therapeutic dialogues and the potentially harmful effects of a pathology-based and deficits-based perspective in sustaining the problem and disempowering clients, solution-focused brief therapy deliberately adopts the language and symbols of “solution and strengths” and fully embraces clients’ voices and resources in the search for effective solutions. While doing so, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy and carefully examine the associated mechanisms and processes that contribute to its effectiveness so that treatment is based on an informed position in addition to ethical choices or theoretical preferences (Lee, 2007 ).

Another challenge in the development of solution-focused brief therapy is the dilemma between fidelity adherence versus open flow. Solution-focused brief therapy emphasizes itself as a way of thinking and not just a set of techniques (de Shazer, 1985 ). The treatment process is a co-constructive process between the solution-focused practitioner and the client. Consequently, there are questions about how much the professional body, that is, SFBTA, can and should ensure strict fidelity to an “established” treatment protocol. If this is not feasible or desirable, how can we develop some structure (such as a national network of basic solution-focused brief therapy training), establish defining parameters, or the minimum amount of SF to ensure the adherence to the model (personal communication with Gallagher & Nelson, 2012 ).

Albeit these challenges, helping professionals around the globe are practicing solution-focused brief therapy in a variety of settings with diverse client groups in beneficial ways.

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What Is Problem-Solving Therapy?

Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.

Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania.

Verywell / Madelyn Goodnight

Problem-Solving Therapy Techniques

How effective is problem-solving therapy, things to consider, how to get started.

Problem-solving therapy is a brief intervention that provides people with the tools they need to identify and solve problems that arise from big and small life stressors. It aims to improve your overall quality of life and reduce the negative impact of psychological and physical illness.

Problem-solving therapy can be used to treat depression , among other conditions. It can be administered by a doctor or mental health professional and may be combined with other treatment approaches.

At a Glance

Problem-solving therapy is a short-term treatment used to help people who are experiencing depression, stress, PTSD, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and other mental health problems develop the tools they need to deal with challenges. This approach teaches people to identify problems, generate solutions, and implement those solutions. Let's take a closer look at how problem-solving therapy can help people be more resilient and adaptive in the face of stress.

Problem-solving therapy is based on a model that takes into account the importance of real-life problem-solving. In other words, the key to managing the impact of stressful life events is to know how to address issues as they arise. Problem-solving therapy is very practical in its approach and is only concerned with the present, rather than delving into your past.

This form of therapy can take place one-on-one or in a group format and may be offered in person or online via telehealth . Sessions can be anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours long.

Key Components

There are two major components that make up the problem-solving therapy framework:

Applying a positive problem-solving orientation to your life
Using problem-solving skills

A positive problem-solving orientation means viewing things in an optimistic light, embracing self-efficacy , and accepting the idea that problems are a normal part of life. Problem-solving skills are behaviors that you can rely on to help you navigate conflict, even during times of stress. This includes skills like:

Knowing how to identify a problem
Defining the problem in a helpful way
Trying to understand the problem more deeply
Setting goals related to the problem
Generating alternative, creative solutions to the problem
Choosing the best course of action
Implementing the choice you have made
Evaluating the outcome to determine next steps

Problem-solving therapy is all about training you to become adaptive in your life so that you will start to see problems as challenges to be solved instead of insurmountable obstacles. It also means that you will recognize the action that is required to engage in effective problem-solving techniques.

Planful Problem-Solving

One problem-solving technique, called planful problem-solving, involves following a series of steps to fix issues in a healthy, constructive way:

Problem definition and formulation : This step involves identifying the real-life problem that needs to be solved and formulating it in a way that allows you to generate potential solutions.
Generation of alternative solutions : This stage involves coming up with various potential solutions to the problem at hand. The goal in this step is to brainstorm options to creatively address the life stressor in ways that you may not have previously considered.
Decision-making strategies : This stage involves discussing different strategies for making decisions as well as identifying obstacles that may get in the way of solving the problem at hand.
Solution implementation and verification : This stage involves implementing a chosen solution and then verifying whether it was effective in addressing the problem.

Other Techniques

Other techniques your therapist may go over include:

Problem-solving multitasking , which helps you learn to think clearly and solve problems effectively even during times of stress
Stop, slow down, think, and act (SSTA) , which is meant to encourage you to become more emotionally mindful when faced with conflict
Healthy thinking and imagery , which teaches you how to embrace more positive self-talk while problem-solving

What Problem-Solving Therapy Can Help With

Problem-solving therapy addresses life stress issues and focuses on helping you find solutions to concrete issues. This approach can be applied to problems associated with various psychological and physiological symptoms.

Mental Health Issues

Problem-solving therapy may help address mental health issues, like:

Chronic stress due to accumulating minor issues
Complications associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Emotional distress
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Problems associated with a chronic disease like cancer, heart disease, or diabetes
Self-harm and feelings of hopelessness
Substance use
Suicidal ideation

Specific Life Challenges

This form of therapy is also helpful for dealing with specific life problems, such as:

Death of a loved one
Dissatisfaction at work
Everyday life stressors
Family problems
Financial difficulties
Relationship conflicts

Your doctor or mental healthcare professional will be able to advise whether problem-solving therapy could be helpful for your particular issue. In general, if you are struggling with specific, concrete problems that you are having trouble finding solutions for, problem-solving therapy could be helpful for you.

Benefits of Problem-Solving Therapy

The skills learned in problem-solving therapy can be helpful for managing all areas of your life. These can include:

Being able to identify which stressors trigger your negative emotions (e.g., sadness, anger)
Confidence that you can handle problems that you face
Having a systematic approach on how to deal with life's problems
Having a toolbox of strategies to solve the issues you face
Increased confidence to find creative solutions
Knowing how to identify which barriers will impede your progress
Knowing how to manage emotions when they arise
Reduced avoidance and increased action-taking
The ability to accept life problems that can't be solved
The ability to make effective decisions
The development of patience (realizing that not all problems have a "quick fix")

Problem-solving therapy can help people feel more empowered to deal with the problems they face in their lives. Rather than feeling overwhelmed when stressors begin to take a toll, this therapy introduces new coping skills that can boost self-efficacy and resilience .

Other Types of Therapy

Other similar types of therapy include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) . While these therapies work to change thinking and behaviors, they work a bit differently. Both CBT and SFBT are less structured than problem-solving therapy and may focus on broader issues. CBT focuses on identifying and changing maladaptive thoughts, and SFBT works to help people look for solutions and build self-efficacy based on strengths.

This form of therapy was initially developed to help people combat stress through effective problem-solving, and it was later adapted to address clinical depression specifically. Today, much of the research on problem-solving therapy deals with its effectiveness in treating depression.

Problem-solving therapy has been shown to help depression in:

Older adults
People coping with serious illnesses like cancer

Problem-solving therapy also appears to be effective as a brief treatment for depression, offering benefits in as little as six to eight sessions with a therapist or another healthcare professional. This may make it a good option for someone unable to commit to a lengthier treatment for depression.

Problem-solving therapy is not a good fit for everyone. It may not be effective at addressing issues that don't have clear solutions, like seeking meaning or purpose in life. Problem-solving therapy is also intended to treat specific problems, not general habits or thought patterns .

In general, it's also important to remember that problem-solving therapy is not a primary treatment for mental disorders. If you are living with the symptoms of a serious mental illness such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia , you may need additional treatment with evidence-based approaches for your particular concern.

Problem-solving therapy is best aimed at someone who has a mental or physical issue that is being treated separately, but who also has life issues that go along with that problem that has yet to be addressed.

For example, it could help if you can't clean your house or pay your bills because of your depression, or if a cancer diagnosis is interfering with your quality of life.

Your doctor may be able to recommend therapists in your area who utilize this approach, or they may offer it themselves as part of their practice. You can also search for a problem-solving therapist with help from the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Society of Clinical Psychology .

If receiving problem-solving therapy from a doctor or mental healthcare professional is not an option for you, you could also consider implementing it as a self-help strategy using a workbook designed to help you learn problem-solving skills on your own.

During your first session, your therapist may spend some time explaining their process and approach. They may ask you to identify the problem you’re currently facing, and they’ll likely discuss your goals for therapy .

Keep In Mind

Problem-solving therapy may be a short-term intervention that's focused on solving a specific issue in your life. If you need further help with something more pervasive, it can also become a longer-term treatment option.

Get Help Now

We've tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

Shang P, Cao X, You S, Feng X, Li N, Jia Y. Problem-solving therapy for major depressive disorders in older adults: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials . Aging Clin Exp Res . 2021;33(6):1465-1475. doi:10.1007/s40520-020-01672-3

Cuijpers P, Wit L de, Kleiboer A, Karyotaki E, Ebert DD. Problem-solving therapy for adult depression: An updated meta-analysis . Eur Psychiatry . 2018;48(1):27-37. doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.11.006

Nezu AM, Nezu CM, D'Zurilla TJ. Problem-Solving Therapy: A Treatment Manual . New York; 2013. doi:10.1891/9780826109415.0001

Owens D, Wright-Hughes A, Graham L, et al. Problem-solving therapy rather than treatment as usual for adults after self-harm: a pragmatic, feasibility, randomised controlled trial (the MIDSHIPS trial) . Pilot Feasibility Stud . 2020;6:119. doi:10.1186/s40814-020-00668-0

Sorsdahl K, Stein DJ, Corrigall J, et al. The efficacy of a blended motivational interviewing and problem solving therapy intervention to reduce substance use among patients presenting for emergency services in South Africa: A randomized controlled trial . Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy . 2015;10(1):46. doi:doi.org/10.1186/s13011-015-0042-1

Margolis SA, Osborne P, Gonzalez JS. Problem solving . In: Gellman MD, ed. Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine . Springer International Publishing; 2020:1745-1747. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-39903-0_208

Kirkham JG, Choi N, Seitz DP. Meta-analysis of problem solving therapy for the treatment of major depressive disorder in older adults . Int J Geriatr Psychiatry . 2016;31(5):526-535. doi:10.1002/gps.4358

Garand L, Rinaldo DE, Alberth MM, et al. Effects of problem solving therapy on mental health outcomes in family caregivers of persons with a new diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or early dementia: A randomized controlled trial . Am J Geriatr Psychiatry . 2014;22(8):771-781. doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2013.07.007

Noyes K, Zapf AL, Depner RM, et al. Problem-solving skills training in adult cancer survivors: Bright IDEAS-AC pilot study . Cancer Treat Res Commun . 2022;31:100552. doi:10.1016/j.ctarc.2022.100552

Albert SM, King J, Anderson S, et al. Depression agency-based collaborative: effect of problem-solving therapy on risk of common mental disorders in older adults with home care needs . The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry . 2019;27(6):619-624. doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2019.01.002

By Arlin Cuncic, MA Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.

Problem-Solving Therapy vs Brief Solution-Focused Therapy (Cognitive Behavioral Teletherapy Tips)

by Team Experts
July 2, 2023 July 3, 2023

Discover the surprising differences between Problem-Solving Therapy and Brief Solution-Focused Therapy for effective cognitive behavioral teletherapy tips.

What is Cognitive Behavioral Teletherapy and How Does it Work?

The goal-oriented approach: a key component of brief solution-focused therapy, why evidence-based practice is crucial in cognitive behavioral teletherapy, the role of mindfulness practices in promoting emotional regulation during cognitive behavioral teletherapy, common mistakes and misconceptions, related resources.

In summary, the goal-oriented approach is a key component of Brief Solution-Focused Therapy (BSFT). BSFT utilizes positive psychology principles , client-centered therapy , solution-building questions, strength-based perspective , collaborative goal-setting , outcome-focused interventions , resource utilization focus , time-limited treatment model, empowerment-based techniques , change-promoting strategies, future-oriented mindset, resilience- enhancing methods, cognitive-behavioral teletherapy tips , and problem-solving therapy to help the client achieve their goals. However, there are potential risk factors that the therapist should be aware of, such as the client’s readiness and willingness to participate in the goal-setting process , unrealistic goals or expectations , lack of necessary resources or support , negative mindset or lack of resilience, difficulty accessing teletherapy services , and difficulty identifying solutions to their problems.

Overall, incorporating mindfulness practices into cognitive behavioral teletherapy can be a valuable tool for promoting emotional regulation and improving mental health treatment outcomes . However, it is important to recognize that not all individuals may respond positively to mindfulness practices and that individualized treatment plans may be necessary. Therapists should also be prepared to address any resistance or challenges that may arise during the use of mindfulness practices.

More evidence for problem-solving therapy: improving access is still a problem in need of solving.
The effectiveness of group problem-solving therapy on women’s sexual function and satisfaction after mastectomy surgery.

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20 Effective Math Strategies To Approach Problem-Solving

Katie Keeton

Math strategies for problem-solving help students use a range of approaches to solve many different types of problems. It involves identifying the problem and carrying out a plan of action to find the answer to mathematical problems.

Problem-solving skills are essential to math in the general classroom and real-life. They require logical reasoning and critical thinking skills. students must be equipped with strategies to help them find solutions to problems.

This article explores mathematical problem solving strategies, logical reasoning and critical thinking skills to help learners with solving math word problems independently in real-life situations.

What are problem-solving strategies?

Problem-solving strategies in math are methods students can use to figure out solutions to math problems. Some problem-solving strategies:

Draw a model
Use different approaches
Check the inverse to make sure the answer is correct

Students need to have a toolkit of math problem-solving strategies at their disposal to provide different ways to approach math problems. This makes it easier to find solutions and understand math better.

Strategies can help guide students to the solution when it is difficult ot know when to start.

The ultimate guide to problem solving techniques

Download these ready-to-go problem solving techniques that every student should know. Includes printable tasks for students including challenges, short explanations for teachers with questioning prompts.

20 Math Strategies For Problem-Solving

Different problem-solving math strategies are required for different parts of the problem. It is unlikely that students will use the same strategy to understand and solve the problem.

Here are 20 strategies to help students develop their problem-solving skills.

Strategies to understand the problem

Strategies that help students understand the problem before solving it helps ensure they understand:

The context
What the key information is
How to form a plan to solve it

Following these steps leads students to the correct solution and makes the math word problem easier .

Here are five strategies to help students understand the content of the problem and identify key information.

1. Read the problem aloud

Read a word problem aloud to help understand it. Hearing the words engages auditory processing. This can make it easier to process and comprehend the context of the situation.

2. Highlight keywords

When keywords are highlighted in a word problem, it helps the student focus on the essential information needed to solve it. Some important keywords help determine which operation is needed. For example, if the word problem asks how many are left, the problem likely requires subtraction. Ensure students highlight the keywords carefully and do not highlight every number or keyword. There is likely irrelevant information in the word problem.

3. Summarize the information

Read the problem aloud, highlight the key information and then summarize the information. Students can do this in their heads or write down a quick summary. Summaries should include only the important information and be in simple terms that help contextualize the problem.

4. Determine the unknown

A common problem that students have when solving a word problem is misunderstanding what they are solving. Determine what the unknown information is before finding the answer. Often, a word problem contains a question where you can find the unknown information you need to solve. For example, in the question ‘How many apples are left?’ students need to find the number of apples left over.

5. Make a plan

Once students understand the context of the word problem, have dentified the important information and determined the unknown, they can make a plan to solve it. The plan will depend on the type of problem. Some problems involve more than one step to solve them as some require more than one answer. Encourage students to make a list of each step they need to take to solve the problem before getting started.

Strategies for solving the problem

1. draw a model or diagram.

Students may find it useful to draw a model, picture, diagram, or other visual aid to help with the problem solving process. It can help to visualize the problem to understand the relationships between the numbers in the problem. In turn, this helps students see the solution.

math problem that needs a problem solving strategy

Similarly, you could draw a model to represent the objects in the problem:

2. Act it out

This particular strategy is applicable at any grade level but is especially helpful in math investigation in elementary school . It involves a physical demonstration or students acting out the problem using movements, concrete resources and math manipulatives . When students act out a problem, they can visualize and contectualize the word problem in another way and secure an understanding of the math concepts. The examples below show how 1st-grade students could “act out” an addition and subtraction problem:

3. Work backwards

Working backwards is a popular problem-solving strategy. It involves starting with a possible solution and deciding what steps to take to arrive at that solution. This strategy can be particularly helpful when students solve math word problems involving multiple steps. They can start at the end and think carefully about each step taken as opposed to jumping to the end of the problem and missing steps in between.

For example,

To solve this problem working backwards, start with the final condition, which is Sam’s grandmother’s age (71) and work backwards to find Sam’s age. Subtract 20 from the grandmother’s age, which is 71. Then, divide the result by 3 to get Sam’s age. 71 – 20 = 51 51 ÷ 3 = 17 Sam is 17 years old.

4. Write a number sentence

When faced with a word problem, encourage students to write a number sentence based on the information. This helps translate the information in the word problem into a math equation or expression, which is more easily solved. It is important to fully understand the context of the word problem and what students need to solve before writing an equation to represent it.

5. Use a formula

Specific formulas help solve many math problems. For example, if a problem asks students to find the area of a rug, they would use the area formula (area = length × width) to solve. Make sure students know the important mathematical formulas they will need in tests and real-life. It can help to display these around the classroom or, for those who need more support, on students’ desks.

Strategies for checking the solution

Once the problem is solved using an appropriate strategy, it is equally important to check the solution to ensure it is correct and makes sense.

There are many strategies to check the solution. The strategy for a specific problem is dependent on the problem type and math content involved.

Here are five strategies to help students check their solutions.

1. Use the Inverse Operation

For simpler problems, a quick and easy problem solving strategy is to use the inverse operation. For example, if the operation to solve a word problem is 56 ÷ 8 = 7 students can check the answer is correct by multiplying 8 × 7. As good practice, encourage students to use the inverse operation routinely to check their work.

2. Estimate to check for reasonableness

Once students reach an answer, they can use estimation or rounding to see if the answer is reasonable. Round each number in the equation to a number that’s close and easy to work with, usually a multiple of ten. For example, if the question was 216 ÷ 18 and the quotient was 12, students might round 216 to 200 and round 18 to 20. Then use mental math to solve 200 ÷ 20, which is 10. When the estimate is clear the two numbers are close. This means your answer is reasonable.

3. Plug-In Method

This method is particularly useful for algebraic equations. Specifically when working with variables. To use the plug-in method, students solve the problem as asked and arrive at an answer. They can then plug the answer into the original equation to see if it works. If it does, the answer is correct.

If students use the equation 20m+80=300 to solve this problem and find that m = 11, they can plug that value back into the equation to see if it is correct. 20m + 80 = 300 20 (11) + 80 = 300 220 + 80 = 300 300 = 300 ✓

4. Peer Review

Peer review is a great tool to use at any grade level as it promotes critical thinking and collaboration between students. The reviewers can look at the problem from a different view as they check to see if the problem was solved correctly. Problem solvers receive immediate feedback and the opportunity to discuss their thinking with their peers. This strategy is effective with mixed-ability partners or similar-ability partners. In mixed-ability groups, the partner with stronger skills provides guidance and support to the partner with weaker skills, while reinforcing their own understanding of the content and communication skills. If partners have comparable ability levels and problem-solving skills, they may find that they approach problems differently or have unique insights to offer each other about the problem-solving process.

5. Use a Calculator

A calculator can be introduced at any grade level but may be best for older students who already have a foundational understanding of basic math operations. Provide students with a calculator to allow them to check their solutions independently, accurately, and quickly. Since calculators are so readily available on smartphones and tablets, they allow students to develop practical skills that apply to real-world situations.

Step-by-step problem-solving processes for your classroom

In his book, How to Solve It , published in 1945, mathematician George Polya introduced a 4-step process to solve problems.

Polya’s 4 steps include:

Understand the problem
Devise a plan
Carry out the plan

Today, in the style of George Polya, many problem-solving strategies use various acronyms and steps to help students recall.

Many teachers create posters and anchor charts of their chosen process to display in their classrooms. They can be implemented in any elementary, middle school or high school classroom.

Here are 5 problem-solving strategies to introduce to students and use in the classroom.

How Third Space Learning improves problem-solving

Resources .

Third Space Learning offers a free resource library is filled with hundreds of high-quality resources. A team of experienced math experts carefully created each resource to develop students mental arithmetic, problem solving and critical thinking.

Explore the range of problem solving resources for 2nd to 8th grade students.

One-on-one tutoring

Third Space Learning offers one-on-one math tutoring to help students improve their math skills. Highly qualified tutors deliver high-quality lessons aligned to state standards.

Former teachers and math experts write all of Third Space Learning’s tutoring lessons. Expertly designed lessons follow a “my turn, follow me, your turn” pedagogy to help students move from guided instruction and problem-solving to independent practice.

Throughout each lesson, tutors ask higher-level thinking questions to promote critical thinking and ensure students are developing a deep understanding of the content and problem-solving skills.

Problem-solving

Educators can use many different strategies to teach problem-solving and help students develop and carry out a plan when solving math problems. Incorporate these math strategies into any math program and use them with a variety of math concepts, from whole numbers and fractions to algebra.

Teaching students how to choose and implement problem-solving strategies helps them develop mathematical reasoning skills and critical thinking they can apply to real-life problem-solving.

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By the Mind Tools Content Team

Are your business processes perfect, or could you improve them?

In an ever-changing world, nothing stays perfect for long. To stay ahead of your competitors, you need to be able to refine your processes on an ongoing basis, so that your services remain efficient and your customers stay happy.

This article looks the FOCUS Model – a simple quality-improvement tool that helps you do this.

About the Model

The FOCUS Model, which was created by the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), is a structured approach to Total Quality Management (TQM) , and it is widely used in the health care industry.

The model is helpful because it uses a team-based approach to problem solving and to business-process improvement, and this makes it particularly useful for solving cross-departmental process issues. Also, it encourages people to rely on objective data rather than on personal opinions, and this improves the quality of the outcome.

It has five steps:

F ind the problem.
O rganize a team.
C larify the problem.
U nderstand the problem.
S elect a solution.

Applying the FOCUS Model

Follow the steps below to apply the FOCUS Model in your organization.

Step 1: Find the Problem

The first step is to identify a process that needs to be improved. Process improvements often follow the Pareto Principle , where 80 percent of issues come from 20 percent of problems. This is why identifying and solving one real problem can significantly improve your business, if you find the right problem to solve.

According to a popular analogy, identifying problems is like harvesting apples. At first, this is easy – you can pick apples up from the ground and from the lower branches of the tree. But the more fruit you collect, the harder it becomes. Eventually, the remaining fruit is all out of reach, and you need to use a ladder to reach the topmost branches.

Start with a simple problem to get the team up to speed with the FOCUS method. Then, when confidence is high, turn your attention to more complex processes.

If the problem isn't obvious, use these questions to identify possible issues:

What would our customers want us to improve?
How can we improve quality ?
What processes don't work as efficiently as they could?
Where do we experience bottlenecks in our processes?
What do our competitors or comparators do that we could do?
What frustrates and irritates our team?
What might happen in the future that could become a problem for us?

If you have several problems that need attention, list them all and use Pareto Analysis , Decision Matrix Analysis , or Paired Comparison Analysis to decide which problem to address first. (If you try to address too much in one go, you'll overload team members and cause unnecessary stress.)

Step 2: Organize a Team

Your next step is to assemble a team to address the problem.

Where possible, bring together team members from a range of disciplines – this will give you a broad range of skills, perspectives, and experience to draw on.

Select team members who are familiar with the issue or process in hand, and who have a stake in its resolution. Enthusiasm for the project will be greatest if people volunteer for it, so emphasize how individuals will benefit from being involved.

If your first choice of team member isn't available, try to appoint someone close to them, or have another team member use tools like Perceptual Positioning and Rolestorming to see the issue from their point of view.

Keep in mind that a diverse team is more likely to find a creative solution than a group of people with the same outlook.

Step 3: Clarify the Problem

Before the team can begin to solve the problem, you need to define it clearly and concisely.

According to " Total Quality Management for Hospital Nutrition Services ," a key text on the FOCUS Model, an enthusiastic team may be keen to attack an "elephant-sized" problem, but the key to success is to break it down into "sushi-sized" pieces that can be analyzed and solved more easily.

Use the Drill Down technique to break big problems down into their component parts. You can also use the 5 Whys Technique , Cause and Effect Analysis , and Root Cause Analysis to get to the bottom of a problem.

Record the details in a problem statement, which will then serve as the focal point for the rest of the exercise ( CATWOE can help you do this effectively.) Focus on factual events and measurable conditions such as:

Who does the problem affect?
What has happened?
Where is it occurring?
When does it happen?

The problem statement must be objective, so avoid relying on personal opinions, gut feelings, and emotions. Also, be on guard against "factoids" – statements that appear to be facts, but that are really opinions that have come to be accepted as fact.

Step 4: Understand the Problem

Once the problem statement has been completed, members of the team gather data about the problem to understand it more fully.

Dedicate plenty of time to this stage, as this is where you will identify the fundamental steps in the process that, when changed, will bring about the biggest improvement.

Consider what you know about the problem. Has anyone else tried to fix a similar problem before? If so, what happened, and what can you learn from this?

Use a Flow Chart or Swim Lane Diagram to organize and visualize each step; this can help you discover the stage at which the problem is happening. And try to identify any bottlenecks or failures in the process that could be causing problems.

As you develop your understanding, potential solutions to the problem may become apparent. Beware of jumping to "obvious" conclusions – these could overlook important parts of the problem, and could create a whole new process that fails to solve the problem.

Generate as many possible solutions as you can through normal structured thinking, brainstorming , reverse brainstorming , and Provocation . Don't criticize ideas initially – just come up with lots of possible ideas to explore.

Step 5: Select a Solution

The final stage in the process is to select a solution.

Use appropriate decision-making techniques to select the most viable option. Decision Trees , Paired Comparison Analysis , and Decision Matrix Analysis are all useful tools for evaluating your options.

Once you've selected an idea, use tools such as Risk Analysis , "What If" Analysis , and the Futures Wheel to think about the possible consequences of moving ahead, and make a well-considered go/no-go decision to decide whether or not you should run the project.

People commonly use the FOCUS Model in conjunction with the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. Use this approach to implement your solutions in a controlled way.

The FOCUS Model is a simple quality-improvement tool commonly used in the health care industry. You can use it to improve any process, but it is particularly useful for processes that span different departments.

The five steps in FOCUS are as follows:

People often use the FOCUS Model in conjunction with the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, which allows teams to implement their solution in a controlled way.

Bataldan, P. (1992). 'Building Knowledge for Improvement: an Introductory Guide to the Use of FOCUS-PDCA,' Nashville: TN Quality Resource Group, Hospital Corporation of America.

Schiller, M., Miller-Kovach, M., and Miller-Kovach, K. (1994). 'Total Quality Management for Hospital Nutrition Services,' Aspen Publishers Inc. Available here .

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