week eight - Solution Focused Therapy

Question 1

Is there one founding person for SFT?

Answer 1

No.

Question 2

What are the underlying assumptions of SFT?

Answer 2

People have the ability to solve their problems, something has just got in the way.
Capacity and capability distinction is a good for clients.

Question 3

What populations is SFT most useful for?

Question 4

Does SFT spend much time on why they are experiencing the problem they are experiencing?

Answer 4

No.

It just focuses on their strengths and how they can move forward.

Question 5

‘Things cannot not change’.

What does this mean for SFT?

Question 6

What are the 7 stages of SFT?

Answer 6

1. Identifying a solvable complaint.
   Get on the same page as the client.
   Needs to be in the client’s control. Can help reframe problems so that they are in the client’s control.
2. Establishing goals.
   What does the client actually want. Reframing questions from what you ‘don’t want’ to what you ‘do want’.
3. Design an intervention.
   How has the client addressed this kind of problem in the past? What are some clues that can help client and clinician figure out what they can do.
4. Strategic tasks
5. Positive new behaviours and changes are identified and emphasised?
   Make sure to compliment even small achievements or change.
6. Stabilisation.
7. Termination.

Question 7

How is a ‘Scaling question’ helpful in SFT?

Answer 7

Help to understand where the client is and gives the opportunity to track progress and get a sense of how the client can move forward.

Question 8

What is the Miracle Question?

How is it used to help the client and therapist get a bit of clarity on where the client is at and what they actually want.

What stage of EFT would this question be used in?

Answer 8

Stage 2 - establishing a goal.

Question 9

What is ‘living person’s’ language around goal establishment?

Question 10

Are problems externalised from the client in EFT?

Answer 10

Yes.
The problems are not the client.

Question 11

Is SFT quite short in it’s timeline?

Answer 11

Yes. Usually less than 10 sessions.

Question 12

What are some of the guidelines that for clinicians to help clients find solutions?

Question 13

Why is the therapeutic relationship so important in SFT?

Answer 13

SFT is very collaborative.

Question 14

What are the types of clients from a motivation perspective and how could the clinician work with these types of clients?

Answer 14

Window shopper.

Complainant.

Customer.

Question 15

What is pre-session change, and why is it important to ask about this?

Question 16

Does SFT always try and reframe problems and/or challenges in a way to move the client forward?

Answer 16

Yes.

What is the example Holly gave in the lecture?

Question 17

What is the ‘exceptions’ intervention in SFT and how is it helpful?

Answer 17

When the client is able to recognise a time when they are not experiencing the problem then it gives clues to what helps with the problem.

Question 18

What does SFT use as the gateway into change?

Answer 18

Behaviours.

Question 19

What is ‘Solution Talk’ and how is it used in SFT?

Answer 19

‘How do you manage to keep going?’ - helps identify current ways of coping and/or resources the client has.

Question 20

What are some specific interventions used in SFT that we discussed in the lecture?

Question 21

Who are good candidates for SFT?

Answer 21

Nothing acute.

Worried well.

People motivated to change.

Mild anxiety and mood disorders.

Question 22

What are some limitations of SFT?

Question 23

What is Solution Focused Therapy?

Answer 23

A type of psychotherapy that believes helping people change their behaviour can help them solve their psychological distress/problems.

Question 24

Does SFT consider the past experiences?

Answer 24

No. It focuses on the present and future. What is happening and how do you want it to be different?

Question 25

"People cannot solve their problems from the same place they created."

Question 26

Is SFT informed by CBT?

Answer 26

Yes.

Question 27

What are the underlying assumptions of SFT?

Answer 27

People's problems come from their view of the world and their behaviours they engage in based on this view. People are doing the best they can with the resources they have. Things cannot NOT change. Exceptions to the problem help client see a way to a solution. People have the ability to solve their own problems, but may just have lost courage, direction.

Question 28

What are the 7 stages of SFT?

Answer 28

1. Identifying a solvable complaint. 2. Establishing the goals. 3. Design an intervention. 4. Strategic tasks 5. Positive new behaviours and changes are identified and emphasised. 6. Stabilisation 7. Termination of treatment

Question 29

What is stage 1 of EFT: What is a solvable complaint?

Answer 29

A problem that is within the client's control. What do you want to change? Scaling questions help the client to recognise how difficult/not so difficult their problem is, what they want it to be and how they might get there.

Question 30

What is stage 2 of EFT: Establishing goals?

Answer 30

Specific, achievable goals. Helping clients to recognise that they need to move away from 'what they don't want' to 'what they want instead'. The Miracle question.

Question 31

What is the Miracle question?

Answer 31

The Miracle question asks clients to imagine how their life would be different if their problem was solved? This allows clients to recognise what they want and where there might be opportunities for changing behaviours?

Question 32

What is stage 3 of SFT: Designing an intervention?

Answer 32

Helping client recognise when they have been able to change their behaviour in the past, what they might need to make the desired change.

Question 33

What is stage 4 of SFT: Strategic tasks?

Answer 33

Help client to figure out what tasks they can take, what behaviours they can change, to help them move toward their desired goal in a tiered way . Praise any change - it all helps with working toward the client goal.

Question 34

What is stage 5 of SFT: Positive changes in behaviours are recognised and celebrated?

Question 35

What is stage 6 of SFT: Stabilisation?

Answer 35

Help clients maintain their changed behaviour. Predict some backsliding and how the client may work with this.

Question 36

What is stage 7 of SFT: Termination of treatment?

Answer 36

When a client has achieved their goals/changed behaviour then treatment can be ended.

Question 37

How many sessions does a course of SFT tend to last?

Answer 37

Generally fewer than 10 sessions.

Question 38

SFT is very flexible. Is that true?

Answer 38

Yes.

Question 39

What are some guidelines for helping therapists figure out solutions for clients?

Answer 39

Recognise the client as the expert in their problems and lives and have the ability to solve their problems. Expand and build on exceptions to the problem. Learn from past successes to help inform future sessions. Help clients develop new behaviours/change and don't just focus on the cessation of old behaviours. Make solutions practical and achievable.