It was created by Insko Kim Berg (1934-2007) and Steve de Shazer (1940-2005), as well as their colleagues, mostly in the late 1970s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is also known as Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT). As per Psychology Today, solution-focused short treatment does not necessitate an in-depth exploration of one’s childhood or the manner in which one’s history has impacted one’s current circumstances. In this way, your sessions will be firmly rooted in the present while aiming toward a vision in which your present difficulties have less of an influence on your life.

Instead of focusing on the past or the future, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) focuses on finding answers in the current moment and examining one’s hopes and aspirations in order to swiftly fix the patient’s difficulties. This method is based on the premise that you are aware of what you need to do to better your own life and that, with the right coaching and questioning, a patient would be able to choose the best solutions for themselves and their families.

When Is It Applied? An Explanation by Brian C Jensen

In addition to being utilized as a therapeutic intervention, SFBT may be used in conjunction with other therapy styles and treatments to maximize results. It is used to treat persons of any age group who are suffering from a range of ailments, including but not limited to:

  • Behavioral difficulties in children
  • Disruption within the family
  • Abuse in the home or of children
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Anger issues
  • difficulties in interpersonal relationships

Although it is not a cure for psychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia and depression, it focuses on providing therapy that aims to assist individuals to improve their overall standard of living.

What It Does and How It Works

SFBT places a greater emphasis on identifying an individual’s interests and determining what actually works for them. An SFBT therapist believes in the following concepts and practices:

Brian C Jensen says that the answer to an issue can be discovered in the “exceptions” or in the “exceptional cases.” periods when one is no longer affected by the situation or is actively working to resolve the problem. Following the premise that all people are at least partly driven to discover answers, SFBT begins with an examination of what the individual is currently doing to make behavioral and lifestyle adjustments.

The therapist employs initiatives including such specific questioning methodologies, 0-10 scales, empathy, and words of encouragement to assist a person in recognizing and appreciating one’s own strong points, including such courage and determination, that have helped the person through difficult times and are likely to continue to work effectively in the future. The person learns to concentrate on how much they can do rather than on what they can’t.  This helps them to identify answers and create good changes more rapidly than they otherwise would.

Mental health problems necessitated the development of particular therapies that may assist patients in feeling better and leading a more productive life.

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