What is Solution Focused Therapy?

Dr. Elliott Connie has his own marriage therapy practice in Texas and is the author of The Art of Solution Focused Therapy. In this article, he explains briefly what Solution Focused Therapy is and how it is different from other types of counseling.

Solution Focused Therapy is a therapy model that is based on where you would like to go and how to get there as opposed to focusing on what happened in the past or exploring previous problems. We try to problem-solve and solution-build, rather than lingering upon the causes of past problems. It is pretty simple: If you spend more time on the solution, then you will spend less time on a problem. If you look at things on a 0-10 scale, then the closer you move towards 10, and the more you get away from 0.

Solution Focused Therapy can also be defined by what it is not, which is traditional psychotherapy. In most forms of psychotherapy, the focus is on the problem, the history of problem, the duration, and its intensity. To that end, a therapist who practices psychoanalysis asks questions about the past in an effort to try to learn more about the source of the problem in order to solve it. Solution Focused Therapy asks the questions regarding where you would like to go now, without looking back. To give a parable: A taxi driver does not need to know where you have been to take you to a new place. He just works on taking you there. Solution Focused Therapy is like that. We talk about goals, where clients wants to go and how to get them there.

It starts from where you are and you can get to anywhere from anywhere if you are focused enough. We focus on the details of the ideal solution. The more details that are given, the more realistic a hope or dream can become. Then we work to make that into reality.

We try to focus on as little problem talk as possible. Most frequently, I work with couples. They often say that we want to get back to where we used to be in our relationship. So I will say, “OK, give me the details of that happy past. What would be different?” They say, “We would stop arguing. We would start holding hands again.” So I say, “OK, so now what will it take to get us back there?” And we go from there. I focus on achieving the presence of the solution as opposed to the absence of problem. I don’t help a client not feel depressed; I help him build happiness. If you only focus on getting rid of the depression, that may be replaced by anxiety or insomnia. What you want is permanent happiness, not a cure for depression.

In learning to do Solution Focused Therapy, I had to unlearn a lot of the stuff I had learned during most of my education. When a client comes into my office, I assume that positive change is already happening. For example, a couple with a rocky marriage comes in and asks for help. They might say that they never agree on anything, but they already agreed to come into my office together to seek help. So we build from there. They have already started. I just help create a positive environment for further change.