Question 1

What is SFBT?

Accepted Answer

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is a therapeutic approach that focuses on constructing solutions rather than assuming that change requires a complete understanding of the problem.When something isn't working, it is natural to focus on the problem: where it came from, why it keeps happening, and what needs to be fixed. SFBT takes a different route. The problem can be understood and discussed, but it doesn't have to determine the direction of therapy. Developed in the 1980s by Steve de Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg and their colleagues, SFBT pays particular attention to the future you want, the resources you already have, and the moments when some part of that future is already happening.
SFBT is built around a simple idea: understanding a problem and creating change are not necessarily the same process.

Question 2

What does “solution-focused” mean?

Accepted Answer

Being solution-focused does not mean ignoring problems or pretending everything is fine. It means that the problem does not have to determine the direction of therapy.We explore what you want to be different, what that would look like in your everyday life, and what is already happening that may help you move towards it.The solution does not necessarily have to be a direct answer to the problem. Sometimes a useful change begins somewhere quite different from where the problem started.

Question 3

What does “brief” mean?

Accepted Answer

“Brief” refers to the way SFBT approaches change: we look for useful movement as early as possible, rather than assuming that therapy needs to continue until every aspect of a problem has been understood.You don't need to uncover everything that has contributed to where you are before you can begin moving towards where you want to be. The work stays focused on what is useful now, while remaining responsive to how much or how little support you need.There is no fixed number of sessions. Therapy can end when you feel you have reached a useful point of change, and you can return if another conversation becomes useful later.“As long as it takes, and not one session more.”

Question 4

How does SFBT work?

Accepted Answer

You don't have to stay stuck in what's wrong. Understanding a problem can be useful, but it is not necessarily the route to changing it. We can also look towards what you want instead.You are not a problem to be fixed. The conversation looks for abilities, resources, previous successes, small differences and moments when things are already happening differently.You can start with where you want to be. We develop a concrete picture of your preferred future and explore where parts of that future may already be present in your life.You are the expert on your life. You know your experience, relationships and circumstances in ways I cannot. My role is to facilitate a conversation that helps you notice possibilities, resources and differences that may be useful to you. The work is collaborative rather than based on me defining who you are or what you should want.

Question 5

What happens in our SFBT session?

Accepted Answer

There is no fixed script. We begin with what you hope will be different and develop a clearer picture of what that would mean in your everyday life.The conversation then follows what proves useful: what you have already managed, when things have been different, what is working even a little, what you are already doing that helps, and what you would notice if things were moving in the direction you want.You may also use scaling questions to make change more visible and explore what has helped you reach where you are now or what might indicate the next small difference.The aim is not to produce a complete explanation of your problem. It is to develop a clearer sense of what you want, what you already have to work with, and what is becoming possible.

Question 6

What can SFBT help you with?

Accepted Answer

SFBT can be useful when you feel stuck in recurring patterns, are navigating a transition or difficult decision, or are dealing with anxiety, low mood, overwhelm or emotional distress.It can also support people seeking greater clarity around relationships, work, confidence or an important change they are trying to make.SFBT is not defined by one particular problem. It starts with what you want to be different and explores what could make that possible.Anxiety and depressionWhen anxiety or low mood start to shape your days, relationships, choices or sense of yourself, it can become difficult to see beyond what you are experiencing now. SFBT can help you identify what you would like to experience instead, notice moments when anxiety or low mood have had less influence, and discover what you are already doing that helps you cope. From there, we look for small, meaningful changes that can make a difference in everyday life.Grief and lossThere is no single way to grieve, and the aim is not to tell you how you should feel or how quickly you should move on. SFBT can help you find ways to make life more bearable while honouring what has been lost: drawing on people, experiences and practices that help you cope, identifying what still matters to you, and gradually finding your way towards what comes next.Crisis and traumaIn the aftermath of a crisis or traumatic experience, the immediate task may simply be finding enough stability to face the next hours, days or weeks. A solution-focused approach can help restore a sense of agency by identifying what is helping you cope, who or what you can draw on, and what would make the immediate future a little safer or more manageable. It can do this without requiring you to repeatedly revisit or recount painful events.