Post Modern Approaches to Therapy In Clinical Psychology, there are numerous approaches to finding a solution within a client. My favorable approach to assisting clients is Solution-focused therapy because self-reflection and conservation can help solve issues within a client. However, some may prefer other techniques to therapy. I suggest motivating clients to challenge themselves in facing complex problems under supervision. Clients are experts on themselves, and as therapists, we are here to guide them through their most toughest battles.
Overview and Basic Assumptions Solution-focused brief therapy(SFBT) is based on the assumption that the therapist is not the expert on a client’s life; rather, it is the client who is the expert. This approach emphasizes clients’ strengths, resources, previous successes, and their ability to deal with their concerns and move toward their preferred outcomes. Complex problems do not necessarily require complex solutions, and the therapist helps clients recognize the competencies they already possess. Change is constant and inevitable, and small changes pave the way for large increments of change. Attention is given to what clients are doing that is working and to helping them build on their potential and resources. Key Concepts: A central concept of SFBT includes a movement from talking about problems to talking about and constructing solutions. The therapeutic process focuses on the client’s desired future rather than on past problems. Therapy is kept simple and brief. Therapists conclude work as soon as possible, and they tend to treat every session as if it were the last. There are exceptions to every problem, and by talking about these exceptions, clients are able to conquer what seem to be major problems in a brief period of time. Therapeutic Goals:The solution-focused model emphasizes the role of clients in establishing their own goals and preferences. This is done when a climate of mutual respect, dialogue, inquiry, and affirmation are a part of the therapeutic process. Working together in a collaborative relationship, both therapist and client develop useful and meaningful treatment goals, and ultimately clients construct meaningful goals that will lead to a better future. Therapeutic Relationship: SFBT is a collaborative venture; the therapist strives to carry out therapy with an individual, rather than doing therapy on an individual. Therapists recognize that clients are the primary interpreters of their own experiences. Solution-focused therapists adopt a “not knowing” position, or a nonexpert stance, as a way to put clients in the position of being the experts about their own lives. The therapist-as-expert is replaced by the client-as-expert. By adopting a respectful position of curiosity and “not knowing,” the therapist is informed by the client of the nature of the work that needs to be done. Together the client and the therapist establish clear, specific, realistic, and personally meaningful goals that will guide the therapy process. This spirit of collaboration opens up a range of possibilities for present and future change. Techniques Solutionis focused brief therapists use a range of techniques. Some therapists ask the client to externalize the problem and focus on strengths or unused resources. Others challenge clients to discover solutions that might work. Techniques focus on the future and how best to solve problems rather than on understanding the cause of problems. SFBT techniques that are frequently used include pre-therapy change, exception questions, the miracle question, scaling questions, homework, and summary feedback. Solution-focused brief therapists often ask clients at the first session, “What have you done since you called for an appointment that has made a difference in your problem?” Asking about pre-thearpy change ends to encourage clients to rely less on the therapist and more on their own resources to reach their goals.