Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

What Is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy?

Solution-focused therapy (SFBT) is an effective tool to solve problems without spending too much time talking about them.

Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer created SFBT in the 1970s. Instead of worrying about why a problem occurred, solution-focused therapy focuses on what you can do now to overcome the issue.

Therapists in Singapore use SFBT to help you believe that you already have good ideas for improving relationships and life. You just need some professional help to find the solutions.

Solution-focused therapy is about identifying your problems and figuring out how to reach your goals. Therapists may help you see what you’re already doing well and how you can do more of that to solve your problems.

SFBT is a goal-oriented therapy which is usually short-term. Hence, you may only need to attend therapy regularly to see the results within a few months.

People all over the world, especially in Asia, find solution-focused therapy very useful. Research shows that SFBT works well in different cultures as it’s positive and solution-focused.

This article will explore how solution-focused therapy can help and 3 important SFBT tools!

What Solution Focused Therapy Can Help With?

Solution-focused therapy guides people towards their goals in their personal lives, work lives, and relationships.

SFBT can also help people from various walks of life, including:

• Adults
• Children
• Couples
• Families
• Older adults
• Adolescents

Moreover, SFBT also helps with several issues, such as:

• Maladaptive behaviours
• Substance abuse
• Interpersonal conflicts (ie gaslighting parents)
• Social anxiety
• Low self-esteem

Note: Solutions-focused therapy may not be advisable to use for severe psychiatric conditions like psychosis or schizophrenia. Your Singapore Therapist may choose an appropriate therapeutic approach based on several factors. 

3 SFBT Tools

A Therapist who uses solution-focused therapy may assume you are capable and strong.

The belief your Therapist has in you can help you focus on utilising your existing resources and make changes towards your goals.

In that sense, every SFBT tool is used to focus on your personal strengths.

In the below section, we will look into the 3 SFBT tools. They are: miracle questions, scaling questions, and exception questions. 

1) Miracle Questions

Miracle questions are a technique that focuses on imaginative thinking.

Through miracle questions, your Therapist may guide you to articulate the specific details of your ideal future, especially how you envision it to look after you overcome your problems.

For example, imagine you are struggling with an intense issue. Your Therapist may ask you a miracle question like, “If a miracle happened overnight and your problem was solved, what changes would you notice immediately after waking up?”

This type of miracle question is not just about fantasising about your future. The question will also help you develop measurable goals to reach your vision.

The key aspect of miracle questioning is shifting your focus.

In other words, instead of focusing on the problem, your Therapist in Singapore may encourage you to think about the solutions.

Another example of a miracle question would be – “What is the one primary aspect of your life that might change if a miracle happens?” or “How would this change impact your daily interactions and relationships?”

By reflecting on these questions, you may begin to identify the changes you can make and the specific steps you can take to lead you towards a happy life. 

2) Scaling Questions

Scaling questions are the second type of technique used in solution-focused therapy.

Your Therapist may use a scale from 1 to 10 to measure how you feel. For example, your Therapist may ask, “If 10 is feeling your best and 1 is feeling your worst, where are you on the scale now?”

Specific and measurable questions can also help increase your self-awareness and understand why you are always feeling emotional.

To further understand your feelings, your Therapist may follow up with another question, such as:

“Why did you pick that number and not a lower/higher one?”

The above question may help narrow down your reasons and notice the good things in your life while acknowledging the negative emotions.

During online therapy sessions, you may also discuss how to move up on the scale, even if it is by one point.

You may learn therapeutic tools to feel better and manage your emotions. The scale may serve as your measure to observe progress in therapy. 

3) Exception Questions

In solution-focused therapy, your Therapist may ask you to think about times when a problem could have happened but didn’t.

This method, known as exception questions, could help you focus on identifying the positives in your life and finding solutions through them.

Exception questions can also help you realise that life problems don’t always happen in every situation.

Some exception questions you can expect during counselling in Singapore include:

• When did you last feel better? And why?
• Was there a day the problem didn’t feel like too much?
• What helps you calm down and think effectively?

Your Therapist will guide you every step of the way. Solution-focused therapy is also used during other therapy services, including:

• Couples therapy
• Family therapy
• Marriage therapy

Benefits of Solution-Focused Therapy

Solution-focused therapy offers several benefits, such as it:

• Helps reduce anxiety and depression
• Improves relationships through better communication
• Increases students’ attentiveness and engagement in academia
• Empowers individuals to find their own solutions
• Offers a positive and practical approach to challenges

Visit our Singapore Therapist page if you are looking to get started with solution-focused therapy!