Many clients come to therapy looking for a miracle. Here’s a technique built on miracles. The theory focuses not on the past, but on what the client wants to achieve today. By making conscious all the ways the client is creating their ideal future and encouraging forward progress, clinicians point clients toward their goals rather than the problems that drove them to therapy.

 

The approach to solution-focused therapy is future-oriented. In other words, rather than focusing on the past, the therapist will focus on the present and the future. Then you can collectively start working toward ways of achieving the future.

 

Solution-focused therapy approach assumes that everyone has 

• Some knowledge of what would make their life better
• At least the minimal skills necessary to create solutions

However, those having difficulties might be in need of some help describing details of what would make their life better.  Your therapist will then help you identify the different components of the desired solution, which you will then seek to build on or address. This approach forms the basis of ongoing change for you. Oftentimes, you will find that the components necessary for the solution are already present in your life. 

Your therapist will help you by setting goals together and developing strategies to reach those goals. The solution-focused therapy process of discovering a client's goals and how they can work towards achieving them generally takes less time than more traditional therapy in which multiple sessions focus on exploring their history and associated emotions. This approach can often produce results in as few as six sessions. 

Solution-focused therapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of many difficulties including: 

• Depressive disorders
• Substance use disorders
• Eating disorders
• Relationship problems

If a client has severe problems that are psychiatric or medical in nature, or they are dealing with unstable living conditions, additional services may be required.