Solution-focused therapy: characteristics, objectives and how it works

In much of the psychotherapeutic approaches, the fundamental objectives that are usually addressed throughout the sessions, are usually the problems or difficulties that the patient suffers.

Instead, solution-focused therapy (TCS) focuses primarily on solutions to those problems that have led the patient to seek professional help. Therefore, the way the psychotherapist intervenes during the sessions consists of cooperative work with the patient.

Next we will see what solution-focused therapy consists of and what are its main characteristics.

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What is solution-focused therapy (TCS)?

Solution-focused therapy is a therapeutic model that focuses primarily on reusing, in a more appropriate way, the own solutions that patients have carried out to try to solve their problem. All this taking into account that said problem or difficulty is not causing discomfort at all times, but there are times when that does not appear or, at least, it appears with less intensity, these moments being what is known in the TCS as the "Exceptions".

This therapy It starts from the point of view of family systemic therapies, since it arises from the General Systems Theory where the client, her family and the interaction in therapy are conceptualized as systems. However, TCS can also be used for individual therapy sessions.

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Characteristics of solution-focused therapy

The theoretical premises, on the basis of which the TCS is based, are those set out in this section.

1. Positive human vision

First, solution-focused therapy is a therapy model with a positive view of the human being, which its fundamental premise is the fact that all people possess some kind of positive competencies.

This means that any of the people has a series of personal qualities that they must take advantage of in the therapeutic process. Hence the name of the therapy as "solution-focused."

These qualities or competencies are potentially seen as the solution to your problem and, therefore, the TCS focuses on facilitating the conditions conducive to change, without focusing so much on the problem in Yes.

Too conceives each of the people as unique and unrepeatable, being also responsible for their own life and perceives them as beings oriented to continuously establish goals that they seek to achieve.

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2. Constructivism as a starting point

For this therapy relational constructivism is understood as the way in which each person constructs their own reality. That is to say, each one has their own particular way of conceiving the events that occur around them and the same event is perceived differently by each person and, in turn, each of these people constructs their own account of what happened.

3. Antidiagnosis therapy

It should be noted that solution-focused therapy is another of the antidiagnosis therapies, with a view that psychology should not standardize what is considered correct and what is not. Its premise, above the diagnosis, is the fact that there is a person who is suffering and that is what to focus on; conceiving that said suffering is caused by a problem and it is in solving that problem that therapy should focus.

4. Systemic therapy

It is a systemic model that does not consider that it is the family who favors the development of the problem by a confrontational interactions between its members, but has a point of view from the which the family is seen as a source of resources for the patient, its members being a support for the patient who seeks help in his process of change.

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5. The key is in the way people perceive problems

This therapy has a peculiar name to refer to the reason why people have problems, using the expression "shit happens" translated as "shit happens." Which basically means that difficulties throughout life cannot be avoidedIt is the way we face these difficulties that magnifies them.

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6. Doesn't try to change people

The goal of solution-focused therapy, like its predecessor, MRI, is not to fix people's problems or to try to change them. seeks to help people achieve their purposes, using their own personal resources successfully to achieve them.

7. The therapist assumes the role of facilitator and not of expert

The therapist assumes the idea that it should be the patient who must decide what is good for himself and what the therapist is in charge of, through his techniques, is to help the patient to achieve their objectives. This does assuming a point of view of not knowing what is good for the patient, so that it is he who must choose what he wants to achieve and how he thinks he should work for it.

Therefore, the therapist and patient, from the TCS, collaborate together and conceive the patient as the expert in her problems and, the therapist, as an expert in helping him solve these problems. One way to help the patient is by analyzing with him when in his life they have been closest to achieving his goals and what means are available to him to progress towards them.

It is because of that the therapist must have a very empathetic attitude towards the patient, to discover the qualities and strengths of the patient that can help him achieve her objectives, as well as being able to connect with her values; In addition, this attitude favors a solid therapeutic alliance that facilitates trust on the part of the patient in his therapist.

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Techniques used during the therapeutic process

These are some of the techniques most used by psychologists who follow the model of solution-focused therapy.

1. Search for exceptions

This technique is used to ask the patient when the symptom or problem that causes discomfort does not appear. It is a forward-looking technique to negotiate patient goals.

2. Propositional questions

It is a technique that is developed in the form of a question towards the patient, for you to reflect on whether there are exceptional times or if you have noticed improvements regarding your issue. The search for exceptions or advances with respect to the patient's problem is due to the fact that these moments could be the key to finding solutions to her problem.

3. Praise

This resource is used in this therapeutic model in order to highlight what the patient is doing well and what helps them do it, so you can be proud of yourself and motivated to progress toward his goals.

4. Scalar questions

It is one of the most representative techniques of solution-focused therapy, and consists of asking the patient to rate on a scale from 1 to 10 on a series of situations (p. (eg, severity with which he currently perceives his problem, degree of improvement with respect to the previous session, degree of improvement that he foresees could develop in the next session, etc.).

The objective of this technique is not to achieve a certain number on the scale, but to talk with the patient during the session about the responses that she has issued.

There are a number of Questions Recommended by Beyebach, Expert in Solution-Focused Therapy, regarding the technique of scalar questions:

• Ask about what is going well so you are not scoring even lower.
• Ask what changes should take place so that you could go up a point on that scale.
• Ask what that moment when you have reached the maximum score on the scale would consist of.

5. Miracle questions

It consists of proposing to the patient to imagine a situation in which his problem has suddenly disappeared completely, as if it were a miracle, and then you are asked to describe the situation.

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Brief historical review of this psychotherapy

The beginnings of solution-focused therapy date back to the 1980s, by Insoo therapists Kim Berg and her husband Steve de Shazer, who used the systemic model of the Mental Research Institute (MRI) of Palo Alto (California) and, Based on this model, they decide to develop a new therapeutic approach, therapy focused on solutions.

Such an approach begins to develop at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee (United States). United States) and, over the years, it extends to the rest of the country, as well as to Latin America and Europe.

The MRI model, a predecessor to solution-focused therapy, influences TCS in the way it sees the origin of the problems for which the patient seeks therapeutic help and these are usually life crises or transitions that are considered problems, when that person perceives in this way, going on to try to solve them without being successful and getting to keep trying despite not having been successful previously.