How Change Occurs in Clients While Using SFBT

When Using the SFBT Method it’s important to understand where exactly change is supposed to be triggered by, because it’s not going to be where most traditionally would expect it. Let’s talk about where our client’s change actually comes from, and how to better help them achieve their desired outcome.

I think my favorite thing about being able to teach Solution Focused Brief Therapy is every single time you teach this approach, you explain something a little bit differently. And as you know, doing a description of the presence of the client’s desired outcome is the key and most important task of this approach. And this past week, I was teaching in Los Angeles and Long beach with my best friend and colleague, Dr. Adam Froerer, and we were talking to the audience about, sometimes it’s not about the questions that you ask the client, it’s the question that you ask yourself that puts you in line with being able to do this work.

So the most important question that you could ask yourself as you’re getting in line with being able to do this work is “What is your theory of change?” Meaning, “How do you think people achieve change?”

In order to do Solution Focused Brief Therapy well, you have to operate from the position that people achieve change by talking about the details of change.

If you believe people achieve change through insight, then this is probably not the approach for you. If you believe people change through education, then this is probably not the approach for you. If you believe that people change through, anything other than “___” this is probably not the approach for you.

In order to use Solution Focused Brief Therapy effectively, you have to come from the position that the best way to achieve change is to have conversations about the detail of change, because that’s what’s required.

Now, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, it’s all about doing a detailed description of the presence of the client’s desired outcome. Now, sometimes that’s a hard conversation. That’s a difficult thing for people to talk about. And because it’s a difficult thing for people to talk about, the conversation is difficult for us as clinicians. And if you don’t truly believe what you’re doing, you’re going to give up, and going to abandon doing it.

So ask yourself, “What is my theory of change?” And understand, if you want to use Solution Focused Brief Therapy well, you have to believe that people achieve change by focusing on the details related to that change.