The Power of Clinical Optimism

In my 10 years of working with clients, the one thing that has stood out to me the most is how amazing people are and how they are able to use their amazing skills to overcome even the most challenging troubles.

In my time teaching Solution Focused Brief Therapy, one question I have been consistently asked is about which “question” is most crucial in SFBT. I always have a hard time answering this because I always know that the person asking is looking for me to highlight a technique or intervention. However, my answer is always the same: “remain optimistic in session”.

Let me be clear, I don’t mean blind optimism. I mean really and truly believing that the client has the capacity to overcome the struggle that led them into therapy. Without this belief in your client, there is no intervention that will ever be able to create change in the client’s life.

So as you study the Solution Focused Approach, be sure you learn the common questions associated with this approach, but also remember to hold onto the belief in your clients. The moment you lose that belief you become less effective.

Elliott