The Power of Solution Vision

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The key to mastering the Solution Focused Approach is in your ability to not allow the problem to distract you from your tasks in the session. These days, I’m calling that “Solution Vision” and in this video I share why it’s so important.

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You know, for the past little bit, you’ve heard me use a phrase that I referred to as Solution Vision. And you’ve heard me say it a lot recently. And I want to tell you, I want to explain what I mean when I say Solution Vision and why it matters so much. So when I say Solution Vision, I mean your ability to stay focused on your task in the therapy session in spite of the distractions that come up as you talk to your clients. Now, I refer to that as Solution Vision.

It’s really just being so focused on your task of asking the next question that you’re able to take on and not be overwhelmed by the distractions that the problems often bring into the session.

So let me explain. Let me tell you what I mean. So, recently, you know that I’ve been traveling and I’ve been working hard, and I’ve been

working out and trying to stay fit and get back in shape and take care of myself in a better way.

And I was driving to the gym today and noticing, like all of the distractions that I was passing on my way to my fitness journey.

And, just as it was, I had a really busy morning this morning. I had some meetings and things, and I didn’t get a chance to really eat a meal,

and I was kind of hungry. And as I’m driving, I’m passing like McDonald’s and Wendy’s and all these fast food places that have always like, food

that’s not good for you. And in order for me to bypass all of those I have to stay focused on what it is I’m trying to accomplish,

which is to get back in shape, and that gets me here to my gym, where I’m about to go and work out. Well in the therapy session

I have to stay equally focused on my task at hand, which is to ask questions about the client’s desired outcome and then ask questions

That help the clients do a description of the presence of that desired outcome, and oftentimes it’s the problem that tries to distract us.

It’s the problem that tries to distract our work from just sticking to the next question. But Solution Vision is your ability to stay focused on that next question.

I’m going to give you an example. The other day I saw a couple, and just as I would with any first couple

I would see, “What are your best hope from our talking?”, and the couple said “We’re here because we want to see if there’s anything still between us.”

The couple explains to me that they had a really difficult relationship for a long time. They went through a divorce.

One of them, the wife, the ex wife in the couple started feeling bad that they have a three year old daughter,

and they want to see if there’s any way to salvage this family. Now I know that the outcome the couple told me they want to achieve is about salvaging the family and see if there’s anything still between us.

So I know my next question has got to be something related to that. “So, if we started working together in a way that helped you recognize there’s something still between us and we’re salvaging the family,

what’s the thing that you would notice?” All right, I’ve got to ask a question like that, but what gets in our ways we’re distracted by the problem.

We’re distracted by the fact that the couple said we had this very difficult marriage that ended in divorce and your brain starts telling you,

maybe I need to ask some questions about that. I need to check in about the marriage, and all of those are just distractions from my job.

My actual job is stay focused on the description. Now listen, you have to attend to the problem, like I wouldn’t say ignore.

But you have to do so while not letting the problems take your attention. You’ve got to kind of attend to that they said it because you don’t want clients feel dismissed.

But you also have to stay very focused and very intentional about what it is that you’re doing. Now that really is the, I think Solution Vision is the key to Solution Focused Brief Therapy.

Like, having that ability to stay focused on your task at hand and you can attend to other stuff but not losing track,

not losing your place, not losing what it is that you’re doing, (All these people are walking by it’s super cool saying ‘Hi’ to them),

but not losing track. Let’s keep your focus on what you’re doing. That really is the key to doing this work in an effective way,

like you guys can go learn Solution Focused Brief Therapy in a book and learn about the miracle question, exception finding and scaling.

But the actual pragmatics to doing this approach are actually connected to your Solution Vision. And that’s why I’ve been talking about this for so much in the past little bit because I want you to increase your Solution Vision.

I want you to be focused on what it is you’re doing in session and not let the problems distract you.

And by the way, this is true for all of your goals. I can’t let my hunger distract me.

I can’t let all of the fast food restaurants I’m passing. All of the billboards. All of this smells distract me.

I’ve got to stay focus on my goals and in session I have to stay focused as well, because my job is to ask the client about an outcome and then to ask

the client to participate in the description on the presence of that outcome. That’s what we do. So please,

guys, pay attention to your Solution Vision. Become clear in your vision, what you’re looking for and your ability to withstand a distraction and not have your attention pulled in other ways.

So with that, I’m gonna go work out, I’m gonna go get it on and I will talk to you later.