The Solution Focused Approach with Groups

Okay, welcome. Take two. We had a little bit of a glitch and the screen stalled. So anyway, take two. Welcome to today’s edition of Solutions Every Day, where I’m going to talk about using the solution… I’m going to give you really quick idea about using Solution Focused Brief Therapy with groups. Now, this is a question that I get from people fairly often,

and I think that we get in our own way about using Solution Focused Brief Therapy with groups. Like what ends up happening is because we’re so used to like psycho-education groups, we kind of panic and worry. Like how do we use Solution Focused Brief Therapy with groups. And to be honest with you, it’s the same as when you use it with anyone else.

Like once you master the skill and ability to create questions that lead towards change it no longer matters whether you’re talking to an individual, a child, a couple, a family or a group, it’s your job to create questions that lead towards change, even in a group setting. So, you know, it’s the same, right? You start off a group session same way we start off for an individual session.

What are your best hope from our talking? And you get an answer from each person present. And then you say, suppose you woke up tomorrow and those desired outcomes are becoming a reality, what would you notice? And you have this story being crafted by each person present in the group. And it becomes a group led story creation. It becomes a group led description that makes difference.

Now we’re so used to thinking about like, what are the group techniques orhow do you like facilitate this kind of group? Or how do you teach this kind of group? And it’s the same skillset you ask about the outcome. You do a description and then you do an ending that honors client autonomy. Like it’s the same exact processes when you work with individuals,

couples, families, or in this case group. So I’m going to tell you a real quick story. When I first learned Solution Focused Brief Therapy, I had the same question and I had a job where I was, I had to do groups once a week at this agency in Fort worth, Texas. And I was super nervous. Like, how do you do

groups like this? And then one day I just said, screw it. I’m just going to go in, and it was a group where it was called the first offenders group, where the kids had had a drug offense and they were in a local drug court. And another therapist working with the kids and I was working with the parents.

So I had eight sets of two. So eight parents sets. 16 people. And one day it just said, screw it. I love Solution Focused Brief Therapy. I’m getting excited about doing this kind of work. So I went into the group and I said, what are your best hope from our talking? And for two hours we did a description.

It became really cool because like one family would say, well, I would notice my kids behaving. And then I would say like, what would be a sign to you that your kids were behaving? And they’d say, well, when I asked them to do their chores, they would say, yes ma’am or no ma’am. And then another family would say,

oh my gosh, I’ve noticed that too, like, that would be a huge thing. And I would say to you, and how would you notice your kids were behaving. They’d say, well, they would comply with their chores. And they’d say, yes, ma’am or no ma’am too, and then I I’d say, how would you guys respond when your kid said yes ma’am

or no ma’am and they’d say, oh my gosh, we praise them. And we we’d say how proud they were and then another family would… You know what I mean? So it becomes a group effort in the description. And I actually think doing therapy in a group context like this, is even more fun than any of the other settings. So anyway,

try not to think about like, how do I do a group? Like, what exercises do you do in a group? Or how do you teach these things in a group? Or how do you facilitate a group? Just understand that when you’re doing Solution Focused Brief Therapy, it’s always your job to ask questions with the outcome, engage the audience in a detailed description and wrap up the session in a way that honors client autonomy.

So that’s the message for the day. That’s the lesson. Thank you for watching this edition of Solutions Every Day. Please like this video, share this video. If you’re watching this video on a place other than my YouTube channel, head on over there and subscribe to my Youtube Channel, hit the bell so you get notified. When I post the amazing videos like this, and I will see you in the next video.