ABSTRACT

Sometimes SFBT is portrayed as an approach that does not permit the discussion of problems. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the transcripts included in this book should provide ample evidence to counter this misconception. Carl tells Insoo about the troubles in his family and his desperation the night before the interview. Margaret describes her drug addiction, violent relationship, and “lying” to the family she is living with in her session with Yvonne. And as Robert and his mother talk with Steve, they describe Robert’s stomach pain, seeming lack of motivation, and difficulty attending school. No attempt is made in any of these interviews to prevent a client from talking about his or her concerns. In fact, creating a space for or “honoring” the problem is vital to therapy if clients are to feel that the therapist understands their predicament and is interested in helping. When clients describe a problematic feeling or situation, the therapist asks some version of the question, “How do you want that feeling/thought/behavior to be different?” Talking about what people want will almost always be talking about the problem because clients will be describing the difference between the problem and what they want. Thus, when we talk about what clients want, on a phenomenological level, the clients are still talking about their problems, and the pain and suffering associated with them can be validated while still exploring goals and exceptions. Where SFBT differs from other approaches is that solution-focused therapists devote most of their energy to eliciting a rich description of the client’s solution rather than to producing increasingly detailed descriptions of the problem.