ABSTRACT
At a certain stage of learning the solution-focused model, students say that they know about most of the questions and how to use them. Now they want to become more “smooth” in their interviewing. No doubt part of what helps therapists become more proficient and natural is simply a matter of time and practice. Another factor is that of developing a sense of direction and flow in solution-building conversations. At any point in a therapy session, the therapist has a number of choices for different ways to structure the conversation. Where should we begin? Are there identifiable stages or aspects in building solutions? In what order should we address the different stages? How do we know when to explore one stage more, or when to move on to the next? This thumbnail map has proven helpful to both trainees and supervisors because it gives a fairly straightforward and comprehensive overview for structuring the conversation. It is small enough to be packaged in practical and portable formats.
