In just over two weeks, I will be co-delivering a training course on Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), with Kidge Burns. SFBT is widely used in counselling and coaching to help individuals achieve desired changes in their lives. However, it can also be highly effective in healthcare settings, supporting truly client-centred care.
As a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT), working with adults, I have found that SFBT’s principles and approach combine well with the aims of therapy, particularly in fostering collaborative, empowering relationships with clients. Many of the participants attending the upcoming course work in healthcare settings and are eager to learn how to integrate this approach within their practice. As I prepare for the course, I’ve been reflecting on how I use solution-focused questions and language in my sessions with clients and their families.
One client, “Jane”, has made significant progress since we started working together in March. She has an aphasia and apraxia of speech, affecting both her ability to find words and produce speech accurately. During a recent review we spoke about her progress and hopes for further therapy.
She identified that her best hope would be to talk in situations where there were more than 10 people. Traditionally, this would create a ‘goal’ for therapy. However, SFBT extends this to the impact that achieving this goal would bring, by asking the important question ‘What difference would being able to do this make’. After some hesitation Jane was able to explain that it would increase her ‘confidence and she would not be so worried’. Solution focused questions seek to understand not only what might diminish but also what will appear in its place. Instead of being ‘so worried’ – Jane said that she’d be ‘more happy’.
After further exploration of what she might notice and where she might notice being ‘more happy’ we switched to SLT and our collaboration moved to support Jane writing and reading a speech to be given at her husband’s 70th dinner. It would be in front of 14 people. The day after the dinner, I received a text from her husband. She had absolutely ‘rocked’ the speech, and all guests had commented on how well she spoke.
In SLT, incorporating a solution-focused approach helps to shift the focus from problems to possibilities. Rather than dwelling on a person’s deficits or impairments, I guide my clients to explore their strengths, their hopes for improvement, and their vision of success in communication or eating and drinking. For example, instead of asking “What difficulties are you experiencing with your speech or swallow?” I might ask, “What might you be noticing if your speech or swallow were just a little bit easier?” or “Can you tell me about a time when you were able to communicate more effectively?” This not only fosters a sense of agency and hope but also opens the door for clients to recognise their own progress and resources.
This approach is equally valuable when working with family members and partners. SFBT encourages the involvement of significant others in a way that emphasises support and collaboration. For instance, I might ask family members, “What have you already found, that works well in supporting your wife’s communication?” or “How did you realise that was helpful for your Mum? ” By focusing on what’s working, we create a more optimistic and constructive environment for progress.
‘Scale questions’ are signature of SFBT and one I often use within SLT sessions. Typically, 10 will represent the client has identified where they wish to be and zero the opposite. A client can rate themselves on the scale and recognise not only their progress, but also the resources that have helped them.
I am looking forward to my next session with Jane to talk about ‘what she was pleased to notice’, where she is now on her scale and what might be the next signs of increased ‘confidence and being more happy’. This will then help us both to work on the aspects of her communication recovery to support her hopes. I think I might mention to Jane that her hopes reminded me of the 1988 song by Bobby McFerrin, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. Hence the title of the blog.
During the training, both Kidge and I will share how solution-focused techniques have enhanced our therapeutic work, helping clients move toward their hoped-for outcomes. Our aim is to provide participants with practical tools and strategies that they can immediately apply in their own healthcare contexts.
More training dates are planned for 2025 following sell out courses in 2024. Kidge and I will be running further training in 2025, designed for anyone whose roles involve engaging in conversations with people to help them achieve goals, solve issues, or make changes. For more information visit my website: https://refindyourway.co.uk/solution-focused-brief-therapy-training/