Is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy for You?

You have probably heard the expression "What we focus on becomes stronger." The theory behind Solution Based Therapy (SBT) is that focusing on what we want, rather than what we don't want, can help change old patterns of behavior and free-up energy for our full participation in life. When working with SBT, psychotherapy clients focus on strengths rather than on weaknesses; the present rather than the past.

As a mindfulness-based psychotherapist, I have noticed that solution based therapy cuts through the negative 'stories' clients create about their histories and current situations. These stories are usually strongly rooted in old conditioning and do not reflect our deeper truths. In SBT, the focus is on the positives, the successes that are always present, even in the midst of our greatest challenges.

Typically, I see a client for SBT for 3-4 sessions with a follow-up after a month. For many this may be a relief from long-term therapies that often go on for months and sometimes years of picking through past histories. Sessions are up-beat, fast paced, and fun. SBT can be done individually, as a couple or in a family group.

How can this work so fast? Perhaps spending an hour focusing the mind solely on the positives--the sheer possibilities of our heart's hopes and dreams--has the effect of reversing negative feedback loops in our brains. Then, after 3-4 weeks of noticing the positive changes, the negative frame of reference we have been living out of gets traded-in for one of vitality and hope.

SBT can lead to dramatic reversals of behavior and thought patterns. For many it is as though someone has turned on a light in a darkened room. The techniques of SBT seem to be upheld by a strong belief in the creative power of the human mind to heal itself.

I enjoy seeing clients create more happiness and fulfillment in their lives. I am always inspired to see the level of commitment to themselves and to life that clients bring to their sessions. We are amazing!