Clients ask all the time why I choose to use Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) instead of some of the other therapeutic methods that seem to be widely used in the counseling profession. The main reason that I was drawn to SFBT is that it fits my personality and the way that I live my life. SFBT is outcome driven. I used to say to my team all the time, “I do not want to hear about the problem, I want to hear about the solutions”. This is how I managed my teams in the business world. It was effective and impactful as it empowered the team to develop the outcome of the issue, and we did not dwell on the reason that something originally happened.
In school they do not teach you about SFBT. If they do, it is not in depth or focused upon. It was not until one of my professors said to me in a mock session and said it was one of the best representations of SFBT that he had ever seen. Not knowing what he was talking about, he recommends that I research a gentleman by the name of Elliott Connie. Elliott is the leading expert for solution Focused Based Therapy. His partner at the Solution Focused Universe is Dr. Adam Froerer, who is the foremost researcher about the therapeutic model in the counseling field.
In a recent video that I watched with both Elliott and Adam they talk about why SFBT is the best method. Elliotts’ example of traveling from LA to Fort Lauderdale makes perfect sense. In the video Elliott and Adam talk about how there are many ways to get from LA to Fort Lauderdale, but one of them is the best and the most efficient method. You can fly, walk, drive or take a boat, but flying is the most efficient way to get there. This is like Solution Focused Based Therapy. There are a lot of different therapeutic models that can you to the same ending, but which method is the best, fastest and most efficient. The answer……SFBT.
Dr. Froerer has the data to support this claim, but so do I. The first example is a 15-year-old teenage boy who has been in counseling with another counselor for over a year. That counselor left the practice, and the teen was transferred to my caseload. After the fourth session with the teen the mom scheduled an appointment with me to discuss her son’s sessions. When I spoke with the mother, she wanted to know what I was doing different and that after just four sessions she has noticed significant differences in her son’s behavior at home, his grades and his interactions with his brother. From September till the end of December I worked with the young man and saw significant improvements from him. In fact, he received all A’s in his classes. In the end, the client saw the outcome that he wanted and worked towards it on his own merit.
As counselors, we need to have the belief that our clients can be exceptional. We need to believe that they can achieve their desired outcomes and that they will work hard on their own to get there. I know that my clients can reach greatness and that they will find ways to reach new levels that they never knew existed in their lives. In the video Elliott talks about the other thing that SFBT does is respect the humanness of our clients. Instead of focusing on the problem, we need to focus on the things that make humans human, which is the desire to have a brighter, better and more hope filled future. Other therapeutic methods tend to focus on the problem and then spend time trying to diagnose the problem and then try to suggest and implement interventions that interfere with the problem. SBFT focuses on hopes, wishes, resources, dreams and joy and allows the client to live from that perspective and not the perspective of the problem or the past.
Another client came to me after seeing another therapist for over six months. The client didn’t feel that the therapist was listening to him and that he was not making any progress. In just three short sessions the client was able to identify his outcome and how he wanted to achieve it. The client was able to find joy and hope for his desired outcome. This is just another example of how SFBT works and works well and is also the quickest way to get to a desired outcome.
So, when people ask me if Solution Focused Brief Therapy is better than the other therapeutic methods, my answer is absolutely! I see the proof every day in my clients. I only work with the best clients, and I only use the best therapeutic method. Like many of us in life, we want the best of everything. This is why I use SFBT. It is the best therapeutic method for high achieving individuals and power couples. Don’t believe me, look at the data. If not, schedule a counseling or coaching session and find out for yourself.
