Some types of talk therapy help people find solutions to their problems. However, it takes time to analyze the issues and achieve objectives. With SFBT, or solution focused brief therapy, solving problems quickly is the primary focus. Those who like the idea of finding resolutions fast should understand this therapy method before using it.

What Is SFBT?

People making a contract to use solution focused brief therapy or SFBT during rehabSolution focused brief therapy is unlike traditional forms of addiction counseling. Whether for substance use or other mental disorders, traditional counseling involves analyzing life events and problems. Although the object is to solve problems, these therapies progress at a moderate or slow pace.

Solution focused counseling, however, concentrates on solving present issues. It involves exploring hopes for the future and focuses on people’s strengths. While other therapies dwell on the negative aspects of people’s lives, this method targets the positive elements.

It also works on the basis that people know what they need to do but need proper guidance. Therapists encourage clients to create a concept of the future. They also spur people to determine the abilities and resources they need to achieve it. Through this process, they can find resolutions fast.

In fact, the whole intention behind solution focused counseling is to be quick. The practitioners who pioneered the method didn’t mean for it to last for years. To that end, it includes a simple approach and a focus on solution-centered questions.

Addiction treatment programs can use solution focused brief therapy as a stand-alone treatment for many mental health disorders. For addiction recovery, however, they combine it with traditional and holistic therapy techniques.

The History of This Brief Counseling Method

Two practitioners at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, developed SFBT with their team. In the early 1980s, Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg needed an alternative to traditional counseling. They recognized that they and their patients used too much money, energy, time and other resources during therapy. Meanwhile, the original issues that brought their patients to them still had a negative impact.

They took more of an interest in what works best for each person and what he or she wants. The result was an effective treatment that produces results quickly. Thirty years later, more experts use this modality, and it continues to evolve.

How Does This Method Work?

The theory behind solution focused brief therapy is that people create their own realities. Because of that, they may as well make constructive changes that improve their lives.

To that end, the therapists facilitate skilled conversation. Rather than hold themselves as experts, they take a position of unknowing and draw on the patients’ expertise. They ask questions that demonstrate the patients’ desires, resources, and strengths. Then, they encourage patients to develop a path toward their goals.

SFBT shifts the focus to what currently works in patients’ lives. It also emphasizes how the future will be when they solve their problems. In the end, this approach creates more room for the patients to arrive at solutions to their issues.

What to Expect During Sessions

Setting goals is the foundation of solution focused brief therapy. In fact, identifying and clarifying goals is one of the first steps. Then, therapists ask specific questions to guide the sessions in the right direction.

Questions about how patients cope with stress can demonstrate that they’re resilient and capable of defeating challenges. Rating present circumstances and progress on a scale of zero to 10 can provide insight into their confidence and motivation. It can also help them verbalize their experiences better. Also, SFBT therapists use compliments and empathy to help patients recognize their own virtues.

Extensive Addiction Therapy at Beaches Recovery

In most cases, addiction treatment consists of more than just one type of therapy. Everyone is different, so one single approach doesn’t always work. For that reason, Beaches Recovery uses many types of therapy. Aside from solution focused counseling, our team applies evidence-based and holistic approaches such as:

As a premier alcohol and drug treatment center, Beaches Recovery aims to treat your entire being. We address your spiritual, mental and physical well-being so that you can be healthier overall. Our team also believes that it’s important to involve your family in treatment. By learning more about addiction and resolving household conflicts, they can be your support throughout recovery.

Don’t believe that you have to live a bleak future because of drug addiction. Overcome your substance use disorder with SFBT (Solution Focused Brief Therapy) and other therapies at Beaches Recovery. Call 866.605.0532 today to learn how to find your way out of addiction.