ASSIGNMENT
SOLUTION FOCUSED THERAPY; COPING QUESTIONS.
Submitted To,
Dr. Aneesh KR, Department of Social Work
Rajagiri College Of Social Sciences
Submitted By,
Aimy Johny, MSW 2019-21
Batch B
What Is Solution-Focused Therapy?
Solution-focused therapy, also called solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), is a type
of therapy that places far more importance on discussing solutions than problems .
Solution-focused brief therapy doesn’t require a deep dive into your childhood and
the ways in which your past has influenced your present. Instead, it will root your
sessions firmly in the present while working toward a future in which your current
problems have less of an impact on your life.
The solution-focused approach of SFBT is founded in de Shazer and Berg’s idea
that the solutions to one’s problems are typically found in the “exceptions” to the
problem, meaning the times when the problem is not actively affecting the
individual.
This approach is a logical one—to find a lasting solution to a problem, it is rational to
look first at those times in which the problem lacks its usual potency.
This solution-centric form of therapy grew out of the field of family therapy in the
1980s. Creators Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg noticed that most therapy
sessions were spent discussing symptoms, issues, and problems. De Shazer and Berg
saw an opportunity for quicker relief from negative symptoms in a new form of
therapy that emphasized quick, specific problem-solving rather than an ongoing
discussion of the problem itself.
The goal of SFBT is to find and implement a solution to the problem or problems
as soon as possible to minimize time spent in therapy and, more importantly, time
spent struggling or suffering. SFBT is committed to finding realistic, workable
solutions for clients as quickly as possible, and the efficacy of this treatment has
influenced its spread around the world and use in multiple contexts.
The only realm in which SFBT is generally not recommended is that of the more
extreme mental health issues, such as schizophrenia or major depressive disorder.
COPING QUESTIONS AS A TECHNIQUE OF SOLUTION FOCUSED
THERAPY
Asking good questions is vital in any form of therapy, but SFBT formalized this
practice into a technique that specifies a certain set of questions intended to provoke
thinking and discussion about goal-setting and problem-solving.
One such question is the “coping question.” This question is intended to help clients
recognize their own resiliency and identify some of the ways in which they already
cope with their problems effectively.
There are many ways to phrase this sort of question, but generally, a coping question
is worded something like, “How do you manage, in the face of such difficulty, to
fulfill your daily obligations?”.
Coping questions works well when people really have a hard time and can barely
find the energy to do something about their problems. When normal strategies to
solve problems don't seem to work anymore you can try this question. An example
of a situation in which you can use the coping question is when your client says he or
she is now at a zero on the scale (see the scaling question). The basic form of the
question is: "How do manage to keep going?" But there are many other ways of
phrasing the question. Here are some examples of coping questions:
What keeps you going under such difficult circumstances?
How do you manage to deal with such difficult situations each day?
What helps you to keep going even though things are really hard?
How can you explain to yourself how you have been able to do so well while
the circumstances are so hard?
It is admirable how you have been able to keep on going under such difficult
circumstances.... how did you do that?
How did you manage to cope before you gave up?
The coping question helps people in difficult situations to find new energy to keep
on dealing with their problems. By using the coping question you help people to
become aware that they in fact are managing, at least to some extent... This helps
them to see that they are still able to do some things well and that their energy has
not faded completely. By exploring how they do cope they can become more aware
of what it is exactly that keeps them going. What is still so worthwhile for them to get
out of bed each morning and to face the day? By becoming more aware of this you
will see, nine times out of ten, that the motivation and hope of this person will
strengthen almost immediately.
