Solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) is a psychotherapeutic conversation about what transformation you would like to see in your life and what difference that will make. From the outset, a Solution focused practitioner asks questions of what life would be like when you are leading the life you want to live. In this respect solution focused reaches the resourceful, heroic part of you that you might have forgotten about.

I've been counselling in social care, mostly in alcohol and drugs, for many years. As you might imagine, clients with substance misuse problems often present with a multitude of add-on problems: anxiety, depression, anger, trauma, family breakdown. When I was first started using a solution focused approach I was amazed at the response from clients. It is so inspiring to see clients discover the solutions they need to move forward and become the hero in their own lives.

Yes. In trials it competes with other leading therapies including CBT and often with less sessions. Follow-up outcomes studies also show that even when there has been fewer sessions than other therapies, the changes last. It is a versatile practice and is now commonly used in other fields such as teaching, social work, speech therapy, nursing, coaching and business which is why it is sometimes called solution focused practice.

Not one session more than necessary. Solution focused practitioners are passionate about their clients' independence. Solution focused was designed to be brief so that clients can fulfil their own dreams with a minimum of intervention from a therapist. I can't guarantee a single session but treat every session as if it may be the last.

You probably have. The Miracle Question was created by SFBT and is still often used by many therapists. Solution focused practitioners don't use it as much today because they've found even better questions to ask. Many therapists use the odd question from solution focused but not for a whole session. My sessions will be exclusively solution focused.

When I started counselling I used CBT as my foundation as a lot of therapists do. I also used to mix CBT and other modalities with SFBT depending on the client. However, when I realised how transformative solution focused questions are on their own, I started using other types of therapy less and less. Now, I only use solution focused as I have I found it to be so effective and use little else. Of course, all of the values of person-centred therapy will be present to ensure a safe non-judgmental space for you. However, your ideas and answers will be front and centre of the session as you are the expert in your own life.

Absolutely, you should. There is no, one perfect way to healing, only your way. Solution focused practitioners always encourage clients to find their own outcomes from therapy. Your recovery will be unique to you and will usually involve others whether it's friends, family or other professionals.

Solution focused is a conversational interaction between a client and clinician that builds a repertoire of behaviours and perspectives of what positive change will look like and what it might mean to the client. It is all down to what the client comes up with themselves during the conversation. The therapist doesn't usually offer advice or tools to assist. The more the client can hear themselves saying things that might be useful the better. This requires truly believing the client themselves know what they can achieve. Solution focused is often referred to as co-constructive as the therapist builds questions from from the answers the client provides. The therapist helps the client construct answers that will create positive change. I often hear clients say at the end of sessions that it was unlike any other counselling they have had before. Sometimes, it might not be easy. Solution focused therapists ask questions that make clients really think.

The short answer is that it takes a lot of practise to master. I think a lot of clinicians in social care and therapy do use it but not comprehensively. They might use the odd solution focused question, but then stop. A solution focused conversation could be short but to sustain a conversation for an hour is not easy. Most clinicians know a lot about their subject either theoretically or have a lot of professional experience or even a lived experience of a client's problem. It is difficult to let that go, and instead be tempted to pass on expertise in some way and not trust a client to get to where they want to be on their own. Heaven knows, I struggled with that, still do. I don't know anyone in Glasgow that uses solution focused as a stand-alone therapy like this. If you do use it, even for short conversations and would like to improve, I'd love to hear from you as I'd like to build a network of solution focused support in the city.

A few reasons but not least though because times are tough! Second, I want to give you the chance to judge the value of the first session yourself. If you think it was worthwhile you'll pay whatever you think it was worth. I am confident you will find even one session worthwhile. If not, you won't have lost anything other than the fare home. I won't be upset if you don't pay a penny. Third, I have worked mostly in deprived areas and want to ensure I can continue to reach clients who genuinely might not be able to afford a session at all.

If you are worried, your first port of call is to see your GP to check on your health and connect you to resources in your locality. Getting to grips with alcohol and drug use is all about connection and resources. It does help if you have connection from friends, family and closer ties to your community but it always begins with hope. If you don't have those relationship resources, there are community resources that can help you on your way. At one end of the scale, in a rehabilitation centre or a local community resources like local Recovery Cafes or Phoenix Futures or Addaction. (Addaction were so convinced it's about connection they recently changed their name to it and are now called We Are With You.) Having said that, I have seen clients turn their lives around very quickly with some sessions of SFBT especially those with a supportive bubble around them. Solution focused is not snake oil and will not promise an instant cure. It would be foolhardy and irresponsible to say so. It is an evidenced-based practice that will talk about your hopes and dreams inspiring you to work hard at your recovery and be the best version of yourself.

Every client is unique whether they have a dependency or not but inspiring confidence that change is possible is universal. I've noticed that when clients are asked about their hopes for the future they tell you. At first that might be to stop taking drink or drugs altogether although it might initially be something else. Either way finding out what meaningful difference it would make if they did change helps the client focus on what is truly important to them.

One of the reasons I wanted to start this website is because of the amazing people I worked with over the years working in the alcohol and drug field whether it was support workers, psychologists, social workers, nurses and peers with a lived experience. I believe solution focused makes a stressful job more rewarding because every sf conversation aspires to be about the difference success will make to a client's life. Even when things are really tough, there is achievement to be heard in coping and just plain hanging in there. Instead of vicarious trauma, solution focused practitioners often talk about vicarious resilience as they are continually listening to client's stories of accomplishment especially when they are facing real life challenges. Listening to a client describe the best version of themselves can be thrilling for a clinician and it is why I am so enthusiastic about it and want others to give it a try.