Focusing on resources – solution focused counselling tools

Cross Border Seminar

Career management skills

Dr.in Camilla Bensch

22. 05. 2012

Bled

“Problem talk creates problems. Solution talk creates solutions.”

Steve De Shazer

traditionalSolving

problems by searching the causes in the past

solution focusedFocusing on the

future - prospect instead of retrospect

traditionalDiagnosis as a

necessary basis for treatment

solution focusedNo necessary

connection of problem and solution

traditionalCounselors are

the experts

solution focusedClients are the

experts – practitioners take „not knowing stance “or “one down stance”

traditionalFocus is on client’s

deficits/weaknesses/

limitations/problems

Talk is focused on client’s problems

solution focusedFocus is on client’s

competence/strengths/ possibilities/attempted solutions

Talk is focused on possible solutions and change

The founders

Steve De Shazer (25.06.1940 Milwaukee - 11.09.2005 Vienna)

Insoo Kim Berg (25.07.1934 Korea - 10.01.2007 Milwaukee)

Methods of solution focused counselling

Creating a new vision of the future – developing well formed goals

Exception seeking questions Coping questionsMaking change measurable –

scaling questionsCompliments –

resource focused feedback

Creating a new vision of the future–

developing well formed goalsThe objective is not solution in itself, but solution orientation.What is it that will be different for the client, once the problem

is solved?Qualities of well formed goals:The goal must be important to the clientKeep goals small and achievableMake goals concrete, specific and behavioralGoals express the presence of something or of a

behavior, rather than an absence Goals are expressed as beginnings rather than endingsThe goals are realistic and achievable within the context of

the client's lifeThe client sees the goal as involving "hard work“

Miracle question

"I have a strange, perhaps unusual question, that takes some imagination... Suppose... after we finish here, you go home tonight, watch TV, do your usual chores (list usual tasks here)... and then go to bed and to sleep... and everybody in your household is sound asleep and the house is very quiet... And, in the middle of the night while you are sleeping... a miracle happens and the problems that brought you here are solved, just like that!... But this happens while you are sleeping, so you cannot know that it has happened... Once you wake up in the morning, what would be the first small sign that will make you wonder... there must’ve been a miracle... the problem is all gone! How will you go about discovering that this miracle has happened to you?”

Looking for exceptions

Exceptionsare past experiences in the client‘s life,

when a problem could justifiably have been expected, but did not occur or was less often/severe.

should be recent.Distinction between purposeful and

accidental exceptions.

Sounding out exceptions: EARS

Elicit exceptions: Ask about positive changeEliciting the situations where useful change is already happening (exceptions/past successes).

Amplify: Ask for details about positive changesAnchoring exceptions in the client‘s through contextual questions. Ask for the details of positive changes.

Reinforce: Make sure the person notices and values positive changes Using adequate verbal and nonverbal encouragement. Make sure that the client remembers and appreciates positive changes.

Start over: Go back to the beginning and ask further about changesOnce an aspect of change and the respective resources have been exhaustively questioned, repeat the process until no more improvements and exceptions are forthcoming.

Coping questions

When no exceptions can be discerned – find out what the client is doing to cope with difficult conditions.

Looking for strengths & resources in order to reinforce them

Chronic situations, e.g. physical disabilities, chronic illness

“How do you cope each day?”“How do you manage to get up, instead of

staying in bed?”

Making change measurable– Scaling questions

Continuous evaluation by the clients, of what they are doing to find solutions - usually by means of scalings from 0 to 10.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The success scale: measuring progress towards solutionThe motivation scale: measuring motivationThe confidence scale: measuring hope

Making Change measurable – Scaling questions

Message

End of the session break and message with three parts:

1.compliments

2.bridging statement

3.task

Compliments – resource focused feedback

Validating the client‘s capabilities and strengths: helpful experiences, having caused clients to think or do something that can be put into use in order to solve the problems.

Indirect or direct compliments.Often are in the form of questions: “How did you do

that?” - inviting the client to self-compliment by answering the question.

Compliments are not paid because of a desire to be nice, but based on reality and addressing what is important to the client.

Tasks

5 types:to think to observe to predictto do as ifto do

Customer type relationship

A customer type relationship is established, when practitioner and client have identified a problem together during session, as well as a goal or the image of a solution, towards which they can work.

Reaction: no need to do anything special in order to get into solution talk.

Complainant or seeker type relationship

Although a problem can be identified together during session, the clients fails to realize their part in the process of finding solutions. Instead they often see the solution represented by another person.

Reaction: accept the client‘s view, move the conversational focus back from the other person towards the client. “If X would be the way you wished them to be, what exactly would X perceive differently regarding your behaviour?”

Visitor type relationship

When neither a problem nor a goal can be identified to work on. (involuntary clients!)

Reaction: pay attention to the client‘s perceptions and make them realize responsibility for their perceptions. Compliments! Mind how the client did come to you (involuntary referred client?).

„It´s hard work to be simple.“Steve De Shazer