Solution Focused Therapy

Solution Focused Therapy

Name

Institution

Solution focused therapy and narrative therapy entails a goal-directed collaborative methodology to psychotherapeutic change, which might be viewed by observing the patients’ response and questions. Solution-focused therapy focus on addressing the goal a patent want to achieve and is usually done by exploring the history and origin of the problems (Mokmeli, 2013).  On the other hand, narrative therapy is the kind of approach, which seeks to collaborate with a patient through interactive conversations. In most cases, it separates the problems from a person through an approach that is externalizing. Not only do these sessions focus on the present, they also focus on the future and the past to the degree that is necessary for communicating empathy (Petersen, 2005). In simple terms, they provide an accurate understanding of the  patient’s concerns. Some of the approaches in solution-focused and narrative therapy techniques include strength-based approach, scaling questions, the miracle question, and basic tenets.

Therapist Role

In as much as the role of the therapist is to see the patient more often, his role in each approach is quite different given the stages of therapy. However, his main role in both solution-focused and narrative therapy is to look for resources, which will help the patients in identifying goals or preferred futures. Additionally, the therapist has the responsibility of identifying and amplifying existing strengths and resources (Watts & Pietrzak, 2000). On the contrary, he is tasked with the responsibility of identifying and making use of exceptions to rule relating to the problems.

In Strength-based approach, the therapist main role is to help the patient focus on what he wants to achieve at the end of therapy rather than the problems, which made him, seek help. In most cases, he encourages the client to focus on establishing their own solutions and pathways in order to reach their goals. In basic technique, the therapist mainly focuses on solution building approaches. In most cases, he encourages the client to be positive and replaces the focus from the patient’s problems to the patient’s strengths. The miracle question approach/technique usually comes during therapy at the end. In this stage, the therapist role is to establish some of the changes that took place after the session.