Solution Focused Approach
Talk Towards Solution

Getting Started!

Welcome to your training on the Solution Focused (SF) approach. We are very pleased that you are here. SF approach was developed to help frontline workers have more useful conversations with people they work with to find a way forward towards a lasting change. As you will see, it comes from a very different paradigm which is simple to understand, but not so easy to use. Therefore, whenever you can, immerse yourself into practising it. Try it out, see how it works and dare to ask people about their hopes.

Wishing you lots of fun!

INSTRUCTOR

Dr. A. Biba Rebolj, creative director and owner of Ribalon Institute, has plenty of professional experience in mental health and youth training. She has been heading coordinator for tutors for students with disabilities at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana from 2007-2014. In 2014 she reached out to other young people with fewer opportunities. During 2014 – 2016 she has deepened her knowledge and competencies in the UK, doing a specialization at BRIEF (London) in Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and has acquired a licence of a Solution Focused Therapist and Coach. She has a PhD in the field of higher education and disability and is the only Slovenian nominated to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in the UK.

For questions, comments and feedback, please contact biba@ribalon.org

For technical support, please contact maailmaharidus@mondo.org.ee

Basic Assumptions

Whether we realise or not, we are guided by assumptions.

They can come in forms of:

• theories
• experiences
• knowledge
• simply opinions

Assumptions we use when we are working with people will inevitably impact the way we work with them, the way we perceive them and the way we engage with them. They are there to help us do our work as useful as we can and are therefore helpful in asking questions. In SF approach, having SF assumptions as shown in the video, will be helpful in asking your SF questions.

What have you noticed are your own assumptions/beliefs/opinions/attitudes when you work with people now? Which ones do you think are more helpful? Less helpful? Why? 

1. …
2. …
3. …
4. …
5. …

Solution Focused process

Sum Up from the video

Sum up from the video stage by stage with example questions.

STAGE 0 (before you start the conversations – optional):

Questions for eliciting resources (example questions):

1. When were you acting as a hero lately?
2. What was your favourite teacher’s opinion about you?
3. Tell a story about a skill that you’ve got and is unique to you, but you would not put it in your formal CV.
4. Quote a compliment you got that changed your life.

STAGE 1: (example questions): Look for minutes: 0:01

1. What are your best hopes from our work together?
2. What would you like to get from today?
3. How would you know our talking together was useful?

STAGE 2: Preferred future (example questions):

1. Miracle question: Suppose you woke up tomorrow and a miracle happened and (your best hopes) start happening. What would be the first sign you’d notice?
2. More simplified version: Suppose you woke up tomorrow and (insert your best hopes) start happening. How would you know?
3. What would be the first sign to tell you something’s different?
4. What would you see yourself do on a day like that?*
5. What difference might that make?
6. Who beside you would be the first to notice that a miracle’s happened?
7. What would they notice?
8. How would they respond?
9. What effect would their response have on you?
10. What else would be different?

*And repeat the sequence from question 4 onwards as many times you can/want.

Exceptions questions (to use at any stage if you see fit):

1. When are the times when X (unwanted situation/problem/challenge) is not happening or happens less?
2. What’s different about those times?
3. What are you doing differently?
4. How did you manage to do that?

STAGE 3: Instances of success (sample questions)

1. On a scale from 0-10 where 10 is (your best hopes the way you described it in Stage 2) and 0 is the worst it’s ever been, where are you now?
2. What makes it a X and not lower?
3. What have you done to get to X?
4. What skills, abilities and resources has it taken to get to X?
5. What has been helpful on the way?

Signs of progress (Stage 3 continued):

6. How would you know if you moved to X+1?
7. What would you be doing at X+1?
8. Who would notice you were at X+1?

PDF Solution Focused process (sum up from the video stage by stage with example questions)

Tips to get you Started

How to keep going: Links for further practice, training and reading

More about the SF approach

ribalon.org/what-is-solution-focused-sf-and-how-does-it-work/

Further training

https://sfpossibilities.teachable.com/

Open Access Journal with articles about the SF approach

Journal of Solution Focused Practices (open access to articles): 

Groups to practice and meet other SF-ers

Associations that are operating on national or international level:

EBTA (European Brief Therapy Association): blog.ebta.nu