Solution Focused Approach
Talk Towards Solution

Getting Started!
Basic Assumptions
Solution Focused process
Role Play Video
Tips to get you Started

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

Intro Video

 
 

Take a Quiz

Drag the words

approach
describing the possibilities
move forward
problem solving
Solution Focused
can help people find solutions to
. It is not about
, but about
, in which solutions can emerge.

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? 

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Basic Assumptions Video

 
 

Take a Quiz

Why are basic assumptions important?

Because they will help you figure out the real cause of people’s issues
   

Because they make us look good
   

Because they help you ask questions that will bring out people’s skills and resources
   

Solution Focused process

Solution Focused Stages and Tools Video

 

What kind of questions do you ask people when you meet them for the first time? 

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  2. ...
  3. ...
  4. ...
  5. ...
 

Take a Quiz

The answer to which question do you need to get at the beginning of the conversation, so that you can continue with the Solution Focused process?

The answer about people’s resources
   

The answer about the exceptions
   

The answer to people’s best hopes
   

The answer to the scale
   

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):

  1. How would you know if you moved to X+1?
  2. What would you be doing at X+1?
  3. Who would notice you were at X+1?

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

Role Play Video

 

In this video you will see Galina and Andrea practising their first SF conversation. Have a look and see how they applied the SF process into a real conversation.

 

Take a Quiz

What questions were asked in the video?

Scaling question
   

Best hopes question
   

Exception question
   

Miracle question
   

Question about the problem
   

Tips to get you Started

Tips to get you Started Video

 

Take a self reflection quiz: 

How do YOU think this course will be beneficial for you?

What difference could it make to your work?

 

Watch the video:

 
 

On a scale from 0-10 where 10 is being fully prepared and ready to start practising the SF approach and 0 is the opposite, please mark where are you now? 

0 …………………………………………………… 10 

 

Questions for your own reflection (write them down for yourself)

  1. What makes it your chosen number and not lower? (name 5 things)
  2. How did you get to your number (what helped you)
  3. How would you know if you moved up the scale by 1?

How to keep going: Extra Bonus video

 

This section is for your extra curiosity if you’d like to see another example of  a SF conversation and read more about the approach, what’s “out there” and what else you can do.

It is an another Role Play demo only in English.

 

Watch the video:

 

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

 
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