Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

WHAT IS SOLUTION-FOCUSED BRIEF THERAPY?

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, or SFBT, is a goal-oriented, collaborative approach designed to help clients identify practical pathways toward change. Rather than analyzing problems or revisiting the past, SFBT centers on strengths, resources, and present-moment possibilities – empowering individuals to create meaningful shifts in their lives more efficiently.

This method begins with the understanding that you already hold the knowledge and capacity to improve your own life. Through thoughtful questioning, reflection, and guided conversation, your therapist helps you uncover what’s already working, build on your existing resilience, and define clear, achievable goals for the future.

At the foundation of SFBT is purposeful goal-setting. Early in the process, your therapist will help you clarify what you hope to accomplish and what life might look like once positive change has occurred. One of the signature tools of this approach is the “miracle question” – for example: “If a miracle occurred while you were asleep tonight, what changes would you notice in your life tomorrow?” This kind of inquiry opens the door to creative thinking and inspires a vision of progress that feels tangible and motivating.

SFBT focuses on “exceptions” – moments when a problem feels less powerful or more manageable – and helps you identify what makes those moments possible. Through targeted techniques such as scaling, solution-oriented questioning, empathic reflection, and affirming feedback, clients learn to emphasize what is within their control rather than what isn’t.

The result is a therapy process that nurtures empowerment, direction, and confidence. Whether used as a standalone method or integrated with other therapeutic modalities, SFBT supports individuals of all ages in developing a greater sense of agency, clarity, and optimism about their future.