Discover solution-focused therapy, a goal-oriented approach that builds on your strengths to create positive change. Learn about techniques like the miracle question and scaling for effective problem-solving. In a world often fixated on diagnosing problems and excavating the past, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy offers a compelling counter-narrative: you are not defined by your pathology, but by your potential.

Developed by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg, SFBT is a future-oriented, goal-directed approach that operates on a deceptively simple yet powerful premise: the solution to a problem is not necessarily connected to its cause, and the seeds of the change you desire are likely already present in your life, waiting to be identified and amplified. Rather than asking “Why do you have this problem?”, the therapist asks, “What do you want to be different, and what is already working?”

The therapeutic process begins with a radical shift in perspective, building a detailed picture of the desired future, not analyzing the problematic past. The cornerstone technique is the “Miracle Question.” The therapist might ask, “Suppose tonight, while you sleep, a miracle happens, and the problem that brought you here is solved. But because you’re asleep, you don’t know the miracle occurred.

When you wake up tomorrow, what will be the first small sign that tells you things are better?” This question forces the client to move from a vague desire (“I don’t want to be anxious”) to a concrete, behavioral vision of life without the problem (“I would make myself breakfast and actually taste the food”). This detailed description becomes the therapy’s compass, defining the destination in the client’s own terms.

The therapist and client collaboratively dissect what was different during that exception: What did the client do? What was happening around them? This process builds a blueprint for creating more of these exception moments, empowering the client by proving that the solution is already within their repertoire.

Progress is tracked and motivation is maintained through the pragmatic tool of scaling. The therapist asks, “On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the worst the problem has ever been and 10 is the day after the miracle, where are you today?” This provides a quantifiable baseline.

The follow-up questions are where the magic happens: “What puts you at a 4 and not a 3?” and “What would need to happen for you to move from a 4 to a 5?” These questions break down overwhelming change into manageable, client-defined steps. They focus on the next small, achievable move, building momentum and a sense of agency. The client leaves each session not with an analysis of their deficits, but with a specific, small task or observation that moves them one point higher on their own scale.

Ultimately, Solution-Focused Therapy is a collaborative, strength-based model of empowerment. It assumes clients are resilient and capable, and that the therapist’s role is to be a conversational partner who asks the right questions to help them discover their own solutions. It is typically brief by design, making it practical for a wide range of settings. By steadfastly focusing on the future, on what’s working, and on the client’s own expertise, SFBT bypasses the often-paralyzing exploration of “why” and gets straight to the empowering work of “how.” It is a therapy of hope and pragmatism, dedicated not to fixing a broken person, but to helping a capable person build a better life, one small, noticeable difference at a time.

References

de Shazer, S. (1985). *Keys to solution in brief therapy*. W. W. Norton & Company. (Foundational text introducing miracle question and scaling techniques)

Berg, I. K., & Miller, S. D. (1992). *Working with the problem drinker: A solution-focused approach*. W. W. Norton & Company. https://doi.org/10.1037/10784-000(Expands SFBT principles to addiction and mental health)

Gingerich, W. J., & Peterson, L. T. (2013). Effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy: A systematic qualitative review of controlled outcome studies. *Research on Social Work Practice, 23*(3), 266-283. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731512470859

Ratner, H., George, E., & Iveson, C. (2012). *Solution focused brief therapy: 100 key points and techniques*. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203142971(Core principles: future-focus, exceptions, client as expert)

Simply Psychology. (2025). *Solution-focused therapy*. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/solution-focused-therapy.html