A Solution Focus
The Solutions Focus draws on the work of Steve de Shazer in Brief Family Therapy at the Mental Research Centre where the three principles of change were identified as:
- If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
- When you know what works, do more of it
- Stop doing what doesn’t work, and do something else
Learn more about the approach below. It is designed to find out what works well for you as an individual (inside-out) defined in simple terms. There are no deep theories. The emphasis is on small interventions that can move you towards your desired solution or to a higher level of consciousness (top-down).
This work was heavily influenced by Gregory Bateson on systems thinking and the linguistic patterns used in neuro-linguistic programming that was made famous by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. They in turn built on the work of psychotherapeutic genius of Milton Erickson, the Gestalt Therapist Fritz Perls and the philosophy of Wittgenstein.
It works with individuals in relationships or small groups (bottom-up). This is because change stems from the interactions – how people respond to each other and their context (outside-in).
It uses the so-called Miracle Question to tease out what changes you would notice if the problems you were concerned about just didn’t exist. What would you see, feel and hear? Envision and describe in detail how the future will be different when the problem is no longer present.
A Summary of the Solutions Focus Approach
Reference
The Solution Focus by Paul Jackson & Mark McKergow. Nicholas Brealey 2006
More Tools
– Noticing what’s happening and sensing what could be hidden from you.
THE CDE MODEL
– Identifying the conditions and rules that produce different patterns of interaction
THE OAR MODEL
– Improving your observation skills to choose actions to will deliver what you care about.
THE SCARF MODEL
– Identifying the core concerns that shape your emotional responses
ONTOLOGICAL LEARNING
– Understanding how to change your Way of Being
THE PSYCHIC SYSTEM
– Knowing how to change your Way of Being to fit the prevailing context
ONTOLOGICAL BREAKDOWNS
– Dealing with disruptions in the flow of your life
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
– How you give meaning to to your experience of internal senses and external events.
QUADRANTS OF CHANGE
– Achieving a more holistic and balanced response to complex situations.
ACTION LOGICS
– Assessing leadership behaviour and effectiveness in different contexts
THE U PROCESS
– Using your senses to improve your effectiveness now to shape your future.
SPIRAL DYNAMICS
– Explaining the growth of human capacity and values
THE HEROES JOURNEY
– Finding a bigger purpose and passion to lead your life from.
ACTIVE LISTENING
– Knowing how to actively listen for understanding and empathy
REFRAMING
– Looking for possibilities to question and reshape perspectives.
THE OODA LOOP
– Achieving a bigger impact when working with other people
ADAPTIVE ACTION
– Examining the dynamic patterns of thought involved in decision making
THE LENS OF INQUIRY
Using the power of questions to get breakthrough results.
THE NINE PANES MODEL
– Discovering new perspecives when dealing with breakdowns in the flow of life.
THE JOHARI WINDOW
– Identifying alternatives to unseen or disruptive behaviour
THE FOUR TRUTHS
– Recognising and considering alternative perspectives in any situation
THE CIRCLE OF CONTROL, INFLUENCE & CONCERN
– Clarifying how you interpret what you see, hear and feel.
THE MIRACLE QUESTION
– In your ideal world, what do you want to be feeligs, thinking and doing?
A “BOTH/AND” PERSPECTIVE
– Dealing with paradox and ambiguity.
THE ADAPTIVE CYCLES
– Resisting breakdown and maintaining your viability for a breakthrough.
CREATING A WELL-FORMED OUTCOME
– Reducing the chance of facing unintended consequences.
WAY OF BEING
– Connecting words, emotions and body presence to be more effective.
CYNEFIN
– A sensemaking framework to help you crack different types of problems.
YOUR INNATE WISDOM
– Knowing what makes you who you are and using it to lead a more fulfilling life.