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Solution Focused Brief Therapy

What is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)?

Do you think you need therapy, but think of it as a long and difficult process?

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Do you worry that it will require deep introspection and an intense focus on past trauma or current struggles? 

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Did you try therapy before where you examined childhood relationships and how they shaped your present difficulties, only to find it made you feel worse? Or perhaps you worked through negative thinking patterns and their impact on your emotions, but it didn't really change how you felt when you got stressed. Counseling and therapy techniques are not one-size-fits-all. You need therapy that works for you.

 

In any event, you may have come to believe that you were the problem—that your thoughts, relationships, and emotions all needed fixing. Therapy, it seemed, had to be hard work that took years to yield results.

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But what if it didn’t have to be that way? Solution Focused Therapy offers a different approach.

black and white photo of insoo kim berg and steve de shazer, originators of SFBT

Luckily, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) provides a powerful, goal-oriented treatment that helps you tap into what already works—because you've overcome challenges before. Rather than dwelling on past pain, SFBT shifts the focus to your strengths, successes, and resilience so you can apply them to your current difficulties.

 

​The Origins of Solution Focused Brief Therapy

SFBT was developed by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg, two therapists who met while training at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto. Their approach was built on a few core beliefs:

  • Therapy doesn’t have to take a long time to be effective.

  • Miracles can happen, but only if you believe in them and take steps toward them.

  • Adversity can create determination, leading you toward the outcomes you desire.

  • Therapists should help clients rediscover their resilience and strengths.

  • Focusing on strengths and past successes is more useful than dwelling on failures or shortcomings.

  • The goal is not to minimize struggles but to explore how you’ve overcome them before.

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    Solution Focused therapy debunks the idea that you have to be in therapy for years to get emotional relief. Instead, brief therapy gets to the heart of the matter and emphasizes strengths rather than problems.

    Reframing Adversity with Solution Focused Brief Therapy

    Everyone faces challenges—trauma, grief, discrimination, relationship struggles, anxiety, and depression—but your problems don't define you. When you reflect on what you've already made it through so far, it begs the question -- how did you manage to do that? SFBT doesn’t ignore the pain you’ve experienced, but instead, celebrates your ability to endure and overcome.

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    During tough times, it’s easy to forget how resourceful and powerful you are. You may feel lost, overwhelmed, or stuck in self-doubt. You may tell yourself that things will never improve, or that you don’t have what it takes to change your circumstances.

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    But what if you do?

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    Solution based therapy approaches help you reconnect you with your inner strength by focusing on your past successes and victories—even small ones—so you can use those skills to create positive change now.

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    Is Solution Focused Brief Therapy Right for You?

    Do you struggle with self-doubt or hopelessness? Do you feel stuck in patterns of negative thinking? Are you tired of rehashing everything that’s wrong in your life without finding solutions?

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    If so, SFBT could be exactly what you need—a fresh, empowering perspective that focuses on possibility rather than problems. In solution focused therapy, you're the hero of your story, not the victim or the vanquished.

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    Instead of dissecting past failures or painful memories, SFBT shifts attention to your future and the goals you want to achieve. By identifying your strengths and past successes, you can regain confidence in your ability to handle life’s challenges.

    What Solution Focused Brief Therapy Looks Like in Practice

    During sessions, I ask questions like:

  • What are your best hopes for our work together?

  • What have you already done that has helped, even in small ways?

  • When is the problem less overwhelming, and what’s different in those moments?

  • When your problem is solved, who will be the first to notice? What will that person observe you doing?

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    These questions encourage solution-oriented thinking rather than reinforcing the idea that you’re stuck or broken. Clients often find this approach refreshing and uplifting, because instead of uncovering more problems, they’re discovering their own strength and resilience. 

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    Remembering Your Strength

    One key aspect of SFBT is identifying when your problem isn’t as overwhelming. Even if it feels like an issue always dominates your life, there are moments when it's less intense—what’s different in those moments? What thoughts, actions, or circumstances help?

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    This shift in focus can be especially powerful if you’re struggling with anxiety or depression. When your mood is low, it’s easy to forget how capable and resilient you truly are. SFBT brings that awareness back so you can use it to move forward.

    two white women talking to each other in work setting

    Replacing Negative Thinking with Strength-Based Awareness

    You may already be aware of negative thought patterns that don’t serve you. But rather than simply catching yourself in these unhelpful habits, Solution Focused Brief Therapy takes it a step further:

    • When have you resisted those thoughts before?

    • What was different in those moments?

    • How did you overcome them?

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    By identifying times when you didn’t fall into old habits, we can uncover strategies that already work for you—allowing you to use them more intentionally. We can also inspire you by talking about the desired outcome, to feel that it's possible again. That's something solution based therapy offers that other models don't. 

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    Solution Focused Therapy helps you heal through strength, not just pain

    If you’ve endured trauma, loss, or emotional hardship, it’s natural to feel broken or damaged. You may struggle with grief, anxiety, depression, or anger that seems impossible to shake.

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    But you are stronger than you think.

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    Solution Focused Brief Therapy doesn’t ignore your pain—but it shines a light on your resilience. It reminds you that you have survived, adapted, and found ways to keep going—and that you can continue to do so.

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    If you’re ready to feel empowered and resourceful, SFBT can help you move forward with confidence. You don’t have to stay stuck in painful patterns—you can tap into your strengths, solutions, and successes to create real, lasting change.

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    Let’s work together to rediscover your resilience. Please call me or click the button below to get started today!

    Online Solution-Focused Brief Therapy in Lancaster, CA

    Lisa S. Larsen, Psy.D.(she/her/hers)

    3123 W Ave L 8, Lancaster, CA 93536

    +16612336771​​

     

    Business Hours: Tues-Fri., 10 AM-7 PM​

     

    No In-person sessions offered at this address. ​

     

    Appointments can be made by calling the office or submitting the contact form. Thank you, and I look forward to speaking with you soon!

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