Choosing to use Solution Focused Brief Therapy A qualitative study of the experiences of practitioners. Adam Barrow

Study outline The study attempts to discover the decisions and choices practitioners make about the way that they work and how this process leads them to adopt SFBT as a therapeutic approach. what factors are involved in the process of the practitioner choosing to use the solution focused brief therapy model?

Background Hirschhorn 1999 ‘doing therapy or being a therapist?’ My own reflections on therapeutic preferences, choice, values, worldview etc Vocational choice: Holland’s 1997 theory; a good match between person and environment, what he terms ‘congruence’, will have a number of beneficial outcomes, including better performance, career longevity, and greater satisfaction. Arnold 2004: work is much more than a set of strategies or jobs, but is a way of life. People create their own environment over time and that this is a natural process of resolving incongruence. Tracey et al 2000: people adopt a work style to suit themselves.

Choice of Model Personality Lazarus 1978: counsellors will shape whatever therapeutic model they choose, to suit their own personality. Arthur 2000: the orientation of therapists reflects their personality and cognitive-epistemological styles. Highlights the importance of this style fitting with the practitioners’ chosen theoretical model, suggesting that if these variables are not congruent, the therapist may become disillusioned and experience burn-out Environmental Norcross and Prochaska 1983: ‘Clinical experience’ most influential factor Norcross and Guy 1989: accidental, influential encounter which had led therapists to take a certain psychotherapeutic path. Guest & Beutler 1988: orientation of supervisor was the most influential factor

The Study Method selection Interview design and development of schedule Sample selection Seeking volunteers The interviews Transcription and analysis

Interview Schedule A – Finding the Model What approach would you say you were using before SFBT? Can you describe how you first became aware of the SFBT model? What was it about the model that attracted you? Can you describe the process of choosing to use SFBT in your work? What were your initial impressions as you implemented SFBT? B – The practitioner and the person Which elements of SFBT would you say appealed to you as a practitioner? Which elements of SFBT would you say appealed to you as a person? Prompt: specific questions and technique, the philosophy and values, general outlook and attitude. Can you describe the effect that SFBT has had on your professional life? Prompt: job satisfaction, enjoyment, and efficiency. What, if any, effects has your use of the model had on your personal life? C – Maintenance What is it about using SFBT that motivates you to continue using it? How do you know that SFBT continues to be the right choice? Are there any circumstances in which you choose not to use SFBT? How do you imagine SFBT fitting into your future work?

SFBT as a Preferred Approach Armstrong (2001) reflects on his initial impressions of the approach offering him the means of being the kind of counsellor he wanted to be. Ziegler 1999: drawn to SFBT because he shares some of its ‘assumptions about reality and therapy’ Hirschhorn 1999: feeling that she had ‘come home’ when she discovered a school of therapies that included SFBT O’Connell (1998) stresses the importance of belief in the approach and of SFBT being an attitude to therapy as opposed to a set of techniques, suggesting that that the approach can be ‘integrated into the repertoire of therapists whatever their orientation’

Results Motivation In describing their motivation for choosing a different theoretical model, the participants talk of a general dissatisfaction with previous models. Most described SFBT as being something new and different to what they had been used to. There is also a general interest in theoretical models of therapy and evidence that the participants felt inspired by some key authors in the field. The participants’ colleagues were another major influence and there were several accounts of the participants being encouraged to look into SFBT by supervisors or mentors, or that the model became familiar due to common usage. It was important to the participants that they found the theory accessible and applicable to their work, several noted that the ideas were practical and could be used in their work straight after hearing about them.

Connecting with the Model The participants described the ideas and the philosophy of SFBT matching or fitting their own views and ideas of working with people, and in some cases their wider worldview. There were descriptions of the model’s philosophy making sense, feeling comfortable and of it clarifying things for the participants, all of whom described the model as fitting their natural ways of working.

Personal Benefits It was evident that the participants placed high importance on gaining some pleasure and enjoyment in their work and that they had noticed an increase in these experiences since discovering and using SFBT. Perhaps as a result of this, there were also descriptions of increased confidence at work and of feelings of personal empowerment. The new and different aspects of the approach seemed to be beneficial to the participants who described feeling energised and excited by their learning and implementation of the model. There was also a suggestion that it kept them going through difficult times, perhaps offering hope and optimism in situations where previously they may have felt stagnated and stuck.

Work Benefits Much of the personal benefit the participants described feeling was a result of being more effective in their work. There were many accounts of clients giving positive feedback on their use of SFBT, and of the participants noticing improvements in their results. In addition, it was evident that the participants felt they worked better because of the practical strategies offered by the model; most articulated this by describing having more tools to do the job. Some participants described noticing benefits in work other than therapy, in management, supervision and teaching for example, and all had noted the value of having more structure and organisation in their work as a result of their use of SFBT.

Retaining Individual Style Most of the participants had used other therapeutic approaches and models prior to SFBT and described having developed a personal style. It seems important to them that they retained some of their own existing practice and that SFBT allowed them to do this. All of them mentioned integrating styles and of their practice being mostly influenced by, or predominantly SFBT in preference to exclusivity.

References Holland, J. 1997Making of vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments (3rd ed.) Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources Arnold, J. 2004The congruence problem in John Holland’s theory of vocational decisions. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology Vol.77, Part 1 Mar. Hirschhorn, D. 1999Postmodern Ethics and our Theories: Doing Therapy versus Being Therapists. Journal of Systemic Therapies. Vol18, no.4 Tracey, T., Darcy, M., & Kovalski, T A closer look at person-environment fit. Journal of Vocational Behaviour Vol.56 pp Lazarus, A. 1978Styles Not Systems. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. Vol.15 No.4, winter. Arthur, A. 2000Do I choose my orientation: or does it choose me? The Psychotherapist No.14 spring Norcross, J., & Prochaska, J Clinicians’ Theoretical Orientations: Selection, Utilization, and Efficacy. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice Vol.14 no.2, pp

Norcross, J., & Guy, J Ten therapists: the process of becoming and being. In: Dryden, W. and Spurling, L. (eds.) On Becoming a Psychotherapist. London, Routledge Guest, P. & Beutler, L Impact of Psychotherapy Supervision on Therapist Orientation and Values. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology Vol.56, No.5 Armstrong, J. 2001Becoming Solution Flexible. CPJ March Ziegler, P. 1999Solution-Focused Therapy for the Not-So-Brief Clinician. MA SFBT course article O’Connell, B. 1998Solution-Focused Therapy London: Sage