Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a goal-directed approach that concentrates on what clients want to achieve rather than on the origins of their problems. It emphasises strengths, resources, and small practical steps toward a desired future.
What it is
Originating in the 1970s and 1980s through the work of Steve de Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg and colleagues, SFBT shifted the therapeutic lens from problem analysis to solution construction. The core assumption is that clients already possess the resources they need — the coach or therapist's role is to help surface and amplify them.
Distinctive techniques include the Miracle Question ('Suppose tonight a miracle happened and this problem was solved — what would be the first small sign tomorrow morning?'), scaling questions, exception-finding (identifying times when the problem is less present), and complimenting clients on what they are already doing well.
How it is used in coaching
SFBT translates naturally into coaching, where the emphasis on future possibility and practical steps aligns with coaching's forward-focused ethos. Coaches use scaling questions to gauge confidence and progress, exception questions to surface overlooked strengths, and preferred-future visualisation to clarify goals and mobilise motivation.
Key benefits & applications
Brief and efficient; builds on existing strengths; highly applicable across coaching contexts; evidence-based with a strong research base; empowering rather than pathologising.
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