Solution-Focused Coaching

Solution-Focused Coaching (SFC) is grounded in the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy tradition developed by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg at the Milwaukee Brief Family Therapy Center in the 1980s. Adapted for coaching contexts, it operates on the premise that detailed analysis of problems is rarely necessary for change; instead, exploring resources, exceptions, and desired futures is more generative.

Core principles include: • Future focus – conversations are oriented toward a clearly defined preferred future rather than root causes. • Resource orientation – the coach assumes the client already possesses or can access the strengths needed for change. • Small steps – progress is identified through noticing what is already moving in the right direction. • Scaling questions – numerical scales (e.g. 'On a scale of 1–10, where are you now, and what would a 7 look like?') help clients articulate progress and identify next steps. • The Miracle Question – 'Suppose tonight, while you slept, a miracle happened and this problem was solved. What would be the first small sign tomorrow morning?' This question opens creative thinking about the desired future. • Exception questions – 'When has this been less of a problem? What was different then?'

SFC is inherently respectful of client agency and tends to produce faster, more pragmatic results than longer-term exploratory models. It is not about toxic positivity — challenges are acknowledged — but the direction of enquiry consistently moves toward possibility.