Teaching Tools - A Solution Focused Approach for Secondary Staff and Students

Introduction

Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is an approach to psychotherapy which is based upon solution-building as opposed to problem-solving. When presented with a student in difficulty many helping professionals will take time to listen and explore the problem, allowing the young person to describe the detail of the worrying or distressing experience. Teaching Tools – A solution focused approach for secondary staff and students offers you an alternative approach which, after a brief description, to move on from the problem to a non-problem scenario in which the solution is envisaged using a range of specific techniques and strategies. In this way, and after a relatively short time, the student finds a way to improve the situation and takes a more positive view.

The process requires the individual to actively explore current resources and future hopes and aspirations rather than focusing upon present problems and past causes. Unlike traditional psychotherapy approaches, which can continue for many years, this type of approach tends to involve only three to five sessions and is frequently used as a preliminary intervention and as an adjunct to other treatments.

From ‘Therapy’ to a ‘School-based, Skills Approach’
There is an increasing amount of research to show that SFBT is effective for children and young people in the school setting (Franklin et al 2001) and within the solution focused group setting (LaFountain, R. M and Garner, N. E. (1996)). Consequently, this programme for young people is intended to be delivered as a small group/whole-class intervention, providing facilitators with a tried and tested framework and set of resources to use with young people. The idea is not to simply target those regarded as exhibiting behavioural/other problems such as low self-esteem or anxiety, but to target all young people in order to prevent the escalation of any problems and to provide them with a range of SFBT strategies and techniques.
 

Summary of contents

The publication is structured as follows:

• Introduction.
• PowerPoint presentation and notes.
• Training session materials.
• Session 1 Introduction and Ground Rules.
• Session 2 Problem-free Talk, the Miracle Question and Target Setting – Interviews.
• Session 3 Defining a Preferred Future – talking about how the client would like things to be.
• Session 4 Looking for Positives – what is working now and finding exceptions.
• Session 5 Scaling to Reach your Goals and Confidence Scales.
• Session 6 Problem-solving and Looking Ahead – what would happen if?
• Session 7 Magic Me – my miracle self, visualising future success and planning for success.
• Session 8 Running a Session – skills practice and evaluation.

Appendices
1. Information Sheet for Students.
2. Letter to Parents/Carers.
3. Information Sheet for Parents/Carers.
4. Mental Health Fact Sheet.
5. Referral Routes to Specialist Agencies.
6. Directory of National Mental Health Services.
7. Sample Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy.

The Structure of the Student/Group Sessions
Each of the sessions is designed to be delivered in a 45-60 minute period and provides facilitator notes for ease of delivery. Apart from Session 1, which mainly focuses on introducing the topic of solution focused approaches, the session structure is generally as follows:
• Introduction and aims.
• Icebreaker activity with activity page.
• Scenario/vignette.
• Practice time.
• Activity page.
• Plenary.

The facilitators can choose to adapt resources to fit the individual group’s needs and requirements and also allow additional time for more complex strategies or concepts which they may find more motivating.

Additional supporting materials
The student programme is further supported by appendices including fact sheets, letters to parents and information on referral routes to specialist agencies. We feel very strongly that this resource provides young people with the opportunity to develop a range of self-reflection and problem-solving skills that will contribute towards the prevention of more problematic mental health problems in future. They are introduced to concepts, skills and strategies that can be utilised throughout both adolescence and their adult lives.
 

Benefits

Teaching Tools: A Solution Focused Approach for Secondary Staff and Students will help you to encourage students to:

• Understand the core principles of solution focused approaches
• Understand how this approach to psychotherapy is based upon solution-building rather than problem solving
• Appreciate that being clear and specific about goals will make achieving them more likely
• Recognise how all young people and adults (not just those with diagnosed ‘mental health’ issues such as high anxiety) can benefit from using this set of strategies and techniques
• Become conversant with issues around well-being and the importance of identifying difficulties at an early stage in order to focus on solutions and prevent escalation
• Understand and practice a range of solution focused techniques including: problem-free talk, the miracle question, target setting, defining a preferred future, exception finding, scaling to reach goals and confidence scales and visualising future success
• Experience an increase in confidence, optimism, self-efficacy and self-esteem.
feel confident that they can make use of these ‘therapeutic’ tools/strategies in order to maintain motivation and support the process of positive change – in both themselves and within members of their peer group
• More fully appreciate and understand the value and power of peer support as a means of motivating the individual and preventing the escalation of problems – specifically those related to emotional well-being.