Solution-Focused Therapy

This book captures solution-focused therapy’s essence, which distinguishes it from problem-focused approaches that have dominated the psychotherapy profession for over a century.

What do therapists and clients talk about when therapy is effective? The development of solution-focused therapy (SFT) has been guided by the ongoing effort to answer this question. Solution-focused therapy is a collaborative approach that invites clients to describe what they want from therapy and apply the knowledge and skills they already have toward achieving it in the shortest time possible. The three main tasks of solution-focused therapy include setting a direction based on what the client wants from therapy, building on exceptions and other resources that are already happening and available in the client’s life, and exploring progress toward desired outcomes. The three main techniques of SFT are asking, listening, and amplifying. When practicing purely solution-focused therapy, the therapist does little outside of these activities.

Solution-focused principles and practices reflect the core values, ethical codes, and practice standards of professional associations and licensing boards in psychology, counseling, social work, and other helping professions. SFT has proven useful with persons from a variety of cultures and contexts, and on an array of concerns including trauma, substance misuse, and suicide prevention. It is well suited to the time constraints, third-party requirements, and other practical realities facing today’s therapists and clients.

John J. Murphy, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and professor emeritus of psychology and counseling at the University of Central Arkansas. He received his PhD in school psychology from the University of Cincinnati and completed postdoctoral work in client-directed psychotherapy with Dr. Barry Duncan at the Dayton (OH) Institute for Family Therapy. Dr. Murphy has worked as a high school teacher, school psychologist, and psychotherapist in private practice, where he continues to offer in-person and teletherapy services to clients of all ages. He was named one of the top five school psychologists in the United States by the National Association of School Psychologists. The first edition of his book, Solution-Focused Counseling in Schools (currently in its 4th edition), was voted Best Book of the Year by the American School Counselor Association. He has authored several other books on client-directed therapeutic services for children, adolescents, adults, and families including Strengths-Based Therapy (with Jacqueline A. Sparks) and Brief Intervention for School Problems (with Barry L. Duncan). His books have been translated into multiple languages and his work has been featured in psychotherapy textbooks, the New York Times bestseller Switch, Fast Company magazine, and the DVD training series Child Therapy with the Experts. He has received numerous awards for his clinical work, mental health advocacy efforts, and scholarly publications, including the 2018 Admired Scholar Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Dr. Murphy is a consultant and trainer for the North American Chinese Psychological Association (NACPA) and a Project Director with the Heart & Soul of Change Project, an international research/advocacy group that promotes respectful, client-directed services for marginalized and underrepresented persons and groups. He is a popular keynote and workshop speaker who has offered classes and workshops throughout the US and overseas with thousands of mental health practitioners and lay persons. His workshops are known for their practicality and passion for helping people change with dignity. Visit his website (www.drjohnmurphy.com) to learn more about workshop offerings and other aspects of his work.