Solution-Focused Helping: Practical Techniques that Help People Change with Dignity

John J. Murphy, Ph.D. Translating Research into Practice

University of Central Arkansas (USA)

Email: jmurphy@uca.edu Website: www.drjohnmurphy.com

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. –Helen Keller

9:00am—12:00 pm MidSOUTH/UALR, Suite 855

Little Rock, AR April 27th, 2017

The Change Pie: Core Ingredients of Effective Helping

(based on 1000+ studies; Lambert & Ogles, 2004;Wampold, 2015)

Successful outcomes depend largely on the extent to which the helper respects and builds on people’s resources and input (client factors), forms a strong alliance (relationship factors), instills hope (hope factors), and uses techniques that mobilize all these ingredients (technique factors).

[CATEGORY NAME]

[CATEGORY NAME]

[CATEGORY NAME]

Model/Technique Factors

Major Tasks of Solution-Focused Helping* Involve people in every part of their care to the extent that they are

willing and able to participate (build collaborative relationships)

Clarify the desired future vs. problematic past (focus on what people want for the future and from services; develop practical goals or “next steps” toward the desired future)

Identify and build on what is “right” with people (build on what people already do (exceptions) and already have (natural resources) that can help them reach their goals)

Empower progress no matter how small it may seem (invite people to notice and continue small changes and improvements)

*These features apply to working with children, adolescents, parents, teachers, families, and others involved in our services.

Involve People by Building Collaborative Relationships

Adopt “ambassador mindset” by approaching every interaction as a cross-cultural experience and every person as a culture of one.

• Listen to/validate people and their struggles

• Ask questions from a position of “not knowing” and “respectful curiosity” (cultural humility)

• Compliment people for “what’s right” in themselves and their lives

• Collect feedback at every contact (PCOMS) www.heartandsoulofchange.com

Clarify Desired Future & Develop Practical Goals

• Clarify people’s best hopes from services What are your best hopes from our meetings? (general vision of a

good outcome—“My parents and I would get along better”);Why is that important for you?

• Obtain a detailed description of their desired future How will you know that our meetings is working? If we watched a

movie of you and your parents getting along better, what would we see? (videotalk description)

Ask Miracle, Tomorrow, or Scaling Questions (If a miracle happened while you were asleep tonight and this problem vanished, how would you know in the morning? What would it look like if you woke up tomorrow and you and your parents were getting along better? If things with you and your parents are at a “3” now, what would a 3.1 look like?)

• Develop Practical Goals (Next Steps) Using 5-S Guideline (Significant, Specific, Small, Start based, Self-manageable)

“Different Stories”

Identify & Build On What is “Right” with People:

Exceptions

If I focus on a problem, the problem increases; if I focus on the answer, the answer increases. —Alcoholics Anonymous (2001, p. 419)

I didn’t think I was doing anything right! —Nancy, age 12

• Identify an “exception” to the problem (a recent time when the problem was absent or less intense) Tell me about a recent time when you and your husband got along a

little better than usual?

• Explore details of the exception When? Where? With whom? What was different about that time? How

did you approach things differently?

• Expand the exception What will it take to do this more often? In other settings? What small

step are you willing to take tomorrow to make it happen?

Illustration: Building on Exceptions

Identify & Build On What is “Right” with People:

Natural Resources

I am more and more convinced that our great problem is taking advantage of what we’ve got. —Thomas Merton

• Identify and build on naturally occurring resources in people and their lives:

Heroes/influential people in the person’s life (What would your best friend advise you to do if she were here?) Previous experiences (What has worked with similar challenges you

have faced?) Resilience and coping skills (How have you kept things from getting

worse? What helps you hang on instead of giving up?)* Solution ideas (What do you think might help turn things around?)

Advice for others (What advice would you offer others who are facing

similar challenges? What would you say to another child/parent who wants to make the kind of changes you have made? How can I be most helpful to other people in this situation?)

Highlight & Empower Any Sign of Progress

Be alert for any sign of progress, no matter small, and invite people to do the same. Highlight and empower progress using the following strategies:

Give Credit (“Positive Blame”)

Clarify Old You/New You Distinctions

Explore Personal and Social Consequences of Change

Request People’s Advice

Help People Prepare for Setbacks

Write Therapeutic Notes/Letters

This session is only as good as its future application. Take a minute to think about

one or two techniques from the session you want to hold onto and apply in your work and…

JUST DO IT!

THANK YOU. JM Email: jmurphy@uca.edu Website: www.drjohnmurphy.com

References

Franklin, C., Trepper, T. S., Gingerich, W. J., & McCollum, E. E. (Eds.). (2012). Solution-focused brief therapy: Research, practice, and training. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Madsen, W. C., & Gillespie, K. (2014). Collaborative helping: A strengths framework for home-based services. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Murphy, J. J. (2015). Solution-focused counseling in schools (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association. Murphy, J. J. (2015). Solution-focused approaches. In H. T. Prout & A. Fedewa (Eds.), Counseling and psychotherapy with children and adolescents: Theory and practice for school and clinical settings (5th ed.) (pp. 297-336). New York: Wiley. Murphy, J. J., & Sparks, J. A. (in progress). Strengths-based therapy (part of book series, Counseling and Psychotherapy: Distinctive Features). London: Routledge Press. Turnell, A. (2007). Solution-focused brief therapy: thinking and practicing beyond the therapy room. In F. Thomas and T. Nelson (Eds.), Clinical applications of solution-focused brief therapy. New York: Haworth Press.