Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

What Is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)?

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a type of talk therapy that helps people focus on solutions rather than problems. Instead of digging into the past, it looks at what is working now and what small steps can be taken to reach the future you want. It’s goal-oriented, practical, and usually short-term.

A Brief History
SFBT was developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee, USA. They noticed that focusing on solutions and people’s strengths could help create faster, positive change compared to traditional therapies that concentrate on problems.

What Can CBT Help With?
SFBT can help with a wide range of issues, including:

  • Stress, anxiety, and mild depression

  • Relationship problems (couples or family)

  • Work or study challenges

  • Building confidence and coping strategies

  • Achieving personal goals and making life changes

It works best for people who want practical, achievable solutions rather than exploring deep-seated past issues.

Key Components / Main Aspects

  1. Goal-Focused – You decide what you want to achieve and the therapy helps you move toward that.

  2. Strengths-Based – The therapist helps you recognize your skills, resources, and past successes.

  3. Miracle Question – A question that asks you to imagine your problem magically gone and what life would look like, helping clarify goals.

  4. Scaling Questions – You rate progress or confidence on a scale (e.g., 0–10) to track changes and motivation.

  5. Exceptions – Looking at times when the problem is less severe or absent to find solutions that already work.

  6. Collaborative Approach – Therapist and client work together, with the client leading the way.