Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) Guide for Student Mentors

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) Guide for Student Mentors Alvin Mares, PhD, LSW Patricia Mares, MEd, PC, LSW Autumn 2012

Source De Jong, P., & Berg, I.K. (2008). Interviewing for solutions. 3rd Ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole

Talking Points (“Agenda”) for… • Initial meeting • Subsequent (on-going) meetings • Crisis meetings

Initial Meeting • Problem description (i.e., student’s perceived need(s)) • Miracle question asked to develop goals • Exception questions asked to focus/emphasize student’s strengths • Scaling questions asked to assess and monitor student progress • Complimentsgiven to acknowledge/affirm student’s strengths • Homework assignment suggested to help attain goal • Next meeting/contact scheduled

Initial Meeting Problem description • How can I help? • How is this a problem for you? • If more than one problem mentioned…which is most important for you to work on first? • What have you tried so far to solve the problem? Was it helpful? Miracle question “Now, I want to ask you a strange question. Suppose that while you are sleeping tonight and the entire house is quiet, a miracle happens. The miracle is that the problem which you described is solved. However, because you are sleeping, you don’t know that the miracle has happened. So, when you wake up tomorrow morning, what will be different that will tell you that a miracle has happened and the problem which brought you here is solved?”

Initial Meeting Exception questions • Are there times when the problem does not happen or is less serious? When? How does that happen? Are there times that are a little like the miracle picture you describe? Scaling questions • Here is a different kind of question, one which puts things on a scale from 0 to 10. Let’s say 0 equals the problem at its worst and 10 is the miracle you described to me earlier. • Where are you on that scale now? • Where would you like to be on this scale a week (or month or 3 months) from now? What would that look like? • What could you do between now & then to get there? • Compliment when number is higher (That’s great!); also when number is lower (What keeps you from sliding lower down the scale?)

Subsequent (On-Going) Meetings • What’s better? Use EARS mnemonic • Eliciting the exception • Amplifying it (difference between exception time & problem times) • Exploring how exception happened, especially student’s role in making it happen • Reinforcing the successes and strengths the exception represents, complimenting when appropriate • Start again (i.e., What else is better?)

Subsequent (On-Going) Meetings 2. Doing more of the same • What will it take for you to keep on with what you have been doing to make yourself feel better? • Scaling progress • Using the numbers again, where 10 equals the miracle and 0 equals the most help needed, where would you say you are at this week? • Note: If number seems lower or higher than expected given exceptions (What’s better?), discuss apparent discrepancy with mentee

Subsequent (On-Going) Meetings 3. Next steps • Reviewing goals to decide whether to increase scale value and/or identify other goals to work on • Setbacks and relapses • Accept and normalize disappointments, then focus on successes/strengths within disappointments (i.e., ways in which things could have been worse, but weren’t) Subsequent (On-Going) Meetings

Crisis Meetings Coping questions used during times of crisis or when nothing is better • Find and compliment strengths • What are you doing to take care of yourself in this situation? • What else has been helpful to you? • Could it be worse than it is? How come it is not worse? • Who (and what) do you think would be most helpful to you at this time? • What about them/that would be so helpful to you?

Crisis Meetings Scaling coping progress • Suppose 10 means you are coping as well as you could possibly imagine, and 0 means you are not coping at all, where would you say you are right now? • Suppose things moved up one number on the scale. What would be different that would tell you that you were coping just that much better? What would it take for that to happen? • Suppose things moved 2 or 3 numbers on the same scale. What would be different that would tell you that you were coping that much better? What else? What would it take to make those things happen? What else? • What is the single most important thing for you to remember to continue coping with this situation?

Conclusion • Take lead in maintaining regular, frequent contact with your mentee (e.g., weekly during fall; once during winter break; bi-weekly in spring) • Contact by phone, in-person, text, Facebook all OK; whatever works best for you and your mentee • Consider using SFBT concepts/principles described here in your helping work with not only mentee(s), but also with others

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)KEY ELEMENTS • Problem statement … greatest concern • Miracle question … difference if problem disappears • Exception … time when problem absent/less severe • Scaling … 1=worst to 10=best … past, present, future • Compliment ... praise for strengths, skills, successes • Homework … more of what works; less of not helpful • What’s better? … normal check-in • How are you coping? … during crisis (nothing better)

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) Guide for Student Mentors