What Is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and How Can It Help You?

Therapy can take many forms. For some, it means exploring the past, understanding patterns, and healing old wounds. For others, it might look like learning skills to manage stress, anxiety, or relationships in the present.

While many therapies dive deep into why a problem exists, SFBT focuses on what’s working and what’s next. It’s a short-term, practical method that helps you identify your strengths and take small, achievable steps toward your goals.

This doesn’t mean the past isn’t important—but in SFBT, you don’t need to unpack every detail to start moving forward. It’s especially helpful when time is limited or when someone wants support that’s focused, empowering, and action-oriented.

Research has shown SFBT to be effective for a variety of concerns, including stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, and even in school and workplace settings (Kim & Franklin, 2009; Franklin et al., 2017).

What Is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy?

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a short-term, goal-oriented approach to therapy that helps you focus on solutions rather than problems. It’s based on the idea that you already have the strengths and resources you need to create change, you just need help identifying and using them.

Instead of exploring the root causes of your issues in detail, SFBT asks questions like:

• What do you want life to look like instead?
• What’s already working, even just a little?
• What’s one small step you could take today?

This therapy style is future-focused. The goal is to help you move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose even if things feel overwhelming right now.

SFBT was developed in the 1980s by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee. Since then, it’s been used widely across the world in settings like counseling centers, schools, hospitals, community programs, and coaching.

Research shows that SFBT is effective for a range of concerns including anxiety, depression, addiction, family conflict, and low motivation, often in fewer sessions than traditional therapy (Gingerich & Peterson, 2013; Franklin et al., 2017).

How SFBT Differs from Other Approaches

All therapies have their strengths and what works for one person may not work for another. What makes Solution-Focused Brief Therapy different is its emphasis on solutions, not problems.

Core Principles of SFBT

At the heart of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a simple but powerful belief:

You don’t have to understand every detail of the problem to start creating change.

Focus on Solutions, Not Problems

Instead of spending time analyzing what’s wrong, SFBT encourages you to talk about what you want to be different. The focus is on your goals, hopes, and preferred future, not the problem itself.

Research shows that focusing on solutions can lead to faster progress and improved motivation (Gingerich & Peterson, 2013).

You Already Have Strengths and Resources

SFBT is based on the belief that you already possess skills, past successes, and qualities that can help you move forward. Therapy becomes a space to uncover and build on those strengths.

Change Is Constant and Possible

Even when things feel stuck, change is already happening, sometimes in small ways. SFBT helps you notice these changes and build on them, one step at a time.

Small Steps Can Lead to Big Shifts

You don’t need to take huge leaps to feel better. In SFBT, even small improvements are seen as meaningful progress. You’re encouraged to do “more of what works.”

The Client Is the Expert

In SFBT, your therapist isn’t the one with all the answers, you are. The therapist’s role is to ask thoughtful, future-oriented questions that help you find your own solutions.

The Future Matters More Than the Past

While your story matters, SFBT gently shifts attention toward the future. What would life look like if things got better? What signs would show you’re on the right track?

Techniques Used in SFBT

The Miracle Question

This is one of the most well-known tools in SFBT. The therapist asks:

“Suppose tonight, while you’re asleep, a miracle happens and your problem is solved. When you wake up, what’s the first thing you’d notice that tells you things are better?”

This question helps you imagine a future without the problem and identify small, concrete signs of progress. It moves the conversation from abstract struggles to clear goals and desired outcomes.

Exception-Finding

This technique helps you notice moments, no matter how small, when the problem didn’t happen or felt less intense.

“Can you think of a time recently when things went slightly better?”and “What was different about that day?”

By identifying these “exceptions,” you discover patterns of success and learn how to repeat them.

Coping Questions

When someone is feeling overwhelmed or hopeless, SFBT uses coping questions to highlight inner resilience:

“How have you been managing to get through this so far?” or “What helps you survive on the toughest days?”

These questions shift the focus from helplessness to personal strength and endurance, which is especially important in crisis situations (de Shazer et al., 2007).

Compliments and Affirmations

SFBT therapists intentionally highlight your strengths, progress, and effort. 

“That sounds really difficult and yet you still showed up to work. That says a lot about your strength.”

These affirmations help build confidence and motivation, making it easier to keep moving forward.

These techniques aren’t just “positive thinking.” They are carefully designed to promote clarity, goal-setting, and behavioral change and they’re backed by evidence from multiple studies showing their effectiveness in both clinical and community settings (Franklin et al., 2017).

What a Session Looks Like

A typical Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) session is short, focused, and collaborative. Unlike traditional therapy, where sessions may explore the past in detail, SFBT jumps right into helping you define your goals and small steps forward.

• Early goal-setting: In the very first session, your therapist will ask questions like, “What would you like to be different in your life?”
• Future-focused questions: Most of the session revolves around imagining your preferred future, identifying what’s already working, and exploring what you can do more of.
• Practical tools: Your therapist may use miracle questions, scaling questions, or exception-finding to guide the conversation.
• Short-term plan: Many people see progress in as few as 4-8 sessions, depending on the issue.

Who Can Benefit from Solution-Focused Brief Therapy?

SFBT has demonstrated positive outcomes in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in both adults and adolescents (Kim & Franklin, 2009). A meta-analysis found it to be especially effective in short-term interventions across outpatient settings.

SFBT is also frequently used in school counseling due to its brief and solution-focused nature. It improves classroom behavior, student confidence, and emotional regulation (Franklin et al., 2012; Corcoran & Pillai, 2009).

Studies show that SFBT improves relationship satisfaction and communication among couples and families. It allows for quicker progress in resolving interpersonal issues (Nelson & Thomas, 2007).

Because of its cost-effectiveness and short duration, SFBT is widely used in community mental health clinics, crisis centers, and primary care (Bond et al., 2013). Overall, evidence supports the flexibility and effectiveness of SFBT across age groups, cultures, and contexts where brief, goal-directed support is preferred.

Benefits and Limitations of SFBT

Like all therapeutic approaches, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) has its strengths and boundaries. Understanding both can help you decide whether it’s the right fit for your needs.

Benefits of SFBT

• Time-Efficient and Cost-Effective: SFBT is designed to be short-term. Many clients report noticeable improvement in as few as 4–8 sessions (Kim & Franklin, 2009). This makes it ideal for those seeking results in a limited time or with financial constraints.
• Empowers the Client: By treating the client as the expert in their own life, SFBT promotes autonomy and confidence (de Shazer et al., 2007). It helps people identify their own resources and build on their strengths.
• Solution- and Goal-Oriented: Instead of spending time analyzing problems, SFBT focuses on achievable goals and small steps forward. This approach has been shown to increase hope, motivation, and forward-thinking (Gingerich & Peterson, 2013).

Limitations of SFBT

• May Not Address Deep-Rooted Trauma: Because it doesn’t focus on exploring past experiences in detail, SFBT may not be the best fit for individuals needing to process complex trauma or long-standing emotional issues (Bond et al., 2013).
• Not Ideal for Severe Mental Illness: SFBT is not a substitute for long-term psychiatric care. Individuals with conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe personality disorders may require more intensive, ongoing treatment (Corcoran & Pillai, 2009).
• Requires Some Readiness for Change: Since SFBT relies on identifying goals and taking steps forward, clients who are in acute crisis, suicidal ideation, or complete hopelessness may need initial stabilization before engaging in this approach (Nelson & Thomas, 2007).

Combining SFBT with Other Approaches

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) works well on its own but it can also be effectively combined with other therapeutic approaches. This makes it a flexible option for therapists and clients who want to balance short-term progress with deeper emotional work.

SFBT + Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

While CBT focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns, SFBT helps clients build on what’s already working. Combining them allows clients to address cognitive distortions and create concrete, forward-focused goals (Knutson, 2014).

SFBT + Mindfulness-Based Approaches

Mindfulness practices build present-moment awareness, while SFBT adds a structured way to act on that awareness. This pairing works well for managing anxiety, stress, and emotional regulation, especially in brief therapy or coaching settings (Bannink, 2015).

SFBT + Trauma-Informed Therapy

Although SFBT doesn’t directly explore trauma, its strengths-based framework can complement trauma-focused modalities like EMDR or Somatic Therapy. It can help clients reconnect with resilience and envision a hopeful future after trauma (Gingerich & Peterson, 2013).

SFBT + Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT focuses on values, acceptance, and committed action, while SFBT encourages goal-setting and small steps forward. The two approaches can be woven together to support value-based living and personal growth without pathologizing distress (Franklin et al., 2017).

Many therapists today use an eclectic or integrative approach, drawing from multiple therapeutic models to best meet each client’s unique needs. In this context, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) can serve as a practical framework for structuring sessions, especially in the early stages of therapy.

For example, a therapist may use person-centered listening to build rapport, psychodynamic insights to explore deeper themes, and SFBT tools like scaling questions or goal-setting to support short-term change.

This combination has been found to increase engagement, adaptability, and outcomes across various mental health settings (Norcross & Goldfried, 2005). SFBT offers clarity and focus, which complements the broader flexibility of an eclectic style.

Conclusion

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) reminds us that change doesn’t have to be overwhelming or take years. Sometimes, asking the right questions, noticing what’s already working, and taking one small step forward is enough to create meaningful progress.

Whether you’re feeling stuck, low on motivation, or unsure where to start, SFBT offers a hopeful and practical path forward. It doesn’t ignore your struggles, it simply shifts the focus to your strengths, goals, and possibilities.

While it may not be the best fit for everyone or every situation, SFBT can be a powerful stand-alone approach or a valuable addition to other therapies. It’s especially helpful if you want short-term support, clear direction, and a sense of empowerment.