What is Solution Focused Therapy?
flexible, conversational, and responsive
Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) is a practical, future-focused approach to talking therapy that helps you move towards the life you want—without needing to explore problems in detail or revisit past trauma.
Rather than focusing on what’s ‘wrong,’ this approach centres on what’s working, what’s possible, and what small steps can lead to meaningful and lasting change.
Where it all began
Solution-Focused Therapy was developed in the 1980s by Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer, two pioneering therapists who believed that people don’t need to be ‘fixed’—they need space, support, and the right questions to uncover their own strengths and solutions.
Drawing on what was already helping their clients make progress, they created a new approach that was respectful, empowering, and refreshingly optimistic. Instead of analysing problems, they asked questions like:
“What would be different if things were better?â€
“When have things worked, even a little bit?â€
“What’s the next small sign of progress?â€
As Steve de Shazer put it:
“Problem talk creates problems. Solution talk creates solutions.â€
Insoo Kim Berg also emphasised the power of collaboration and belief in the client’s resources, famously saying:
“You already have what you need to solve the problem—you just don’t know it yet.â€
How it works in my sessions
In our sessions together, we’ll explore where you are now and what a better future could look like—no matter how big or small. We’ll focus on what’s already going well and how to build on it. You’ll be able to start to identify achievable goals and develop your own strategies to reach them.
This approach is empowering, respectful, and tailored to you. Combined with hypnosis and neuroscience-informed insights, solution-focused therapy offers a powerful way to create positive change without feeling overwhelmed or stuck in the past.