1. New Developments for
Solution-Focused Counseling
Jeffrey T. Guterman, Ph.D.
Clayton V. Martin, M.S.
Learning Institute
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Honolulu, Hawaii Convention Center
Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey T. Guterman and Clayton V. Martin

2. Principles of
Solution-Focused Counseling
• Solution-focus
• Collaborative approach
• Small changes can lead to big results
• Emphasis on process
• Strategic eclecticism
• Brief by design, but not always
• Responsive to diversity

3. Postmodernism
• Constructivism
• Social constructionism
• Deconstructionism

4. Implications of a Postmodern Position
for Solution-Focused Counseling
• Clinical reality as a social construction rather than an
objective reflection of reality.
• Counselors as participant-observers rather than
independent of clients and problems.
• Language as the distinction of treatment concern rather
than human systems as the locus of problems.
• A collaborative approach and an emphasis on cooperating
rather than viewing clients’ oppositions to change as
resistance.

5. The Process/Content Distinction
• Content: The object of change in any given counseling
theory
• Process: What counselors do (i.e., interventions,
methods, and techniques) to facilitate change.
• Informal content: The counselor's assumptions
"about…predetermined explanatory concepts that
must be addressed across cases to solve problems"
(Held, 1992, p. 27).
• Formal content: The client's "more idiosyncratic . . .
assumptions about what is causing or maintaining a
particular problem" (Held, 1992, p. 27).

6. Theory of Problems in
Solution-Focused Counseling
“Problem”

7. Theory of Problems in
Solution-Focused Counseling
• Exception: Times when the problem is not
happening.
• Problem/Exception
• Depressed/Not Depressed

8. Theory of Change for
Solution-Focused Counseling
Problem / Exception

9. Common Change Factors
• Client factors (self-help): 40%
• Client-counselor relationship factors: 30%
• Expectancy factors: 15%
• Model factors: 15%

10. Strategic Eclecticism
• Using formal content-as-informal content
• Problem/Exception
• Irrational beliefs/Rational beliefs

11. Stages of Solution-Focused Counseling
• Coconstructing problems and goals
• Identifying and amplifying exceptions
• Coconstructing tasks
• Evaluating the effectiveness of tasks
• Reevaluating problems and goals

12. S.M.A.R.T. GOALS
• Specific
– Small
– Incremental
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-Based

13. Exercise for Identifying
and Amplifying Exceptions
Break into pairs and take turns role playing as
counselor and client. Take no more than 5 minutes
for each role. Practice identifying and amplifying
exceptions to the problem of stress at work. For
example, the counselor may begin by asking a
question to the effect, “When has there been a time
when…?” The counselor is encouraged to take
notes of the exceptions and amplifications.

14. Techniques
• Doing more of the same
• Mapping the influences of the problem
• Scaling
• “What’s better?”
• When less is better

15. Case Example
A Pakistani American Muslim family was referred by a
family physician following the suicide of their father. The
family consisted of the mother Sonia (age 45), the son
Don (age 20), and the daughter Lisa (age 17). The father
Roger was a 45-year-old computer engineer who was
born in Pakistan. He moved to the United States with his
family when he was 5 years old. According to the wife,
Roger suffered from depression for many years, he had
been seeing a psychiatrist on and off, and he was
prescribed an antidepressant prior to his suicide. Three
months ago, the son found his father in the backyard of
their house after shooting himself in the head with a gun.

16. Case Example
Son: At first I felt nothing at all.
Counselor: Can you describe that to me? Feeling
nothing at all.
Son: It was like an empty feeling. No feeling at
all. I was like that for days. And for about a
month after my father died, I started to think
that I was not reacting normal.

17. Case Example
Mother: This is when he started feeling guilty.
Counselor: Is this right?
Son: Right. It’s then when I got upset. I felt guilty because it didn’t
seem normal to not be that upset that my father committed suicide or
that he was dead.
Counselor: So let me see if I have this right. First you were not that
upset and then you felt guilty for not being that upset and then you
were really upset, meaning you felt guilty about not being that upset in
the first place.
Son: Exactly.

18. Case Example
Daughter: That’s what happened.
(Mother nods.)
Counselor: Okay. Suppose, then, that you began doing better
with the guilt you have now for not feeling as bad as you think
you should have felt about your father’s suicide. Can you
describe what would be different in your life? What would you
be doing differently?
Son: (Pause.) I think I would be more in touch with my feelings
and my spiritual side. Mostly, I am not in touch with
spirituality. This is the issue for me.

19. Case Example
Not in touch with spirituality / In touch with spirituality

20. References and Suggested Readings
Berg, I.K., & Miller, S.D. (1992). Working with the problem drinker: A solution-focused approach. New York: Norton.
de Castro, S., & Guterman, J.T. (2008). Solution-focused therapy for families coping with suicide. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 34, 93-106.
de Shazer, S. (1982). Patterns of brief family therapy. New York: Norton.
de Shazer, S. (1984). The death of resistance. Family Process, 23, 11-17.
de Shazer, S. (1985). Keys to solution in brief therapy. New York: Norton.
de Shazer, S. (1988). Clues: Investigating solutions in brief therapy. New York: Norton.
de Shazer, S. (1991). Putting difference to work. New York: Norton.
de Shazer, S. (1994). Words were originally magic. New York: Norton.
de Shazer, S., Berg, I. K., Lipchik, E., Nunnally, E., Molnar E., Gingerich, K., & Weiner-Davis, M. (1986). Brief therapy: Focused solution development. Family
Process, 25, 207-222.
Duncan. B.L., Miller, S.D., & Sparks, J.A. (2004). The heroic client: A revolutionary way to improve effectiveness through client-directed, outcome-informed
therapy. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Franklin, C., Trepper, T.S., McCollum, E.E., & Gingerich, W.J. (2011). Solution-focused brief therapy: A handbook of evidence-based practice. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Gergen, K.J. (2009). An invitation to social construction (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Guterman, J.T. (2013). Mastering the art of solution-focused counseling (2nd edition) Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
Guterman, J.T., & Leite, N. (2006). Solution-focused counseling for clients with religious and spiritual concerns. Counseling and Values, 51, 39-52.
Guterman, J.T., Mecias, A., Ainbinder, D.L. (2005). Solution-focused treatment of migraine headache. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for
Couples and Families, 13, 195-198.
Guterman, J.T. (1998). Identifying pretreatment change before the first session. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 20, 370-374.
Guterman, J.T. (1996). Doing mental health counseling: A social constructionist re-vision. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 18, 228-252.
Guterman, J. T. (1994). A social constructionist position for mental health counseling. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 16, 226-244.
Held, B.S., (1992). The problem of strategy within the systemic therapies. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 18, 25-35.
Lambert, M.J. (1992). Implications of outcome research for psychotherapy. In J.C. Norcross M.R. Goldfried (Eds.), Handbook of psychotherapy integration
(pp. 94-129). New York: Basic Books.
Lipchik, E. (2002). Beyond technique in solution-focused therapy: Working with emotions and the therapeutic relationship. New York: Guilford.
Martin, C.V., Guterman, J. T., & & Shatz, K. (2012). Solution-focused counseling for eating disorders. VISTAS, 1-11.
Molnar A., & de Shazer, S. (1987). Solution-focused therapy: Toward the identification of therapeutic tasks. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 13, 349-
358.
Murphy, J.J. (2008). Solution-focused counseling in middle and high schools (2nd ed.) Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
O'Hanlon, B., & Rowan, T. (2003). Solution oriented therapy for chronic and severe mental illness. New York: Norton.
O'Hanlon, W. H., & Weiner-Davis, M. (1989). In search of solutions: A new direction in psychotherapy. New York: Norton.