Solution focused therapy focuses on the present and future rather than the past or how/when problems first started for the client. Therapists who use solution focused therapy aim to help clients figure out what is working and encourage them to do more of it.

Unlike most approaches solution focused therapy does not focus on what is going wrong in clients’ lives. Instead it focuses on helping clients figure out what their lives would look like if their problem was solved and the steps they can take to achieve that. Therapists also frequently validate any steps the client has made toward achieving desired changes.

Strategies for change and solutions are discovered by examining the clients’ past experiences and current skill sets. A major component of this is looking for exceptions such as: times when the problem was not occurring, times the client coped with the problem better, times when part of their goal was achieved, or times when the problem was less severe. Another component of strategy generation is searching for solutions that have worked for the client in the past.

For homework clients are asked to try some of the exceptions or previous solutions that were discovered during the session.