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Love the Ultimate Solution?
The solution has little to do with the problem
Introduction
I have started my training on Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), a counselling modality.
One of the principles of SFBT is that the solution often has very little to do with the problem. In fact, problem talk tends to perpetuate the problem by trapping the client in a problem-seeking mindset — strengthening the neuronal pathways for fault finding.
The default mind is a fault finding mind. (Insoo Kim Berg, founder of SFBT)
Hence, the SFBT therapist tries to deflect ‘problem talk’ and to encourage the visualisation of a desired picture instead. The miracle question is asked to elicit the client’s idea of what her preferred scenario is.
In addition, the exclusion question (e.g. Are there any recent situations where part of the miracle scenario happened?) encourages clients to focus on existing strengths and to build on them.
In a recent online homily Fr. Robert Barron mentioned something to that effect. He mentioned that no matter what your emotional problems are, concrete actions of love is the panacea.
