Preventing Suicide in the Aftermath of Trauma

This chapter describes utilizing a SFBT approach with clients that have experienced a trauma and are thinking of ending their lives. This chapter describes how hope feeds positive therapeutic change, especially when a client is hopeless and sees no way out. The chapter describes the skill that underlies all other solution-focused practices; constructive listening and observation and describes how watching and listening for the clients’ strengths, capacities, good intentions, and improvements or successes are paramount when working with suicidal clients. This chapter is full of useful solution-focused questions that can be asked by therapists in their work to prevent suicide.

Countering Systemic Retraumatization for Sex-Trafficking Survivors

This chapter discusses how SFBT clinicians can work effectively to treat the trauma associated with victimization through human and sex trafficking. The chapter also addresses the threat for survivors of sex trafficking to be retraumatized (defined as the continual negative or oppressive—overt and covert—traumatization from a helping professional while engaged in the process of trying to help a survivor) through their interactions with law enforcement, medical personal, and even mental health providers, even when these professionals are trying to be helpful. The chapter highlights the importance of building hope and meeting each survivor’s specific needs, and outlines tips and strategies for SFBT clinicians working with this population.

Child Sexual Abuse

This chapter focuses on sexual abuse, its negative impact, and how SFBT can be used with clients who have experienced this trauma. This chapter provides an updated definition of child sexual abuse, along with the wide range of sexual activities that children may experience, and discusses the complicating factors in identifying sexual abuse internationally. Along with international prevalence rates of child sexual abuse, this chapter discusses the negative impact children and their family members experience. The chapter concludes with a case example to illustrate ways to use solution-focused brief therapy approach with a client who had experienced sexual abuse.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and the Military

This chapter will describe how SFBT has been used in the military. Many people in the military have experienced some type of trauma throughout their lifetime. However, the military culture itself has not historically embraced or taught the importance of mental health or emotional well-being and are taught not to cry. This chapter discusses how using SFBT is effective in a culture where clients are not always allowed to show emotion. Solution-focused questions allow clients to quickly explore what is important to them, what it is they want or need currently, and how they are going to move forward. The chapter stresses the importance of not fixing what is not broken and how the solution is not necessarily related to the problem.

Interpersonal Violence

This chapter presents an overview on interpersonal violence and how SFBT can be used with clients who have experienced violence as an adult or child. Along with a description of the various forms of interpersonal violence, global information on the prevalence of interpersonal and domestic violence is presented. The impact and consequences of interpersonal violence that many victims, in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships, experience is discussed. A case example where the client was the perpetrator rather than a victim is provided to demonstrate how SFBT approach can be used with clients who are typically forced into more problem-focused or punitive approaches to behavioral change.

Language Creates a New Reality

This chapter discusses current theory of change of SFBT and will look at how using SFBT questions that elicit coping, resources, and a description of a preferred future starts creating a new reality for clients that have experienced trauma. It discusses the theoretical framework for how SFBT works and its compatibility with other postmodern approaches and social constructivism. The tenets of introducing positive emotion after a trauma situation and expanding the trauma experience with positive emotion will also be discussed. Neurobiology and neuroplasticity are discussed in connection with the notion that the more one discusses the details of the positive emotion, coping, resilience, strength, and pride, the more one will build/reinforce neural pathways of a different and more hopeful reality.

Intersection of SFBT and Trauma

This chapter lays the framework for the book by defining and discussing trauma as well as describing the many aspects of trauma. An overview on the research on trauma will be presented along with descriptions about the various types of trauma clients may experience. A brief overview of common evidence-based treatments currently used to help clients deal with their trauma and with their limitations is also presented. The chapter provides a review of the SFBT trauma research and discusses ways SFBT can provide an alternative approach to helping clients. The chapter concludes by discussing why and how the SFBT approach might be more beneficial for clients managing trauma.

SFBT with Survivors of War and International Conflict

This chapter examines how SFBT can help individuals or groups that have been affected by war or internal conflict overcome and deal with challenges inherent in their circumstances. SFBT is an approach that empowers people and helps people affected by war move toward what they want for themselves and for each other. This chapter describes how SFBT appeals to people across cultures, experiences, and values and is applicable in any situation where people are looking for something better for themselves or others they care about. This chapter discusses how SFBT practitioners use a positive, collaborative, hopeful stance with people affected by war. Looking for exceptions to the problems people bring, as well as previous solutions, strengths, resources, and abilities their clients already have, complimenting people and asking questions with a future orientation is explored in the chapter.

Introduction

Over the past two decades, solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) has become a popular therapeutic model for marriage and family therapist, professional counselors, and social work educators and practitioners. This chapter will provide a historical overview of how SFBT was developed inductively from a multidisciplinary team of clinicians working at the Mental Research Institute in the 1970s, the development of the Brief Family Therapy Center in the 1980s by de Shazer and Kim-Berg, and the development of the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association in the 2000s. This chapter will also cover the basic tenets of SFBT, an overview of the process of a SFBT session, and serve as an introduction to the rest of the book

Loss, Grief, and Bereavement

This chapter will discuss the concepts of loss, grief, and bereavement, with a special emphasis on cultural awareness, and will outline how SFBT therapists can help clients manage these pervasive feelings and experiences. Ambiguous loss will also be explored and linked to the reasons clients often struggle throughout the bereavement journey. This chapter will also highlight the non-judgmental stance that is held by SFBT therapists and how this stance can contribute to healing and growth for clients. Finally, a case presentation will be presented to illustrate how a SFBT clinician can work with individuals and families while they progress through bereavement after loss and grief.