Many therapists grow tired of compromising their philosophies of counseling to fit the world of managed care, and would like to save time while still being able to create a hopeful atmosphere for their clients. But, they may be hardpressed to find more effective ways to encourage responsibility, raise self-esteem and develop lifelong abilities in their clients.

The 4-P Solutioning process provides therapists with key methods to end blaming, encourage responsibility and empower clients to find and use solutions. It uses innovative language that promotes growth, change and flexibility: necessary qualities for any addictions or family treatment.

While not designed to be a cure all, Solutioning is one option in treatment planning, with interventions that can be blended into any addictions or counseling program. Therapists who have wanted to try Solution-focused Brief Therapy, but are not ready to give up all the things they do that are effective, replace their basic beliefs, or learn an all-encompassing new treatment may find that this method of therapy offers timesaving methods designed to enhance, not replace, what they are already using.

Counselors who have experienced Solutioning find that with some clients it works in bits and pieces in conjunction with other programs such as the traditional Twelve Steps. Others use it completely as a problem- solving method to empower clients with solutions for the life issues that arise during their recovery. Solutioning has applications to genograms, play therapy and conflict resolution/mediation, and can be taught directly to clients. When counselors begin using the language, their focus becomes one of hope, clients become more responsible and motivated, and the positive influences continue to ripple.

The 4-P process of Solutioning can happen as a whole or in parts, in order or randomly. Regardless of the number or length of sessions, Solutioning has a place in any individual’s therapy/treatment — it’s only a matter of timing. When clients are ready to focus on the good, discuss non-problem times, consider how they want things to be and make plans to use solutions, the language of the Solutioning process will serve their needs.

The process begins with a Purpose, moves into the exploration of Potentials. Next the Plan brings things to action. The therapist continually considers the Progress, or what is working. They can blend the language into other interventions or use it as the intervention itself. Therapists may pick and choose, start with one new question and expand as they are motivated by each productive interaction. As the speed and endurance of their clients’ solutions, growth and positive change appears, they’ll be ready to add another question at another appropriate time with the next client. Below are the four Ps and how therapists can put them into practice.

1. Purpose

Use the language of this step to make a positive start by developing a joint Purpose. By using questions and careful wording when discussing the problem, clients feel hope and become motivated for change. Notice this step is Purpose, not Problem as in many programs. This individualizes for clients, allowing them to work on a need, a concern or a desire, without making it a problem by labeling it as one. Curing alcoholism, or drug addiction may seem like a huge task, but having a Purpose of doing hobbies instead of drinking, for example, can seem more achievable.

When clients are resistant, hesitant or without a purpose, the possible results of maintaining and of solving are considered through questions such as: What will be different when you are using a solution (are sober)? This differs from considering only the negative consequences and punishments. In Solutioning, clients are encouraged to consider the many options available and make a choice, a cornerstone of the responsibility necessary for overcoming any addiction.

Clients often feel as if they are the problem, which creates defensiveness, resistance and avoidance rather than motivation for change. Asking addicts to battle themselves may be setting them up for failure. The language employed in Solutioning addresses the problem or addiction as external so that the therapist and client can team up against it.

Clients become involved in the process by addressing such questions as: What would be a good name for what we are fighting? When the problem, whether it is anger, boredom, confusion, speed, is separate from the person, it can be fought with more vigor.
Other options therapists may use when discussing a Purpose is to “normalize”, “labelize” and “temporize”. Helping clients see themselves as normal, despite their problems, aids them in the development of solutions. Statements such as “All families have struggles” can help clients feel less pathological and more able to heal.

By changing pathological labels or diagnoses into descriptions, problems can seem less static and more able to be solved. The problem hasn’t changed, but its power is reduced. Drunk or alcoholic can be described as “often gives in to the temptation to drink”. This explanation offers something specific to work on — resisting temptation — rather than a diagnosis to cure. “Labelizing” can help break the healing/recovery/solution process down into more achievable steps.
“Temporize” by adding language that puts problems in the past and opens the door for new beginnings. Highlighting the temporary qualities of problems with “sometimes” or “yet” encourages hopefulness and motivation for change. “Not sober yet” puts the possibility of sobriety in the future, rather than stating a more permanent sounding fact, “alcoholic”.

Through these interventions, Solutioning provides specific language to help clients establish a Purpose and take responsibility by taking power away from problems.

2. Potentials

Clients become empowered with Solutioning because it provides four areas to find/visualize/borrow potential solutions by exploring past, present, pretend and people possibilities. As the heart of the Solutioning, one or all four areas may be used.

A client’s response to past/present potential questions such as: “What is different about times when you___(control your anger, turn down a drink, get along?) illustrates for them that there have been times before/without the problem. Knowing that there are exceptions to every problem and considering what solutions have been used (past potential) or are currently happening some of the time (present potential) builds confidence in the client and his/her responsibility for change just happens.
Pretending a desired tomorrow often illustrates solution ideas that can be implemented immediately. When clients are asked to imagine themselves without their addiction and then questioned by the therapist, “what are you doing, saying, thinking, differently?” it can be an enjoyable and enlightening intervention built on the power of visualization.
People resources/models can be examined for solution ideas, examples or support. Through questions for realizing people potential, Solutioning can build on existing supportive programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Questions such as: “What have you seen that works for others?” allow clients to step outside of their life and try the successful methods of others on their own path of solution development, healing and recovery.

With the Potentials step, the search for causes, which often wastes time and encourages blaming, ceases to be relevant. The process is fast-forwarded to how things are when they are better and how they could be tomorrow, with specific solution ideas, not just a list of whys.
Joe came in after numerous alcohol- related traffic tickets. He was on the verge of losing his job and his wife. Joe wanted change, but was so full of excuses for drinking that sobriety seemed an insurmountable obstacle. As a child, he had been abused by his father; his family had a history of drinking; his boss was a tyrant and his marriage was full of conflict. Joe felt these issues justified his drinking. He seemed resigned to the fact that it would take years in counseling, delving into his past and curing all of these issues, before he could really stop drinking. During that long-term process, he seemed to feel he would be able to justifiably continue his habit.

Using the language of Solutioning, the problem (drinking) was discussed as part of the past, along with the excuses. Joe agreed that his past issues could be addressed, but only after he stopped drinking, or his life would crumble around him, giving him more excuses (Purpose). Working primarily in the present and future, Joe discovered a diversion to his drinking pattern that had happened a year ago. He and his wife had made New Year’s resolutions to lose weight. He had done a lot of walking during that time, and a lot less drinking (Past Potential). He didn’t lose the weight and stopped walking. Now, however, he felt motivated to take walks before and after work, rather than drink. He began walking the very next day (Plan).

As Joe walked his way to sobriety, many of his issues resolved themselves. As he became more productive at work, more attentive at home and more confident in himself, the past seemed less relevant and the future more exciting.

3. Plan

Following through on Potentials discovered/created, acknowledging that responsibility grows with success and individualizing to the readiness of clients, Solutioning provides three types of plans: Positive, Pretend and Perform. Most important, clients determine which they are ready for and design their own plans. This is different from a task designed by and given by the counselor. Client constructed plans are empowering to the client.

Very simply, the Positive Plan encourages the client who is struggling in solution development to watch for the times when things are better (a hit is resisted, a drink not on his/her mind). As a result, they learn to recognize exceptions to problems and expand them into solutions.
When clients come up with some solution ideas, but are hesitant to change, act differently or perform, a Pretend Plan is an excellent choice. Just as athletes utilize mental rehearsal for practice, so may clients. Change is tough. For many, taking responsibility is new. For example, through a Pretend Plan of doing nothing yet, just imagining doing the solution, clients can gain confidence and comfort with their solution. Many times the solution is performed, despite the somewhat paradoxical “do nothing yet”.

Finally, when the solution is clear, the client motivated and the situation appropriate, the Perform Plan is the obvious route. This is when clients choose to go out and begin doing something new/different immediately. To ensure doability and success, use five criteria to put the plan in the present, process, positive, precise and personal. Again, using questioning and choice empowers clients to choose the solution and the plan, ensuring their responsibility for the results.

4. Progress

In Solutioning, Progress is a celebration of what worked, what went right and what was positive that may be used again and should be an ongoing aspect of all clients’ treatment. The continual focus on the exceptions to problems enables solutions to endure, responsibility to be taken and self-esteem to grow. During Progress, client ownership for the positives are emphasized. Even relapses are addressed by looking at when things were a little better, how long the sobriety lasted or what small successes there were before or after. Clients are set up to earn self-esteem by realizing what they did to make a positive difference.

Some Solutioning questions for you

These days, we are asked to do more with more clients in less time. Counselor burnout, especially in the addictions field, is at an all-time high. Clients are rarely motivated for lasting change and are full of blaming and excuses. Let’s focus on what works, empower clients to become more motivated and take more responsibility.

On a scale of 1-10, where are you now in accomplishing how you want to be as a therapist?

Where would you like to be by the end of the year? Based on your potential, how might you do this? Are you ready for another intervention option? Are you ready for Solutioning?

Willyn Webb is author of Solutioning: Solution-focused Interventions for Counselors (1998). Accelerated Development/Taylor and Francis: Philadelphia.

Comments

Add New Search RSS

Susan Hill   |72.226.70.xxx |2008-02-17 16:09:47 [smiley=wink]I was serching for articles on counselor wellness and found this. Solution focused therapy works!!!! It keeps us focused on the positive too. Reply 0   0

Kathy Tootle   |69.92.54.xxx |2007-08-22 23:55:31 Great article! Very helpful. Reply 0   0

Write comment
Name:
Email:	do not notifynotify
Title:
	Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.26

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

---