Solution-Focused Coaching in Pediatric Rehabilitation: Investigating Transformative Experiences and Outcomes for Families

ABSTRACT

Aims: A qualitative study was conducted to investigate family experiences and outcomes of Solution-Focused Coaching in pediatric rehabilitation (SFC-peds). Methods: Two interviews (5 months apart) were conducted with nine sets of family members who had received SFC-peds, within the past 6 months, from therapists with 3–10 years of experience using the approach. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis and a phenomenological approach. Results: Participants experienced a goal-oriented collaborative process, high engagement, enhanced capacity and community participation, and empowered mindsets. The therapy process was seen as a collaborative solution-focused conversation, situated in the client's world, and involving individualized and co-created goals and plans. SFC-peds provided families with a supportive, structured, and paced goal-setting process. Reported enhancements to capacity included child/youth skill development, enhanced parent skills, enhanced parent knowledge of their child and options, and changes in parenting. Increased community participation was also reported. Empowered mindsets involved increased confidence, increased self-efficacy and self-determination, and broadened perspectives and expectations. Conclusions: The study provides evidence for the utility of SFC-peds and the importance of engaging families in a goal-oriented collaborative process. Implications concern greater understanding of transactional dynamics in therapy and real-world client change, and the need to develop measures of client/family resiliency.

KEYWORDS:

• Capacity
• client mindset
• disability
• empowerment
• enablement
• engagement
• impact
• SFC-peds

Acknowledgments

We extend our appreciation to the families who participated in the study. We also thank Jan Evans for conducting the interviews, Heather Cruickshank for coding the data, Laura Beaune and Madhu Pinto for their assistance, and Sarah Keenan for developing Table 1.

Disclosure statement

This project was supported by funding from the Institute of Coaching, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School Affiliate. Heidi Schwellnus was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Research Chair for Cerebral Palsy from Laval University. Gillian King holds the Canada Research Chair in Optimal Care for Children with Disabilities, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.