Solution-focused brief therapy from the perspective of clients with long-term physical health conditions

Abstract

As long-term physical health conditions are becoming increasingly prevalent in our society, interventions are needed to help individuals live as well as possible. The research explores participants’ experiences of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) with a view to determining helpful aspects of this. Eleven service users were interviewed, and interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Participants’ responsibility for change and the strengths and resources they possessed were highlighted, along with the focus within therapy on goals. A number of specific SFBT techniques that were perceived as helpful during therapy were described such as reframing, competence talk and reflectiveness, as well as other factors that enabled engagement with the psychologist.

Keywords:

• SFBT
• long-term physical health
• qualitative