Solution Focused Brief Therapy in London

Want a better life but can’t seem to create it? 

Solution focused therapy helps you change how you feel about yourself and start taking action. It’s a great choice if you want something uplifting and positive, and not to just talk about your past or your problems. 

What is solution focused brief therapy?

As the name suggests, solution focused brief therapy (also called brief therapy, or solution focused therapy) is a short-term psychotherapy. It aims to help you recognize and use your strengths and skills to achieve your goals. 

SFBT is based on the concept that just because a problem is complicated, doesn’t mean its solution needs to be. Most of the time we already have the inner resources we need to manage our issues, but just need help recognizing what these are.

How is SFBT different to other therapies?

Unlike other talk therapies that tend to analyses your past, solution focused brief therapy is future-orientated. It only looks backward to remember times in your life when things were more like what you want them to be. This gives you a more balanced perspective of yourself, and shows you the skills you already have and can apply in the present to feel successful again. 

SFBT is also committed to what it calls ‘problem free talk’. This means each week you will be encouraged to discuss what is working in your life, not just what isn’t. We are all more than just our issues.

How many SFBT sessions do I need?

This is something you can decide between you and your therapist. It might be as little as four weekly sessions, or as many as 24. 

What issues does it help with? 

One of the key areas brief therapy is used in is addiction counselling, most notably for treating problem drinking. But it’s good for many issues. Four research studies1, for example, found it particularly effective for treating depression. 

Other issues it could help with include: 

• eating disorders
• low self-esteem
• parenting issues
• relationship problems
• sexual problems
• sleep problems
• suicidal thinking.

What results can I expect from SFBT sessions? 

Solution focused brief therapy can help you recognize the strengths and resources you already have to create success both in the here and now and in your future. You’ll feel more confident and more aware of what you are actually capable of. 

Step towards a more confident you 

Considering trying SFBT in London? All psychotherapists and counselors at Expert Therapy have a minimum of five years postgraduate experience and have trained at a renowned UK institution. We are committed to delivering results.

Call us today, or alternately book a consultation online 

What is a session like? – the Expert Therapy approach

Your Expert Therapy SFBT practitioner will create a warm, supportive environment for you to work together in. Every week your therapist will take time to give you positive feedback on how you are doing.

The main tool your SFBT therapist will then use with you is questions. SFBT questions include things like ‘miracle questions.  If a miracle occurred overnight, what would be better in your life?

Before the end of your session, you will be invited to decide on your next step forward. This could be a small change you are ready to try, or an action that produced results for you previously that you could now do more of. 

Further reading on solution focused brief therapy 

• What is Solution Focused Brief Therapy?
• Overthinking – Why You Do It and How to Stop

 

Frequently asked questions

What is solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)?

As a short-term therapy, SFBT explores how a patient can find solutions to ongoing issues and problems based on their current personal and social resources.

How is SFBT different than CBT?

They are both short-term therapies that emphasize the present rather than the past. As well as challenging and changing your perspective on yourself and your way of thinking. By changing your negative thoughts to balanced ones and taking action to break your mood cycles, CBT helps you break your mood cycle. In contrast, SFBT focuses more on your past successes and how you can recreate them in the present. By using radical questioning, it changes your thinking. While both therapies are highly effective, SFBT tends to be more positive than CBT. 

Is SFBT available on the NHS?

NHS areas in the UK do not offer SFBT. In addition, you may face long waiting lists, so private provision may be more suitable.

Does Expert Therapy offer SFBT in London?

There are several therapists at Expert Therapy to help you find your best fit for solution-based brief therapy in London.