Solution-Focused Training for Schools:
Enhancing Mental Health in Educational Organizations
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy is dedicated to supporting educators and school professionals across K–12 and higher education as they respond to increasing mental health needs among students. Schools and colleges are often the first places where concerns emerge, and educators play an essential role in fostering student well-being through everyday interactions.
Solution-focused conversations, grounded in evidence-based and trauma-informed practice, offer brief, practical tools well suited to the pace and complexity of school settings. Our training emphasizes learning through observation and practice, integrating video demonstrations of real-world conversations, guided skill practice, and practical strategies that can be used immediately in daily interactions with students, families, and colleagues.
We offer both self-paced and live synchronous courses designed for school professionals. Live trainings can be customized to reflect the specific context, roles, and challenges of individual schools or districts. Courses include comprehensive materials housed within our online platform for ongoing access, and many are eligible for continuing education credit, providing professional development that meaningfully supports both practice and credentialing requirements.
INTERESTED IN A SCHOOL PRACTICE CONSULTATION?
Explore our articles and resources for educators interested in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). Click the link below to discover more.
Here’s what we offer:
- Taste – Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Schools: A 2-hour live online introduction to Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, perfect for schools exploring this evidence-based approach.
- Basic – Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Schools: A 12-hour live online synchronous course offering 12 continuing education credits, focused on building foundational solution-focused skills that can be used right away in educational settings. The 12 hours can be divided and customized based on the needs of your organization.
- Advanced – Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Schools: A 12-hour live online course that deepens expertise in applying advanced solution-focused techniques within schools.
- Solution-Focused Conversations in Schools: An Integration of Education and Mental Health: A comprehensive, online self-paced course offering 19 continuing education credits, teaching trauma-informed practices that enhance daily school interactions.
These courses are designed to empower educators with the knowledge and practical tools they need to foster a supportive, solution-focused environment in schools. With training options that are both flexible and comprehensive, every school professional can be equipped to make a meaningful impact on student mental health while advancing their own professional development.
Staff Training Options
Taste – Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Schools
2 CE Credit/Clock Hours
This 2-hour live continuing education course is designed to provide a “taste” of Solution-Focused Brief Practices in schools. It offers schools and educational institutions an opportunity to be introduced to the approach and consider further training if interested. Unlimited participants.
Basic – Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Schools
12 CE Credit/Clock Hours
This 12-hour continuing education course includes 12 hours of live interactive teaching and is designed to provide practical skills and opportunities to practice the core solution-focused skills in schools. This course provides an additive, live, interactive learning dimension to our self-paced school course offerings.
Advanced – Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Schools
12 CE Credit/Clock Hours
This 12-hour continuing education live online course is designed to provide practical skills and opportunities to practice more advanced solution-focused skills in schools, enhancing the practitioner and educator’s mastery and confidence in the solution-focused approach.
Group Coaching – Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for School
CE Credit/Clock Hours TBD
Customized Solution-Focused Group Coaching provides schools and educational staff opportunities to sustain and strengthen solution-focused skills under the guidance of a master solution-focused practitioner and trainer. This course requires completing the Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Schools (Basic or Advanced) or Solution-Focused Conversations in Schools: An Integration of Education and Mental Health.
Solution-Focused Conversations in Schools: An Integration of Education and Mental Health
19 CE Credit/Clock Hours / $450
This 19-hour continuing education course offers comprehensive solution-focused brief conversational skills tailored for educational settings across the developmental spectrum. Solution-focused brief therapy equips transdisciplinary teams with solution-focused social-emotional learning techniques that can seamlessly integrate into school curricula and educational settings. The course structure includes an online self-paced, text-based, lecture-based course with exams. It has 34 video demonstrations.
Supervision – Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Schools
12 CE Credit/Clock Hours
This 12-hour continuing education course addresses clinical supervision and consultation as complex, essential activities that occur across a range of school settings. This live experiential course provides staff opportunities to learn solution-focused supervision and consultation skills under the guidance of a master solution-focused practitioner and trainer. This course requires completing the Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Schools BASIC and ADVANCED or BASIC and Solution-Focused Conversations in Schools self-paced course.
Solution-Focused Conversations in Schools: Skills and Practice
10 CE Credit/Clock Hours
Refine your solution-focused skills to address mental health needs in school settings with this 10-hour interactive, live continuing education course. Across five two-hour sessions, engage in role plays, case discussions, and breakout activities tailored to the unique challenges of educational environments. Guided by a master clinician, this course equips educators, counselors, and school professionals to integrate solution-focused techniques into everyday conversations. Limited to 12 participants for personalized attention, the course offers live practice, recorded sessions, and 10 CE credits upon completion.
Additional Training Customization
Follow-up live training sessions tailored to individual agency needs, mandates and targeted clinical populations may be added to any of these three options.
Want More Information about Arranging Live Synchronous Training for Your Agency Staff?
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy provides customized staff training designed to address the unique needs and goals of mental health, human service, medical, and educational organizations. If you are interested in scheduling a time to discuss staff training options for your workplace, simply fill out and return this short form and our Director Dr. Anne Lutz will contact you to set up a Zoom consultation.