Solution-Focused Skills and Practice for Agencies: Basic
The most effective way for behavioral health organization staff to learn solution-focused professional skills is to have intensive guided practice. This course is designed to provide practical skills and opportunities to practice the core solution-focused skills under the guidance of a master solution-focused practitioner and trainer. This course provides an additive live-interactive learning dimension to our self-paced behavioral health course offerings. It also provides practical skills and opportunities to practice the core solution-focused skills. The course includes six bi-monthly group sessions (two hours each, 12 hours total) with live interactive teaching, personal and professional training practice exercises, case presentations, role-plays, and an optional final presentation from participants demonstrating how they have applied solution-focused skills in their unique area of practice.
This course will be taken along with the online, self-paced Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: an Introduction to the Pragmatics of Change.
Learning Objectives
- Describe solution-focused skills that enhance engagement and the therapeutic alliance
- Demonstrate fluency in core solution-focused questions
- Demonstrate the use of evidenced-based compliments
- Demonstrate how to discover and amplify positive differences/exceptions using solution-focused questions
- Illustrate fluency in building an emotional “yes-set”
- Illustrate building a shared dialect incorporating client and solution-focused language
- Illustrate the importance of a system’s perspective using VIPS by presenting oral examples
- Illustrate skills that facilitate the negotiation of goals and how to maintain a solution- focused conversation while gathering required clinical information.
- Summarize qualities of well-formed goals
- Explain ways scaling questions can be used to enhance goal negotiation including how to incorporate VIPs within scaling questions
- Apply skills to amplify scaling questions
- Integrate solution-focused safety questions within a case
- Apply solution-focused practices to work setting interactions or particular area of interest
Course Assessment
Participants will be assessed in the following manner:
- Class Participation: Students are invited to clarify things they do not understand, pose questions, offer ideas, and broaden perspectives.
- Written Log/Journal: Participants are encouraged to keep a written log of practice exercises provided following each session and discussed at the subsequent session.
Continuing Education
12 CE Credit/Clock Hours are available for this live course. To receive continuing education hours, the student must attend each live session, participate completely with all activities, and complete the course evaluation.
3 CE Credit/Clock Hours are available for the accompanying self-paced online course Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: An Introduction to the Pragmatics of Hope.
Policy Information
Once enrolled, you may begin your course at any time and it does not expire.
Our complete policy and cancellation information can be viewed here.
Instructors and Authors
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.