Solution-Focused Practice in Crisis and Trauma
Solution-Focused Practice in Crisis and Trauma provides practical, evidence-based skills for professionals working with individuals, families, and communities affected by crisis and trauma. Designed for transdisciplinary practitioners across healthcare, behavioral health, education, child welfare, emergency response, and community settings, this course focuses on helping professionals respond with confidence, compassion, and purpose during times of uncertainty and distress.
Grounded in the principles of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), participants learn how to foster hope, identify strengths and resources, support resilience, and facilitate meaningful change without requiring individuals to repeatedly revisit or recount traumatic experiences. The course emphasizes practical strategies that can be integrated immediately into everyday professional conversations and interactions.
Through comprehensive video lectures, real-world demonstrations, written case studies, and guided instruction, participants develop practical solution-focused skills for responding to crisis, supporting recovery, and strengthening engagement across a wide range of professional settings. Upon completion, participants will have a clear framework and practical tools they can immediately apply in their work with individuals, families, teams, and organizations.
Delivery Method
This is an asynchronous, noninteractive, self-paced online course consisting of required written course materials, recorded video lectures and clinical demonstrations, course section examinations, and a course evaluation.
Last Updated: May 2026
Target Audience: Social workers, psychologists, mental health counselors, educators, and medical professionals.
Content Level: Beginner
Prerequisites: No prior training in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is required.
Registration deadline: There is no registration deadline. Enrollment is available on a rolling basis, and participants may begin the course immediately after registration.
System requirements: Participants need a reliable internet connection, a current web browser, speakers or headphones, the ability to stream video, and a device capable of opening PDF documents. The course may be accessed on a computer, tablet, or compatible mobile device.
Participant support and instructor communication: Participants may contact info@solutionfocused.net with questions regarding course content, registration, technical support, or certificates of completion. Questions are reviewed by the instructor or knowledgeable course staff, and responses are typically provided within 24 hours.
Registration: Register and pay online by selecting “Purchase Course” above. Access instructions are emailed immediately after successful registration.
Financial Disclosure and Commercial Support
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy and all instructional personnel involved in this continuing education program have no relevant financial relationships or conflicts of interest to disclose. This continuing education activity is presented solely for educational purposes and has received no commercial support. No product endorsements are expressed or implied.
Learning Objectives
The specific Learning Objectives of the course are as follows. After completing the course, you will be able to:
- Identify the principles of solution-focused crisis interventions and determine their appropriate application in various clinical case scenarios.
- Recognize key solution-focused skills that enhance engagement during crisis and trauma interventions by selecting their correct application in case-based exercises and video observations.
- Determine the most effective solution-focused skills for goal negotiation while gathering assessment information in crisis and trauma settings, based on structured reading materials and scenario-based multiple-choice assessments.
- Select appropriate solution-focused scaling techniques that enhance client agency and self-efficacy during crisis and trauma interventions, using video-based learning and structured case applications.
- Identify appropriate solution-focused safety assessment interventions by differentiating them from traditional risk assessment approaches in case-based multiple-choice exercises.
- Recognize solution-focused interventions that support client progress in follow-up sessions after trauma or crisis, selecting best practices from case studies and structured assessments.
Course Components
This course consists of the following components. The program must be completed in order, and your Certificate of Completion will be issued only after all required components have been completed.
- Course Introduction
- Written Course Materials (PDF)
- Recorded Video Lecture and Clinical Demonstrations
- Exam Instructions and Exam Preview
- Complete the Course Examination and achieve a passing score of 80% or higher
- Course Evaluation
- Certificate of Completion
Course Outline and Estimated Completion Time
- Course Introduction — 15 minutes
- Required Written Course Materials — 4 hours 15 minutes
- Recorded Video Lectures and Clinical Demonstrations — 4 hours 25 minutes
- Course Examination (50 multiple-choice questions) — 30 minutes
- Course Evaluation — 15 minutes
Total instructional and assessment time — 8.5 hours
Because this course is self-paced, participants may take breaks as needed. Break time is not included in the 8.5 CE credit hours.
Course Assessment
Participants complete seven course section examinations consisting of a total of 68 multiple-choice questions designed to assess their knowledge and application of the course learning objectives. A minimum score of 80% is required to pass each course section examination. Participants may retake any section examination as needed until a passing score is achieved. There are no graded assignments other than the course section examinations.
Certificate of Completion
Participants who complete all required course content, achieve a passing score of 80% or higher on all seven course section examinations (68 total multiple-choice questions), and complete the course evaluation may immediately download, save, and print their Certificate of Completion.
Continuing Education
8.5 CE Credit/Clock Hours are available for this course.
Please see our Continuing Education Information page for information about CE credits and clock hours, and our accreditations and approvals for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and marriage & family therapists.
The final authority for approving any continuing education activity rests with the state or province where the participant is licensed. Please contact your individual licensing boards to review continuing education requirements for licensure renewal. To receive continuing education hours, the participant must complete the entire course, engage in all activities, and complete the course evaluation.
Psychologists
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, LLC, is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, LLC, maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Psychologists completing this course receive 8.5 continuing education hours.
The Institute is also recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0127).
Social Workers
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, provider number 1831, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 9/22/2023 – 9/22/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 8.5 Clinical continuing education credits.
The Institute is also approved by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work (#SW-0656), and by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling.
Counselors
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, LLC has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7049. The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, LLC, is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. Counselors completing this course receive 8.5 clock hours. The Institute is also approved by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0233), and by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board.
Occupational Therapists
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, LLC, is an AOTA-approved provider of professional development. Course approval ID #0000012466. This distance-learning–independent course is offered for 0.85 AOTA CEUs (8.5 contact hours). This introductory-level activity is designed to enhance foundational knowledge and occupational therapy service delivery. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
Policy Information
Once enrolled, you may begin your course at any time.
Cancellation Policy
Because this is an asynchronous, self-paced online course, participants may begin the course immediately upon successful registration and payment.
Participants may discontinue the course at any time. Refund requests are subject to the Institute’s Refund Policy. The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy reserves the right to cancel, discontinue, postpone, or modify a course due to unforeseen circumstances. If this occurs, participants will be notified promptly and may be offered continued access, an equivalent course, an extension of access, or an appropriate refund or credit, as determined by the circumstances.
For complete information regarding enrollment and cancellation, please review our Policies, Terms, and Statements, including:
Instructors and Authors