Becoming Solution-Focused Forced in Brief Therapy: Remembering Something Important We Already Knew

Abstract

A solution-focused approach to brief psychotherapy can be a useful and respectful model for delivery of services, particularly in a managed care setting. Or the model can be misinterpreted and misused in a way that may resemble “solution-forced” psychotherapy. This paper will present the major rules of solution-forced therapy and provide clinical case examples which highlight this model. It is hoped that consideration of solution-forced methods will encourage clinicians to refine their knowledge and hopefully avoid errors. The authors will also explore possible reasons for the occurrence of solution-forced therapy.