Doing What Works in Brief Therapy: A Strategic Solution Focused Approach

261 Pages·1996·12.34 MB·English

by  Ellen K. Quick

Doing What Works
in Brief Therapy
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Doing .What Works
in ];rlef Therapy
I I I I I I I I I III I III III III IIJ II II I I I II I I IIIIIIIIII I II I IIII I IIIII I II I IIIIIii
A Strategic Solution
Focused Approach
EUen K. Qu i ck
Kaiser Permanente
San Diego, California
Academic Preu
An Imprint of Elsevier
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Copyright O 1996, Elsevier
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Quick, Ellen K_aufman.
Doing what works in brief therapy : a strategic solution focused
approach / by Ellen K. Quick.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13:978-0-12-569660-9 ISBN-10:0-12-5696604
1. Brief psychotherapy. 2. Solution-focused fltet~y.
3. Strategic therapy. I. Title.
RC480.55.Q53 1996
616.89' 14--dc20
95-25308
CIP
ISBN-13:978-0-12-569660-9
ISBN-10:0-12-569660-4
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
06 07 9
The author earned her undergraduate
degree~om Wellesley College and her doc-
torate in clinical po~hologTftom the Uni-
versity of Pittsburgh, She has practiced
psychology for over twen~ years, speci-
alizing in brief p~chotherapy. Since
1981, Dr. Quick has worked at Kaiser
Permanente in San Diego.
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Contents
The Model and Its Origins
THEMODEL 2
BRIEFS~TECICTHERAPYITHEMRIAWROACH 3
s0UITION~SEDTHERAPY:THEBEn:APPROACH 6
COMBI”GM0DELS 8
THE STIUTBCIC SOLUTION FOCUSED MODEL 10
clruifyiry the problem: What’s the Trouble?
pRloRFFIzMcPRO~S 16
uwHO,WHA~WHEN,ANDWHERE?” 17
IN WHAT WAY IS THIS A PROBLEM? 19
viii Coamm
TO WHOM IS THIS A PROB~ 20
TRANSLATING VAGUE CONSTRUCTS TO CLEAR COMPLAINTS 22
WlIEN THE PROBLEM IS THE PAST 23
A DIFFERENT PROBLEM EVERY TIME 24
PROBLEM CLARIFICATIONA S INTERVENTION 25
CELFASTE:" MY MOTHER WAS VERY SICK MENTALLYn 26
3
Amplifying the Solution: Variations on the
Miracle Question
THEM IRAClZQ UESTION ~4
DAVIDs q WOUI~Nrr HATE GOING TO WORK" 37
IDENTIFYING AND AMPIJItflNG EXCEFrIONS 43
SCALING QUF~TIONS 45
VARIATIONS ON THE MIRACLE QUESTION 47
MIRACLE QUESTIONING AS PROBIZM CIARIHCATION 49
MIPACI~ QUF~TIONING AS INTERVENTION 51
4
Evaluating Attempted Solutions: If It
Doesn't Work, Do Something Different
EHCITING A~I'RMPTIm SOLUTIONS 56
"What Else?" 57
Being Specific 58
When "Nothing" Has Been Tried 58
Did It Work? 59
INTERRUFrlNG UNSUCCF~FUL ATTEMPTED SOLUTIONS 59
Disrupting Solutions 60
Reversing Solutions 61
CHANGE SLOWLY 62
DEPRESSION: WIIEN "CHEER UP~ DOESN'T WORK 62
Depression after a Loss 63
Depression "Without Reason" 64
Contents
ANXIETY: WHEN "DON'T WORRY" DOESN'T WORK 64
Interrupting Avoidance 65
Reversing "Concealing" 65
interrupting "Perfectionism" 66
IN~gRRUM'ING UNSUCCESSFULA TrEMP'IYD
SOLUTIONS IN RELATIONSHIPS 66
Reframing 67
Interrupting Ineffective Communication 67
"You Don't Have to Like it" 67
Interrupting Promises of Change 68
Interrupting "Please Stay" 69
Interrupting "You Must Decide" 70
PARENTS AND CHILDREN: REVERSING WHAT
DOESN'T WORK 70
Problems with Children 70
Problems with Parents 71
ATTEMPTED SOLUTIONS TO EATING PROBIJ~S 71
SEXUAL SOLUTIONS: INTERRUPTING "FORCED AROUSAL" 72
RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUAL[ZEDA TTEMPTED SOLUTIONS 73
5
Designing the Intervention: Validation,
Compliment, and Suggestion
THE THREE.PART INTER~ON 76
The "Break" 77
VALIDATING 78
COMNjMENTING 8O
DESIGNING SUGGESTIONS FOR CUSTOMERS,
C O ~ S , AND VISITORS 82
PRESENTING THE SUGGESTION. USING THE CLIENT'S
"POSITION" 84
SUGGESTIONS, SPECIFIC AND ~GENERICz 86
Specific Suggestions 86
Genetic Suggestions 87
Ethics and Humility in Intervention Design 91