De Shazer And Insoo Berg Solution-Focused Therapy

In 1978, Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg developed solution-focused therapy (SFT). They knew there was a connection between a problem and its solution but looked at a more positive way to make gains. Therefore, de Shazer and Berg created a new perspective of the solution and the impact of the problem decreased. SFT is essential for social workers to use when working with youth clients who are experiencing substance abuse. This paper will discuss the effectiveness of using SFT with youth, ages 15-24, who are dealing with substance abuse, the essence of the therapy, evidence based practice, the area of practice, and how SFT incorporates person in environment. The essence of SFT is the emphasis on the solution rather than the problem.
The therapist needs to trust that the youth wants to change and focus on solution talk. FST looks at the future goals and change that is taking place. The goal for intervention is to look for times where the youth is not using, be aware of their strengths, and look at the problem differently. The assessment looks at the youth's motivation level, reframing comments, strengths-reinforcing coping questions, and externalizes the abuse. Another focus is on De Shazer's miracle question. It is helpful to ask the miracle question, imagine that during the night while you were sleeping, this problem went away. What did you notice as you get up and go through your day that would let you know your problem has been resolved? (Walsh Ch.10,
SFT asks the client what the problem is but does not dig deeper in the background of the problem. To eliminate a problem, the social worker needs to look at what other factors contribute to this problem. Some of the factors include when it started, is it systemic, and potential barriers. If the youth does not get the opportunity to discuss the problem, it discourages him or her to evaluate the behavior that is causing it. In addition, the therapist misses valuable information on the youth's background when there is no assessment of the past. Without establishing problem resolution, it could result in behavior repetition. It is important to look at the environment when working with youth and substance abuse. Quinn and Fromme's research shows that if the youth's parents drink, it increases the likelihood of the youth drinking. It focused on a sample of high school graduates to look if environmental factors can delay the increase in drinking among those high in trait-level risk factors. The students completed self-report measures of alcohol