Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Role-Play - Finding Exceptions to the Problem
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- Опубліковано 28 січ 2016
- This video features a counseling role-play in which the “finding exceptions to the problem” technique from solution-focused brief therapy is used to help a client (played by an actor) reduce social anxiety.
I am about to graduate with an MSW and when I first saw Todd's videos I had no clue what was going on and I thought they were boring. Now, I have a better understanding of what he is doing I find them extremely informative and great learning tools for my growth.
I feel like solution-focused therapy requires a very, very skilled therapist. There are a lot of questions that the therapist needs to ask in order to gather an abundant amount of information and create connections between a time when the client was once less anxious to present situations. Further, I like the technique of finding exceptions to the problem because it helps the client use those exceptions to present day situations. I also appreciated how the therapist identified the themes that came from the exceptions: having fun and knowing the people well.
I liked how Dr. Grande helped the client think back to a time where he experienced social anxiety in the past to pull up exceptions he maybe able to utilize for his current work problem.
In my opinion, Dr. Grande was asking the client to project what may happen, instead of asking when the problem did not happen. The practitioner was also portraying himself as the expert, instead of the client. Unfortunately, Dr. Grande gave the client the solution of having “anxiety”. However, on the flip side, Dr. Grande did maintain a posture of not knowing and used the skills of: silence, noticing hints of possibility, and amplifying solution talk. This role play session is a well-intentioned mixture of positives and negatives. Great learning video, thanks.
Dr. Grande did a great job allowing the client to escape the "disruptive" behaviors by planning outings with his coworkers. When the client becomes closer to his coworkers he will be building his confidence, alleviating his anxiety, and he will be able to perform well in his position.
The exploration of exceptions was useful to watch. I really liked how he had the client define the level of anxiety, how it affected him, and in which context. From there he asked the client to recall when he felt he did not experience this level of social anxiety. By focusing on the exceptions of his social anxiety the client was able to notice that he was able to get past his social anxiety at other points in his life. It also came out that his perceived fear of loss possibly played a role in why he felt such anxiety when in social situations after comparing exceptions to his social anxiety. From there the counselor and client were able to set goals like making friends at the office to tackle his anxiety he was experiencing at work.
I think that while the counselor had some great points, solution focused therapy talks about letting the client be expert in their situation. I believe that in this conversation the counselor gave the impression that he is the expert. I would try and avoid explaining or labeling the client so that they feel as if they are the one making the decisions.
I actually think the counselor is supposed to use different techniques to help their client find ways to solve their problem, it is more a collaboration, and I thought this was a collaborative working relationship.
Evelyn I completely agree with you. Labeling may give insight but, could also be detrimental to the client. As we know the client is always the expert, and all of them have the ability to come to their own solutions and decisions.
Watching this session of solution-focused therapy was very interesting and seemed helpful for the client. The client presented issues of social anxiety in work meetings with people he is unfamiliar with and Dr. Grande explored with the client exceptions to the problem. I like how Dr. Grande had the client think of previous situations when there were other people involved such as when he was acting. He pointed out that the client wasn't anxious during this time due to differing perceptions such as having fun compared to his work meetings. The client was very conscious of his behavior which I think made the client more receptive to the tasks he was given by Dr. Grande of trying to associate with more co-workers.
This roleplay was very beneficial to me to be able to see in action how this theory plays out in a session. I like that the therapist mentioned that the client felt a certain way and that the client wasn't afraid to correct him and say that he was feeling something else. This was both beneficial for the therapist to clarify what the client was feeling but also for the client to be speaking what he truly felt for what may have been the first time. As a whole, this roleplay was very beneficial to see in action and I believe that Dr. GRande did a great job in executing this specific theory.
Part of Solution-Focused therapy involves having the client be an active part in finding solutions to their problems. When asking the client to recall particular memories from his past, it helped the client think about times that conflicted with his social anxiety. The client pointed out that there were different pressures on him when he compared his job to his past experiences of acting. The different types of pressures seem to affect how the client acts in social situations. I think that when Dr.Grande asked the client about the client's relationships with his coworkers was a good question to ask. As the counselor mentioned, the client seeks comfort and fun to reduce his worries. I think that this is a good solution for the client to try to work on in efforts to control his anxiety. I also appreciate that the helper as the client if he was okay with trying out the solution they had come up with together, before assigning him homework for the next session. It is always important to make sure that the client is willing to try solutions before asking them to do homework at the end of the session.
I appreciated Dr. Grande’s demonstration on how to properly work with a client to develop an easy solution to a problem. I valued Dr. Grande’s technique of working with the client to determine exceptions or a time when the client was able to overcome his social anxiety. In doing so, it provides the client with confidence in knowing he/she has the ability to overcome stressful situations, in addition to identifying themes, or patterns of behavior that could be beneficial to the current situation. By discovering exceptions, Dr. Grande was able to make the connection that the client’s anxiety is alleviated when in a “fun” situation in which the client knows people well or has friends to mingle with. When making such connection, Dr. Grande was then able to work with the client to relate each theme to his current situation in order to find a solution - going to lunch with a friend and coworkers to get to know them better before work meetings. Overall, I find that the solution is simple and manageable, allowing the client to feel comfortable accomplishing such a goal throughout the week and working towards overcoming his anxiety and performing better in work meetings.
I was confused at first because it seemed that the counselor was focusing on the client's problem in past occurrences, and I remembered that Solution-Focused therapists do not focus on the past. They focus on past situations when the problem did not occur. Further into the role-play, it made more sense to me when the counselor looked at the exceptions of times the client acted in ways that prevented his problem from disrupting his experience. The counselor helped the client make sense of his social anxiety by helping him realize that he experiences anxiety when thinking he has something to lose. This role-play was also consistent with the theory of Solution-Focused Therapy and in the sense that problems form in the context of human interaction. The client agreed to the task of trying to find ways to make work more fun and increasing interaction with other employees.
Dr. Grande did a great job of showing off solution focused therapy and the skill of finding exceptions to the problem. I could see how this type of therapy could help someone with anxiety as shown with the actor. I liked being able to see this theory in action.
I like how the counselor listened and asked appropriate questions to get to the center of the client's issue. We were taught to probe for information, but sometimes it is not easy to do. However, the counselor, in this session, was able to do so and as a result was able to identify how the client's situation has changed. The client's social anxiety has gotten worse. The exploring of the exceptions was a good way to help the client create an ideal environment so that his symptoms of anxiety could one day diminish or disappear. The ending result may take a while, but is definitely worth working on.
Thank you for the role play on solution-focused therapy. Exploring the exceptions seemed like a beneficial way to address this client's concern. Looking at exceptions allowed the client to explore solutions and offered some empowerment through examing ways the client has navigated similar situations successfully. This technique also seemed to allow the client to gain awareness and understanding regarding when the anxiety is most likely to show up, ways the anxiety manifest, and ways to decrease the feelings of anxiety between sessions.
I think this video was great in helping individuals who may suffer from social anxiety. I wouldn't of considered talking in front of people in a meeting or participating in a meeting being attributed to social anxiety so this was interesting to me since I hear how common this anxiety occurs frequently to many people. Having someone gain insight into times when this anxiety did not occur is a cool way to look at the issue.
One key point that I noticed during this role-play was Dr. Grande educating Andrew on anxiety. However, I felt that Dr. Grande on several attempts tried to premature diagnose the client with a panic attack disorder. Understanding that the purpose of this practice were to explain exceptions, it might have been helpful to ask the miracle question. Overall Dr. Grande did a great job exploring exceptions to the problem.
Thanks Dr.Grande for the video. In my opinion solution-focused therapy is what many people envision when they think of therapy. Here's my problem, fix it right now! Finding exceptions to the problem was difficult for this client. The client said he was "weird", "acting dumb", and "helpless" in the meetings. His self-image was so poor.
This was a good example of exploring social anxiety through exception questions and reframing. Dr. Grande focused on creating goals that were relevant to present concerns, specific and attainable. The way that the interviewer asked questions and made assumptions was clear and direct, but was natural enough to where it still flowed in a well formed session/conversation. Additionally, it was evident that the client gained insight to his anxiety and how he can overcome it based on his responses throughout the session and his willingness to work toward achieving the agreed upon goals.
Olivia Hylton It definitely seems like Dr. Grande helped the client gain some insight on the social anxiety he was experiencing. I also found it to be refreshing that Dr. Grande asked him and allowed him to explain what his symptoms were instead of making an assumption. Being clear about the symptoms can prevent the counselor from giving an inaccurate diagnosis.
This role play was beneficial because it demonstrated how to work with a client through a problem toward a feasible solution. For this client, it was important that he be able to connect his behaviors with specific patterns and then identify times when he was able to control his anxieties. By doing so he was able to, with the help of Dr. Grande, build a solution within his current limitations. That is what I appreciated the most about this role play. It was less focused on creating or changing a behavior and more focused on creating a solution with the skills that the client already has.
Yes Kristin, I agree that the therapy is very positive in the sense that it does not belabor the problems but is very solution focused. it is very client centered also because it allows the client to come up with his/her own solutions as appose to the therapist solving the problems for him/her.
This was a good showing of how solution focused works. The therapist set a clear goal for the client and also used the exception technique to point out ways that the client could overcome his situation. For this client though I may have tried to use the assessing motivation technique also because it sounded like the client still wanted to have fun and the lack of fun at the workplace was causing him distress. It's as if the client needed a bridge in himself that connected his fun self to his work self. The therapist would see where the clients motivation was with the job, such as a raise or different position, and see if there would be anything that could happen that would steer him towards that motivation. If the client had the motivation to move toward something within the job then it might excite him to change his work environment in order to be noticed to attain a goal and in turn minimize the distress he felt.
Dr. Grande- I think that this session showed a great use of solution-focused therapy. I think that this type of therapy allowed the client to think about his "social anxiety." I thought that you were to help guide the client into seeing different perspectives about his anxieties. This style of therapy allowed the client to go back to his memories when he was younger and thought about his fears, nervousness and not wanting to be around a lot of other people which is why he would drink alcohol so that he was feel more calm around others. I liked the control of the session by the counselor because it helped the client understand exceptions and truly think about his experiences.
I agree that the counselor did a great job of directing the session. I feel that is what necessary because the client appeared to be in denial about his symptoms and what he truly experiencing. Furthermore the client seemed a bit resistant or maybe fearful of the possibilities of the therapy.
This role play was beneficial to the understanding of solution-focused therapy. I appreciated seeing the use of exceptions to help the client. the use of exceptions was beneficial with this client as it provided a window for new awareness of the client's strengths and potential situations of anxiety. I appreciated this role play as it seems to help client work toward concrete and attainable goals. thank you for sharing.
Truly, truly exceptional. Dr. Todd, I cannot say enough great things about these astounding examples you provide. I am taken aback at the attention to detail in the examples provided. Dr. B should absolutely take some notes and start posting her own video examples! This illustration is an exception to the norm, much like the exception to the problem illustrated within.
After this,bi think I'll get my next cert in SFBT. I like how clean and direct it is.
I like how Dr. Grande helped the client see how his social anxiety is worse in certain situations than in others and how seeing that when he was having fun and knowing people in the situation, he did not experience anxiety. I think he was able to effectively assist the client in finding solutions for his presenting problem and help to alleviate his social anxiety in the work environment.
Finding exceptions to the problem seems to be a good way of really isolating the triggers. Going through the exceptions helps the client to discover what is different about each scenario so that they can examine it and figure out how they might alter things to make themselves more comfortable. This is so interesting because it makes me think of phobias and panic attacks. Some situations can cause you to feel more anxious and may trigger a panic attack while other days you can feel just fine. Whether it was a cup of coffee or just not feeling connected to enough people in the room, it’s important to be able to dissect the problem. The solution to this clients issue will cause him to step outside of his comfort zone a little, but he genuinely seems open to trying.
Labeling someone often times can do more harm than good; labeling can alienate a person and make them feel helpless. Attempting to somewhat normalize a situation such as the one discussed in this session could be more helpful which could then lead to exceptions. The therapist seemed to already know all the answers which doesn't allow the client to explore strengths and solutions themselves.
This role play seems to talk about things that happen in the past rather that focusing purely on the future. I thought this was helpful, but wasn't sure how far into the past solution-focused therapy will go. I think if you are to identify exceptions to your problems, you need to go back into the past to see how things have played out. I liked that this video showed an example of a small goal: forming relationships with coworkers to allow the client to feel more comfortable when attending meetings with them, this will help the client achieve the larger goal, not feeling anxious at meetings.
Again, just like in Narrative therapy, solution focused therapy is useful with short term, not so serious problems. I think its a good therapy to use for the worried well. I cannot see it as being especially beneficial for people who have deep seeded mental health problems. The role play was good in showing how to apply this therapy in certain situations. I did appreciate how the therapy focuses on solutions to the problem as indicated by its name. It also allows the client to look at their own strengths and ability to solve their own problems.
Within solution focused therapy the counselor did a good job at getting an understanding of the clients current concerns/ issues. In regards to finding the exception to the clients problems, the counselor asked the appropriate questions such as "how would that be perceived in your work environment?" or " is there any other time that would have been an exception?". These are important questions to use within the technique of getting the client to analyze what may have been different at another point of time of the same behavior. This in turn allows the client to be independently goal oriented.
after watching the video, i noticed that the professor was leading the client with assumptions. I can understand in this role play it was given to see the problem but i think giving the client your assumption can send mixed signals to the client and do more hurt than help.
I felt the exploration of the client's social anxiety was helpful to the client through using exceptions. The counselor was more directive in this session and theory. I felt it was helpful to assist client in looking at his behaviors and finding the theme that created those exceptions when it came to social anxiety.
i found that it was nice to see a few of the techniques i have read about in solution focused therapy being used in a somewhat real fashion. although it may have seemed like the counselor was being directive at times and labeling, i feel it is necessary at times for this for of therapy. it was also good to see the counselor and client work collaboratively to determine a goal.
Thanks for making these videos im doing counselling at university at the moment and there is very little role play or examples to work with its very helpful 🙂
I believe this technique helped the client identify the differences in seriousness towards certain events in his life and why he may be experiencing social anxiety in some instances and not others. The counselor guided the client to understand the differences in why he felt anxiety with work and why he did not when acting on stage. I think understanding this difference helped the client see the issue he faces in a clearer viewpoint, and allowed him to develop ways to work towards his anxiety at work.
After watching the video I come out with the impression that the therapist was 'feeding' the client with the solutions instead of the client discovering it for himself.
true
I think this role play illustrated a balance of client therapist collaboration. The therapist seemed very directive but the client also seemed to be receptive of his direction. I think this would vary from client to client.
I felt as if the interviewer did not let the client be the expert. He kind of told the client the things the client should have figured out on his own. The interviewer also labeled the client, which is not a good thing because it can make the client become those labels even more.
I don't think that the counselor labeled the client at all because although the counselor pointed out that the client was possibly experiencing panic, the client disagreed and considered it anxiety. The counselor continued to go along with the client and agree with the client that it seemed more like social anxiety. In that way, the client was more like the expert. It did seem like the client could have figured this out on his own, but these are role-plays designed to help us understand the theory better. More complex clients might be confusing for beginners.
Definitely being didactic
Great job!
I love these chairs.
Dr. Grande's demonstration of finding exceptions while engaging in brief solution focused theory provided an example of a counselor's ability to cultivate confidence within the client and increase motivation to engage in change behaviors. The themes presented, having fun and knowing people contribute to the alleviation of the client's social anxiety. These themes provide framework for setting small attainable goals that work towards solving the original, larger problem. In the end, establishing a small goal inclusive of meeting up with 2-3 coworkers outside of the meetings to establish connection over the next week will be an effort to replicate the environment indicated as the "exception to the problem" at hand.
I felt as though in the beginning, the session was a bit too directive on the helper's part; however, it is clear that helping the client identify his feelings as "social anxiety" and then working through different solutions/exceptions was highly valuable. I think that Dr.Grande was non-judgemental when discussing the client's first "exception" of using alcohol, and this provided opportunities to use humor to build the therapeutic bond. As always, using a check-out with the client to ensure their comfort and willingness in following through with solutions is essential to moving forward in later sessions.
The counseling style the counselor is utilizing is solution-focused therapy. It makes sense to why he is asking the client certain questions. It does not seem "person-centered," however, it could be a treatment modality that works for this client.
Solution-focused therapy is one of the more structured therapeutic techniques we have examined; however, Dr. Grande still assumes a fairly non-directive approach while working with this client. He balances making different prompts and suggestions, while also allowing the client enough space to generate his own coping strategies. This therapy worked for the above client because he seemed very self-aware. I wonder if such a technique would be as helpful for those who demonstrate less self-awareness.
Thank you for this role play. I really enjoyed how Dr. Grande found exceptions to the client's problem. However, I do feel that this type of therapy may not be beneficial for all clients.
Thanks Dr.Grande for your educational post; however,comrade i must comment on the lack of positive reinforcement to your client and perhaps approaching this particular case from a perspective of " not knowing". please understand that i am aware that you are a practicing professional, this is just a request for your feedback and the protocol of SFBT as Insoo intended. Or are you showing modification that are possible in this discipline?
I think in this session, there was more focus on the problem, and how the client feels, whereas in readings, it should be more on assessment of the clients openness to change. However, I liked the checking of sensations and letting the client thing and explore things that trigger the social anxiety.
I thought of the video along the same lines Zuree. Thanks for pointing that out.
Very well framed session. Grounding techniques & circular questions could have been elaborately illustrated.
I think Dr Grande did great with this therapy. The one thing I feel about solution focused is that it’s meant to be short term and with a set intention intended to help the client. This therapy doesn’t seem helpful for those dealing with many events or concerns in life that may take time to decipher through the concerns of the client.
This demonstration of the miracle question didn't seem to emphasize the main purpose of the miracle question, (i.e., to identify specific details about how the client would act differently if the anxiety was gone) in order to allow identification of specific behavioral goals for treatment. Instead the main purpose of the miracle question in this demonstration appeared to be increasing the client's awareness of his anxiety and when it happened. Solution Focused brief therapy generally aims to focus on the client's specific future goals, as soon as possible, so specific goal setting and active future solution steps can begin early.
Solution-Focused Therapy-FInding Exceptions to the Problem is an effective way to help clients view their situations and find ways to resolve the issues they are experiencing. The client, who expressed having difficulty at work during presentations as well as meeting new people needed to find a way to diminish his anxiety during these times. In review of past experiences or exceptions, he was able to develop new ways to adjust to his situation by gradually meeting those people within his work environment he did not know so well. This was a great way to help the client ease into becoming more familiar with those around him, reducing his anxiety. I was also wondering if offering him a way to help his anxiety with the upcoming presentation by suggesting a body scan meditation could help him relax prior to him presenting. This may further assist him in reducing his anxiety.
Could u pls make a circular question video pls ?
I feel like this counselor went about this the wrong way, he doesn't let the client be the expert, he is telling the client what to do. Also, he is giving the client a diagnosis that the client doesn't believe in, he tells the client he has social anxiety and even when the client disagrees, he pushes this on him. I feel like this counselor could have done a lot better and that he doesn't follow the solution focused brief therapy model very well.
this technique immediately began to explore the core of the problem after the session began. After the problem was identified by the client, Doc began extricating key points from his story and offering them as exceptions to the rule was quite effective. Albeit brief, it seemed to work for this client in this context He also gave him a homework assignment that was in line with the stated objective and goals.
Dr. Grande brought up good suggestions, however with solution focused therapy, the client is supposed to come up with their own problems instead of how the Dr. kept trying to "diagnose" the client. He also provided his own solutions which he was also not supposed to do. While the client may actually have social anxiety, Dr. Grande should not have pushed the diagnoses on the client and allowed the client to come up with their own solutions instead of suggesting his own. For example, he told the client when he was feeling the anxiety and how it was effecting him.
I think that the counselor is not letting the client come up with his own solutions. He is talking to much, and not letting the client speak. He is not complementing him enough.
With this technique the client is giving his "symptoms" and the therapist is giving off the impression that he is the expert. I am a little concerned about this technique because you really don't want to start gettining into labeling your client.
It sounds like the counsellor is encouraging him to drink alcohol to get over his anxiety !!!
This directive approach may not be useful for every client. I believe they may get frustrated with the counselor acting like "they know so much more." This takes away from the client being empowered and I am not a big fan.
This is not solution focussed therapy. You’ve used far too many diagnostic terms rather than just identify the specific responses . The dynamic appears to be more of an expert and a patients with little focus on warmth collaboration and efficacy for the individual seeking help. Too much time dwelling on history , this would evoke
Some powerful memories thoughts emotions and sensations that would make it difficult for the person to feel that they are sitting in their own power and able to operate from a sincere strengths based position. 2/3 way through no solutions identified At 4 mins to go looks and feels more like a CBT intervention . Identifying exceptions does not make this ‘Solution focussed therapy’ . No rating scales , no magical question . Very very poor. Do not use this as a model of SFT Finally in the summary, THE THERAPIST OFFERED THE SOLUTION FOR THE PERSON TO AGREE TO RATHER THAN THE THERAPIST SUPPORTING THE PERSON TO GENERATE IT HIMSELF