Brief Therapy

Brief Therapy is an umbrella term used for all Brief Therapy approaches. These include Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy and sometimes, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. 

What makes a therapy approach “Brief Therapy” is the focus on the here and now, finding a solution that will last long-term, and an absence of deep exploration into all aspects of the presenting problem, the client’s psyche and history.

The Brief Therapy approach developed by Steve de Shazer (1940-2005), and Insoo Kim Berg (1934-2007) and their colleagues beginning in the late 1970s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They believed that people carried within themselves the elements of a solution to their own problems and that with appropriate coaching, questioning and guidance, they could find effective solutions. They envisioned the Brief Therapy approach as short-term with a focus on solution-building instead of problem exploration. 

The Brief Therapy approach has been proven effective and is used today for a wide array of problems including addiction, relationship problems, domestic violence, and child behavioral problems.

Often during a session using one of the Brief Therapy approaches, a client will be asked the so-called “Miracle” question identified by Insoo Kim Berg, one of the developers of the Brief Therapy approach. The question asks: “What would your life be like without the problem that brought you to therapy?” The client’s answer to this question is used to identify solutions to help them solve their problem.

As would be expected, insurance companies love the Brief Therapy approaches to therapy. Can you guess why?