Intervention Summary
Solution-Focused Group Therapy
Solution-Focused Group Therapy (SFGT) is a strengths-based group intervention for clients in treatment for mental or substance use disorders that focuses on building solutions to reach desired goals. SFGT is an application of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) in a group setting.
Developed out of brief family therapy, SFBT uses language and social interactions to construct new psychological meanings and behaviors. It emphasizes what the client wants to achieve through therapy rather than the client's problems and failings in the past. Based on the notion that individuals know their situation best and are capable of generating their own solutions, SFBT aims to build on the client's resources, strengths, and motivation. SFBT has been used with adolescents and adults in a variety of settings.
The use of SFBT with a group allows clients to observe and learn from others and utilize group connections. Clients typically participate in SFGT for 12 group sessions. In the study reviewed, adult clients referred for treatment of relatively mild substance abuse problems received six 90-minute sessions of SFGT. Minimally, an SFGT therapist should possess a master's degree in counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy, psychology, psychiatry, or a similar discipline, as well as training in SFBT and training and consultation in SFGT.
Descriptive Information
Areas of Interest | Substance use disorder treatment |
Outcomes |
1: Depression 2: Psychosocial functioning |
Outcome Categories |
Mental health Social functioning |
Ages |
18-25 (Young adult) 26-55 (Adult) |
Genders |
Male Female |
Races/Ethnicities |
American Indian or Alaska Native Black or African American Hispanic or Latino White |
Settings | Outpatient |
Geographic Locations | Urban |
Implementation History | SFGT has been used at Jefferson County Public Health in Colorado, reaching more than 15,000 clients. SFGT offered by the Denver Center for Solution-Focused Brief Therapy has been implemented in Alaska, California, Colorado, Michigan, Texas, and Virginia as well as in Canada, England, Germany, Japan, and Korea. |
NIH Funding/CER Studies |
Partially/fully funded by National Institutes of Health: No Evaluated in comparative effectiveness research studies: Yes |
Adaptations | SFGT has been modified for use with various cultural groups, including African American, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American populations. The book Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Its Effective Use in Agency Settings has been translated into Chinese, French, and Japanese. |
Adverse Effects | No adverse effects, concerns, or unintended consequences were identified by the developer. |
IOM Prevention Categories | IOM prevention categories are not applicable. |
Quality of Research
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Readiness for Dissemination
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Costs
The cost information below was provided by the developer. Although this cost information may have been updated by the developer since the time of review, it may not reflect the current costs or availability of items (including newly developed or discontinued items). The implementation point of contact can provide current information and discuss implementation requirements.
Additional InformationAdditional trainings at the Denver Center for Solution-Focused Brief Therapy are available. International certification specific to SFGT is also available through the Denver Center; the minimum number of consultation hours required for certification is 10 per 100 hours of practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Replications
Selected citations are presented below. An asterisk indicates that the document was reviewed for Quality of Research. de Shazer, S., & Isebaert, L. The Bruges Model: A solution-focused approach to problem drinking. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 14, 43-52. Enea, V., & Dafinoiu, I. Motivational/solution-focused intervention for reducing school truancy among adolescents. Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies 9(2), 185-198. Knekt, P., Lindfors, O., Härkänen, T., Välikoski, M., Virtala, E., Laaksonen, M. A., et al. Randomized trial on the effectiveness of long- and short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy and solution-focused therapy on psychiatric symptoms during a 3-year follow-up. Psychological Medicine 38(5), 689-703. Ko, M. J., Yu, S. J., & Kim, Y. G. The effects of solution-focused group counseling on the stress response and coping strategies in the delinquent juveniles. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing, 33(3), 440-450. Lamprecht, H., Laydon, C., McQuillan, C., Wiseman, S., Williams, L., Gash, A., et al. Single-session Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and self-harm: A pilot study. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 14(6), 601-602. Lindforss, L., & Magnusson, D. Solution-focused therapy in prison. Contemporary Family Therapy, 19(1), 89-103. McCollum, E. E., Stith, S. M., & Thomsen C. J. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy in the conjoint couples treatment of intimate partner violence. In C. Franklin, T. S. Trepper, E. McCollum, & W. J. Gingerich (Eds.), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: A handbook of evidence-based practice (pp. 183-195). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Panayotov, P. A., Strahilov, B. E., & Anichkina, A. Y. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and medication adherence with schizophrenic patients. In C. Franklin, T. S. Trepper, E. McCollum, & W. J. Gingerich (Eds.), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: A handbook of evidence-based practice (pp. 196-202). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Wilmshurst, L. A. Treatment programs for youth with emotional and behavioral disorders: An outcome study of two alternate approaches. Mental Health Services Research, 4(2), 85-96. Wiseman, S. Brief intervention: Reducing the repetition of deliberate self-harm. Nursing Times, 99(35), 34-36. |