Understanding Solution Focused Therapy for Addiction

There’s more than one way to help people overcome their past and reach their goals. One popular option is solution-focused therapy (SFT), which is a type of short-term therapy method that encourages participants to focus on their strengths rather than their weaknesses.

There’s a wide selection of applications for SFT therapy, but it’s especially suited to people who are dealing with substance abuse issues. This type of therapy is lauded for its fast results and goal-oriented approach.

How Solution-Focused Therapy Works

Solution-focused therapy works to empower participants. It’s a goal-driven approach that has the patient at the front and center. They’ll be involved with setting goals and then working towards them. 

It’s especially recommended for patients experiencing addiction because it can quickly help them regain some of the power they believe they have lost. At the beginning of the program, the patient and counselor will co-create goals, which may include strategies to resist temptation or more broad goals, such as finding employment. 

The Underlying Principles of Solution-Based Therapy

At its core, solution-based therapy is all about positivity. There’s much less focus on the past, and specifically on mistakes made, than in other therapy approaches. Instead, patients are encouraged to think about the future. The goal isn’t to try to solve the underlying root cause of addiction, but to build practical solutions that have a tangibly positive impact on the individual’s life. 

Goals may be small to begin with, before gradually building up to more ambitious targets. Regardless of the size of the goal, completing the goal will always be a cause for celebration in solution-based therapy. When used as part of addiction recovery, solution-based therapy proposes healthier coping mechanisms to combat historic substance abuse triggers. 

Who Solution-Focused Therapy Can Help

Solution-focused therapy is a viable option for a wide range of patients. Because it’s highly tailored to the individual, there’s virtually nobody who needs help who would not benefit from solution-focused therapy in some way. Previous participants have included people who require a little bit of help managing life’s stressors, as well as those with childhood behavioral issues. 

It’s an especially popular therapy treatment as part of addiction recovery. The goal setting allows people struggling with substance abuse issues to quickly get a grip on a problem that they believed they were powerless against. 

The Benefits of SFT Therapy 

Solution-focused therapy has proven popular for a wide number of reasons, including the following:

It’s Fast Acting

Some therapy methods, while effective, can take a long time to yield results. SFT is different. It identifies problematic behavior quickly and then swiftly moves on to making positive changes. In many cases, those positive changes yield results immediately. This can give patients a huge boost in confidence that they will overcome their difficulties. 

Unlike other therapies, solution-focused therapy does not ask patients to analyze their past behaviors. In fact, it encourages them not to think about them. It’s all about the future, not the past. 

It’s More Accessible

Many people wish to undertake therapy as part of their healing process but are put off by the time and financial commitment involved. Since solution-focused therapy is short-term, it’s much more affordable, both from a money and time perspective. This helps to attract patients who might otherwise be dissuaded from undertaking therapy. 

It Produces Long-Lasting Results

Solution-focused therapy may be short-term, but it has long-lasting results. The goals that patients set can have immediate results that can be transformative — or at least offer a lot of encouragement — moving in a matter of weeks. Equally, the tools that patients learn while undertaking the therapy can help them long after the formal therapy sessions have ended. They’ll have the tools to look for solutions that they can use time and time again, any time they find themselves in difficult situations. 

Embracing a Positive Future with Solution-Focused Therapy

As we said at the beginning of the article, there’s more than one effective therapy approach. Solution-focused therapy has proven popular because of its emphasis on the positive. It helps patients feel empowered as they begin their journey to the other side of addiction. 

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, then solution-focused therapy may form part of the treatment plan. To learn more about beating addiction, get in touch with our team here at the Massachusetts Center for Addiction. We provide comprehensive, evidence-based addiction treatment that gets results. You can call our team at 844-486-0671.