“Suppose that Tonight, While You're Asleep, a Miracle Happens:” Pragmatic Solution-Focused Therapy for Substance Abuse

Russell Searight

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2010.00149

Abstract

Solution-focused therapy (SFT), developed by Steve De Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg is a social constructivist model of brief therapy emphasizing the role of language in problem resolution (Nichols, 2008). Pichot, having studied and trained with De Shazer and Berg, has thoughtfully applied this approach to treating patients with significant substance abuse problems. Pichot's book, along with other newer approaches to substance abuse treatment such as motivational interviewing (Rollnick et al., 2007) and relapse prevention (Marlatt and Donovan, 2005), reflect a major shift in the field away from the disease model and an often confrontational treatment style, to a more collaborative, client-centered approach which downplays individual pathology.

Highlights

Background of Solution-Focused Therapy Solution-focused therapy has its origins in postmodern-family therapy developed in the late 1980s and 1990s (Nichols, 2008)
When working with substance abuse, defining the problem can be challenging since these patients often deny any difficulty
Professionals working in the substance abuse field lacking a firm grounding in Solution-focused therapy (SFT) will find the book accessible and full of concrete case examples

Summary

Introduction

Background of SolutionFocused Therapy Solution-focused therapy has its origins in postmodern-family therapy developed in the late 1980s and 1990s (Nichols, 2008). Bateson’s influence on SFT is evident by its central technique, the miracle question: I want to ask you a strange question. The miracle is that the problem which brought you here is solved.

Results

Conclusion