PSYCHOTHERAPIES IN FORENSIC SETTINGS:Solution Focused Therapy

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Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Lesson 33

PSYCHOTHERAPIES IN FORENSIC SETTINGS

Objectives

To understand the basic assumptions of Solution focused Therapy

To know about use of miracle questions in Solution Focused Therapy

Topic from previous lecture

Narrative Therapy

Michael White theorized that we all are living out our stories and a criminal's story is full of aggression

and violence. Therapist's work is to develop a connection in happy and positive events to rewrite more

healthy non violent life story. Along with questions, compliments are used to boost the self esteem of

client in NT. putting all happy, creative and positive events together, formulating a story client can be

proud of.

Techniques:

Therapist's letter to client

Therapist writes a letter to client telling him "firstly I was only aware of your bad and criminal

activities, now after meeting you I have come to explore many new ripe and good qualities in your

personality like you honor ladies e.t.c". But remember all complements should be genuine and true in

nature.

Client is asked to arrange/maintain a Life story book, definitely a positive one.

Solution Focused Therapy

Solution Focused Therapy a radical, revolutionary development that was initiated in a very crucial time

while working with drug abusers. SFT is one of a family of approaches, known as systems therapies.

Solution focused brief therapy (SFT) is a type of talking therapy that is based upon social constructionist

philosophy.

It focuses on what clients want to achieve through therapy rather than on the problems that made them

criminals or drug abusers. The approach does not focus on the past, but instead, focuses on the present

and future. The therapist uses respectful curiosity to invite the client to envision their preferred future

and then therapist and client start attending to any moves towards it whether these are small increments

or large changes. To support this, questions are asked about the client's story, strengths and resources,

and about exceptions to the problem.

Solution focused therapists believe that change is constant. By helping people identify the things that

they wish to have change in their life and also to attend to those things that are currently happening that

they wish to continue happening, SFT therapists help their clients to construct a concrete vision of a

preferred future for themselves. The SFT therapist then helps the client to identify times in their current

life that are closer to this future, and examines what is different on these occasions. By bringing these

small successes to their awareness, and helping them to repeat these successful things they do when the

problem is not there or less severe, the therapists helps the client move towards the preferred future they

have identified.

Solution focus is enhanced through miracle and scale questions.

Questions

The Miracle Question

The miracle question is a method of questioning that a therapist uses to aid the client to envision how

the future will be different when the problem is no longer present. Also, this may help to establish goals.

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Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

A traditional version of the miracle question would go like this:

"Suppose our meeting is over, you go home, do whatever you planned to do for the rest of the day. And

then, some time in the evening, you get tired and go to sleep. And in the middle of the night, when you

are fast asleep, a miracle happens and all the problems that brought you here today are solved just like

that. But since the miracle happened over night nobody is telling you that the miracle happened. When

you wake up the next morning, how are you going to start discovering that the miracle happened? ...

What else are you going to notice? What else?"

Or a question for client with sleep disturbance would go like this "what was the last night when you

slept a sound and undisturbed sleeping? What so special happened in the day that leaded to peaceful

sleep?

Client may answer "I woke up early in the morning that day, had proper breakfast, and then exercised in

evening e.t.c" in this situation client itself is suggesting the solution. Then therapist might ask him what

do you say if you start exercise daily?

There are many different versions of the miracle question depending on the context and the client.

In a specific situation with anger problem, the therapist may ask,

"If you woke up tomorrow, and a miracle happened so that you no longer easily lost your temper, what

would you see differently?" What would the first signs be that the miracle occurred?"

The client (a child) may respond by saying,

"I would not get upset when somebody calls me names."

The counselor wants the client to develop positive goals, or what they will do, rather than what they will

not do--to better ensure success. So, the counselor may ask the client, "What will you be doing instead

when someone calls you names?"

Remember in SFT therapist is neither suggesting nor taking a position of expert, basic assumption is

that clients are experts in their problems and solution, therapist works as facilitator. Use of questions

and compliments is also frequent. Therapist asks very carefully worded questions, avoiding fantasy and

dream rather stressing on action oriented steps.

Advantages of Solution focused and Narrative therapies

These therapies are infact effective and when we look at the states of different therapies while working

with offenders, my own preference skewed towards these therapies because:

Effective problem solution

Forward looking and realistic

Provide a ray of hope

Helpful and have curative nature

Does not hang to give advice and lecture

Very effective for offenders in short time

Economical

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