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PSYCHOTHERAPIES IN FORENSIC SETTINGS:Solution Focused Therapy

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Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)
VU
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)
VU
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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Table of Contents:
  1. INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY:Future of Forensic Psychology
  2. INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC PSYCHOOGY:Way of police investigation
  3. FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY AND POLICE:Violent Criminals
  4. POLICE PSYCHOLOGY:Use of excessive force, Corruption, Personnel Selection
  5. POLICE PSYCHOLOGY:Fitness-for-Duty Evaluation (FFDE), False Confessions
  6. INVESTIGATIVE PSYCHOLOGY:For instance, Empirical and logical approach
  7. INVESTIGATIVE PSYCHOLOGY:Crime Scene Investigation, Staging
  8. PSYCHOLOGY OF VIOLENCE:Law of Conservation of Energy, Super ego
  9. PSYCHOANALYTIC MODEL AND VIOLENCE:Fixation at Oral Stage
  10. PSYCHOANALYTIC MODEL AND VIOLENCE:Defense Mechanism, Rationalization
  11. JUNGIAN PSYCHOLOGY AND VIOLENCE:Freudian Methods, JUNGIAN PSYCHOLOGY
  12. JUNGIAN PSYCHOLOGY AND VIOLENCE:Religion and mental illnesses
  13. BEHAVIORIST PERSPECTIVE AND VIOLENCE:Shadow’s violence, Child’s violence
  14. BEHAVIORIST PERSPECTIVE AND VIOLENCE:Operant Conditioning
  15. BEHAVIORIST PERSPECTIVE AND VIOLENCE:Schedules of Punishment
  16. SOCIAL LEARNING MODEL AND VIOLENCE:Observational learning, Vicarious punishment
  17. MORAL DEVELOPMENT AND VIOLENCE:Symbolic functioning, Formal operational stage
  18. BIO-PSYCHO-SOCIAL MODEL:Mental hospitals are factories of abuse
  19. ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE ABOUT VIOLENCE:Morality is essential
  20. ISLAMIC MODEL:Nafs al-Ammara, Nafs al-Lawwama, Nafs ul Naatiqa
  21. TREATMENTS FOR THE SOUL:Tawba, Sabr o Shukr, Niyyat o Ikhlaas, Taffakkur
  22. CRIMINOGENIC PERSONALITY:Personality Disorders, Common Crimes
  23. CRIMINOGENIC PERSONALITY AND VIOLENCE:Mnemonic, Similarities
  24. CRIMINOGENIC PERSONALITY AND VIOLENCE:Terrorism and Psychopaths
  25. LEARNING DISABILITIES/MENTAL RETARDATION AND VIOLENCE
  26. ASSESSMENT OF PERSONALITY DISORDERS:Reasons for referral, Personality Inventories
  27. ASSESSMENT OF PERSONALITY DISORDERS:Different cutoff scores
  28. RISK ASSESSMENT:Violence reduction scale, Stability of Family upbringing
  29. TREATMENT OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOR / PERSONALITY PSYCHODYNAMIC PSYCHOTHERAPY
  30. JUNGINA THERAPEUTIC MODEL:Limits of re-parenting, Personality Typologies
  31. GROUP THERAPY FOR OFFENDERS:Learning in Groups, Humanistic Groups
  32. PSYCHOTHERAPIES IN FORENSIC SETTINGS:Narrative Therapy
  33. PSYCHOTHERAPIES IN FORENSIC SETTINGS:Solution Focused Therapy
  34. PSYCHOTHERAPIES IN FORENSIC SETTINGS:Avoiding reactance, Externalization
  35. PSYCHOTHERAPY IN FORENSIC SETTINGS AND SPECIAL CHALLENGES
  36. FORENSIC PSYCHOTHERAPY:Exploring therapeutic alliance, Music Therapy
  37. VIOLENCE REDUCTION PROGRAM:Target Population, Lack of motivation
  38. VIOLENCE REDUCTION PROGRAM:Criminal attitude, Interpersonal Aggression
  39. VICTIM SUPPORT:Main features of PTSD, Emotional Support
  40. VICTIM SUPPORT:Debriefing, Desensitization, Eidetic Therapy, Narrative Therapy
  41. SUBSTANCE MISUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM:Marijuana, Unconventional drugs
  42. SUBSTANCE MISUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM:Stages of Change, Homosexuality
  43. EXPERT WITNESS:Insanity Pleas, Sexual Offence Risk, Instructions
  44. COUNTER TERRORISM:Misconceptions, Psychologists & Propaganda war
  45. SUMMING UP FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY:Problems with Risk Assessment, Expert Witness