Elliott Connie
Founder/PresidentElliott Connie, MA, LPC is a Psychotherapist that practices in Arlington, Texas. He has worked with thousands of individuals, couples, and families applying the solution...
There is one key decision that I think every mental health professional needs to take, a decision that is more important than any other theory or technique you might learn about.
There are days where I feel like I must have the single most frustrating job, because as I try to teach people how to practice and utilize and really master Solution Focused Brief Therapy, it seems to be an uphill battle most of the time. We are taught to practice psychotherapy as if it’s some sort of a collection of techniques, that once we memorize these techniques, we will somehow be better clinicians and be able to help more people. But that is not true. That is not the case. And the research is very, very clear about that.
If I took a toolbox and I said, here’s a hammer and here’s the person who invented the hammer, here’s where they invented the hammer, here’s when they invented the hammer, and then here’s a screwdriver, and here’s who invented the screwdriver, here’s where they invented a screwdriver, and here’s when they invented a screwdriver. And I did that for a saw and for nails. If I do all of that, and then I give you the toolbox, are you now able to build a house, just because you know who invented the tools and where the tools were invented? No. No.
Solution Focused Brief Therapy is a stance. It is the decision to view your client as capable, and to talk to them from the perspective of capability.
If you don’t do that, it doesn’t matter what you know about the Solution Focused techniques. It doesn’t matter how much you know about that stuff. You are completely incapable of being a good clinician if you don’t understand that you have to just decide, “I’m going to treat people like this.”
Every single time I teach. People ask me, “But what about a client who such and such.” “What about a client who doesn’t know what they want?” And I’m always like, “You keep asking.”, because the stance you take is knowing that every single client knows what they want. And that’s a true stance. That’s really what guides our work.
I know every single client that I’ve ever seen in my life, they know what they want. It might be hard for them to articulate, might not be fun for them to articulate, but they all know what they want.
So if you’re going to practice Solution Focused Brief Therapy, please remember it starts with a decision. It starts with a decision that this is how I’m going to talk to people. And it comes from this belief.
If you don’t have the belief and all you have is collection of techniques, you are not going to be successful. And by the way, I think that’s true about all therapy, right? If you’re going to talk to clients that you don’t think can change, do you think they’re going to change? If you don’t talk to clients with the belief that they can grow and get better, do you think they’re going to grow and get better? The answer is no.
So, look, the techniques are important and the theory is important, but nothing is more important than the stance you take in the session.
Elliott Connie, MA, LPC is a Psychotherapist that practices in Arlington, Texas. He has worked with thousands of individuals, couples, and families applying the solution focused approach to help them move their lives from the current problems towards their desired futures. As well as being the Founder and President of The Solution Focused Universe, he is recognized around the world speaking at national and international conferences and events throughout the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, South Africa, Russia, Switzerland, England, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Scotland, Holland, Canada, and Asia training practitioners to apply solution focused questions and techniques in their work. He has authored or co-authored 4 books including “The Art of Solution Focused Therapy”, ‘Solution Building in Couples Therapy”, ‘The Solution Focused Marriage’, and ‘Solution-Focused Brief Therapy with Clients Managing Trauma’.
