Season 2 Episode 1: A Solution Focused Brief Therapy New Year to You!

Season 2 Episode 1: A Solution Focused Brief Therapy New Year to You!

Happy New Year everyone! 2020 was – without question – largely a dumpster fire. That said, we can take a Solution Focused perspective as we embrace whatever 2021 has to throw at us!

As I reflect on the past year, I find I’m asking myself the same few questions I ask patients when they come into my office (as virtual as it is these days). I figured I would reflect and record a Self-Solution Focused Therapy Session to open 2021!

“How are you feeling, how’s your mood?”

I’m feeling okay. I’ve worked to reduce my stress, anxiety, and depression. I am feeling confident, hopeful, and excited for the year ahead.

“What are your best hopes for this year? What will let you know this year was helpful, productive, and satisfying?”

My best hopes for this year are to continue forward with my doctoral program, and to continue to embrace my hobbies and interests passionately and with unbridled enthusiasm! I’ll know that this year is helpful, productive, and satisfying if I feel that I am progressing forward.

“What will let you know that you’re progressing forward?”

I’ll see my home office and home confirming to me and my style. I’ll have a clean house, bedroom, and home office. My laundry will be done, and I’ll have read and written about the subjects I’m passionate about. I’ll continue to expand my programs at work.

“Excellent. So on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is you’re nowhere near where you want to be by the end of 2021, and a 10 is you’re exactly where you want to be at the end of 2021, where would you put yourself on the scale?”

I think I’d put myself at a 6.7

“What let’s you know that you’re at a 6.7?”

My house is getting there. I’m feeling confident I’ll have it clean by this weekend. I’m feeling good about where my education is heading, and I’m feeling ready for school to start picking up again.

“What would let you know you were 10% better? What would other people notice about you?”

If I were 10% better huh? Hmmm. I think I would notice I’m sticking to my writing and cleaning schedule more often. I think other people – if they could see me, since I haven’t really seen people in person since COVID started – I think they’d see me doing more of my hobbies, and they’d see me less time stressed because things were organized. They’ll see me super excited to talk about school.

“So what’s your next, small step to move up on the scale?”

Me I’m going to start the laundry.

“And on a confidence scale, where 1 is not at all confident, and a 10 is as confident as a human can be, how confident are you that you’ll get started?”

Which means it’s time to sign off and get that laundry started!

Please let me know what would a Solution Focused Brief Therapy New Year would look like for you! Send me an email or tweet 🙂 And, before I go to start the washer and dryer, I’m excited to announce that in 2021 my hope is to interview SFBT practitioners from around the world! Stay tuned!

Thank you for listening. Please tune in again two Sunday’s from now (and every time in-between), as we continue forward together down our solutions focused path. Comments, constructive criticism, feedback, and questions can be sent to [email protected]. Yes I’m on Social Media at @TheMattSchwartz on all of the platforms you’d think to look at. I’m Matt Schwartz, and it’s a pleasure to be your host.

The music you’re listening to in the background today is Boston Landing on “Blue Dot Sessions” generously shared through a creative commons license. Please find more of their music at www.sessions.blue, that’s w-w-w- dot s-e-s-s-i-o-n-s- dot b-l-u-e.

I’ll see you in two weeks with more; until then, make good choices.