Solution-Focused Therapy: A Practical Path to Change

What if therapy did not require digging into past problems but could focus on what you want from life and how to get there? Solution-focused therapy does exactly this. It is an optimistic, strengths-based therapy form that trusts your own expertise about your life.

What Is Solution-Focused Therapy?

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) was developed in the 1980s by Americans Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg. In Finland, the solution-focused approach is particularly popular and respected. It is one of the strongest traditions in the Finnish therapy landscape.

The basic idea of solution-focused therapy is elegantly simple: instead of asking "why do you have this problem?", it asks "how do you want your life to be?" and "what are you already doing that works?" Therapy focuses on your strengths, successes, and resources you already have.

This does not mean problems are not taken seriously. On the contrary. Your problems are acknowledged and met with respect. But instead of dwelling on problems for a long time, the gaze is directed toward solutions and the desired future.

Key Methods of Solution-Focused Therapy

The Miracle Question: "Imagine that a miracle happens overnight and your problem is solved. How would you notice in the morning that the miracle has occurred? What would you do differently?" This question helps make goals concrete and envision the life you truly want.

Exception questions: "When has the problem been less severe? What were you doing differently then?" These questions help find moments where the client has already succeeded, and these successes can serve as keys to change.

Scaling questions: "On a scale of 1–10, where are you now in relation to your goal? What would you need to move one step up?" Scaling questions make progress visible and help break large goals into smaller steps.

Coping questions: "How have you managed to cope until now?" This question reveals the client's strengths and coping mechanisms they may not have been aware of.

Small first steps: Solution-focused therapy does not try to solve everything at once. Instead, it looks for small, concrete first steps through which change can begin.

How Does the Therapy Progress?

Solution-focused therapy is often short-term: 3–10 sessions are sufficient in many situations. Meetings may be weekly or less frequent. A session usually lasts 45–60 minutes.

In the first session, the therapist and client get to know each other and map out what changes the client wants. The therapist listens respectfully and actively seeks the client's strengths and successes. Therapy is always a dialogue: the therapist does not provide ready answers but helps you find your own solutions.

At each visit, progress is reviewed. Even small changes are noticed and supported. Therapy ends when the client feels they have achieved sufficient change.

Who Is Solution-Focused Therapy For?

Solution-focused therapy suits a wide range of situations:

• Life transitions: career change, divorce, retirement
• Stress management: work overload, daily life management
• Relationship problems: couple and family issues, conflicts
• Mild depression and anxiety
• Self-esteem and motivation issues
• Children's and adolescent therapy: the approach works particularly well for young people
• Workplace coaching

Solution-focused therapy may not be sufficient on its own for severe mental health disorders such as major depression or PTSD. However, it can work as support alongside other treatments.

Solution-Focused Therapy in Finland

Finland is a strong country for solution-focused therapy. Many Finnish therapists have received solution-focused training, and the approach is widely used in therapy, social work, and workplace coaching. Solution-focused therapy is also a Kela-approved psychotherapy form.

What Does Solution-Focused Therapy Cost?

A session typically costs 80–110 euros. Because therapy is often short-term, the total cost is moderate compared to many other therapy forms. Kela's rehabilitative psychotherapy covers part of the costs when eligibility requirements are met.

Is Solution-Focused Therapy the Right Choice for Me?

If you want therapy that focuses on the future rather than the past, trusts your own resources, and where you see results quickly: solution-focused therapy may be an excellent choice. It suits particularly well people who are action-ready and want concrete change in their lives.

Remember that every therapy form is a tool, and the best tool depends on the situation. The most important thing is to take the first step and seek help. That in itself is already a tremendous achievement.

Where to find a therapist

You can look for a therapist in several places:

• Search services run by the Finnish Psychological Association (Psykologiliitto) and professional bodies.
• Kela's service provider search, if you are applying for rehabilitative psychotherapy (only Kela-approved therapists qualify for reimbursement).
• The Valitse Terapia service and other directories.
• Your own health centre, occupational health service or student health service (YTHS), which can refer you onward.

You can contact several therapists and see with whom the collaboration feels natural.

Get help in a crisis now

If you are having thoughts of self-harm or are otherwise in an acute crisis, you do not have to face it alone.

• In an emergency, call 112.
• MIELI Mental Health Finland crisis line: 09 2525 0113 (English and Arabic), 09 2525 0111 (Finnish), 09 2525 0112 (Swedish).
• For under-29s: Sekasin chat (sekasin.fi).

Help is available anonymously, and you do not need to be sure your situation is serious enough.

Sources

• Kela: Rehabilitative psychotherapy
• Valvira: JulkiTerhikki register of licensed professionals
• Mielenterveystalo (Mental Health Hub)