Doing What Works: Brief Solution-Focused Counseling in Schools
John J. Murphy, Ph.D. University of Central Arkansas Translating
research into practice [email protected] Kansas
Association of School Psychologists (KASP) 2009 Fall
Conference
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Pair and Share (5 minutes): Assessing the Outcome and Fit of
Services Pair up and share your answers to the following questions:
What do you want from the workshop? How will you know the workshop
was effective when it is over? Two weeks from now? How will you
know the workshop is a good fit for you while its happening?
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What Do You See? Kennys Story
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Connect the Dots Task: Anatomy of a Chronic Problem Connect all
nine dots using four straight lines without lifting your pen off
the paper. Take a minute to try to solve it...................
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You cant solve a problem with the same type of thinking that
created it. Albert Einstein Solutions require SOMETHING DIFFERENT
rather than more of the same A genius once said
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Something Different = Focusing on whats working and whats right
Exceptions to the problem (non-problem times) Natural Resources in
the students life (family, friends, hobbies, values) (vs. Killer
Ds) Changing ANYTHING in the problem pattern Perceptions about the
student or the problem (explanations, interpretations,
attributions) Actions of anyone involved with the problem including
US! (reactions, dance sequences) Among other things, these methods
GET THE STUDENTS ATTENTION!!!
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Articles Published Since 1887 Source: Psychological
Abstracts
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Increase in Diagnostic Categories from DSM-I (1952) to
DSM-IV-TR (2000)
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Therapeutic (and Other) Influences Milton Erickson Utilization,
crystal ball, no general theory Mental Research Institute
(Watzlawick, Weakland, Fisch) Brief strategic Therapy [If it Doesnt
Work, Do Something Different] Brief Family Therapy Center (De
Shazer, Berg) Solution-Focused Brief Therapy [If It Works, Do More
of It] Narrative Therapy (White, Epston) The person is not the
problem; the problem is the problem
Client-Directed/Outcome-Informed Therapy (Duncan, Miller) Heroic
clients; client feedback Personal/Professional Experiences;
Psychotherapy Research
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Skeleton Keys (Solutions) that Fit Most Locks (School Behavior
Problems)
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I FEEL GOODand you will too when you see this research!!!
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The Change Pie (1000+ studies): Common Factors of Successful
Counseling (Lambert, Wampold,...) Of all the ingredients in
counseling, the client is by far the most powerful and important.
The success of counseling rests largely on the extent to which the
clients resources and opinions are recruited and respected
throughout the helping process. [Additional Materials, Page A-1]
Relationship 30% Client 40% Hope 15% Model/ Technique 15%
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Assumptions of Brief Solution-Focused Counseling (BSFC) 1.
People are unique, capable, and resourceful. 2. Cooperation
(alliance) promotes solutions. 3. It is generally more useful to
focus on future solutions rather than past problems. 4. No problem
is constant. There are always fluctuations and exceptions. 5. If it
works, do more; if it doesnt, try something different.
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Tasks and Techniques of Brief Solution-Focused Counseling
1.Build cooperative, change-focused relationships (alliances) 2.
Meet clients where they are by clarifying the problem 3. Find out
where clients want to go by developing goals 4. Encourage something
different by (a) building on exceptions and other resources, or (b)
changing the viewing and doing of the problem 5. Evaluate and
empower progress [Additional Materials, Page A-2]
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Task 1. Build cooperative, change- focused relationships
(alliances) Tell clients you want to be useful and need their help
(feedback) to do so Reflect and validate clients concerns,
perceptions, and feelings (No wonder you feel that way) Compliment
clients and recruit their strengths, resources, and heroic stories
Create a culture of feedback by using short rating scales (ORS,
SRS) to obtain client feedback on the progress (outcome) and fit
(alliance) of servicesand adjust services accordingly Incorporate
the clients own words into goals and conversations Be curious vs.
all-knowing; Ask vs. tell (I wonder if this would work; How did you
do that?)
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Role Play (Teacher Consultation): How to (and How Not to)
Reflect and Validate Clients Concerns, Perceptions, and Feelings
Task 1. Build cooperative, change-focused relationships (alliances)
Technique: Reflect and validate clients concerns, perceptions, and
feelings
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You Cant Re-Arrange the Furniture Unless Youre Invited Into the
House
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Ripped from the Headlines... Alliance Rules!!! Analyzing over
1000 research studies, Orlinsky et al. (2004) concluded that (1)
the clients perception of the alliance is the best predictor of
outcomes, and (2) client participation is the centerpiece of a
strong alliance. Strong Alliance Better Outcomes Client-
Practitioner Bond Agreement on tasks Agreement on Goals
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Task 2. Meet clients where they are by clarifying the problem.
Clarify the key concern/problem and related details (Where? When?
With whom? How is it a problem for you?) Ask about previous
solution attempts (What have you tried? How did it work?) Ask How
can I help? Solution-Focused, NOT Solution-Forced
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Where you are Where you want to be (Now) (Future) Problem Goal
Goal
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Task 3. Find out where clients want to go by developing goals
5-S Guideline of Effective Goals Significant (consistent with their
values, beliefs, own words)* Specific (clear, concrete,
descriptive; videotalk) Small (reasonable, attainable; next small
step) Start-based (stated as start or more of what clients want vs.
less of what they dont want) Self-manageable (within clients
control vs. other peoples control) [See sample questions under
Goals and Questions for Young People Viewed as Reluctant or
Resistant, Additional Materials, Pages A-3 and Page A-4] Source:
Murphy, J. J. (2008). Solution-focused counseling in schools (2 nd
ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
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Terrence (Grade 5), the School Bully
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Task 4. Encourage something different by (a) building on
exceptions and other resources, or (b) changing the viewing and
doing of the problem Building on exceptions to the problem Explore
non-problem times (exceptions) (Where? When? With whom?), how
clients made them happen, and how they could replicate or increase
them [See sample questions under Exceptions, Additional Materials,
Page A-3] Practice Exercise: Interviewing for Exceptions
[Additional Materials, Page A-5]
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Using Video Exceptions to Increase Behavior (Self-Modeling)
1.Select the good behavior to be increased. 2.Videotape the student
displaying good behaviors (prompted or unprompted). 3.Edit the
tape(s) to create a Greatest Hits movie (1-2 minutes long). 4.Have
the student view the tape several times (every other day at school
for two weeks for a total of 5 or 6 viewings). Video (student, age
9): Increasing social interaction through self-modeling
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Summary of Building on Exceptions Its easier to move a train or
river in the direction its already going than to push it in the
opposite direction
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Building on Other Resources Identify natural resources in the
students life, and build them into school interventions. Resources
may include: Special interests, talents, hobbies Resilience, coping
skills Family and friends Values, beliefs, life experiences Heroes
and influential people Solution ideas [See questions under Other
Resources, Additional Materials, Page A-3]
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Changing the Viewing or Doing of the Problem Change the
Viewing: Offer different explanations of the problem in order to
encourage different responses (Could it be that ; I wonder) Change
the Doing: Encourage actions that shake up the typical problem
pattern by inviting clients to change anything in their performance
of (or response to) the problem [See questions under Changing the
Viewing or Doing, Additional Materials, Page A-3]
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Changing the Viewing: Young Woman OR Old Woman? Youre
Right!
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Reframing the Problem (same behavior, different explanation)
Description/Steps: 1) Assign a different explanation or motive to
problem behavior that promotes different responses from the
student, teacher, or others [Examples: View fooling around in class
as a generous act of giving up ones own freedom to provide
entertainment to other students; View arguments with peers as a
sign of social interest and concern] Examples/Applications
Questions? REMINDER: The way we view or explain a problem is an
interpretation, not a fact.
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Changing the Doing: Do the Problem Differently/Be Unpredictable
Encourage the student or teacher to alter some aspect of his or her
performance of the problem (duration, intensity, location,
sequence, time of day, etc.), or to respond very differently the
next time the problem occurs (change the typical response in
unpredictable and surprising ways)
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So, You Wanna Change Me, Huh? When Things Are Stuck and Not
Working, We Have Two Options Option 1: Pull the Rope Harder (More
of the Same) Option 2: Drop the Rope (Something Different)
Slide 34
Dwayne (12 th grade) [Video Clip #1] National Merit Scholar
Referred by teachers for not working on the Extended Essay
requirement needed to pass English class and graduate Mom,
teachers, and principal have tried reasoning with Dwayne to no
avail (Think of your future. Just write something and turn it in.
It just has to be there, it doesnt have to be good. Although no one
views Dwayne as mean or rude, they view him as very stubborn on
this issue Everyone is at wits endMom has contacted a psychiatrist
to find out whats wrong and assess the need for medication
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Brainstorming Exercise (Dwayne) In groups of 3 to 5 people,
discuss the following: 1. What resources does Dwayne bring to
counseling? How might one or more of these resources be applied
toward a solution? 2. What existing views and actions might be
serving to increase (rather than resolve) the problem? 3. Think of
at least one different explanation or view of Dwaynes behavior. How
might this new view be presented to promote a solution? How would
you proceed with Dwayne and others in this situation? Results of
Activity: Intervention Ideas [Dwayne: Video Clips 2 and 3] The Rest
of the Story
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Task 5. Evaluate and empower progress Evaluate progress
(outcome) and fit (alliance) on an ongoing basis 1) Evaluate
progress using the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) and other relevant
measuresgrades, discipline reports, observations, etc. 2) Evaluate
alliance (client-practitioner relationship and fit of services)
using the Session Rating Scale (SRS)
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Client feedback = Better Outcomes *Anker, Duncan, & Sparks
(2009): Significantly better outcomes (vs. equivalent comparison
group) in couples therapy when using the ORS and SRS (Norway)
*Reese, Nosworthy, & Rowlands (in press): Significant
improvement in college counseling center outcomes using continuous
feedback via ORS and SRS *Miller, Duncan, Brown, Sorrell, &
Chalk (2006): Use of ORS and SRS significantly reduced drop out and
improved outcomes (effect sizes increased from.39 to.79) *Lambert
et al. (2003): 65% increase in practitioner effectiveness after
receiving client feedback Two Quick Feedback Measures: (1) Outcome
Rating Scale (ORS) and Child-ORS (CORS): Assesses clients
experience of change (outcome); (2) Session Rating Scale (SRS) and
Child SRS (CSRS): Assesses clients experience of fit (alliance)
[Additional Materials, Pages A-7 through A-11]
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Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) and Child ORS (CORSage 6 to 12)
[Additional Materials, Pages A-7, A-8] Administered at the
beginning of (or just before) every session ORS (8th grade reading
level); CORS (3 rd grade reading level; includes smiley and frowny
faces) People rate themselves (and/or others) on each dimension by
marking a 10-centimeter line Scoring: Unless using a computerized
program, each line is scored (between 0.0 and 10.0 cm) using a
centimeter ruler or template; all four lines are added to produce a
Total score (40 = highest possible score)
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Session Rating Scale (SRS) and Child SRS (CSRS; age 6 to 12)
[Additional Materials, Pages A-9, A-10] Completed at the end of
every session SRS is written at 7th grade reading level; CSRS adds
smiley and frowny faces to assist younger students (age 6 to 12)
Interpretation: 0-34 (poor alliance); 35-38 (fair alliance); 39-40
(strong alliance) Explore any area below 9, and end by asking what
else would improve future meetings Purpose: Detect and correct
alliance problems
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Client Feedback: Quotes From the Experts Shouldn't I be telling
you what I think about this? Molly, age 10 It's a lot better when
you ask a person what they want to do Molly, age 10 Id just like to
say something right now. I think these forms are a good idea.
Carlos, age 13
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Empower progress whenever it occurs Give students (and others)
credit and explore how they made improvements Ask their advice for
others Use letters and other documents to reinforce success [see
Letters/Documents for Empowering Progress, Additional Materials,
Page A-6] Invite them to join the Consultant Club* Help them
prepare for relapse
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Consultant Club Membership Certificate This is to accept
Chelsea Martin as an official member of the Consultant Club. The
Consultant Club is a group of people who have made important
changes in their lives, and who would be willing to serve as a
consultant to Dr. John Murphy for advice on helping others.,
Consultant (Consultants Signature), Club President (Dr. John
Murphy)
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Thats All, Folks! THANK YOU and best wishes in your work
Translating research into practice www.drjohnmurphy.com
[email protected]