Solution Focused Brief Therapy – Brendan Murphy Western Consultancy Services

This will be a virtual event over four half-days;

Date: 3rd/10th/17th/24th November

Time: 9.30 am till 12.30 pm

Cost: €60 SCI members/ €120 non-members

This is an interdisciplinary event, Social Care Ireland are collaborating with the Association of Occupational Therapist of Ireland.  We have worked jointly on similar events like Motivational Interviewing, that have been very successful. (SFBT) is an effective, respectful, and powerful tool for workers in the health and social care field. SFBT focuses on client’s resources and skills, rather than on their deficits and weaknesses to help them to find solutions and create preferred futures rather than dwelling on past failures.
The purpose of the training course is to up-skill staff who are supporting their clients to consider making changes in their lives. This is accomplished by introducing them to the concepts and skills of SFBT in a manner that builds on their existing experience and adds new ways of interacting with their clients. This model is particularly useful when working clients who may be regarded as “stuck” or “difficult to work with”.

Aim:  The emphasis of the course is to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to transfer their learning into useful interventions with clients.
Learning Outcomes: The course is designed to meet following learning outcomes for participants and feedback from people who have completed this training with me in the past has clearly indicated that these outcomes are achieved.
1. To broaden participants understanding of the theory of SFBT.
2. To realise when it is appropriate to use SFBT with clients.
3. To formulate their client’s difficulties and solutions through an SFBT lens.
4. To equip participants with the knowledge to apply the SFBT approach with their clients.
5. To experience the SFBT model through the use of skills practice.
6. To assess client progress using the SFBT framework.

Goals – Goals are all-important in the practice of SFBT. The worker may begin therapy by asking “How will we know when we are finished here” or “How will we know when it’s time to end”. The SFBT approach first aims to identify what the client goals are. The focus of the work will then centre on achieving these goals with the client.
Small Changes – Clients usually do not need to make a sweeping large-scale change within their life in order to cope more effectively with their problems. Small changes in their outlook, interpretation, or behaviours that are applied incrementally over time are usually sufficient to help clients feel more in control of their life.
Clients as Experts – SFBT theory regards the client as the primary expert within his/her life. The worker is regarded as having next to no expertise in the client’s experience and therefore depends upon the client for our guidance about what constitutes as progress and improvement.

The presentation of the course will be a mixture of group discussion, video demonstration, and skills practice and the facilitator will furnish all necessary equipment and resources and handouts. During the course, the participants will be exposed to the history, background theory and current practice of SFBT in relation to the concepts.

Facilitator: Brendan Murphy is an accredited counsellor, supervisor and trainer in a number of evidence based approaches. Most of the work that he does is designed to help people who work in health and social care services make their jobs easier and more enjoyable. He has 30 years experience working in the health and social care fields in a wide range of frontline and managerial roles. In addition to masters degrees in both Health Promotion and Psychotherapy.