Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): How It Works and Who It Can Help

By Katharine De Santos, MA, RP, Founder and Clinical Director, Healthy Minds Psychotherapy
Published October 2026

This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional care. If you're in crisis, call or text 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline) or call 911.

In this article:

• What is solution-focused brief therapy?

• The core principles of SFBT

• How SFBT works in practice

• What SFBT can help with

• Is SFBT right for you?

• Getting support in Toronto and Ontario

• Frequently asked questions

What Is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy?

Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) is a short-term, goal-focused form of therapy that helps you identify the future you want and build on the strengths and resources you already have to get there. Rather than focusing mainly on the causes of a problem, SFBT focuses on what's working and what small steps can move you forward.

When many people picture therapy, they imagine spending a lot of time exploring the past. That kind of work can be deeply valuable, but it isn't the only way therapy can help. What if therapy started with where you want to go? What if it helped you notice and build on what's already working in your life?

That's the idea behind SFBT. It was developed in the early 1980s by Steve de Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg and their colleagues at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee (de Shazer, 1985; de Shazer et al., 1986; Trepper et al., 2010). SFBT is designed to be brief, and research reviews support its effectiveness across a range of concerns (Gingerich & Peterson, 2013; Kim et al., 2019).

In this post, you'll learn the core principles of SFBT, how it works in practice, and how to tell whether it might be a good fit for you.

The Core Principles of SFBT

SFBT is built on a few key ideas:

Future-focused. Therapy centres on where you want to go. Your therapist helps you picture your preferred future and identify steps to get there.

Solution-oriented. Rather than analyzing the problem in depth, SFBT focuses on solutions. It's built on the belief that you already have strengths and resources you can use to create change.

Collaborative and client-led. Your therapist works alongside you as a collaborator. You set the goals, and your therapist helps you clarify them and work toward them.

Grounded in hope. SFBT assumes that change is possible and that small changes can lead to bigger ones.

How Does SFBT Work in Practice?

SFBT uses specific kinds of questions to help you get clear on what you want and take meaningful steps toward it.

The Miracle Question

The miracle question helps you cut through the noise and picture your preferred future clearly.

How it works: Your therapist might ask, "Imagine that tonight, while you're asleep, a miracle happens and the problem that brought you here is solved. When you wake up tomorrow, what will be the first small signs that things are different?"

This question helps you name specific, concrete changes, like "I'll wake up without dread" or "I'll have a calm conversation with my partner," rather than a general hope like "I want to feel better."

Scaling Questions

Scaling questions help you track progress and recognize that small steps forward matter.

How it works: Your therapist might ask, "On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst things have been and 10 is where you want to be, where are you today? What makes it that number and not lower?"

This helps you notice what's already working so you can build on it.

Exception Questions

Exceptions are times when the problem feels smaller or isn't there at all.

How it works: Your therapist might ask, "When was a recent time the problem felt a little less intense? What was different about that moment?"

Noticing exceptions shows that the problem isn't constant, and that you already have moments of relief or success to learn from.

Coping Questions

Coping questions gently highlight your resilience.

How it works: Your therapist might ask, "How have you managed to get through everything you've faced so far? What helps you cope on the hardest days?"

This shifts attention from what you can't do to what you're already doing, and gives you credit for your strength.

What Can SFBT Help With?

Reviews of controlled studies have found SFBT helpful across a range of concerns and settings (Gingerich & Peterson, 2013; Kim et al., 2019). People often come to SFBT for support with:

• Anxiety and stress

• Depression and low mood

• Relationship and family challenges

• Workplace stress and burnout

• Life transitions and feeling stuck

• Building confidence and motivation

Is SFBT Right for You?

SFBT may be a good fit if you:

• Prefer a practical, action-oriented approach

• Want to work toward clear, specific goals

• Are open to taking small, manageable steps

• Like the idea of setting your own goals

• Want a therapist who works with you as a collaborator

SFBT may not be the best fit on its own if you want to explore past experiences in depth or are working through trauma. For those needs, approaches like trauma-focused CBT or emotionally focused therapy (EFT) may be more helpful.  Many therapists also combine SFBT with other approaches, depending on what you need.

Getting Support in Toronto and Ontario

If you're curious whether SFBT could help, a good first step is talking with a therapist about what you're hoping to change.

At Healthy Minds Psychotherapy, many of our Registered Psychotherapists are trained in SFBT and use it alongside other evidence-informed approaches to help you work toward meaningful change. We offer therapy in person at our Harbord Street office in Toronto and virtually across Ontario. We also have an affordable therapy program with supervised student therapists who see clients at a lower fee, including sessions in Spanish and Hindi.

In your first session, your therapist will ask about what's bringing you in and what you'd like to be different. Together, you'll start to shape clear goals and first steps.

Book a Free 15-Minute Consultation

Frequently Asked Questions About SFBT

How many sessions does SFBT take?

SFBT is designed to be brief. Many people work with an SFBT therapist for a relatively small number of sessions, though the right number depends on you and your goals. Some people return to therapy at different points in life, and different approaches can be helpful at different times.

Does SFBT ignore the past?

No. SFBT simply keeps its main focus on the present and the future you want to create. If past experiences are relevant, your therapist may talk about them, but sessions return to your goals and next steps.

What's the difference between SFBT and CBT?

Both are practical and goal-focused. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps you identify and change unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour. SFBT focuses less on the problem itself and more on your preferred future, your strengths and what's already working. Some people benefit from elements of both.

Can SFBT help with trauma?

SFBT can be used as part of trauma-informed care, but it isn't designed for processing trauma. For trauma, approaches like EMDR or trauma-focused CBT may be a better fit. At Healthy Minds Psychotherapy, our therapists can help you figure out which approach is right for you.

Do you offer online therapy in Ontario?

Yes. We offer virtual therapy across Ontario, and in-person sessions are available at our Toronto office. To get started, book a free consultation on our website.

About the Author

Katharine De Santos, MA, RP, is a Registered Psychotherapist and the Founder and Clinical Director of Healthy Minds Psychotherapy. She has more than 25 years of clinical experience supporting people through trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, fertility challenges and major life transitions.

Her approach is trauma-informed and integrates somatic therapy with talk-based work. This means paying attention to how stress and difficult experiences show up in the body, which can give clients another way to understand what they're carrying and begin working with it. Katharine is also EMDR-trained.

Katharine holds a BA in Psychology from Western University and an MA in Counseling from The George Washington University, and has completed postgraduate training through Johns Hopkins University and The Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery Certificate Program through Harvard Medical School.

Learn more about Katharine

Works Cited

de Shazer, S. (1985). Keys to solution in brief therapy. W. W. Norton & Company.

de Shazer, S., Berg, I. K., Lipchik, E., Nunnally, E., Molnar, A., Gingerich, W., & Weiner-Davis, M. (1986). Brief therapy: Focused solution development. Family Process, 25(2), 207–221. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.1986.00207.x

Gingerich, W. J., & Peterson, L. T. (2013). Effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy: A systematic qualitative review of controlled outcome studies. Research on Social Work Practice, 23(3), 266–283. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731512470859

Kim, J. S., Jordan, S. S., Franklin, C., & Froerer, A. (2019). Is solution-focused brief therapy evidence-based? An update 10 years later. Families in Society, 100(2), 127–138. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044389419841688

Trepper, T. S., McCollum, E. E., De Jong, P., Korman, H., Gingerich, W., & Franklin, C. (2010). Solution-focused therapy treatment manual for working with individuals. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 21(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/08975350903461177