Therapy is frequently miscast as requiring an enormous amount of time and financial commitment, but helpful, goal-oriented therapy can produce positive results after only a few sessions. Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) has been gaining momentum as a powerful therapeutic approach since its inception in the 1980s. By focusing on solutions instead of problems, it asks clients to set concrete goals and to draw upon strengths in their lives that can help bring about the desired change for a preferred future.

Addressing both researchers and practitioners, a distinguished cast of international, interdisciplinary contributors review the current state of research on SFBT interventions and illustrate its applications--both proven and promising--with a diverse variety of populations, including domestic violence offenders, troubled and runaway youth, students, adults with substance abuse problems, and clients with schizophrenia. This expansive text also includes a treatment manual, strengths-based and fidelity measures, and detailed descriptions on how to best apply SFBT to underscore the strengths, skills, and resources that clients may unknowingly possess.

With its rich assortment of resources, this handbook is the definitive guide to SFBT for scholars and mental health practitioners alike.