Solution-Focused Therapy Case Study

Treatment/Intervention Plans
Our goals for Joel includes: being able to understand the different feelings he experiences, learning how to express those feelings in ways that are productive, improving his social skills, improving his ability to handle bullying, improving handwriting, and dealing with grief associated with losing friends due to relocation. Through implementing different theoretical approaches, we will make a positive impact on Joel’s self-esteem and self-efficacy. Therefore, we have decided to use Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Choice Theory and Reality Therapy, Play Art Therapy, and Adlerian approaches to counseling. These approaches emphasize personal strengths, empathy, positive behaviors,

and dealing with the past and present. Throughout our individual and small group counseling, we will establish a therapeutic relationship with Joel, have congruence, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard. Through this, we will be able to understand things from Joel’s perspective and establish a trusting relationship based on empathy and understanding his worldview.
Proposed Outcomes of Services and Plan Implementation
If all individual and group counseling sessions are implemented, we will see improved outcomes related to Joel’s emotional intelligence, social and emotional behaviors, and social skills. As a result, it will lead to open communication with his mother and father at home. Likewise, he will also be able to develop productive ways of communication with peers, handle bullying, and deal with emotions associated with his handwriting.
Identification of Counseling Approaches
Play and Art Based Approaches
Play is the highest development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in the child’s soul…. Children play is not mere sport. It is full of meaning and import (as cited in Beeler et al., 2012, p. 192). Additionally, play also contributes to various aspects of children’s development as they learn to solve problems, negotiate social relationship, and develop autonomy (Beeler et al., 2012, p. 193). Likewise, visual arts helps people represent their worlds visually, not just in their minds, but in drawings, sculpture, and photographs. Therefore, implementing play and art based approaches to dealing with emotions and identifying feelings will help accomplish the goals we have set for Joel.
First, through play and art based approaches, we can help Joel figure out different ways of dealing with the challenges and emotions he might be experiencing. For example, we would incorporate the use of Mandalas. We are aware that Joel occasionally “stuffs” his emotions. Through the use of expressive arts, we can help discuss those emotions through art rather than words which might be more comforting for Joel to begin with. Similarly, expressive arts may seem less threatening than verbal expression for some clients. Therefore, creating Mandalas, or circular representations can be a creative outlet to potentially help Joel. For example, through creating Mandalas, Joel will have the opportunity to express his emotions. Joel will draw the basic structure of the Mandala and then proceed to filling the shape with whatever represents his feelings related to school, family, or friends.
Second, this will also be effective in meeting the interventions goals by understanding more about the way Joel would want his world to be. Lowenstein (2002) discussed how we could implement an individual counseling activity related to understanding the way children and adolescents might perceive the way they want things to be. In this example, Joel will draw two pictures. The first on the sheet of paper is titled: “The Way My Life Is.” The second on the sheet of paper is titled “The Way I Want It to Be.” Through this process, we will understand more about the feelings associated with how Joel would feel if things were the way he wanted them to be.
Therefore, this approaches to counseling would be effective because it would allow another nonverbal modality that can been used to facilitate resolution of conflict relationships, academic challenges, and developmental transitions (Beeler et al., 2012, p. 203).
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

Our group has decided to implement SFBT due to the time limit in the school setting, the opportunity to establish short and obtaining goals, and because it focuses on the strengths of the client.

Solution-focused therapy is based on premises and assumptions that professional school counselors should view students as competent and able to implement positive change. In addition, there is no need to focus on the past and the causes of the problem. As a result, focus should be on what works for students and doing more of this. Likewise, it is also important for counselors to understand small changes are major success (Beeler et al., 2012, p. 148). Likewise, Solution-focused uses a set of behaviorally and cognitively oriented therapy techniques to amplify positive behaviors and reinforce the use of effective coping strategies (Beeler et al., 2012, p. 148). Solution-focused therapy is different from other prescriptive approaches because of its emphasis on process and its focus on changing future behaviors to help clients accomplish their goals. Focusing on the future causes solution-focused therapists to spend little time exploring problems and instead work with the client to construct a set of behavioral tasks that lead to a rapid solution (Bonnington,

1993).
As a result, our group will use this approach to incorporate video talk, perfect world scenarios, and scaling questions to dealing with Joel’s development of social skills. This approach will be effective with the goals we have outlined related to social/emotional development, self-esteem, and self-confidence, and using effective communication skills. This approach also allows us to identify exceptions related to Joel’s situations. For example, we will be able to notice and identify some of the exceptions Joel has developed and maintained in relation to the current problems he is experiencing. As described by Bateson (1972) (as cited in Bonnington, 1993), " a small change of behavior in one person is noticed by another who then changes his or her response that then influences the first person to change more. Noting exceptions to troublesome behaviors and focusing attention on small behavior changes as precursors to further change can provide that difference.
Another way to focus on strengths is for us to ask Joel, "between now and the next time we meet, I want you to look at what is happening at home, in class, and in your life, that you would like to see continue to happen" (De Shazer & Molnar, 1984). This can be used as a focal point in our sessions by focusing on what is already working.
Cognitive Behavior Approaches
This approach focuses on understanding how individuals interpret their experiences and the effects of these interpretations on their emotional and behavioral functioning (Beeler et al., 2012, p. 127). Furthermore, CBT focuses on maladaptive thoughts and beliefs through understanding children’s cognitive distortions, which tend to lead to internalizing difficulties. Through CBT, we understand that some individuals who have not developed the skills needed for adaptive coping, can contribute to their cognitive deficiencies, and social and emotional challenges, because they may have difficulty processing information (Beeler et al., 2012, p. 130). Therefore, CBT will be effective in meeting the interventions goals established for Joel, because it will allow us to focus on collaborative forms of learning. Along these lines, we will help Joel work on changing any negative automatic thoughts patterns, and develop skill-building strategies in the areas of: problem solving, affective education, relaxation training, and role play/modeling (Beeler et al., 2012, p. 136). Incorporating psychoeducation interventions allows us to educate Joel on ways to make connections between life experiences and the four systems of response (cognitive, affective, behavioral, and physiological). Through this, Joel will be able to increase his self-awareness and self-efficacy in realizing how negative self-talk can lead to increased levels of stress.