Solution Focussed Approaches to Helping:

Scaling

Nathan Loynes

Scaling Questions

Steve De Shazer (1940 -2005)Co-founder of the solution focussed

approach with Insoo Kim Berg.After asking a client “what is better since

last time?” The client said “I’m nearly a 10 now”.

Hence, numbers used to understand development

Benefits

Easy to useFocus on changeFocus on clients phenomenological

existence (Like Person Centred)Broad application

Scaling… ‘Steps’

1. Explain the scale

Alternative scales:

Where are we now?

2. The current position

Like a jigsaw…

3. Establish a platform: Find out what has already worked.

Vision

Visualise a higher position; describe how things will look.

Success and Strengths

5. Identify earlier success – what happened?

Small steps

6. Step forward – Ask the client what small steps they could take

Types of Scale

Success scaleMotivational scaleConfidence scaleIndependence scale

Conclusion

Being a cognitively flexible mentor might mean that at times you have cause to employ solution focussed techniques. This might be when:

Discussions of the problem are creating stagnation and or frustration.

The mentee is in a contemplative stage of considering the benefits of change.

You are being motivational (interviewing).You are empowering the mentee to employ

divergent thinking and offer their own solutions that are more likely to succeed than mentor led solutions.