Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) is a practical, strengths-based approach that has become a popular choice among professionals supporting individuals, children, and families. Unlike problem-focused therapies, SFT emphasises what’s working, encourages small, meaningful changes, and helps people move towards their preferred future.
But who exactly benefits from this approach? In this blog, we explore the broad suitability of SFT and the diverse contexts where it can be applied.
Why Suitability Matters in Therapeutic Approaches
Every individual brings unique experiences, preferences, and challenges to therapy. That’s why selecting an appropriate therapeutic model is crucial. Solution Focused Therapy is often praised for its flexibility—it doesn’t require a detailed exploration of a client’s history or diagnosis. Instead, it focuses on the here and now, identifying strengths and solutions that empower people to make progress.
This makes SFT a valuable option in many settings, particularly when time is limited or when clients may not feel ready to revisit difficult past experiences.
Children and Young People
Solution Focused Therapy is especially well-suited to working with children and adolescents. Its conversational, non-confrontational style helps create a safe space where young people can explore what’s going well and what they want to change.
Professionals use SFT to support:
- Anxiety and emotional regulation
- Behavioural challenges at home or school
- Transitions such as starting a new school or parental separation
- Building confidence and resilience
By focusing on their strengths, children learn to trust their own abilities and become active participants in their own growth.
Families and Parents
SFT is highly effective in family support contexts. It encourages parents and caregivers to reflect on what is already working in their parenting and to identify small, manageable changes that can create positive shifts in family dynamics.
Whether used in family therapy, parenting support, or early intervention programs, SFT helps:
- Strengthen parent-child relationships
- Improve communication within families
- Reduce conflict and stress at home
- Support co-parenting after separation or divorce
The collaborative nature of SFT makes it ideal for empowering families to work together toward shared goals.
Adults Seeking Short-Term Support
Adults facing life challenges often find Solution Focused Therapy to be an empowering, time-efficient option. It is particularly suitable for individuals who:
- Prefer a future-focused, goal-oriented approach
- Are navigating life transitions (e.g., career change, relationship issues)
- Want practical strategies to manage stress or low mood
- May be reluctant to commit to long-term therapy
Rather than analysing the past, SFT focuses on what the client wants to achieve and the steps they can take to get there.
Schools, Youth Work, and Community Settings
One of the strengths of SFT is its adaptability to real-world environments outside the therapy room. It is widely used in:
- Schools by teachers, school counsellors, and wellbeing officers
- Youth services and early intervention programs
- Community mental health teams and casework
- Social care and outreach services
Its brief, conversational style is perfect for one-on-one support or even informal coaching moments. It fits neatly into time-constrained settings and aligns with trauma-informed, strengths-based practice.
Professionals in Therapeutic or Support Roles
SFT is a valuable tool for psychologists, counsellors, family therapists, social workers, coaches, and educators. It can stand alone or complement other models like CBT, narrative therapy, or systemic approaches.
Professionals who benefit from SFT training are those who:
- Work in fast-paced or high-turnover settings
- Support children, young people, or families
- Prefer practical, client-led approaches
- Want to build positive, change-focused conversations into their work
If you’re looking to develop these skills, consider Compass Seminars’ new solution focused therapy courses tailored for professionals working in schools, clinical, and family settings.
When Might SFT Not Be the Best Fit?
While SFT is versatile, it may not be suitable in all situations. For example, clients who need to process unresolved trauma, manage complex mental health conditions, or require long-term therapy may benefit more from other approaches—or from an integrated model that includes SFT alongside other modalities.
Therapists should always assess each client’s needs, readiness, and therapeutic goals before selecting an approach.
Wrapping Up
Solution Focused Therapy is suitable for a wide range of individuals and settings—from children navigating school pressures to families working on communication, and professionals seeking practical tools for short-term intervention. Its focus on strengths, collaboration, and achievable goals makes it a powerful approach for encouraging meaningful, sustainable change.
If you’re working with children, young people, families or individuals in change-focused work, consider exploring our new solution focused therapy courses. These practical trainings offer evidence-informed strategies designed to help you support growth and resilience across diverse contexts.