Solution-focused therapy / SFB-A08-3
Half-Step Forward — Clinician dialogue
Guide a collaborative conversation about half-step forward while checking fit and participant choice.
15 minutes · Clinician script · Mental health professionals
Fictional example: Devin would like to open the task list without completing it all.
Use within your training and assessment of readiness. Small progress can be defined without pressure for dramatic change.
Invite and obtain permission
Offer: "Would it be useful to explore half-step forward using an ordinary or fictional example? We can adapt it, observe, or stop." Ask what the person wants from the conversation.
Elicit before teaching
Ask: "How does this show up, if at all, in your own words?" Offer this idea tentatively: Small progress can be defined without pressure for dramatic change. Ask what fits and what does not.
Guide the task
Describe a half-step improvement and one sign another person might notice if you chose to tell them. Ask for permission before giving an example. Use this fictional illustration if useful: Devin would like to open the task list without completing it all.
Reflect and check accuracy
Reflect only what was offered: "I heard you describe ___. What did I miss?" Ask: What is a small enough step to be credible? Avoid assigning motives or interpreting silence as agreement.
Respond to a mismatch
If the person rejects the frame, say: "Thank you for correcting it. What would be more useful?" Return to their language or choose a different approach.
Close with agency
Ask which observation, question, or support request the person wants to keep. Confirm a manageable ending and appropriate follow-up; do not turn a tentative possibility into a homework obligation.
Prompts for this resource
- Readiness, permission, cultural context, and access needs to check:
- What is a small enough step to be credible?
- What would tell me to adapt, stop, or seek supervision?
Conceptual background
What is Solution-Focused Therapy? — Solution-Focused Therapy Institute
Background on the approach only. Original exercises and wording are by More Than Therapy with AI assistance; the source does not validate or endorse these materials.