Solution-focused therapy / SFB-A16-3
Setback as Information — Clinician dialogue
Guide a collaborative conversation about setback as information while checking fit and participant choice.
15 minutes · Clinician script · Mental health professionals
Fictional example: Devin's morning routine became harder when transport changed.
Use within your training and assessment of readiness. A difficult day can inform the plan without erasing earlier progress.
Invite and obtain permission
Offer: "Would it be useful to explore setback as information 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: A difficult day can inform the plan without erasing earlier progress. Ask what fits and what does not.
Guide the task
Compare a setback with a better day, identifying changed conditions and retained resources. Ask for permission before giving an example. Use this fictional illustration if useful: Devin's morning routine became harder when transport changed.
Reflect and check accuracy
Reflect only what was offered: "I heard you describe ___. What did I miss?" Ask: Which condition changed, and what still helps? 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:
- Which condition changed, and what still helps?
- 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.