Denver Center for Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

06/19/2026

I have never been a fan of the “trauma” culture in the psychotherapy and substance-misuse treatment field. While I honor and acknowledge the existence of trauma, I have no desire to make it the focal point of how I see and think about people. I don’t want to be “trauma-informed.” I want to be “human-informed.” I want to see the amazing person who is still very much present despite incredibly painful events/circumstances. Likewise, when we look for the problem-focused concept of “triggers,” I don’t find it to be helpful. Instead, I love the more solution-focused concept of “glimmers.”

06/12/2026

Sometimes the most useful question is not the most dramatic one. The Fast Forward intervention is natural, versatile, and hopeful while still honoring that change may take time. That balance matters.

06/10/2026

Solution-Focused Myth Buster!

One of the biggest challenges when one learns Solution-Focused Practice and experiences the amazing power of this model is to become a Solution-Focused Zealot. For those of us who understand the research supporting the model and have seen it work with some of the most difficult scenarios, this zealot mentality can become tempting. However, it unfortunately is not the most effective way.

There is some irony in becoming a Solution-Focused Zealot. By definition, zealots believe that their path is the “right” and “only” path. This leads to great passion and efforts to spread the word . . . even the belief that other paths are “wrong” or damaging. However, Solution-Focused practice is a “Yes, and” approach. This means that as soon as we believe that we are “right” and others are “wrong,” we ironically are no longer Solution-Focused.

06/08/2026

The Miracle Question may look simple from the outside. But if important parts are left out, it may become unhelpful.

Skill matters. Timing matters. Understanding what change the client is hoping for as a result of the immediate conversation matters.

It’s simple . . . not easy.

06/04/2026

I almost built a career around being quiet.

In college, my strengths revolved around solitary activities. I am an introvert, and staying in the background was comfortable. If my professors had told me to lean into that, I'd probably be in a back office somewhere, doing work no one ever sees.

Instead, one professor told me it didn't matter what I was good at. He said there were two classes every successful person needed: speech and grammar. I almost quit on the spot.

I took those courses anyway, and I was amazed at the transformation they created in me. Now I enjoy speaking to large crowds for a living, and I have written five books and numerous articles. Taking this advice to overcome my weaknesses rather than building on my strengths actually unleashed unknown potential.

This is why Solution Focused practice doesn't chase strengths. Instead, it helps clients imagine a life where things are working, then gets curious about what they did to get there. This often involves clients overcoming their weaknesses.

What’s “working” and what someone is "good at" are not the same thing. Successful people aren't usually building on their strengths. They're overcoming their weaknesses.

That one distinction changes everything about how you ask questions.

06/01/2026

A question may sound Solution-Focused and still miss the point. The real skill is not in asking the right-sounding question. It is in personalizing the question to the unique human being and to the client’s previous response.

05/28/2026

The tools are not the center of the model. The mindset is.

When the mindset is missing, even Solution-Focused tools can quietly become problem-solving tools.

That is why learning the model begins deeper than technique.

05/26/2026

A Solution-Focused conversation has movement.
- What does the client want?
- What does the client already have?
- What’s next?
That structure helps the conversation stay natural, useful, and connected to change.

05/22/2026

It can be tempting to create more terms. More categories. More labels. More ways to explain what we are doing.

But sometimes the cleaner path is to observe what is happening with the person in front of us.

The work does not need to be cluttered to be effective.

05/07/2026

Just wrapped up two days with an amazing group of professionals. What an incredible SF community!

Two enlightening days. Teri built an exciting and enthusiastic Meerkat Manor. Inviting us to stand up and look for the person not the pathology. Inviting us to be mindful of the power differential and work on the ground with what people want.