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Theory of solution-focused practice
EBTA-Practice Definition Group (Peter Sundman, Matthias Schwab, Ferdinand Wolf, Svea van
- A draft in progress in September
- I. Practice: Being in context der Hoorn, John Wheeler, Marie-Christine Cabie)
- II. Description: What makes a practice solution-focused?
- Key ingredients in solution-focused practice:
- • description of the desired change
- • respect, engagement and positivity.....................................................................................................................
- • definition of the support
- • exploration of the context for change.................................................................................................................
- • eliciting use of the client’s competence and resources
- • finding and amplifying progress
- • thinking and doing differently
- • practicing the change
- Solution-focused emphasis of common professional conversational tools
- • questions (open, closed, clarifying etc.).............................................................................................................
- • comments (minimal, particles, etc.)
- • clarifications..................................................................................................................................................................
- • requests...........................................................................................................................................................................
- • formulations..................................................................................................................................................................
- • naming, reframing
- • reflections
- • encouragement
- • interpretations
- • conclusions
- • humor and creativity
- • metaphors
- • personal narratives
- • advice (suggestions, examples, conventional wisdom, sharing information)
- III. Explanation: Why be solution-focused?
- How clients make sense – What is the meaning of this?
- How clients use their competences and resources – Where may I go from here?
- How clients act to change – What can I do?
- References
In this document, we wish to acknowledge both the originators and developers of the way of working with clients that we will be referring to as solution-focused practice. Some readers may be familiar with the term “solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)” - we acknowledge this name as being part of the history of the form of practice that this document explores and expands on. Others in the organizational field use the concept SF Practice when describing what we here call a solution-focused practice. Our aim is to present a coherent theory of solution-focused practice. The theory is written for those who want to understand the rationale of solution-focused practice. It has three interrelated parts. It starts with describing the context of solution-focused practice. Secondly, the basic model of solution-focused practice is characterized by a description of the change process and typical topics when creating solution-focused conversations. Finally, the reasons for the choices in the model, together with the main ethical choices and assumptions, are given to explain why we think solution-focused practice works. The parts overlap and relate to each other and all have something unique about them. Practice cannot for instance be fully described or explained, as language doesn’t capture everything. Each moment in life is unique and different from what concepts can cover. Thinking is required for intuitions, but on the other hand, "intuitions without concepts are blind“^1. Like the original solution-focused developers, we want to keep the focus on what is happening in practice and not get distracted by the explanations, which can easily happen among professionals. All the same, we want to make some basic concepts clear in order to explain the reasons for what is done in solution- focused practice. Both explanation and description can be seen as the surfaces of the space that is created by practice. Metaphorically, practice might be considered as the space inside a Necker cube which can be seen from different sides and angles. However, our acting may, and by means of creativity will, go beyond the cube. This will not be seen in terms of theory or description unless we expand theory or description. We are aware of the reservations regarding a theory of solution-focused practice^2. However, we think that there has always implicitly been a profound reasoning, grounding the practice. Making this reasoning explicit, will, we believe, be helpful for the further development of the solution-focused practice. The theory shows itself in the conceptual assumptions, in the notions we ascribe to, and within the descriptions we use. Solution-focused practice was initially developed in a therapeutic context. From the 1980’s, it has spread into different fields of work such as coaching, education, group work, leadership, organizational (^1) Kant (1914, B 75). (^2) For example, Steve de Shazer wrote in Words where originally magic: „I decided that my only recourse was to follow Wittgenstein´s advice (1958) and renounce all Theory“ (p.32) and in the well-known interview with Michael Hoyt he said: „Don´t let the theory get in the way. Theories will blind you“.
Usually the practitioner operates with what the client describes with her/his own words, voice and gestures. Sometimes there might be third-party agendas like safety or work issues involved as well. Sometimes the practitioner can observe the context where the client wants the change, for instance when she/he meets the whole family or work group. However, what the client and practitioner do together is usually a temporary addition to the client’s space of action.^10 As the solution-focused practice spread into different fields of work such as coaching, education, group work, leadership, organizational development and consulting, words, the language and actions of the solution-focused practice may be changing to some degree. A more general description of these different contexts can be given by saying someone, or a group of people, are seeking some sort of support from a professionally trained practitioner. The issues in question are a specific problem or a need for change or development to improve the interaction within their environment. The focus of the conversation is on the personal experiences and thinking, feelings, intuitions, choices and actions of clients within the context in question. Practice, as indicated above, also implies more than the interaction described here. Even the most intimate conversations in „talking cures“, involve interaction related to personal, social, legal, political or religious (to name a few) issues that form the context of practice in general. As said before, no description or explanation can ever do complete justice to life. There is always more to it. As practice creates the open space of life, the context of ascribed meanings, as an ongoing interrelated process, will inevitably change constantly. II. Description: What makes a practice solution-focused? The description of a practice is a simplified account of what actually happens, in order to show certain aspects that are considered to be important to further specify the practice: Here, we ask: What makes a practice solution-focused? Like a map, this description highlights or omits features of the space of action that are specific to solution- focused practice. In this way the descriptive map helps differentiate solution-focused practice from other kinds of „talking cures“, „coaching models“, „educational syllables“, etc..^11 The basic activity in solution-focused practice is to support the client to make a desired change in perceptions, feelings, thoughts, intentions, choices and/or actions by facilitating talks that generate detailed descriptions of that desired change.^12 In this process, the practitioner talks with the client about anything that seems helpful for the client to make the desired change. Likewise, s/he omits and ignores anything that seems to support the opposite. This is often described as „evaluative responsiveness“^13 , „helping from one step behind“^14 , and „envisioning the client’s situation in relation to the change s/he hopes for“^15. During the conversation, the practitioner concentrates on the moment at hand and the client’s presence. S/he focuses on the actual interchange of words and actions between them. S/he responds from moment to moment on what the client did and said before. S/he carefully grounds^16 each speech turn to collaborate with the client towards a coherent mutually agreed description of the issue at hand.^17 In her/his own turns, s/he uses what seems to enable a joint turn-by-turn co-construction towards the client’s desired change. (^10) Keeping in mind that clients spent the rest of their life´s without the practitioner may help practitioners to be aware of their factual agency. (^11) Thus, the famous quote „The map is not the territory“ by Alfred Korzybski coined at the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1931 became important for many solution-focusedpractitioners. (^12) For case examples and a theory related discussion of descriptions in the therapy context see: Iveson & McKergow (2016). (^13) Kramer & Stiles (2015). (^14) Solution Focused Therapy Treatment Manual for Working with Individuals, 2nd version (2013). (^15) De Shazer et al. (2006). (^16) Clark & Brennan (1991). (^17) Bavelas (2012).
Most of the time s/he will use the client’s words and simple language talking about real or imagined differences that may show in ordinary daily activities observable by the client and others. Questions are asked to evaluate past, present or future differences. The practitioner will encourage talking about how the client did or will perceive, feel, think or intend to do and choose and how this did or will change the meaning and purpose of daily life in a way that is somehow better. There will hardly be any talk about why things went wrong and the practitioner does not apply any theory or model to explain causes for difficulties or problems^18. Although solution-focused practice may look like an ordinary everyday conversation without any exchange on „deep or hidden causes and complex psychopathological mechanisms at work“, it is a very focused process in which the practitioner deliberately ignores or keeps, elicits, amplifies or adds on what s/he heard from the client to find a simple and brief way to be helpful.^19 Solution-focused conversations do not have any fixed internal structure or manual. There are however (1) several observable key ingredients in solution-focused practice and (2) a specific solution-focused emphasis of common professional conversational tools. Key ingredients in solution-focused practice:
- description of the desired change The key question in solution-focused practice is what change the client wants. The change can be anything purposeful, meaningful and sensible for the client and possible for the practitioner to support. It is usually constructed and agreed on from the client’s description of the current life situation as something that is not yet present, but hopefully soon will be. The client’s hopes, expectations, plans, visions and dreams are good starting points for the conversation of what to change. To envision the client’s best hopes or a hypothetical day after the miracle of the problem no longer being a problem, is a powerful way to describe the desired change. It is usually constructed by eliciting one or more practical descriptions of desirable differences in the life situation at hand, including significant others’ perspectives as part of the description. In subsequent conversations the client might revise what s/he wants to change after considering the description of a better future and maybe after dealing with the consequences of the initial change. For example: What sort of change are you looking for? – What will be different when you feel better? - How, in the next couple of days or weeks, would you realize that our conversation today has been helpful? – What will be different? – How will you know that the things have changed the way you want?
- respect, engagement and positivity Respect and engagement with the unique characteristics of the client and collaboration are essential parts of solution-focused practice. The practitioner needs to be curious and appreciative for what the client expresses. Clients usually engage in the conversation in a similar fashion, which leads to a collegial relationship in which the practitioner takes the responsibility for leading the process and the client takes responsibility for leading the content. Respect and engagement show up as validation, encouragement, compliments and being genuine, which usually create a positive atmosphere with hope, sympathy, compassion, caring and humor^20. For example: What are your hopes for our meeting today? – Let me check if I/you understand you/me correctly … - What else? – I appreciate that … - Thank you! – Great! (^18) Some clients ask for theories and in some situations a theory is directly or indirectly available as common sense, for instance. In these situations, the theory or the theoretical concepts can be used as viable explanations. (^19) Bavelas (2012) (^20) Shick (2017)
the client’s context is one of limited influence over her/his situation, stopping the situation from getting worse and maintaining steadiness can be regarded as progress. For example: What small signs will tell that you/we are making progress? - What is better since last time we met? – What makes today 10% better? – How can you/I do more of it? – How did you manage to make this exception happen? – What is your contribution to preventing things from getting worse?
- thinking and doing differently The notion of change implies that something needs to be different. Therefore, thinking differently (about meaning or choices) and/or doing something different (acting) are frequent topics in the conversation. New meaning often evolves from de- or recomposing facts and fictions of the conversation in a process of reframing.^23 When clients or practitioners^24 find themselves doing more of what doesn’t work^25 , it is useful to talk about other acceptable^26 alternatives for the client that might serve the purpose achieving the desired change. The alternatives can be logically derived or creatively generated. Other people, who are able to see alternatives ‘out of the box’, can be of great help, For example: Can you see this as something else too? – What would be something completely different? – What can you/I do differently? – How can you/I surprise others in a positive way? – What if…? – How about this…?
- practicing the change Changes become meaningful when the consequences fit the intended purpose. Life is full of surprises and therefore putting the difference into practice in everyday life is an important test of whether or not the change makes sense, and creates the improvements the client hopes for. Sometimes it is useful to devise experiments or new habits^27 together with clients so as to test ideas generated in the reality of the client’s world. For clients facing challenging and risky situations, some form of confirmation of the safety, appropriateness, and do-ability of the change is also important. The conversation about consequences is similar to the exploration of the situation for change and sometimes is a start for a new change process. For example: What is your/my next step? – How did it go? – Happy with the result? – How will you continue? – How confident are you that you/we will succeed? - What does this mean? – Is there enough safety now? – Suppose you really do this, how might your colleagues react? Solution-focused emphasis of common professional conversational tools Conversation analysis shows that all professionals use specific conversational elements in their interaction with clients^28. Some of them are mostly used contextually. Others depend on personal style and some are more theory related^29. Their use from a solution-focused theory perspective are described here: (^22) Exceptions in problematic situations have been major ingredients in solution-focused practice. Exceptions are here reformulated, in keeping with the trend to focus on the desired future from the onset without starting from the problems clients (in therapeutic contexts) usually experience when seeking support. (^23) Mattila (2001). (^24) For instance, Beyebach (2008). (^25) Weakland et al. (1974). (^26) Any alternative needs to fit the client’s purpose and intentions. What other approaches often call »resistance«, from a solution-focused point of view, is a useful contribution of clients to indicate that there are better alternatives around that are worth to be explored or discovered. (^27) Isebaert (2015) (^28) Detailed descriptions of these elements are given by conversation analysts for instance in Peräkylä et al. (2008).
- questions (open, closed, clarifying etc.) Questions are the most frequently used ingredient in solution-focused practice. Solution-focused practice is even sometimes defined as more or less a question tool box^30. Open questions about meaning, focusing questions about intentions, choices and future, and clarifying questions about competences, resources and the preferred future are typical in solution-focused practice. All basic solution-focused questions presuppose possibilities, change, client resources and /or the client’s making sense. Closed and rhetorical questions are usually avoided. For example: What do you mean? – What will you and others notice? – What else? – What will you do? – How come things are better? – When and where will you…?
- comments (minimal, particles, etc.) Comments that ground what the client means and want, as well as encouraging comments about the client’s competence and agency, are used deliberately, and with care, to make the mutual understanding or misunderstanding clear and to support the client. For example: Good! – Yes – Well done! – Wau! – You actually did it!? – And … – Despite … – Because … - –Then … – Also … – If … - –Therefore …
- clarifications Client’s clarifications of what is important are carefully noted and used as well as possible. The practitioner clarifies her/his own perspective, intentions and suggestions, too, especially in conflicts where the practitioner clarifies the values that are involved. For example: I mean… – I really want … – Not exactly, more like … – Yes, but … – Let me explain a bit … – I mean… – My intention was…
- requests Solution-focused practitioners seldom use requests, as they easily promote an expert stance. Requests might be used in high risk situations and ethical conflicts. Client requests are on the other hand, if possible, met, as they support client competence, empowerment, and agency. For example: Can you please tell your family about…? – You need to stop! – Can you recommend me a good specialist?
- formulations Solution-focused practitioners use formulations (paraphrases, restatements, summaries) with care to preserve and build on as much of the client’s words as possible and to limit the influence of other ideas. Also, what is omitted is chosen with the client’s perspective in mind. New words are introduced mainly as supplements and answers to requests from the client. They are usually phrased as possibilities or questions. The practitioner is ready to modify the formulation to fit the client’s view. For example: I’m impressed by … and agree with … therefore I wonder if … – Do I understand you correctly, that you …?
- naming, reframing Naming and reframing, using the client’s words, are powerful elements for change and are used extensively by solution-focused practitioners in all stages of the change process. The guiding (^29) DeJong et al. (2013). (^30) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solution_focused_brief_therapy, read 24.6.2017.
- humor and creativity Solution-focused conversations often include humor and creativity. Both play with ambiguity, chance and contradictions, seeing things from different perspectives. The solution-focused practitioner mirrors the client’s humor and initiates creativity as a way to open up for new meaning and possibilities for the client. They show how change doesn’t need to be logical and can come from ‘outside of the box’.^33 For example: Have you ever tried…? – How can we fail most successfully?^34 – What if…? – What would your wise grandmother have done? – What does the cat think about this? – What would be a perfect surprise?
- metaphors Metaphors are useful conversational tools for transforming meaning. Clients frequently use metaphors to talk about experiences they find difficult to describe with plain words and find difficult to grasp. Solution-focused practitioners can join the metaphor and direct the conversation towards change within the metaphor. This can result in expressions of change translatable to the client’s everyday language and thus support the change. Of course, metaphors are a great start for creative expansions. For example: How will you survive this storm? – What plants will grow in your beautiful garden? – How will you feel and do when the sun shines for you?
- personal narratives A person usually talks about their life as a personal and coherent narrative to make sense of it and their place in it.^35 A solution-focused practitioner can listen to this narrative and point to the purpose, agency, competences, resources, exceptions, success and other facts that indicate possibilities for the client’s desired change. The narrative also locates the change in the context of the client’s life, which can be useful to address if a more limited change for some reason turns out to be insufficient.^36 The practitioner should stay neutral to the future of the client’s narrative^37. However, sometimes telling personal narratives expands and transforms them, giving the client new meaning, choices or impulse for actions. For example: What are you doing with your life? – Tell me a little more about you? – How is your life? - What is this situation related to? – With whom are you connected? – How do you like your life to be in the future?
- advice (suggestions, examples, conventional wisdom, sharing information) Most of the solution-focused practice operates within the realm of the client’s world. The practitioner should avoid advice and suggestions from outside, except when clients ask for it. Sometimes advice, fitting examples, conventional wisdom, sharing information about new actions (doing something different) and how to deal with risky situations are appropriate. The advice is given as a question, possibility or suggestion instead of a prescription from an expert position of knowing that this information is helpful for this particular person^38. (^33) Remember the Necker cube metaphor from the beginning, that allows one to see different aspects and indicates that creative practice expands and transcends „boxed spaces“. (^34) Watzlawick (1988). (^35) Iveson & McKergow (2016). (^36) Sometimes the client re-evaluates the change during the conversation. (^37) Iveson & McKergow (2016). (^38) Flatt, Steve & Curtis, Suzi (2013).
For example: In reply to your question, I would recommend … – Have you already considered …? – Should we look for some advice? – Maybe you/I should … – A wise client once said … – What do people usually do in this situation? III. Explanation: Why be solution-focused? Some say that descriptions of solution-focused practice, together with the growing empirical evidence that solution-focused treatments are efficient^39 , are reason enough to use the practice^40. However, solution-focused practice is actually not grounded on descriptions alone, social acceptance or personal style, but on grounded reasoning. This section will explore this evidence and reasoning through three aspects that echo the description of solution-focused practice as an activity of helping clients to change the meaning and purpose of perceptions, feelings, thoughts, intentions, and choices and take meaningful actions accordingly. The reasoning within these three aspects is concerned with (1) creating meaning, (2) the concept of man^41 , and (3) the nature of change. How clients make sense – What is the meaning of this? The solution-focused practice is partly a philosophical endeavor of talking about what makes sense for the client to conceptualize her/his experience and how this may help to promote experiences of `feeling better ‘or ‘understanding’. The solution-focused stance argues that language philosophy^42 makes a strong case for the practice of being helpful to other people, because the use of language is a fundamental element of conversation. Understanding and explaining the meaning of meaning, therefore, is of major importance. Ludwig Wittgenstein is an important source of inspiration in conceptualizing the relation of language and what we call „reality“. Wittgenstein claimed that the limits of our language determine the limits of our world, and that world and life are one.^43 Language is thus not just a collection of words, but it is the expression of a form of life.^44 Facts are not things, but they are verbal expressions of meaningful sentences. These facts show a picture of reality and together are a model of the world. Words and sentences do not however have a fixed sense or meaning. They get their meaning from the context of life events and they are used in relation to other persons. So, what one says makes sense because of one´s daily acting. Thus, – as Wittgenstein put it – the world of the happy is quite another than that of the unhappy^45. Human experience is not simply given, but more like a conceptual network where sense and meaning varies according to when, where, and how one relates to others. Words, sentences, thoughts, and actions have varying references, denotations, connotations, implications, ambiguities, and contradictions^46. (^39) MacDonald (2017). (^40) De Shazer (2006) (^41) Concept of man is in German ‘menschenbild’. (^42) This term here is meant to include a variety of philosophical endeavours (i.e. transcendental philosophy (for example: Lütterfelds: Fichte and Wittgenstein, 1989), social constructivism (for example: Hacking: The Social Construction of What?, 1999.) or enactivism (for example: Hutto & Myin: Radicalizing Enactivism, 2012.) that are connected with core arguments of Wittgenstein’s thinking, without going into details. In this sense we take fundamental arguments from „language philosophy “that explain some theoretical implications of the solution- focused stand. (^43) Wittgenstein: Tractatus logico-philosophicus, 5.6 and 5.621. (^44) Wittgenstein: Philosophical Investigations. (^45) Wittgenstein: Tractatus logico-philosophicus, 6.43. (^46) Wittgenstein: On Certainty, § 229.
Meaning, in line of this argument, shows simply in the way people live their lives, how they connect to other people and handle things. Therefore, solution-focused practitioners pay attention to the detailed descriptions of peoples’ daily life to discover and create meaningful sentences and actions that allow the person to go about with whatever made them seek professional help.^51 Talking about forgotten, hidden and not yet considered utilizations of the words we use sets in motion a process of co-construction between persons in which altered or new meanings are generated.^52 How clients use their competences and resources – Where may I go from here? Another aspect of solution-focused practice is to address clients’ requests to orient themselves in their life, often expressed as: ‘I’m stuck!’ – ‘I can’t decide’ – ‘What should I do?’. From this perspective, solution-focused is a social practice of helping the client to become more satisfied with themselves and with their responses to their life situation. solution-focused practice is a client centered activity that takes clients’ experiences, world view and values as the base for the help. The solution-focused assumption is, as shown above, that everyone is per se capable of constructing a meaningful way of life, and has done so already, even if they think or feel stuck at some point.^53 People have also overcome past difficulties. Furthermore, they can adapt to their life circumstances and will manage to get along. They have a purpose in life, even if they may not be able to describe it in a coherent narrative.^54 Therefore, they are resourceful, competent and resilient. In other words, people have agency, and in this sense, they are the experts of their own life. Regarding clients’ agency and life, practitioners cannot know where clients will choose to go and, therefore, they do not claim to know. Helping clients to see their agency, competence, and resources in the light of their purpose of life, is considered to be a respectful, empowering, and effective way to enable them to go on with their lives and overcome whatever made them seek support. This is the solution-focused concept of man.^55 Given that people have already constructed their world and even though it might not be with sense and meaningfulness all the time, it is still meaningful to some extent and in some contexts. Therefore, there is always something to build on, and even in seemingly desperate situations people can come up with amazing coping skills, resources and resilience. Thus, the practitioner calls the client to look for her/his agency and power in life by inviting descriptions of these particular nominalizations (skills, resources, etc.) in fluid, verbal forms. Consequently, solution-focused practitioners will usually not ask questions on how and why the situation became that desperate, nor collect detail of all the hardships.^56 In order to talk about how the client can go on with her/his sense and meaning, it is not necessary to fully understand or analyze her/his view of the world (all sentences and hinges), but it is enough to establish a workable fit that allows the client to go on with „useful misunderstandings“^57. This implies that whatever the client wants to share is enough to work with. Solution-focused practitioners do not think that there has to be an agreed upon and unified way of life and they value the diversity of unique solutions by each client. Respect and support of the client’s purpose and view of the world has been chosen as the bottom line of the solution-focused practice^58. Clients are trusted to know what changes they want and trusted to collaborate as well as possible in making the change happen. This means that the solution-focused practitioner bases her/his relation with the client on the premise of respect for the client’s beliefs, autonomy, safety, and needs. It also means that the practitioner strives to minimize her/his involvement in the client’s life.^59 This is done to empower people to live a meaningful life according to their own values. (^51) Some elaboration and case examples can be found in: McKergow & Korman (2008) and Iveson & McKergow (2016). (^52) McGee, Del Vento, & Bavelas (2005). (^53) Erickson (1980). (^54) Re-establishing the purpose can be challenging in some life situations, like in loss of loved ones. (^55) In German ’Menschenbild’. (^56) McKergow & Korman (2008). (^57) Nunnally et al. (1986). (^58) for instance, the Solution-focused treatment manual (2013). (^59) These ethical choices are described in more detail in the EBTA code of ethics (2015).
Empowerment is understood as helping the client to become aware of her/his power and agency in taking control of the meaningful change s/he seeks. It is mostly personal empowerment, to some extent interpersonal empowerment in relation to significant others, and sometimes sociopolitical empowerment, to access resources and questioning commonly held truths.^60 From this choice follows that solution-focused practice is not defining a norm according to a numeric normal of statistical descriptions. Normality in mental health and life is a cultural, ideological and political choice.^61 This choice should not be mistaken for a normative value of how life or persons should be. Strengthening the client’s competences requires that the practitioner creates a safe and comfortable interactional space, where the client can express her/his thoughts well and in which the practitioner is open, curious, respectful, appreciative and genuine towards the client. This also requires that the practitioner builds on hope, positive emotions, virtues, caring, love, compassion, gratitude, and sympathy for the client and her/his environment. It is assumed that this all helps clients to cope with current hardships, broadens the scope of attention, recognize signs of change and inspires them to generate change: creating more positive emotions that further evoke skills for change.^62 solution-focused practitioners use the client’s capacity to construct and build on their and others’ useful experiences, coping strategies, problem solving abilities, learning experiences, resilience, resources, strengths, skills, talents and successes. The practitioner listens carefully to elicit and amplify what might be helpful in all phases of the conversation and change process. Some resources are implicit. Solutions are, for instance, often implied in problem descriptions. Problems can be described as unfulfilled hopes. Talking about best hopes implies that they can be achieved. Talking about past changes implies that more of them are possible. Once the client is aware of her/his power to influence, the meaning of actions and agency, there can be less emphasis on failings, inabilities, motives, conflicts, obstacles and problems. In some situations, clients need alternatives to counterproductive or harmful behavior, interaction, cognitions and feelings. In these situations, clients are helped to do something different within their repertoire and their values and frame of reference. The reasoning behind such interactions seems strikingly simple: if you are unhappy with what you did so far, try something else. Yet, to deliberately refrain from giving advice and taking an expert position of where the client could or should be, is not self-evident. To support clients’ competence even further, solution-focused practice introduces the idea of the best possible change. A best possible change can be the client’s vision, a miracle scenario, best hopes for the conversation, succeeding perfectly or another of her/his ideals. Describing the best possible change helps the clients to make sense, strengthens their competences and helps them to find the meaningfulness for themselves.^63 Sometimes the miracles even happen and clients’ lives change drastically for the better. The conversation is an intersubjective endeavor.^64 Both parties collaborate together and contribute to the result. Inevitably the practitioner influences the client in many ways, particularly through the assumptions s/he uses in his conversational tools. It is important that the practitioner is aware of the personal agenda s/he implicitly or directly contributes to the conversation. Solution-focused practitioners are aware of the fact that being helpful in a solution-focused spirit is a specific kind of agenda as well. Yet, it differs in many respects from other agendas in professional healthcare, education, coaching, amongst others. Most obvious is that there is no theory on how a person should be here and now, and there is no theory on causal or mental or social roots and reasons of problems, and no expert knowledge on what will be helpful for this client in this particular moment. solution-focused practitioners, on the one hand, intentionally influence the general direction of the conversation in promoting solution talk. In doing this, solution-focused practitioners take responsibility for their intents and choices during the conversation. The emphasis to build on existing meaning and competency, and looking for hopes and the best possible future, is already an important choice in respect to the client’s agency, as it usually leads to relatively few conversations and therefore arguably limits (^60) Rappaport et al. (1984). (^61) Berger, Luckmann, Zifonum (2002). (^62) Fredrickson (2013), Shick (2017). (^63) De Shazer et al. (2006). (^64) Peräkylä et al. (2008).
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