Reason for Session and Context
- What brought the client to therapy, or the focus of the current session
- Framed around what the client wants to be different
- Any relevant updates or changes since the last session
Client’s Best Hopes and Preferred Future
- Client’s stated best hopes for therapy or for their life
- Specific, behavioural descriptions of the preferred future
- Integration of miracle question response, if used
- Goals or outcomes the client hopes to achieve
Progress and Change
- Positive differences or improvements since the last session or before the first session
- What the client has been doing differently that contributed to these changes
- What is already working in the client’s life
- Client’s own explanation of how changes happened
Exceptions to the Problem
- Times when the problem is less severe, absent, or better managed
- What the client was doing differently during exception times
- Contextual factors present during exceptions (who was there, what was happening)
- Past solutions or successful coping strategies
Progress and Scaling
- All scaling questions used and the client’s responses
- For each scale: current rating, what places them there rather than lower, what would be “good enough”, and what one point higher would look like
- Client’s overall assessment of their position on their journey
Client Strengths, Resources, and Abilities
- Strengths, skills, and personal qualities identified during the session
- Support systems, past successes, and available resources
- How the client has managed or survived their difficulties
- VIPs (Very Important Persons) and what they appreciate about the client
Compliments and Affirmations
- Direct and indirect compliments given during the session
- Validation of client’s efforts and recognition of progress
- Questions used to invite the client to recognise their own competence
Interventions and Techniques Used
- Specific SFT techniques employed (e.g., miracle question, exception-finding, scaling, coping questions, relationship questions, presuppositional questions, compliments)
- Client’s engagement with each technique and notable responses
Client Engagement and Insights
- Level of engagement with the solution-focused approach
- Shifts from problem-focused to solution-focused thinking
- Moments of increased hopefulness or recognition of competence
- Key “aha moments” or important themes
Between-Session Tasks and Next Steps
- Experiments, tasks, or suggestions offered for between sessions
- What the client agreed to try, notice, or do more of
- Client’s confidence in completing tasks
- Plans for next session including day, date, and time if discussed
Summary
- Brief recap covering: preferred future/best hopes, key exceptions or strengths, current scaling position, and between-session tasks
Reason for Session and Context
- Emma attended her third session wanting to feel “less overwhelmed at home and more like myself again.”
- Work demands have increased recently.
- She reported one difficult week since the last session, but also some more manageable days.
Client’s Best Hopes and Preferred Future
- Emma’s best hope is to feel calm and present with her family in the evenings after work.
- She described coming home, cooking without feeling rushed, and genuinely listening to her partner — her partner noticing she was “actually listening” was identified as a key sign of change.
- A first small step would be leaving work without checking emails before bed.
Progress and Change
- Emma went for a short walk after dinner on two evenings in the past fortnight, which she described as “surprisingly helpful.”
- She felt more settled and slept better on those nights, attributing this to deciding to “just start moving, even when I didn’t feel like it.”
Exceptions to the Problem
- Weekend mornings were identified as consistently better — no obligations, slow breakfast, no phone — creating a sense of ease Emma wants to bring into weekdays.
- Emma also recalled managing work stress well eighteen months ago by keeping a brief morning to-do list.
Progress and Scaling
- Progress toward preferred future: rated 4/10. Factors keeping her at 4 included the evening walks, improved sleep, and consistent therapy attendance.
- “Good enough” identified as 6/10; one point higher (5/10) would look like leaving work on time at least three days per week.
- Confidence in completing between-session tasks: rated 7/10.
Client Strengths, Resources, and Abilities
- Strong self-awareness — Emma readily identified what was helping and why.
- Supportive partner (VIP) who notices when Emma is more settled and responds with warmth.
- Persistence demonstrated by initiating the evening walks despite low motivation.
Compliments and Affirmations
- Complimented on noticing what was working during a difficult fortnight.
- Asked “How did you manage to get yourself out for those walks when you were feeling so flat?” to invite reflection on her own resourcefulness.
Interventions and Techniques Used
- Exception-finding questions: identified weekend mornings and the to-do list period as times Emma managed better.
- Scaling questions: progress toward preferred future and confidence in between-session tasks.
- Relationship questions: what Emma’s partner would notice as things improved.
- Presuppositional questions: oriented Emma toward behavioural change in her preferred future.
Client Engagement and Insights
- Emma engaged well and showed increased energy when discussing exceptions and strengths.
- Key insight: recognising she had independently initiated her own solution — “I didn’t realise I was already doing something that worked.”
- Shifted from describing herself as “stuck” to expressing quiet optimism by session’s end.
Between-Session Tasks and Next Steps
- Continue evening walks at least twice before next session; notice what makes those evenings feel different.
- Observe one weekday morning and identify one thing to carry across from weekend mornings.
- Next session: Wednesday, 5 March 2025 at 10:00 AM.
Summary
Emma’s preferred future centres on feeling calm and present with her family after work. Key exceptions included weekend mornings and self-initiated evening walks, which Emma recognised as evidence of her own capacity for change. She rated progress at 4/10, with 5/10 as the next milestone. Emma agreed to continue her walks and observe what elements of her weekend mornings she can bring into the working week.
