Brief Therapy

What Is Brief Therapy?

Brief therapy is a short-term psychotherapy that is focused on the treatment instead of the causes of the problem. There is a collaborative relationship between a patient and a therapist, which ensures actively working towards a common goal.
As opposed to long-term therapy, which aims to identify the cause of a problem, brief therapy emphasises the present by using goal-orientated methods. Therapists prioritise specific behavioural changes over exploring psychic causality to achieve results in a shorter time frame. The total number of sessions generally ranges between 6-15.

Short History of Brief Therapy

Brief therapy emphasises short-term treatment and has a solution-centric approach. Richard Fisch, John Weakland, and Paul Watzlawick at the Brief Therapy Centre at the Mental Research Institute were the pioneers of this therapy. Established in 1966, this therapy worked as a precursor of many goal-orientated therapeutic methods.

Types of Brief Therapy

1. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
More than focusing on the root cause of the problem, SFBT focuses on analysing problems. This therapy empowers a patient to make the best of their abilities to achieve their goals quickly.

2. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT addresses unhelpful thoughts and alters negative thought patterns. The therapy aims to alter unhelpful thought patterns to change the mindset of a patient.

3. Narrative Therapy
This short therapy motivates a person to reframe his or her personal stories. The aim is to separate the patient from the problem and increase objectivity in approach.

4. Strategic Therapy
This therapy uses specific techniques to address problems and introduce immediate solutions. The aim is to change thinking patterns within the family and people around the patient.

5. Psychodynamic Brief Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy explores unconscious and negative thought patterns among patients. Therapists aim to understand behaviour and offer emotional relief to patients.

6. Interpersonal Therapy
Patients often suffer from impaired relationships among people. The purpose of the therapy is to relieve a patient of emotional distress and work on their communication skills.

7. Crisis Intervention Therapy
Patients redevelop their coping strategies when exposed to triggers and regain control over their emotions. This is the best short-term therapy for patients who have suffered from trauma and are not able to restart their life.

8. Systemic Therapy
Systemic therapy addresses relational dynamics within families to resolve conflicts. This therapy is effective as it focuses on collective solutions.

9. Mindfulness-Based Brief Therapy
Techniques included in the therapy enhance mindfulness by teaching a patient to meditate and breathe consciously. The aim is to improve emotional regulation and reduce stress in a short period.

10. Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt therapy focuses on concentrating on the present moment instead of pondering the past. The aim is to resolve unaddressed conflicts, prevent relapse, and ensure personal regrowth after suffering from a disorder.

What Are the Benefits of Brief Therapy?

• Brief therapy is a solution-focused approach that effectively decreases the severity of addiction. This therapy alleviates trauma-related symptoms and eases post-traumatic stress.
• Brief therapy reduces the severity of marital problems by focusing on smooth communication. The treatment has proven to be effective in treating burnout among working women or even housewives.
• Children with special needs have proven to perform better. Behavioural challenges and clear interactions help a patient perform better.
• Conduct disorders and conflict management skills can be effectively managed in a short period. Working individuals, school-going students, and people from all walks of life can opt for online sessions.
• The therapy is effective in treating social anxiety disorder, depression, and those suffering from low self-esteem. It offers a constructive path for complete emotional well-being.

What Are the Various Brief Therapy Techniques?

• Positive Reinforcement
  This technique includes rewarding a patient whenever he or she shows progress. The aim is to build resilience through motivation to ensure success and prevent relapse. Positive behaviours and their benefits are reinforced.
• Cognitive Restructuring
  Replacing negative thoughts with positive ones is included in cognitive restructuring. Therapists identify negative behaviour and try to alter it permanently.
• Solution-Focused Questioning
  Asking certain pertinent questions is a part of solution-focused questioning. Since it is a part of brief therapy, mental health professionals simply ask the patient what worked in the past that improved their condition.
• Talk Therapy
  By asking miracle questions and scaling questions, therapists can trace the problem early on. Miracle questions encourage a person to think about what life would be like if he were treated properly, whereas scaling questions allow a patient to rate their problems to track improvement.
• Behavioural Experimentation
  Behavioural experimentation encourages patients to adopt new behaviour patterns and understand what works best. The aim is to make them realise what works best for them and what changes in behaviour can improve their condition.

How Does Brief Therapy Work?

• Therapists start with focusing on the present and how to frame the future. Unlike other extensive therapies, the past or deep-rooted issues are not explored.
• Collaborative goal-setting between therapists and patients helps them to recover faster. The approach is extremely result-orientated, and progress after every session is recorded.
• Mental health experts adopt a strength-based approach. The aim is to overcome obstacles in routine so that the patient can restore normalcy in behaviour as soon as possible.
• Specific treatment techniques like solution-based questions and behaviour-centric questions are used to encourage progress. Therapists aim to shift the perspective of clients and adopt a positive way of living.
• Since the results are expected in a limited number of sessions, therapists prioritise troublesome behaviours only for long-term transformations.