Solution Focused Therapy in Edmonton
A forward-looking, strengths-based approach that treats you as the expert on your own life — and helps you build on what's already working.
Looking forward, not backward
Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) — also called Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) — is a goal-directed, collaborative approach that concentrates on the present and future rather than exploring past problems or their causes.
Unlike many traditional therapies, SFT starts from the belief that you already have the strengths and resources needed to create change. Problems are treated as a normal part of life, not as something fundamentally wrong with you. The work is about identifying what's already working, amplifying those strengths, and building practical pathways forward.
Sessions are typically shorter in duration than other therapy models — many clients find meaningful progress in just 5–8 sessions — making it a highly accessible and efficient option for those who want results without open-ended treatment.
Core Principles of SFT
- If it isn't broken, don't fix it
- Find what works and do more of it
- If something isn't working, try something different
- Small steps can lead to big changes
- You are the expert on your own life
- Every problem has exceptions — moments when it doesn't occur
- Change is constant and inevitable
- Cooperation is essential: the therapist follows the client's lead
Solutions live within you
At Summit, our SFT-trained clinicians help you articulate a clear picture of your preferred future — what your life looks like when things are going well — and then work backward to identify the small, concrete steps that can get you there.
We use techniques like the "miracle question," scaling questions, and identifying exceptions to your problems to help you recognize your own resilience and capability. This isn't about ignoring pain — it's about channelling your energy toward what's possible.
"The focus is not on the problem — it's on you, and your vision of a better future."
What can SFT help with?
Solution Focused Therapy is effective across a wide range of life challenges. It works especially well when you have a clear sense of what you want to be different — even if you're not sure how to get there.
Anxiety & Depression
Shift focus from what's wrong to what's possible — building momentum through small, achievable changes.
Stress & Burnout
Identify what's draining you and collaboratively map out sustainable paths to balance and recovery.
Relationship Conflicts
Clarify shared goals in couples and family therapy, and build on strengths already present in your relationships.
Life Transitions
Career changes, new parenthood, retirement, loss — SFT helps you navigate change by anchoring to your vision of the future.
Self-Esteem & Motivation
Reconnect with your strengths and past successes to rebuild confidence and a sense of purpose.
Child & Teen Therapy
A respectful, non-pathologizing approach that resonates well with younger clients who want to be heard, not analyzed.
Grief & Loss
Honor what you've lost while gently exploring what life can look like as you move forward.
Work-Life Balance
Get clarity on your priorities and take concrete steps toward a life that feels more aligned.
Sport & Performance
Set clear performance goals and use SFT's strength-based lens to get out of your own way.
Men's Mental Health
A practical, action-oriented approach that fits naturally for those who prefer problem-solving over process.
First Responders & Veterans
Build on existing resilience and coping skills while working toward a clear vision of wellbeing.
Personality & Mood Disorders
Used alongside other modalities to help clients identify what's working and build on it, session by session.
What to expect
SFT sessions at Summit are collaborative, practical, and grounded in your own goals. Here's how the process typically unfolds.
Define Your Goal
We start by getting clear on what you want — not what's wrong, but what a better life actually looks like for you. Your therapist will use the "miracle question" and other tools to help you articulate this vision.
Find the Exceptions
When is the problem not happening? Your therapist helps you identify moments when things go well, and what's different in those moments — these exceptions are the seeds of change.
Build on Strengths
Together, you identify existing resources — skills, relationships, past successes — and explore how to put them to work. You already have more than you think.
Take Small Steps
SFT focuses on small, achievable steps between sessions. Even tiny shifts in behaviour can create meaningful momentum. Progress is measured, celebrated, and built upon.
Tools your therapist uses
SFT has a distinctive set of techniques that set it apart from other approaches — all designed to orient you toward solutions, strengths, and possibilities.
The Miracle Question
Your therapist asks: "If you woke up tomorrow and a miracle had happened overnight — the problem was gone — what would be different? What would you notice?" This powerful question helps you articulate your goals in concrete, vivid terms.
Scaling Questions
You rate things on a scale of 1–10: how close are you to your goal? How confident are you? This creates measurable benchmarks and helps you track progress in a way that feels real and motivating.
Exception Finding
Together, you explore times when the problem doesn't occur — or is less severe. These exceptions reveal what's already working and point toward solutions hiding in plain sight.
Coping Questions
When things feel overwhelmingly difficult, your therapist asks how you've managed to cope as well as you have. This shifts the lens from "why is this so hard?" to "what strengths am I already using?"
Clinicians who practice SFT
Our therapists integrate Solution Focused Therapy alongside other evidence-based approaches, tailoring each session to your unique goals and circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
You already have what it takes.
Let's find it together.
Our Solution Focused therapists are accepting new clients across Edmonton, St. Albert, Windermere, and online throughout Alberta.
Summit Counselling Services acknowledges that we operate on Treaty 6 territory, the traditional lands of the Cree, Nakota Sioux, Saulteaux, and Blackfoot peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation. We are committed to culturally safe and inclusive care for all.
Summit Counselling Services is a counselling practice operating our of Edmonton and St. Albert. We provide clinical services to children, adolescents, adults, seniors, couples, and families. We have a talented team of Edmonton psychologists, therapists and counsellors with a wide range of specializations and trainings at Summit Counselling Services who would be honoured to walk beside you on your journey. At Summit, we believe in therapy your way. Our goal is to customize your psychotherapy and counselling sessions to best suit your needs. We believe in the differences and unique perspectives each person brings to therapy and incorporate these into our work with you.