Solution-Focused Therapy in Melbourne.
Most therapy starts with the problem — where it came from, how it works, why it persists. Solution-Focused Therapy starts somewhere different: with what life would look like if things were better, and with the moments — however small — when they already are.
It's a brief, practical, future-directed approach built on a simple premise: you already have strengths and resources, and there are already exceptions to the problem. Therapy's job is to find them and do more of what works. Our Melbourne psychologists offer it at Carlton, St Kilda and by telehealth.
Finding what already works.
Solution-focused sessions are organised around a few deceptively simple tools. You'll build a concrete picture of your preferred future — what would actually be different, in observable detail, if the problem were gone (a version of the famous "miracle question"). You'll hunt for exceptions: the times the problem is absent or smaller, and what you're doing differently in those moments — because those exceptions are evidence, and they're the raw material for change. And you'll use scaling — "where are you from 0 to 10 this week, and what would move you half a point?" — to turn vague progress into visible, buildable steps. Between sessions, you do more of what the exceptions revealed. It's respectful, energising work: the assumption throughout is that you're resourceful, not broken.
Where a brief approach shines.
Solution-Focused Therapy suits clear, goal-shaped situations: life transitions and adjustment difficulties, work stress, decision points, motivation, confidence for a specific challenge, and mild-to-moderate low mood or worry where you want practical momentum quickly. It's also a natural fit for EAP sessions, where a limited number of sessions rewards a focused approach. It's honest about its scope, too: for entrenched, complex or long-standing difficulties — trauma, OCD, personality-level patterns — approaches built for depth, like Schema Therapy or EMDR, are the better tools, and your psychologist will say so. Solution-focused techniques also blend well into other therapies, keeping even deep work oriented toward what you actually want.
Frequently asked questions.
Does solution-focused mean ignoring the problem?
No — it means not getting stuck in it. The problem is acknowledged and taken seriously; the working attention just goes to what moves you forward, because analysing a problem and solving it are different activities.
How many sessions will I need?
Often fewer than you'd expect — solution-focused work is designed to be brief, and each session aims to be useful on its own. Your psychologist will review progress with you openly as you go.
What if my difficulties turn out to be deeper than this approach suits?
Then we'll tell you, and recommend the right tool — that's the advantage of a practice with a broad toolkit. Starting solution-focused loses nothing; anything you build carries over.
Do I need a referral?
No — you can book directly. A GP referral with a Mental Health Treatment Plan is only needed if you'd like to claim the Medicare rebate.
Start from your strengths.
Book a session at Carlton, St Kilda or by telehealth — and put what already works to work.
Reviewed by Dr Simon Vincenzi, Clinical Psychologist and Director of Clarity Psychology.