Solution-focused counselling is a process by which Career Advisors affirm student’s best qualities and strengths. It encourages student’s to take responsibility for the direction, evolution and management of their career goals.
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Solution Focused Theory and Career Practice
Solution-focused counselling is a constructivist approach developed in the 1980s by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg (Berg, 1994; de Shazer, 1985;).
Solution-focused counselling is a process of collaborative inquiry in which Career Advisors selectively affirm the student’s best qualities and strengths. It encourages student agency for the direction, evolution and management of their career goals. It is a “HOPE” based theory and has students looking to their “preferred future”. Conversations are based around what they want their life to be like, what they are already good at and what they have done already in relation to their career plan. The model assumes the following:-
- Each person is unique and the student is the expert in their own life
- Students have inherent strengths and resources to help themselves.
- Change is constant and emphasis should be on what is changeable and possible
A three-stage strategy for career coaching in a solution-focused manner includes: –
- Clarification of where they are at and the setting of a career-identified goal.
- Acknowledgement of the client’s context and resources may include a variety of things, such as interests, strengths and skills, as well as effort, motivation and time.
- The co-construction of an achievable homework task or activity, relevant to the student’s strengths, successes and goals.
Stage One: – Problem clarification and development of client-identified goals.
Understand what they want to achieve, why they have come to see you and what they want you to help them with. Initial questions would include “What would you like to get from us working together?”, “Have you had any thoughts about how you would like me to support you with these decisions? “How could we make the best use of the time we have together to help you move towards this first step?”, “What is your goal in coming here today?” and “What thoughts do you have about your career goal?” When the student answers one of these questions, you listen, acknowledge the problem and then ask a goal setting question. For example, if the student indicates that his reason for coming to career counselling is that he feels confused about career plans, you can shift to a goal-setting question by asking: “Given that you feel ‘confused’ about where you are going, how will you know when you are no longer confused?” If the student responded to one of these questions, “I will have decided on a training course”, then you can help the student describe why this is the best option for them and what might be different now they have made a decision.
Stage two: Building student self-helpfulness by helping them recognise their resources.
The Solution Focused approach emphasises the student as the expert of themselves. Our job is to support them to discover this through questioning and different career guidance activities. Using the ‘miracle question’ for some students helps them picture where they would like to be if there were no barriers. This question encourages students to imagine their desired future, allowing them to believe in the possibility of this future and helping them to identify concrete steps they can take to make it happen. Using scales in career interviews helps the student to focus on where they are at right now and think about what steps they need to take so they can move at least +1 up the scale. Using a large piece of paper or a white board to draw the scale, helps the student participate in the process. On a scale of one to ten, students are asked where they would place themself. Questions are asked around why this number e.g. why a 4 not a 3. The idea is to establish the reality and understand what work has been done already before we can move forward. For example a student might say in order to be higher on the scale “I need to find out if I do a Bachelor of Arts what work this type of study can lead to.” You would then ask questions to encourage moving up the scale, “What would be the first step you could make to move towards a 5?” Always ask “what else” and try to get at least 3 different options. You can suggest ideas but ask their permission first – ‘do you mind if I suggest some ideas?”
Stage three: constructing a meaningful message
Effective solution-focused coaching is brief, it focuses on students’ plans, and it encourages them to leave the session with a clear sense of how to move towards achieving their goals. At the end of the interview you might suggest that the student attempt a small, achievable, homework task, activity or thought that links with their goal statement and career idea. An example of the final solution-focused message “You have come here today because you want to find a course of study which involves maths and science and about which you feel passionate (goal statement). You have also told me that you have discovered some courses that don’t interest you and that you want to look at two courses that you think may capture your interest (self-helpfulness). This is great, you already have some indicators that help you decide whether or not courses are ones about which you can feel passionate (potential solution).You have also said that you would feel more confident about choosing a course if you could sit in on some classes or talk to a tutor (exception, potential solution). So, you have made a good start on finding a course (strength) – note the message should be future-oriented and emphasise student success.
