The way I speak on this blog, I allow my words to flow freely and may say things potentially offensive. This is okay because blogging and therapy are very different creatures. I think the coolest thing that could happen from writing this blog post is that others will begin dialogue in the comments section.

To be able to work with a diverse population and be effective in achieving treatment plan goals is something that many counselors desire. I feel like SFBT will increase my efficacy when working with various populations that have different backgrounds than me.

I have probably come across another single bisexual Hispanic female that was raised in poverty with a mentally ill mother and are now part of the middle class. While others may share my upbringing and lens of the world, the fact is that most people sitting across from me have an entirely different lens through which they see the world. The freedom that SFBT allows is for me to explore the world through each consumer’s lens and each individual’s experiences.

Some of the worst things a counselor can say in my opinion include “get over it,” “I understand,” and “it will get better with time.” Who the hell am I to say with any accuracy that the proverbial ‘it’ will always get better with the passing of time?! With good intentions, clinicians have the ability to enhance potentiation or do serious damage. The most appealing piece of SFBT is it has not been found to cause any harm.

Occasionally I speak before thinking, a good example of that is when I told a coworker that he did not strike me as a “male man,” at which time he informed me he was very much a manly man and did all sorts of manly things like working on cars and watching sports. Can you imagine if I put my foot that far in my mouth in a session with a consumer?! By allowing the consumer to set the language for the session, nothing said will be offensive because I can use their language. I can ask questions with curiosity without saying something potentially indelicate.

“Solutions need not be directly related to the problems they are meant to solve.” -Steve de Shazer