Solution-focused approaches in psychiatric/mental health nursing

Multiple social and financial factors dictate that therapies of all kinds be oriented toward producing measurable changes in clients. Crisis intervention is one therapy approach that often produces measurable changes in clients. However, this approach may not be useful for individuals unable to identify a precipitating event, or who want change beyond returning to a previous level of functioning. This article reviews the basic tenets of solution-focused therapy in order to orient nurses to its potential utility for psychiatric/mental health practice.