Problem:
In Solution-Focused Therapy, scaling questions help clients turn personal feelings into something more concrete and easier to talk about (Cavaiola & Colford, 2018). When Berg asks how the client's husband might rate her emotional control, the goal is not to analyze the marital conflict but to highlight the client's strengths and abilities (Berg, 1997). This type of question helps the client see that she is already doing some things well, even when she feels overwhelmed. Scaling also helps the therapist and client identify where the client is now and consider small, realistic steps for improvement. When the client tries to focus on her disagreement with her husband, the therapist does not follow that direction because it could shift the session into problem-focused discussion. Solution-Focused Therapy avoids dwelling on problems because it can increase defensiveness and reduce hope. Instead, Berg brings the conversation back to the scaling question. Through follow-up questions, it becomes clear that the client has more emotional control than she realizes. Given the stress of caring for her baby, managing her marriage, and dealing with family issues, her reactions are understandable, and she is functioning better than she thinks. At the end of the session, Berg and Steve de Shazer give the client a message that includes a compliment, a bridge, and a task. They compliment her by noting that she is functioning slightly above normal given her situation. Need Assignment Help?