Nova Southeastern University NSUWorks Department of Family Therapy Dissertations CAHSS Theses, Dissertations, and Applied and Applied Clinical Projects Clinical Projects 2016 The Art of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Experiential Training for Novice Therapists in Creative Collaborative Language Lori Ann Pantaleao Nova Southeastern University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dft_etd Part of the Counselor Education Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Commons, Psychology Commons, and the Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons Share Feedback About This Item NSUWorks Citation Lori Ann Pantaleao. 2016. The Art of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Experiential Training for Novice Therapists in Creative Collaborative Language. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Family Therapy. (17) https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dft_etd/17. This Dissertation is brought to you by the CAHSS Theses, Dissertations, and Applied Clinical Projects at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Art of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Experiential Training for Novice Therapists in Creative Collaborative Language By Lori Pantaleao, LMHC, CAP A Dissertation Presented to the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences of Nova Southeastern University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Nova Southeastern University 2016 iv Copyright By Lori Pantaleao, LMHC, CAP May 2016 v vi Acknowledgments This dissertation would not have been possible without the support of many significant people in my life. Their guidance, encouragement, patience and confidence in my abilities, empowered me to achieve my highest goals. First I have to thank my Chair, Dr. Ronald Chenail. Thank you for being an instrumental piece in my development as a researcher. I cannot say thank you enough for your patience, understanding, and sprinklings of humor throughout this dissertation process. You have shared with me your love of research, which has sparked an interest in me that I never knew existed. You gave me the encouragement to pursue my aspiration of comprising a useful SFBT training program. With you by my side, I feel confident in my ability to teach qualitative research. Thank you, Dr. Ann Rambo, for all the conversations we had during my time as your teaching assistant. With your guidance, I presented my clinical case at the International Family Therapy Association (IFTA) and later went on to publish the metaphorically enhanced scale as a clinical intervention. I cannot thank you enough for assisting me in realizing I was on the path to adding a unique technique to the SFBT community. Also, without you, I would not have been able to even begin verbalizing this concept. Dr. Carol Messmore, thank you for coming on board at the recommendation of a colleague, even though the timing wasn’t perfect. Throughout this process, you have guided me from the SFBT lens, which has been most appreciated. It has been a pleasure co-collaborating with you as the MESQ continued to develop. Dr. Arlene Gordon, thank you for your significant role in my development as a clinician. You have truly been my Insoo! You will always hold a special place in my vii heart. You taught me to view each client for their own uniqueness and to be confident in my skills. It is because of you I focus on the solutions of the future, and not the problems of my past. My best friend, Natalie Rothman Young, thank you for always believing in me, even when I did not, and for your unwavering support, encouragement and motivation. Thank you for taking this long scholarly journey of master’s and doctoral programs, dissertation process, and professional development. We are officially professional students. I owe you for never letting me throw in the towel throughout our academic journey; you were always there during my dark venting moments. I love you like a sister, and want you to know you contributed to all my successes in life. There are not enough words to express my gratitude to my family. Thank you mom and dad for the endless babysitting weekends; without you both this would not have been possible. There are no words for the amount of appreciation I hold for the two of you. I can honestly say, finding out I was pregnant with Christopher in my second semester of my doctoral program was the scarcest thing I have ever faced. However, with both your support and love, I was able to find the strength to continue and successfully complete the program. I offer my everlasting gratitude to my father, who inspired me with his persistent integrity, endless courage and fierce determination to overcome all obstacles. Dad, you are the backbone of all my accomplishments in life, and I hope that I have made you proud. I love you more than words can express. To my husband, Joseph Trent, thank you for riding this roller coaster of life with me. You have been there through all the ups and downs of this doctoral and dissertation viii process. Of course there was a huge loopy-loop in the middle, which we call Christopher. Thank you for always understanding the demands of my academic and professional development, and for never allowing me to settle for anything less. I feel incredibly fortunate to have you both in my life, and know you both are my world! ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iv Table 1: Objectives, Data Collection Activities, and Outcomes .......................................57 Figure 1: Creative Recursion .............................................................................................81 Figure 2: SFBT Tenet Crosswalk ......................................................................................82 Abstract ............................................................................................................................. xii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION........................................................................................1 Solution Focused Brief Therapy.............................................................................1 Collaborative Therapeutic Alliance........................................................................6 Purpose of the Study...............................................................................................8 Position of the Researcher.....................................................................................10 Summary................................................................................................................11 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.............................................................13 Solution Focused Brief Therapy ............................................................................13 Collaborative Therapeutic Alliance and Genuine Curiosity..................................22 Exceptions and Future Orientated Questions.........................................................23 The Miracle Question............................................................................................24 The Scaling Question............................................................................................27 Creative SFBT.......................................................................................................30 Learning………….................................................................................................34 Experiential Learning............................................................................................35 Purpose of Study…...............................................................................................36 x Summary…………................................................................................................37 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................38 Qualitative Research..............................................................................................38 Action Research.....................................................................................................38 Instructional System Design ..................................................................................40 Method……...........................................................................................................40 Ethical Considerations...........................................................................................52 Summary……........................................................................................................55 CHAPTER IV: RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS .....................................56 Kirkpatrick Level #1: Experience..........................................................................58 Kirkpatrick Level #2: Learning.............................................................................68 Kirkpatrick Level #3: Behavior.............................................................................71 Kirkpatrick Level #4: Results/Data Collection......................................................75 Summary or Findings.............................................................................................79