THERAPY

I offer therapy and counselling in person, in a pleasant suite of therapy rooms in Hackney, East London, as well as online or by telephone, if preferred. My main approach is called solution-focused brief therapy, in which I have specialised for many years. I also train other helping professionals in the approach and have written one of its leading text books.

Solution-focused therapy

Solution-focused therapy, or solution-focused brief therapy as it is also known, is a constructive, future-focused and strengths-based approach that looks towards hope and possibilities rather than at problems and the past.

There is lots more information about this approach and how it can help you in the Q&A section below.

I have a private practice, offering solution-focused therapy and consultation, in person in East London (E8, near Hackney Central) and also online and by telephone. I am available on weekdays between 9am and 5pm.

I have done much of my counselling and therapy 'pro bono' in community settings, and I also offer reduced rates for people who would not be able to afford therapy otherwise. My standard session fee is £65 per session.

If you are interested in solution-focused therapy, please do get in touch - contact details below - and we can take it from there.

A different, hopeful & effective approach to therapy

Solution-focused brief therapy is different than most other talking therapy approaches, as rather than focusing on the problems people have, its focus is on their hopes. Starting with the person’s best hopes from the therapy leads to a focus on the future and on the strengths and resources that can contribute to bringing a desired future about.

Research suggests that this way of working is effective and also efficient, in that it tends to be helpful in a relatively small number of sessions - less than five on average.

One way to find out more about solution-focused brief therapy, and in particular about what happens in a first session, is to listen to this podcast in which I am interviewed about the approach -https://sfpodcast.podbean.com/e/ep-1-what-is-solution-focused-practice.

I will also be happy to talk with you about the approach if you make contact to discuss the possibility of having therapy with me.

My contact details are at the bottom of the page.

I am fully insured as a therapist and supervisor; a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy; and an accredited member of the UK Association for Solution Focused Practice, of which I am a founder member.

Q&A

  • Solution-focused brief therapy is a talking therapy that has become increasingly popular since first being developed in the early 1980s. Its starting point is based on the assumption that someone who decides to see a therapist is hoping that this will lead somewhere useful for them, that something will be different as a result of the therapy. This leads to a focus on the person’s hopes from the therapy, rather than on the problems they have been experiencing. Solution-focused therapy sessions then focus mainly on the person’s hoped-for future, and on progress that they are making towards it. The close attention given to the small details of preferred futures and progress being made typically helps people to see possibilities previously hidden from view, and thereby make the changes they are hoping for.

  • People often wonder what is meant by “brief” in the name of this therapy. It does not mean there is a fixed number of sessions, and clients are able to continue coming for as long as they are finding this useful. However, the approach often proves to be useful after only a small number of sessions, less than 5 on average, and it is not uncommon for people to find that just one or two sessions get them moving in the right direction.

  • Solution-focused brief therapy is potentially useful for anyone who has difficulties and is prepared to talk with a therapist to help overcome them. These include anxiety, depression, stress, relationship issues, work-related problems, issues arising from trauma, alcohol or substance use, family-based difficulties, and a range of other similar troubles. The research suggests there is an excellent chance of a good outcome in such cases.

  • If you would like to hear about what typically happens in a first solution-focused therapy session, you could listen to this interview with me in the first of the UK Association of Solution Focused Practice podcast series.

    Most importantly, you can expect to be listened to, and for your hopes from the therapy to be at the centre of what happens. The questions you are asked will come from what you say, and your hopes in particular, rather than from theories the therapist holds. You can expect not to have to retell problem stories you might have told many times before, while at the same time you will have the space you need to talk about your difficulties. At these and all other times, you will also experience a curiosity about your strengths and resources, and about your hopes and what you want to be happening in your life.

    There is a growing body of research that tells us of the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy. This news article from December 2021 refers to a positive report that brought together results from 360 studies from around the world.

  • Here are a few typical comments from clients of mine:

    “I can fully endorse Guy Shennan's professionalism as a solution-focused therapist. He listens with intelligence and comes with an open mind. He created a feeling of real partnership in solving the issue I came to the sessions with. His approach worked and together we created a way forward. As a result of this fast-track approach, I am now happier and growing in happiness day by day.”

    “After using this service for a second time, it has given me the confidence to not only make a decision but to believe in that decision, and carry it forward and change the parts of my life I felt out of control in.”

    “I like the way Guy got me to think of ways of helping myself instead of giving me all the answers.”

    “You got me to realise that it wasn’t just Matthew who needed help. You showed me that I needed to change my approach to things as well, without making me feel that I wasn’t a good mother.”

    “We were always given time, never made to feel that we were a nuisance and always came away feeling more positive.”

    “Questions were asked of us which made us think about things in a different way.”

  • I have been using solution-focused brief therapy since the mid-1990s. I am now a leading practitioner and trainer in the international solution-focused community.

    My work is also informed by systemic practice and narrative therapy, which I have also trained in.

    I have been teaching helping professionals to use the solution-focused approach in their work since the late-1990s. The second edition of my book, Solution-Focused Practice: Effective Communication to Facilitate Change, was published in 2019.