Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Toolkit for Schools: Creative and Group Strategies

By Cynthia Franklin, Matthew J. Riley, Joy Blythe

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Toolkit for Schools: Creative and Group Strategies is a hands-on guide designed for school social workers who want to apply solution-focused skills in real, day-to-day school contexts. It demonstrates effective practice with ready-to-use tools, group activities, and creative interventions-all grounded in real-life school-based scenarios and largely inspired by the work of school social workers and teachers. Whether you are running a student group, supporting an individual student in crisis, or training other clinicians and educators in solution-focused practices, this book provides practical and straightforward descriptions of SFBT principles and strategies that you can begin using immediately.

Inside, you will find creative exercises to engage students in goal-setting, reflection, and growth; language strategies to help students subtly shift into a creative, solution-building perspective; adaptable group strategies for goal-setting, identifying strengths, and working in groups; real-world case studies that show how SFBT works in diverse school settings; and brief intervention tools for quick, strengths-based conversations.

Created for social workers new to solution-focused work as well as those looking to deepen their practice, this book is go-to resource for making the approach practical, student-centered, and effective-right where it matters most.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0197818013
• ISBN13: 9780197818015
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 184 Pages