2. The following concepts related to Solution-Focused Brief Therapy are not my own. Solution Focused Brief Therapy was created roughly 30 years ago by Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer. By redirecting the attention from the problem to the solution, Insoo and Steve noticed clients becoming more hopeful and thus more interested in creating a better life for themselves and their families. I was introduced to Solution-Focused Brief Therapy by Teri Pichot. Teri conducts an informative and inspirational training in Denver, Colorado and can be reached through her website at www.denversolutions.com. www.denversolutions.com

3. Solution focused therapy is a goal-directed collaborative approach to psychotherapeutic change that is conducted through direct observation of the client’s responses to a series of precisely constructed questions. For Example:

4. Client: I hate my mom! She is the worst! Counselor: What do you wish it was like with your mom? Client: I wish she would stop telling me how to live my life. Counselor: What would she do instead? Client: She would listen to me. Counselor: Has the ever been a time where she has listened to you? Client: Yeah. When we talked about moving to Colorado. Counselor: Wow! What did you do to improve the likelihood of your mom hearing you about Colorado? Client: I was calm and sincere. Counselor: Would your mom listen to you better about this if you were calm and sincere? Client: Probably. Counselor: When you go home today and talk to your mom, what will she see in you that lets her know you are calm and sincere?

5. Being solution-focused, when the client says, “ I hate my mom! She’s the worst!” the counselor does not ask why or what happened but rather asks, “What do you wish it was like with your mom instead?” This redirects the session to the solution, rather than focusing on the problem. We know whatever we focus on gets bigger, so the counselor prompts the client to think of an exception to his mom “never” listening. Once the client thinks of this exception and realizes his mom can listen, the counselor asks the client what he can do to improve the odds of his mom listening. This question is empowering and redirects the client to think of the ways to improve the odds of his mom listening that are within his control. Then, the counselor speaks from a place of future success by asking, “When you go home today and talk to your mom, what will she see in you that lets her know you are calm and sincere?” Having the client answer this question in a future place of success is crucial. Once this question is answered, the client gradually unpacks how he did this in that future place of success and lays out the steps for himself to recreate it in the present. Once the successful steps are unpacked, the client has a tangible, step-by-step way of approaching his mom.

6. During a 4-week program, groups of 4 will participate in weekly sessions in the following format: 15 minute check-in 1 hour free skate 15 minute check-out with “homework” in between sessions During free skate, the counselor moves around to each of the four kids to build the mentorship relationship – the basis for what has made this program effective. After the 4-week program, the group will leave with a unique bond with their fellow group members, skills for self-regulation and an increased sense of self- esteem.

7. Check In: 1.) The counselor helps the group develop a detailed description of the goal and what time well-spent participating in the group will look like. 2.) The counselor assists participants in evaluating where he/she is in relation to their desired goal through a series of 6 carefully constructed and delivered questions. Free Skate: At this point, the counselor moves around and skates with each participant to build the mentorship relationship - the basis for what has made this program effective. This portion of the curriculum also allows for kids to bond with each other so they have a social support system after the program concludes. Check Out: “I want each of you to think of the tiniest thing you could do to slightly increase the odds of you getting closer to the goal we talked about in the beginning.” *IMPORTANT NOTE* Homework should be strictly a mental process. Studies confirm requesting physical action decreases the likelihood of participants taking action, even if they were already planning on it. Studies also show once the participant takes mental action, physical action is highly likely to follow.

8. Check In: 1.) Homework check-in. Every participant will have completed the homework because it was a mental process. They can do it in the moment even if they forgot. 2.) Relationship questions. These are so important to the concepts of contributing to the community (as mentioned in slide 9) by assisting participants to explore how these changes impact all elements of their systems, ranging from friends, family, teachers and community. This is accomplished through a series of carefully constructed and delivered questions. For example, “Who would be the first to notice if things got better? What would they see in you that lets them know things have gotten better?” Free Skate: The counselor will move around and skate with each participant. At this stage, kids typically open up and the trusting relationship begins… all over the common love of skateboarding. Check Out: Pick something in your day to day life that you are trying to improve. Pay attention to when this thing is just a little better and think about what made the difference.

9. Check In: Homework check-in. Hopefully each participant will have done the mental homework. If they did not, there is a powerful therapeutic opportunity available. The counselor will then ask, “What did you do instead that you knew was best for you?” When phrased in this manner, participants do not feel like they need to defend their actions and will typically tell the group what, in hindsight, would have helped them more by choosing another option. Example: Counselor: How did you decide it was a better choice for you to play video games instead of talking to your mom? Client: It probably wasn’t the better choice, I was just feeling lazy. Counselor: How do you know it was not the better choice? Client: Because after playing video games, I was not any closer to my goal of talking to my mom. Free Skate: Everyone is usually skating together at this point! Check Out: Counselor: “Imagine that when you go to bed tonight, a miracle happens. The miracle is that the problem is gone! However, since you were asleep, you are unaware that a miracle happened. What would be the first things that let you know this miracle happened?”

10. Check In: 1.) Homework check-in. “What would let you know that, yes! Things have changed?” 2.) “What is one tiny thing you can do to improve your odds of these things getting better?” Free Skate: While skating with each kid individually, the counselor helps them unpack their mental roadmap to success by asking questions geared toward however they responded to the 2 questions at check-in. Check Out: Enjoy our last time together as a group. The counselor will get each participant a small token that serves as a symbolic memento to their roadmap for success.

11. In summary, the purpose behind integrating skateboarding with Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is to: Provide safe mentorship to adolescence who may otherwise be resistant to traditional services. Provide a self starting, long term coping resource through the concepts of physical exercise. Create a safer, healthier community by supporting our youth.