Brief strategic therapy was born in America at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, California. In Italy, the model is introduced in the 80s and since then successfully used in thousands of situations of distress, from simple to complex. The main strength of the strategic model is the ability to produce tangible results in a very short time (the concept of effectiveness).

The method makes use of strategies able to quickly stop the pathological process that generates the discomfort. The therapeutic practice has significant differences compared to the traditional psychotherapeutic setting: the meetings are not based solely on listening but on a continuous interaction between patient and therapist, and therapeutic prescriptions of behavior that is real indications to "follow" or "run" . These statements produce rapid and decisive changes. The patient will address the problem so acute phase and after the "release" of the symptoms return to normal life.

In summary, the brief strategic therapy is based on:

  • sophisticated dialogue techniques to analyze the mechanisms of persistence of the problem;
  • proven, effective problem-solving techniques.

The brief strategic therapist works in the "here and now" of the problem, opting for a working diagnosis rather than descriptive with the intent to "take action" rather than "grade before intervening," thus reducing healing times / solution. Since the first session, the therapist's approach to strategic brief:

  • define, in agreement with the patient, the primary objective to be achieved;
  • will develop specific strategies for action;
  • provide to the patient effective tools to tackle the problem.

The cause of the problem to its solution

According to the strategic approach is important to investigate the cause of the problem as its solution. I often tell my patients, "the initial cause is just a spark, the rest depends on us." Given that psychological problems are the product of human interaction that has life in the present of those who bear the discomfort, so it becomes essential to analyze the interactive mechanism which - in this - feeds the problem rather than focusing on the past causes (of which However there is more possibility of intervention).

Average time of a strategic brief therapy-

On average, a short-term therapy has a duration of 10-12 sessions. The first improvements are felt already with the first meetings. 'S policy is for the therapist to constantly check the effectiveness of the intervention, in line with the target set with the patient.

Frequency of meetings

In the early stages of treatment, the meetings are weekly or biweekly. Having obtained the release of the first symptoms and substantial improvement, the meetings are further apart (every three weeks), this allows the person to experience in their daily lives their new-found resources and capabilities. The therapy is concluded finally with 3 sessions of control (follow-up) at a distance of 3, 6 and 12 months, to verify the stability of the result over time.

Average time of a session of strategic therapy

The average time of a session is 20-45 minutes.

Brief strategic therapy gives lasting results

As emerges clearly from the follow-up conducted at the end of therapy, the presence of relapse is minimal (5%). Testing the effectiveness and efficiency of short-strategic model, made in recent decades on thousands of cases, confirms it.

Brief strategic therapy does not use drugs

The brief strategic therapy is a psychotherapeutic intervention type and, as such, does not provide for the use of drugs. In the case of patients already receiving pharmacological you can still start psychotherapy and, simultaneously, continue taking the drug until the end of the cycle, as determined by your doctor.

Brief Strategic Therapy indirect

It frequently happens that family members or partners are not aware of a problem but that person has no sense (for example in eating disorders, depression, obsessive disorders particularly complex dependencies). Some people are so extremely refractory to the possibility of getting help. In these cases it is preferred to act only indirectly working with the family or with your partner by providing the appropriate therapeutic indications. It often happens that after an initial improvement in the person voluntarily decides to get help.

Besides the long-term therapy

In terms of psychological distress, is rooted conviction that the problems that persist for a long time require a mandatory long-term psychotherapeutic intervention, brief strategic therapy has revolutionized this assumption, demonstrating that psychological problems can be solved quickly using strategies targeted.