The Evidence for Solution Focused Therapy & Hypnotherapy
- Abigail Rogers
- 2 days ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
As neuroscience & personal change nerds, here at The Better Brain Company we're a little obsessive.
Not just about the transformations our wonderful work can create - but about making sure that the work we do is grounded firmly in science.
Now, there's a ton of neuroscience and psychology behind every step of the process (just Google "Positive Psychology" or start researching the neuroscience of positive change, and you can probably keep yourself busy for the next decade or so, as we have!).
As far as WHY what we do works, the case is pretty much watertight.
But in terms of hard, empirical evidence... you might have to search pretty hard before you find the studies directly proving that Solution Focused therapies work just as well as more conventional, well known therapies such as CBT.
Let's just say research funding hasn't exactly been forthcoming!
Look hard enough, though, and you start to find a well-hidden wealth of information, which demonstrates not just that Solution Focused therapies can be powerful tools for positive change - but also that they often tend to work more quickly, and lead to a more positive, lasting impact on lifestyle and satisfaction.
So, we thought we'd round them up here - just to help you!
What is Solution Focused Therapy?
Caddell (2021) defines solution-focused therapy as a ‘strength-based approach to psychotherapy that focuses on solution-building rather than problem-solving’. Rather than analysing present problems and their past causes, Solution Focused approaches focus more on current circumstances and future hopes.
If you want to read a little more about what Solution Focused Brief Therapy looks like before diving in to our roundup, you can read more, courtesy of the Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership here.
And if you're ready to go - buckle up - or grab yourself a cuppa. It's quite a list!
The Evidence for Solution Focused Therapy, Coaching & Interventions
The Clifton Practice studies
As we speak, a research project is being led by Jane Fox at the Clifton Practice - designed to provide meaningful data on Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH).
Her study group have been using a validated NHS-recognised tool called MYCaW to track what really matters - clients’ own concerns and their sense of wellbeing - before and after therapy.
From the first set of clients, 88% showed clinically significant improvement - and that figure is now nudging 90%, based on data from 297 clients. A perhaps small, but significant number.
Further trials are underway to see whether this replicates across a larger sample of participants.
The 'Inspired to Change' Northumbria Police study
A recent research project with Northumbria Police saw similarly fantastic findings for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy.
100% of participants responded positively to therapy.
78% of participants recovered completely.
'Life wellness' scores increased by 84% (suggesting a sustained shift, rather than a temporary effect).
(We'll dive deeper into this one in our section on solution focused interventions in the workplace, below).
Vermeulen-Oksam et al. Meta Analysis (2024)
A review of 72 studies on Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) found major improvements in mental health and wellbeing - especially in workplace settings - with clear benefits like reduced stress, greater clarity, and emotional resilience - often in just a few sessions.
The review confirmed that SFBT is beneficial for a variety of psychological problems and participants receiving SFBT showed a 59% reduction in psychosocial outcomes.
Neipp and Beyebach Meta Analysis (2022)
A review of 251 outcome research papers on SFBT interventions found SFBT to demonstrate effectiveness when compared with no treatment, waiting list, or TAU ("Treatment As Usual") participants, and holds even when SFBT is compared with alternative treatments.
In nearly 9 out of 10 (86.3%) these studies, SFBT produced superior or positive outcomes compared to control conditions or at post-test. Even when considering only the most stringent randomized controlled trials (RCTs), SFBT was found superior in 7 out of every 10 studies. SFBT achieved inferior results in only 2.8% of studies, showing it's remarkably safe and unlikely to cause harm.
Kim (University of Michigan; 2006) Meta Analysis
This meta-analysis places solution-focused therapy as being as good as 'treatment as usual', that is, equivalent to other therapies. Kim found the greatest effectiveness for personal behavioural change.
Stams et al. (2006) Meta analysis
Found Solution Focused Therapy to be equally effective as other therapies and, like Kim, found the greatest effectiveness for personal behavioural change.
WJ Gingerich and LT Peterson’s (2013) report
Their research concluded that there was strong evidence that solution-focused brief therapy was an effective treatment for behavioural and psychological conditions, and it might be shorter and less costly than alternative treatments:
"In sum, the evidence of SFBT effectiveness in adult mental health is strong and reliable."...
“There is strong evidence that SFBT…appears to be briefer and less costly than alternative approaches.”"
74% of the studies included reported significant positive benefit from SFBT with another 23% reporting positive trends. The strongest evidence of effectiveness came in the treatment of depression, where four separate studies found SFBT to be comparable to well-established alternative treatments.
Knekt 2016 Comparative Study
This study compared the long-term outcomes of short- and long-term psychotherapy on patients’ mental health and functioning, specifically examining long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (LPP), short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (SPP), or solution-focused therapy (SFT), over a 10 year period.
The results showed that while LLP was somewhat more effective than SFT or SPP in the very long term – particularly for symptom reduction, work ability and remission – the differences were modest.
Approximately 12 sessions of SFT yielded similar long-term benefits to about 20 sessions of SPP, and only slightly inferior results to 240 sessions of LPP after 10 years.
This indicates that, whilst long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (LPP) remains more effective in absolute terms, the incremental benefit is small relative to its much greater time and resource cost. Therefore, SFBT can be viewed as a cost and time-effective approach that achieves comparable results to longer-term (and thus more costly) therapy routes.
Sundmann (1997)
Sundmann studied the effects of basic training in solution-focused ideas for nine social workers. Eleven controls worked as usual. Session tapes and questionnaires were analysed after six months. In all, 382 clients were seen, of whom 199 (52 per cent) replied. More positive statements, more goal focus and more shared views were found in the experimental group.
Triantafillou (1997) This study reports that four sessions of solution-focused supervision were provided for the staff of an adolescent residential unit. The staff's clients were compared with those of other staff who received 'standard' supervision. At 16 weeks' follow-up, the five clients of the solution-focused group had 66 per cent less incidents and the use of medication to control behaviour had decreased. The seven clients in the control group had 10 per cent less incidents and the use of medication had increased.
Wheeler (1995)
Three-month follow-up of 34 solution-focused therapy referrals and 39 routine referrals. In the solution-focused group 23 (68%) were satisfied versus 17 (44%) of the routine care group. Other clinic resources were required by four (12%) of the solution- focused therapy clients versus 12 (31%) of the routine care group.
De Shazer (1985, 1986 & 1991)
Follow up studies from the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee, US.
82, 72 and 80% improvement or resolution of their original difficulty reported for the respective years.
Lee et al. (2001)
Pilot study of solution-focused therapy in the treatment of depression. Ten clients were seen for a set of six sessions. Various pre- and post-treatment measures were used. Nine clients were traced for follow-up six months later, of whom eight had improved on all measures.
George, Iveson and Ratner (1999-2005)
3 studies, using follow up 6 months after brief therapy, showed that a good outcome was reported by 83 clients (70%) with a mean of 4.03 sessions per case; 25 per cent required only one session.
There was an equal benefit for all socio-economic classes - an important finding which contrasts with other approaches to psychotherapy.
Those with problems lasting more than three years did less well (due to the brevity of the intervention, our experience would lead us to assume that further sessions or additional interventions may have been of benefit).
The Evidence for Solution Focused Therapy in the Workplace
Innstrand, Langballe and Falkum (2011)
This longitudinal study examined the relationship between work engagement and mental health across eight occupational groups in Norway. They found that higher work engagement predicted lower levels of anxiety and depression two years later, as opposed to mental ill health symptoms predicting later engagement. This suggests that feeling energised, motivated, and committed at work may act as a protective factor for future mental health.
The importance of enhancing positive psychology supports the rationale for using Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT/SFBT) in workplace wellbeing programmes.
By helping employees build vigour and psychological resources, SFBT may serve as a preventative intervention, reducing the likelihood of more severe mental-health difficulties that contribute to greater rates of absenteeism and higher costs.
Barney (2024)
The study mentioned earlier, into the use of online solution-focused hypnotherapy to in the police force, offers strong evidence to support the effectiveness of SFT in the workplace.
The study examines a form of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) and demonstrates outcomes significantly stronger than those typically reported for NHS-delivered therapies.
For example, the study showed that among police personnel, 78% recovered from clinically significant anxiety and/or depression, substantially higher than the 37–47% recovery rates associated with alternative psychotherapy models.
This indicates that SFT is more effective in treating anxiety and depression than those typically offered through NHS pathways, which many organisations rely on despite their comparatively limited effectiveness.
Participant feedback was also exceptionally positive, with 88.9% achieving a meaningful reduction in symptoms (a 50% or greater decrease), compared to the approximate 50% response rates found in general clinical populations.
Symptom reduction was substantial: GAD-7 anxiety scores decreased by 76.8%, PHQ-9 depression scores reduced by 72.1%, and 94.4% of participants achieved reliable change of at least five points. Importantly, no individuals experienced symptom deterioration, reinforcing the safety of SFH.
Online SFH emerges as a highly effective, safe, and well-regarded treatment for anxiety and depression in police personnel, delivering recovery and response rates that surpass conventional therapeutic approaches.
Gerhát, Ocsenás and Münnich 2025
This paper explores the impact of Solution-Focused Brief Coaching (SFBC) on performance, self-efficacy, well-being and affect in a business context.
The report provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of solution-focused approaches in the workplace. The study used 360-degree performance evaluations (a combination of self-reports and external evaluations) to evaluate the impact of SFBC.
For example, when measuirng the impact of coaching on performance (across various competencies such as decision-making, teamwork, communication etc), the Experimental Group (EG) showed significant improvement from the start to the end of the study, whereas the control group showed no significant changes, confirming the positive impact of solution-focused coaching on performance.
The EG also showed significant improvements in self-efficacy, wellbeing and positive effect in comparison to the control group.
Cockburn, Thomas and Cockburn (1997)
This study compared two approaches to rehabilitation following orthopaedic treatment for injuries sustained at work. Twenty-five experimental clients were offered six solution-focused sessions while 23 controls received the standard rehabilitation package. When reviewed after 60 days 68 per cent of the experimental group had returned to
work within seven days compared with 4 per cent of the controls.
The Evidence for Hypnotherapy
There is quite a wide variation in what constitutes "hypnotherapy" with practitioners engaged in many different tools, techniques and forms - unfortunately it's not hugely standardised (or always regulated!), which is why we're so keen on Solution Focused Hypnotherapy - a modality that IS based in neuroscience and psychology, and requires rigorous education, ethics and ongoing supervision and CPD.
Nevertheless, there's a good body of evidence for hypnotherapy in general and it's used very successfully by many UK hospitals, dentists etc. for pain management, among other things.
Meta Analyses & Systematic Reviews
Many studies of a high quality have been published which provide support for the efficacy of hypnotherapy, including meta-analyses and systematic reviews which collate data from multiple studies to form a more general picture of the research findings in this area.
David Wark’s review "What we can do with hypnosis: a brief note"
Wark identifies over thirty additional studies on hypnotherapy which he rates using the revised Chambless & Hollon (1998) criteria for either “possible”, “probable”, or “specific” empirically-supported treatments, depending upon the nature of the evidence available.
Certain hypnotherapy treatments for certain types of pain, anxiety, and weight loss are supported by the strongest evidence at present, by this standard.
Most of the other studies provide evidence relating to the treatment of acute or chronic pain, and certain stress- related or psychosomatic medical conditions such as insomnia, migraine and IBS.
Hypnotherapy and NICE
NICE guidelines endorse the use of Hypnotherapy in IBS (to be clear, the evidence used was based on gut directed hypnotherapy rather than relating specifically to Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, although they share many common principles).
What About the Evidence for IEMT?
Ok, it's not hypnotherapy or strictly 'Solution Focused' - but it IS one of our favourite modalities, and given it doesn't require any disclosure of problems or traumatic past events, we still think it fits the bill! Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) is an emerging therapy, welcoming further research (if you are interested in helping in this respect, please contact IEMT founder Andrew Austin at The Association For IEMT Practitioners.
Initial pilot studies show distress scores halving after just one session - with improved emotional regulation.
Looking at similar trauma-informed models which employ similar techniques (EMDR), indications are positive with 81% PTSD remission in high-pressure professions - and measurable impact on retention and presenteeism.
We'd love to keep this blog post updated as further evidence emerges, so please get in touch if you have anything to share.
We've compiled this blog with huge thanks to the team at Practera and SheStrategic, care of The Leeds University Soul Project - we couldn't have done this without you! Particular mention goes to our student researcher team: Ane Lundy-Munoz, Hong Ha Linh Vu, Laxmi Shinde, Mariam Kone, Minna Watson, Sanaa Elcock.
We've also drawn on information provided by Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training, and a good old Google search.
Comments