Published 16/03/2026

Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) has supported over 840 healthcare professionals to develop skills in BRIEF Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) to strengthen mental health care. Alongside core training, HEIW has commissioned advanced training to build in-house expertise that supports sustainable development and enables accredited staff to train others. To help embed these skills in practice, HEIW has also launched a national Solution Focused Practice Network on Y Tŷ Dysgu for those completing the training. 

SFBT is a short, practical approach that focuses on people’s strengths and helps provide high quality, person centred mental health care. It helps people focus on what they want to achieve and helps them understand the strengths and resources they already have. Instead of exploring problems in depth, it encourages individuals to notice what is working well and supports them to take small achievable steps towards their goals.  

For the mental health workforce, SFBT offers a flexible and efficient way of working that fits well within busy services. It helps boost confidence in encouraging positive, forward thinking conversations and practical coping strategies with patients.  

Trina, a primary care manager, said: 

“I must say I am a huge advocate of this SFBT model. It has provided me with the knowledge and skills to offer an alternative intervention to patients. I have used it on a number of occasions and found patient outcomes improved and recovery quicker than expected. 

It reduces patients being dependant on services as it draws out their strengths and capabilities.” 

Victoria, a GP in Cardiff and Clinical Lead for Strategic Workforce Plan for Primary Care in HEIW, said: 

“I attended the SFBT level 1 course because, as a GP, supporting people to make positive change in very short time is essential. I began using the skills I learned the very next day and now frequently start consultations with the ‘best hopes’ question which sets up a person focussed consultation from the outset. The concept of flipping perspective from the negative to the positive without needing to offer solutions or push the person to commit to change is particularly helpful when working with people who feel like they have no agency. The SFBT level 1 course has changed how I think about change and approach my patients more than any other training for many years.” 

Developing a sustainable workforce

Alongside core training, HEIW has commissioned five practitioners to complete the Advanced BRIEF Certificate, with eleven more currently undertaking the programme. This advanced pathway prepares staff to seek accreditation with the United Kingdom Association for Solution Focused Practice (UKASFP) and enables graduates to train others. 

Through the development of inhouse expertise, HEIW is strengthening Wales’ long term training capacity, supporting a more sustainable system which encourages skills to be shared and developed after the programme ends. 

A community of practice  

To help the workforce embed SFBT into everyday practice, HEIW has established a national Solution Focused Practice Network. This network is hosted on Y Tŷ Dysgu, the national e-learning platform for NHS Wales and enables staff to: 

• connect with peers across sectors 

• share resources and best practice 

• access reflective spaces to build confidence 

• reduce professional isolation 

Early feedback from the Network, following reflective team sessions shows strong staff engagement, growing confidence and clear signs that learning is being sustained beyond one‑off training. 

One healthcare professional commented: 

“Found it very helpful listening to this peer supervision and this has encouraged me to use SFBT in my work again.” 

SFBT is a national programme aligned to the Strategic Mental Health Workforce Plan for Health and Social Care and it is supporting HEIW’s drive in building a confident, capable and resilient workforce across Wales. Visit the HEIW website to learn more.