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Solution-focused therapy is a model of therapy that builds on the client's strengths, is future-focused and can be generally offered as a brief intervention. It can be used across multiple clinical settings and is not limited to being useful for clients accessing mental health services. Learning the underlying principles and developing a foundation level of skill in the approach was found to be achievable in an undergraduate nursing course, with students reporting an increase in their knowledge of the model and confidence in basic therapeutic skills in just one day of training. In this paper, we introduce the solution-focused approach in relation to nursing practice. We describe the template used for the training day offered to undergraduate mental health nurses. Students reported that this method of learning a therapeutic approach was helpful and increased both their knowledge and skill base.

This article outlines how the application of a reflecting team from systemic family therapy practice was used as a learning strategy for a postgraduate programme for healthcare students. The programme was designed to increase the students' skills, knowledge and awareness of the needs of people with eating disorders, and their families. There were some benefits to this learning strategy. Students reported that the use of a reflecting team enabled them to gain a deep understanding of the emotional impact of eating disorders on individuals and their carers. However, as this method of learning was new to the students, they needed some initial instruction on the approach. During the programme of study, it became evident that the health professionals were deeply affected by the experiences of people with eating disorders. This would suggest that possibly it was the presence of the sufferers themselves as part of the reflecting team that provided the pivotal learning opportunity, rather than the reflecting team per se.