The article “Solution-focused group work: Collaborating with clients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS” by Froerer et al. (2009) focuses on the current crazes and difficulties experienced by individuals with HIV/AIDS. The article is in agreement with other studies that the application of SFBT in treating patients has positive outcomes in their lives, especially in promoting hope for the future. According to the authors, there are limited resources that are available to individuals with HIV/AIDS. To resolve this challenge, the researchers suggest a solution that is based on solution-focused brief therapy. The solution-focused technique is based on individual assets to enable them to draw near to their anticipated life in spite of living with a life-threatening disease ( Froerer et al., 2009) . The researchers used solution-focused brief therapy in their study as it is uniquely apt to inspire and facilitate positive results for people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS as it promotes life positivity. The authors stipulate that SFBT builds a patient’s inner resources, which helps them focus on their future rather than their past. Based on the authors' findings, it can be concluded that SFBT as a treatment technique can help promote patients' wellbeing by helping them work towards improving their future.
In the article, the authors first discuss the unique challenges that are faced by individuals living with HIV/AIDS. According to Froerer et al. (2009), many serious issues such as rapid weight loss, unexpected fatigue, pneumonia, memory loss, and dry cough are common in people living with HIV/AIDS. More so, emotional and social issues related, such as stress and stigmatization, to HIV/AIDS negatively affect the psychological wellbeing of people and are equally debilitating and stressful ( Froerer et al., 2009) . However, the infected individuals must learn how to cope with their changing body functioning while also counterweighing the illness symptoms' impact. Due to infections, people living with HIV/AIDS are often stressed and depressed, but adapting and learning to counteract those challenges is an ongoing experience. People diagnosed with HIV/AIDS are repeatedly stigmatized and disregarded by other individuals in the community who might send a message that AIDS is a punishment or a curse for indecorous behaviors (Froerer et al., 2009). However, stigmatization and marginalization are heightened to certain minority groups such as individuals who are gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, sex workers, and drug users. Therefore, a proper treatment technique is required to improve their wellbeing.
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According to Froerer et al. (2009), applying SFBT in helping HIV/AIDS patients could help them deal with the challenges, such as stress. SFBT aims at assisting persons experiencing challenges, especially people with HIV/AIDS, come up with tools that they can utilize immediately to control and manage the problem. The approach is based on the fact that HIV/AIDS patients have internal resources, which can be harnessed to help them develop solutions that would improve their future. Additionally, SFBT helps patients with HIV/AIDS to understand that events that occurred to them cannot change by clearly showing them that their status is permanent, but they can control what happens in the future (Froerer et al., 2009). Therefore, patients understand that working towards goals and the future that they desire is what is required to initiate change and maximize their wellbeing, despite being infected (Froerer et al., 2009). This understanding gives the patients optimism that life can offer other positive things in spite of their health condition.
Froerer et al. (2009) assert that group work is a fundamental therapy approach for individuals infected by HIV/AIDS. Numerous groups such as psychoeducational groups, cognitive-behavior groups, and support groups have often been utilized with the individuals who have HIV/AIDS, with significant benefit to the patients. According to Froerer et al. (2009), group therapy has been discovered to reduce mental and emotional symptoms related to HIV/AIDS. More so, treatment groups are a helpful source of encouragement for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Group work is essential as a platform for socialization, emotional support, feeling of belonging, and a realistic microcosm of the world. Such benefits directly help people overcome the unique confronts faced by people infected with HIV/AIDS. Also, Froerer et al. (2009) assert that groups that work within the framework of SFBT establish a cooperative influence since the advantages of the group therapy are combined with those of SFBT. Therefore, people are urged to pinpoint areas that are progressing well within them and gratifying their expectations and satisfaction in their lives, and apply those competencies to establish a customized solution. Based on the research, the authors conclude that using SFBGT among patients with HIV/AIDS can offer a solution to their problems as this technique offers numerous benefits, such as offering a social environment for the patients and helping them focus on their future rather than the past.
Based on Froerer et al.'s (2009) research, it can be seen that solution-focused brief group therapy offers an exclusive and operational treatment preference for working with people living with HIV/AIDS. Given that SFBT is goal-oriented and relates directly to the clients, patients are able to voice what they think is most helpful despite the challenge they face ( Shunmugam & Noah, 2017) . SFBT sends a message to patients that issues that occurred in the past cannot be changed. Therefore, the patients are urged to focus on what happens in the future. This understanding helps patients to focus on other issues, which helps improve their wellbeing. Additionally, a group-focused SFBT provides a social and supportive environment to patients, which helps improve their wellbeing by reducing issues like stress (Aminnasab et al., 2018). Therefore, the application of SFBT as an immediate treatment approach allows people to adapt the treatment process to be culturally compatible with their desires. The findings of the article are in agreement with those of other researchers, such as Aminnasab et al. (2018) and Shunmugam & Noah (2017), who assert that SFBT is an effective treatment method as it helps patients focus on their future rather than their misfortunes. Besides, the findings in the article are credible as the authors have used numerous sources to support their findings.
Conclusively, SFBT is an important treatment method for patients, especially in a group setting. This technique provides numerous positive results as it focuses on solutions to the patient's problems rather than the problem. The solution-based approach helps patients focus on their future but clearly showing them that they cannot change the future but can work to improve their future. The research by Froerer et al. (2009) supports this stipulation by proving that SFBT works in promoting the wellbeing of HIV/AIDS patients. Therefore, it can be concluded that SFBT in a group setting is an effective method of improving patients' wellbeing.
References
Aminnasab, A., Mohammadi, S., Zareinezhad, M., Chatrrouz, T., Mirghafari, S. B., & Rahmani, S. (2018). Effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) on depression and perceived stress in patients with breast cancer. Tanaffos , 17 (4), 272–279.
Froerer, A. S., Smock, S. A., & Seedall, R. B. (2009). Solution-focused group work: Collaborating with clients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Journal of Family Psychotherapy , 20 (1), 13-27.
Shunmugam, R. R., & Noah, S. M. (2017). The construction and validation of solution-focused group work (SFGW) for Malaysian adolescents. COUNS-EDU: The International Journal of Counseling and Education , 2 (2), 48-56.
