New research collaboration aims to collect, share research on solution-focused therapy

A new research collaboration that will for the first time bring together philosophy of mind and practical applications in terms of therapy and caring practice has been launched at the University of Hertfordshire this week.

Hertfordshire Enaction Solution-focused Interactional and Narrative (HESIAN) is a three year joint project between the University’s department of philosophy in the School of Humanities and the department of nursing in the School of Health and Social Work. The aim of the project is to collect and share research on solution-focused therapy (SFT) – an approach to psychotherapy based on solution-building rather than problem-solving by predominantly focusing on an individual's current resources and future hopes to help them to look forward and use their own strengths to achieve their goals.

It will also actively build connections with the growing interest in enactive philosophy of mind – where cognition and ‘thinking’ are seen not as actions of the brain alone, but active engagement of people with their environment. HESIAN aims to connect learning and experience from both sides and carry out innovative research in philosophy of mind to extend practical implications of the enactive view. It is hoped that the project will teach and share these findings with working practitioners in the fields of health, social work, management and education.

Dr Mark McKergow, visiting Research Fellow in philosophy at the University and director of HESIAN, said:

This is the first university based research hub to focus on the increasingly influential field of SFT, which is used in every health care trust in the UK. It has been very practitioner-driven to this point, so this project will be able to expand and amplify on this approach in the relevant academic fields.

Available online, the virtual hub will allow academics and practitioners to work together to collect, disseminate and add to the growing research base of the SFT field. This will advance the theory and provide a new look at talking therapies which help thousands of people.

Jeremy Ridgman, Dean of the School of Humanities at the University, added:

The University has an excellent heritage in both philosophy and nursing so it is very exciting to see these two strengths coming together in the new HESIAN partnership.