Feeling stuck on a specific problem
When there is a clear thing you want to shift and you would rather build a way forward than dig through its full history. The approach is built for exactly this kind of focused, present-day movement.
Treatments · Solution-focused therapy
Therapy that builds from what is already working.
In-person solution-focused therapy in Mississauga and online across Ontario, for adults. A focused, forward-looking way of working that starts from where you want to get to, and from the strengths you already have.
- Fee
- $160 to $180 · 50-minute individual session
- Free consultation
- 15 minutes, no charge
- Format
- In-person in Mississauga, or secure online video via Jane
- Works with
- Adults 18+, including neurodivergent and 2SLGBTQIA+ clients
- Clinician
- Daniella Simas Medeiros (RP Qualifying, CRPO #19387)
- Receipts
- Provided for extended-health reimbursement · HST-exempt
About solution-focused therapy at Anchor & Bloom.
Solution-focused therapy, sometimes called Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), is one approach we may draw from at Anchor & Bloom. It is a focused, forward-looking framework. Rather than spending most of the time on the problem and where it came from, it puts attention on the future you want and on what is already working, even a little. Daniella Simas Medeiros, RP (Qualifying), integrates it where it fits the work in front of her.
The starting point is a practical one. Most people already carry strengths, exceptions, and small moments where things go better than expected. Noticing those, and building on them deliberately, tends to create movement, often more quickly than analysing the problem alone would.
What this is and is not
Plain definition.
Solution-focused therapy is a structured, evidence-informed, forward-looking way of working. It clarifies where you want to get to, looks for the times the problem is already a little smaller or absent, and builds on the strengths and resources you bring. It tends to be more focused and shorter than some other approaches. It is a framework, not the single answer, and we draw on it alongside other approaches.
It is not toxic positivity, and it is not about pretending the hard things are not hard. The approach takes your concerns seriously. It simply does not assume that understanding the full history of a problem is always required to move it. Where depth and history clearly matter, we make room for that too, or draw on a more reflective approach such as psychodynamic therapy.
When this fits
What solution-focused therapy tends to help with.
Navigating a life transition
When a change is underway, a move, a new role, the end of something, and you want help finding your footing. See also our life transitions therapy.
Stress and burnout
When you are depleted and need practical traction rather than a long excavation. The approach works with what restores you and where small recovery is already possible. See also our stress & burnout therapy.
Anxiety you want concrete movement on
When worry has narrowed things and you want to take clear, achievable steps back toward the life you want. Often used alongside our anxiety therapy.
Wanting a shorter, focused piece of work
For people who do not want open-ended therapy and would rather work toward a defined goal in a handful of sessions, with the option to revisit if something new comes up.
Building on strengths, not just fixing deficits
For people who respond well to a strengths-based lens, who want to notice and grow what is already working rather than focus only on what is wrong.
Learn more
Want the full picture?
Everything below is optional. Open any section to go deeper on how solution-focused therapy works at Anchor & Bloom, who it fits, and what tends to change over time.
The idea behind it
Start from the future, build on the exceptions.
Solution-focused therapy was developed by Steve de Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg, and their colleagues, and it rests on a deceptively simple observation. The problem and its solution are not always as tightly linked as we assume. You can sometimes build a way forward without first mapping every root of what is wrong.
So the approach turns the usual question around. Instead of asking only what is the matter and how did it get this way, it also asks what you want instead, and when the problem is already a little smaller. Those moments, the exceptions, tend to hold clues about what helps.
A lot of the work is done through careful, specific questions. What would be different if things were going better? What is already moving you in that direction, even slightly? What would the first small sign of progress look like? These questions are not gimmicks, they help you notice resources that are easy to overlook when a problem fills the whole frame.
None of this is presented as the only way to do therapy. It is one framework among several, well suited to focused, forward-looking work. Where it helps, we use it. Where a more reflective or depth-oriented approach fits better, we draw on that instead.
In the room
How solution-focused sessions tend to unfold.
There is no rigid script, and no two courses of therapy look the same. Length of therapy varies significantly depending on goals, history, and current needs. The approach is designed to be focused, so some people find a handful of sessions is enough, while others stay longer. What follows is a feel for the work, not a fixed sequence.
Clarifying the goal. Early sessions get specific about what you actually want to be different, in concrete, noticeable terms. A clear picture of the preferred future gives the work something to build toward.
Finding what already works. Together we look for the exceptions, the times the problem is smaller or absent, and the strengths and supports you are already drawing on, sometimes without realising it. These become the raw material for the next step.
Taking small, doable steps. The work tends to move through small, achievable experiments between sessions, then noticing what shifted and adjusting from there. We pace it together, and you decide when the work is done or whether to keep going.
Fit
Who this fits, and who it does not.
A good fit for
- Adults wanting focused, present-day movement on a specific concern
- People navigating a life transition who want help finding their footing
- Anyone drawn to a strengths-based, forward-looking style of work
- People who would rather not commit to open-ended therapy right now
- Clients managing stress or burnout who need practical traction
- Neurodivergent and 2SLGBTQIA+ adults wanting an affirming, collaborative space
Not the right primary fit for
- Acute crisis. If you are in immediate risk to yourself or someone else, please contact a crisis line first. In Canada, call or text 988. We are not a crisis service and cannot respond between sessions.
- Work that calls for depth and history, where our psychodynamic therapy or trauma therapy may fit better
- Situations requiring medication management or psychiatric assessment as the main intervention
If you are unsure whether solution-focused therapy is the right next step, the free 15-minute consultation is a good place to ask.
Signals of change
Common changes clients may notice as therapy progresses.
Change in solution-focused work tends to show up as small, concrete shifts that add up. Some of what clients describe over time:
- You can name, in clear terms, what you actually want instead of just what is wrong.
- You start noticing the times things already go a little better, and what helped them go that way.
- Small steps that felt out of reach become doable, and the doing builds momentum.
- You feel more like an active participant in the change, drawing on your own strengths.
- The specific concern you came in for feels more workable, and you have a sense of how to keep going on your own.
Who offers this
The clinician trained in this approach.
Daniella Simas Medeiros, RP (Qualifying)
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), CRPO #19387
Warm, collaborative work with adults across Ontario, including neurodivergent and 2SLGBTQIA+ clients and couples. Daniella draws on solution-focused therapy alongside attachment theory, CBT, EFT, psychodynamic therapy, and somatic approaches, shaping the work around what fits you. As a Qualifying member she practises under clinical supervision in line with CRPO requirements.
About DaniellaCommon questions about solution-focused therapy.
What is solution-focused therapy?
Solution-focused therapy, sometimes called Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), is one approach we may draw from in therapy. Rather than spending most of the time on the problem and its origins, it puts attention on where you want to get to and on what is already working, even a little. The idea is that building on existing strengths and small exceptions tends to create movement. Daniella Simas Medeiros integrates it where it fits the work in front of her.
Is solution-focused therapy really brief?
It can be. The approach is designed to be focused and forward-looking, and some people find a handful of sessions is enough to get unstuck. That said, length of therapy varies significantly depending on goals, history, and current needs, and you are never committed to a fixed number of sessions. We talk openly about pacing as we go.
Does it ignore the past or just paper over problems?
No. Solution-focused work takes your concerns seriously, it just does not assume that understanding the full history of a problem is always required to move it. Where the past clearly matters, we make room for it, and we can draw on more reflective approaches such as psychodynamic therapy. The aim is movement that holds, not a quick patch.
How is solution-focused therapy different from CBT?
Both are practical and present-focused. CBT works largely with identifying and reshaping unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns. Solution-focused therapy spends less time analysing what is wrong and more on clarifying the future you want and amplifying what is already moving you toward it. They are not in competition, and some courses of therapy draw on both.
Does solution-focused therapy work online?
Yes. The approach is conversation-led and translates well to secure video sessions. The format is the same as any other online session, offered across Ontario through a PHIPA-compliant Canadian platform.
How much do sessions cost and is solution-focused therapy covered by insurance?
Individual sessions are $160 to $180. Most extended health benefit plans through Canadian employers cover Registered Psychotherapist services. Confirm with your insurer before booking. Psychotherapy is exempt from GST/HST as of June 2024.
For plan-by-plan coverage details, direct billing notes, and how to submit a claim, see Fees & Insurance.
Further reading
Trusted clinical resources.
For general information on psychotherapy and mental health, the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health are good starting points.
For information on the regulation of psychotherapists in Ontario, see the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.
Related services
What often pairs with solution-focused therapy.
Life transitions therapy
For finding your footing through a move, a new role, or the end of something.
Stress & burnout therapy
For depletion that needs practical traction and small, real recovery.
Anxiety therapy
For anxiety you want to take clear, achievable steps to move.
Psychodynamic therapy
A more reflective, depth-oriented approach for when history and patterns clearly matter.
About Daniella Simas Medeiros
RP (Qualifying), CRPO #19387. Draws on solution-focused therapy in warm, collaborative work.
Start with a free conversation.
A 15-minute consultation to ask questions and decide if the fit feels right.
Online therapy across Ontario
Sessions are virtual province-wide, with local support for:
Toronto · Mississauga · Oakville · Burlington · Hamilton