The Solution-Oriented Approach

A Radically Simple and Powerful Method of Creating Rapid Change (15 CE Hours)

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Taught By Co-Creator, Bill O'Hanlon

*15 Continuing Education (CE) Credit/Clock Hours for Behavioral Health Professionals (Home Study Format)

Bill O'Hanlon knew he had a mission as a pioneer in the fields of psychotherapy and change-work. Inspired by his mentor, the late psychiatrist Dr. Milton H. Erickson, Bill set about to revolutionize the world's perception of mental health pathology and the possibilities of empowering people to discover new solutions by helping them focus on the parts of their lives that contain unseen opportunity.

Along with his co-founder, Michele Weiner-Davis, O'Hanlon created the Solution-Oriented Approach to psychotherapy and counseling. This approach draws and expands on the work and teaching of Milton Erickson, the Systems Theory and Brief Therapy methods shaped by the associates from the Mental Research Institute, the Solution-Focused innovations of Steve de Shazer and others from the Milwaukee Brief Family Therapy Center, and emerging applied research from the field of positive psychology.

O'Hanlon (and Weiner-Davis) strove to create a model that was future-focused, while also acknowledging the emotions of people and the practical impact of their lived contexts. In doing so, the Solution-Oriented Approach they created brings both deep compassion and clear pathways to new possibilities.

In this comprehensive online learning program, created by O'Hanlon himself, learners will get first-hand instruction in this truly helpful and innovative therapeutic approach, along with great live demonstrations on how these methods can be applied, as well as research resources as to the effectiveness of these solution-based methods in psychotherapy and counseling.

This course is meant for psychologists, counselors, psychotherapist, and other advanced level helpers. The program is meant to impart concepts and methods from O'Hanlon's work and research to enhance the clinical skills of mental health professionals

Course Learning Objectives

  1. To analyze the narrative legacy of the therapeutic work of Milton Erickson and how it provides insights into alternative ways to conceptualize pathology and the related opportunities for clients to experience therapeutic growth (O'Hanlon, 1987; O'Hanlon & Hexum, 1990; O'Hanlon & Weiner-Davis, 2003)
  2. To assess the various concepts and techniques in the Solution-Oriented Approach (and other solution-based psychotherapy approaches) to facilitating change; methods and techniques included are:
    1. Finding Exceptions (Neipp, Sanchez‐Prada, & Delgado Álvarez, 2021).
    2. Positive Coping (Henson, Truchot, & Canevello, 2021)
    3. Future Focus (Abdulla, 2023; Torem, 2017).
    4. Accessing Social Networks (Özdemir & Bengisoy, 2022)
    5. Evocation (Garcia, 2019; Sajjad & Ghodsi, 2022)
  3. To analyze recorded live demonstrations of the course's solution-based methods in addressing multiple therapeutic issues.
  4. To identify further points of application of the Solution-Oriented Approach through recorded consultation calls with students of the approach.

And know you can buy this course without any risk. We have a full refund policy for anyone who decides they do not want to keep the course within 14-Days of purchase.

This training contains 15 clock/credit hours of behavioral health continuing education* under the approval bodies listed below.


Program Format: Home-Study/Asynchronous Course

Date & Time: Home-Study/Asynchronous Course (Available to new students during open enrollment windows)

Instructional Level: This course is intended for psychologists, counselors/psychotherapists, and other mental health clinicians. The instructional level of the course is intermediate, as it assumes that participating learners will have an introductory level of knowledge/competency some of the solution-based concepts and applications that are explored in more depth in the course.

Number of CE hours: 15 CE credit hours*

Financial Support Statement: PsychMaven charges enrollment fees for this course and pays course presenters for their teaching. There is no other financial support for this course.

Conflict of Interest Statement: There are no known conflicts of interest or outside commercial support for this course

This course is closed for enrollment.

PsychMaven is responsible for all aspects for this program.

*PsychMaven has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP)- ACEP No.6624. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. PsychMaven is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. PsychMaven is approved for both Live/Real Time and Home Study continuing education (CE) programs. This program is designed to meet the standards of NBCC content areas No.1 (Counseling Theory/Practice and the Counseling Relationship).

PsychMaven is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. PsychMaven maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Because of continuing education (CE) standards for continuing education under the American Psychological Association (APA), learners wanting to receive APA hour credit for the course most complete and pass a separate post-test at the end of this course. There will be intructions at the end of the course on how request the post-test with APA approval.


*PsychMaven is an Approved Provider for continuing education under The Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (#50-35008- Exp. 03/31/2025)

This course, The Solution-Oriented Approach, is approved specially for continuing education for Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, and Certified Master Social Workers, under this board (Tracking Number:# 20-1212688)

This approval will allow for continuing education for Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs), and Professional/Mental Health Counselors who are certified and/or licensed in that state, and in other states/jurisdictions that accept the Continuing Education (CE) approval of other state social work boards, MFT boards, and/or counseling boards. Please contact your state licensing board if you have questions about the acceptability of CE hours.

*Note for Georgia licensed clinicians (LPCs, LMFTs, LCSWs, and Psychologists).

  • For Georgia LPCs/LAPCs, PsychMaven's NBCC approval means the continuing education (CE) hours for this training meet criteria for core hours for continuing education under Georgia Rule 135-9-.01
  • For Georgia licensed social workers, PsychMaven's approval under the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, with this program being specifically approved for Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Certified Master Social Workers, means that it is understood to make the hours of this program to qualify as core hours for continuing education under Georgia Rule 135-9-.01.(5)(c).
  • For Georgia LMFTs/LAMFTs, PsychMaven's approval under the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, with this program being specifically approved for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, means that it is understood to make the hours of this program to qualify as core hours for continuing education under Georgia Rule 135-9-.01

*Note for Ohio licensed counselors. PsychMaven's approval with NBCC is approved automatically for continuing education (CE) credit by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board

For the latest on the Continuing Education (CE) Approvals of PsychMaven, as well as guidance on CE requirements for different disciplines, visit us at www.psychmaven.org/ce-approval

For the latest on the the CE Approvals of PsychMaven, as well as guidance on CE requirements for different disciplines, visit us at www.psychmaven.org/ce-approval.

About Program Certificate

Completion of this full course with PsychMaven, The Solution-Oriented Approach, allows students to be award a program certificate from the approach’s co-creator and the program’s teacher, Bill O’Hanlon.

Bill is a champion of lifelong learning, particularly around change-work, and as Bill sees this course as the culmination of his thoughts and practices for this non-hypnotic approach, he feels that students who successfully complete the program should have access to a displayable certificate to note their learning.

The award of this program certificate is "not" an ongoing certification, and is also "not" an independent license for a person to practice in any health related field.

The program certificate is also not a the same as the certificate for continuing education (CE), as the continuing education is only through the host provider of this course, PsychMaven.

Your Instructor


Bill O'Hanlon, MS
Bill O'Hanlon, MS

William "Bill" O'Hanlon is a world renowned leader in the fields of brief psychotherapy and clinical hypnosis. Bill is the author of 40 books and has delivered over 3,700 talks around the world, and teaches others how to write and publish their own books and how to become paid public speakers. Bill is the co-founder of the Solution-Oriented Approach, a therapeutic method that focuses on identifying unrealized possibilities while acknowledging emotional and contextual issues. During graduate school, Bill studied with the eccentric and creative psychiatrist Milton Erickson (he was Dr. Erickson's only work/study student), he later became a major teacher/translator of Dr. Erickson's approaches to clinical hypnosis and change. More on Bill can be found at www.billohanlon.org


Course Curriculum


  Introduction to The Solution-Oriented Approach
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  Module 1: Methods to the Solution-Oriented Approach- Part 1
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  Module 1: Methods to the Solution-Oriented Approach- Part 2
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  Module 2: Expanding the Model
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  Module 3: Special Applications of the Solution-Oriented Approach
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  Recordings of Solution-Oriented Approach Coaching Calls
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  Conclusion, Evaluation, & Continuing Education Certificate
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  Bonuses: Solution-Oriented Approach
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Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course is open to new students during our launches. But once you enroll, you have a lifetime access to the course and all it's material, including any course updates and bonus material, no matter when you first enrolled in the course.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this home-study course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
At PsychMaven, we deeply desire for students to have a positive course experience. And as a part of this, we want students to feel good about their decision in purchasing a course with us, and for them to know that they can purchase without risk. If you enroll in the course, and then decide that it is not a good fit, just reach out before 14-days after your purchase and we will gladly give you a full refund.
Does this course offer continuing education (CE) credit?
Yes! The course offers 15 approved continuing education (CE) clock hours under multiple CE approval organizations (as listed in the course description) and can cover the approval needs of many mental health/professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, psychologists, and addiction professionals. However, all students are responsible for confirming if the CE approval of this course meets their CE needs. We can offer you further information about PsychMaven CE approvals and resources, by visiting us at www.psychmaven.org/ce-approval
Is this course different from Bill O'Hanlon's hypnosis course?
Yes! This course on the "Solution-Oriented Approach" is about the non-hypnosis/trance methods and techniques to change work. It is a much shorter course than Bill O'Hanlon's course on "Ericksonian and Solution-Oriented Hypnosis" and concepts and skills that are taught in this non-hypnosis course are meant for a wide range of professionals, not just those interested in hypnosis. So this a completely different course.

This course is closed for enrollment.