In this paper, clients’ experiences of therapy are used to examine two essential paradoxes: neutrality and influence, in the minimalist version of Solution Focused Brief Therapy developed by the author and his colleagues at BRIEF. Both concepts are linked to trust, a radical trust in each client to know what is best for their future, and a trust that decisions about this future are solely the business of the client. Maintaining this trust in the face of our own ideas and good wishes towards our clients requires a discipline which may not suit all Solution Focused practitioners
