Why Focus on the "Future"—Unraveling it through SFA, Positive Psychology, and Health Psychology

"I can't even imagine a future," "I want to change, but I can't."
From individual counseling to supporting organizations and teams, and conducting research in health psychology—
Why is Yuichi Okamura, who has consistently stood by those in the field who "want to change," so fixated on the "future"?

Through the three lenses of the Solution-Focused Approach (SFA), positive psychology, and health psychology,
we listened carefully to the reasons behind this and how it is put into practice.

1. The "Future" is "possibility that has not yet taken shape"

—Today, I would like to explore the theme of "Why does Yuichi Okamura focus on the 'future'?" First of all, what does the word "future" mean to you, Mr. Okamura?

Okamura:
That makes me pause for a moment. To me, the "future" is "possibility itself that has not yet taken shape."
To put it more practically, it is also "a timeline where the steps we take here and now quietly connect."

When I am doing counseling, coaching, supporting organizations, or conducting health psychology research, my consciousness is inevitably drawn to "current problems" and "current hardships." However, the more I learn about the Solution-Focused Approach (SFA), positive psychology, and health psychology, the more I have come to feel that "how we envision the future" influences the very experience right in front of us.

That is why I continue to be fixated on the "future," in the sense of "looking to the future to support the present" and "illuminating the present from the future, not the past."

2. Starting from the "desired future," not the "cause of the problem" (Solution Focus)

—The Solution-Focused Approach (SFA) is truly a representative of "future-oriented" thinking. Could you tell us about your first encounter with SFA?

Okamura:
Originally, I was familiar with counseling styles that carefully trace the background and causes of problems within the flow of family therapy and clinical psychology. Of course, that has great significance. However, at a certain point, I began to face situations repeatedly where "no matter how much I understood the causes, the person in front of me could not easily take a step forward."

It was in that context that I encountered the Solution-Focused Approach. In SFA, you thoroughly start the conversation from the "desired future." Instead of asking, "Where did the problem come from?" you concretely envision, "What would every day look like if the problem were solved?"

Honestly, I was initially puzzled by this shift in perspective. I wondered, "Isn't it impossible to talk about the future so easily?" But when I actually used it, the clients' expressions and words visibly changed. A "faint but certain hope"—such as "I would be happy if I could do this" or "I might feel a little easier if I could get this far"—began to emerge in the dialogue.

—Within SFA, what are the moments when you feel the power of the "future" the most?

Okamura:
For example, there is the "Miracle Question," which is representative of SFA.
"If a 'miracle' happened while you were sleeping tonight, and when you woke up tomorrow the problem was completely gone, what would be different?"

When you carefully repeat this question, people who initially laughed and said, "No, a miracle is impossible," begin to describe it in detail little by little.

This "process of description" is the moment when the future begins to take shape.
In SFA, we do not end this description as a "fantasy of a world without problems." We bring it down to reality by asking, "If you were to try just 1% of that future tomorrow, what would it be?"

I focus on the "future" because I have experienced firsthand that talking about the future is not just an ideal, but a blueprint for "today's step."

3. Looking at "Existing Exceptions" and "Strengths" Instead of "What Is Not Being Done" (Positive Psychology)

――I believe that not only SFA but also positive psychology is a field that emphasizes a gaze toward the future. How do you position positive psychology, Mr. Okamura?

Okamura:
Positive psychology is the field that taught me the premise that "people inherently possess the power to live better."
Traditional psychology has tended to focus on "pathology" and "problems." While that is certainly a necessary endeavor, it often centers on the perspective of bringing a negative back to zero.

Positive psychology added the perspective of "from zero to plus."
Subjective Well-Being, strengths, resilience, flow experience, hope, optimism... I consider these not as "decorations just to make one feel better," but as "psychological resources for overcoming difficulties and continuing to walk toward the future."

――When people hear "positive psychology," it is sometimes confused with a "positive cult" that says "everything will work out if you just think positively," isn't it?

Okamura:
That is true. I am also consciously drawing a line there.
The "positive" that positive psychology speaks of is not about "pretending that pain or negativity do not exist." It is an attitude of acknowledging pain, loss, exhaustion, and anger, and then searching for, "Even so, is there still a 'usable strength' or a 'supportive relationship' within me?"

For example, suppose there is someone who is currently very cornered. As you listen to that person's story,

• they are still able to go to work

• they actually want to quit, but they have kept going this far

• they haven't talked to a friend yet, but there is one person they feel they could consult

such "exceptions" and "faint strengths" become visible.

In SFA terms, this is "exception finding"; in positive psychology terms, it is "strength discovery."
Shining a light on these "things that already exist" supports the power to move toward the future.

The reason I am fixated on the "future" is that I do not want to discard the idea that "the current me is no good," but rather I want to believe that "even within the current me, there are seeds that will lead to the future." And I feel that my job is to find those seeds together and nurture them.

4. The Perspective of a "Body Moving Toward the Future" Taught by Health Psychology

――On the other hand, you are also active as a researcher in health psychology. How is health psychology connected to the "future"?

Okamura:
Health psychology is the field that deals with "how the mind and behavior are involved in people staying healthy." It is a field that possesses a truly "future-oriented perspective," not just about what to do after becoming ill, but also "how can we prevent illness" and "how can we live well with chronic symptoms."

For example, the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases, stress management, and the maintenance of mental health. In all of these, "current actions" quietly shape health conditions years or decades from now.

Health psychology gives us the perspective of "protecting the health of your future self little by little through the choices of your current self." This applies not only to individuals but also to organizations and society.

――Are you also bringing the perspective of health psychology into organizations and teams?

Okamura:
Yes. For example, workplace mental health and building teams with high psychological safety are also "health psychology themes" for me.

There are many organizations where things are somehow managing to function for now, but where the exhaustion or turnover of members could explode at any moment. In such places, if you only look at "current sales" or "this term's results," you tend to overlook the truly important signs.

From the perspective of health psychology,

• the accumulation of member stress

• support networks

• the fulfillment of autonomy and competence

• the alignment between values and work

and other factors will influence turnover rates and productivity years down the line. In other words, we need to carefully nurture the "future health of the organization" starting now.

That is why, in training sessions and coaching, I always talk about "how this initiative connects to the health of the organization one or three years from now" at the same time as discussing "how to handle this current issue."

Health psychology has taught me that focusing on the future means "designing today's choices so that your future self and team can be even a little bit healthier."

5. The "Future" is a word for restoring the dignity of the workplace

――So far, we have heard how the "future" is positioned from the three perspectives of SFA, positive psychology, and health psychology. I would like to hear a bit more about your own "personal reasons," Okamura-san. Why have you become so fixated on the "future"?

Okamura:
I think the primary origin is that I have seen people and workplaces that "want to change but cannot" right in front of me many times.

• Work styles they want to quit but cannot

• Organizational cultures they want to change but cannot

• Feelings they want to convey but cannot

In the background, there are structural problems and institutional barriers. But at the same time, there are also many cases where the "image of the future"—the answer to "what do we actually want to do?" or "what do we want to value as we move forward?"—remains vague while they continue to operate.

Through my work in dialogue and facilitation, I have witnessed such scenes many times. Fine slogans and visions are put up in meetings, but they are hardly used in the workplace from the next day on. The expressions of the people on the front lines are somewhat cold, and a sense of resignation that "nothing will change anyway" drifts in the air.

Every time that happened, I felt that "the future remains stuck as someone else's words."
Slogans put up by top management, visions created by external consultants—there is nothing wrong with those in themselves, but if they do not become "our own words," the future will end up as nothing more than a "borrowed poster."

That is why I have come to think of "workplace dignity" and the "future" as linked.
When people on the front lines speak in their own words about what they "truly wish would happen," and that turns into an actual, even if small, step forward—that, I believe, is the "restoration of dignity."

The future is also a word for reclaiming the dignity of the workplace.
That is why I continue to be particular about creating spaces where we can talk about the "future."

6. "Future-oriented dialogue" does not mean "disregarding the present"

――When you say focus on the future, some people might feel that you are neglecting the pain of the present. What are your thoughts on that?

Okamura:
I think that is a very important point.
Talking about the future is by no means about trivializing the "pain of the present." Rather, I value the order of "looking at the future together in order to carefully attend to the pain of the present."

In counseling sessions, I first listen thoroughly to the emotions of the "here and now." Anger, sadness, anxiety, shame... Instead of labeling them as "bad because they aren't positive," I accept them by saying, "You have carried such heavy feelings, and you have done well to come this far."

After that, I gently offer questions from SFA and positive psychology.

• "Even so, if there were moments when you felt even just a little bit better, when would those be?"

• "If your current situation is a '2' out of 10, what might you be able to do to get to a '3'?"

This is not just "sugarcoating" to escape from current pain.
It is about acknowledging the burdens and pain that truly exist in this moment, and then thinking together about "how you want to use the time ahead, even so."

Looking at the future does not mean disregarding the present.
Rather, I feel it is another perspective for deciding "how you want to treat yourself now."

7. From "want to do" to "can do." — Making the future the size of a "single step"

――The phrase "From 'want to do' to 'can do'" appears many times in your activities, Mr. Okamura. Is this phrase also related to your focus on the future?

Okamura:
Of course.
Many people and organizations already have things they "want to do." Even if the person hasn't put it into words yet, it always seeps out somewhere when you engage in dialogue.

On the other hand, there is a large gap between "want to do" and "can do." Time, money, skills, environment, human relationships... Faced with that gap, people often let go of the future, thinking, "Well, realistically, it's difficult."

That is where SFA and positive psychology come in.

• Using scaling questions to ask, "Where are you now on a scale of 1 to 10?"

• Using exception-finding to ask, "Where are the situations where things are already going a little well?"

• Using a strengths-based perspective to ask, "What are the unique strengths of that person or team?"

We confirm these things together to turn "want to do" into the "size of a single step."

For example, suppose there is a big wish to "create a place where local people can gather with peace of mind."
Instead of jumping straight to talk about "building a community center,"

• "First, try gathering three people and creating a space to talk for just one hour."

• "Try continuing the session once a month"

—breaking it down into such "first steps."

Focusing on the future is not just about talking about grand visions.
It is about breaking things down to the size of concrete steps that turn "I want to do" into "I can do."
I believe my current role is to carefully design that process using dialogue and psychological insights.

8. The "Future" is a collaborative work to support someone's "Now"

—Finally, please tell us about your own "future," Mr. Okamura. What kind of "future-building" do you want to focus on in the future?

Okamura:
Broadly speaking, there are three directions.

One is to support the "future" of individuals.
In counseling, coaching, and 1-on-1 sessions, I want to weave a unique "future story" together with them and turn it into "today's first step." I want to continue to stand quietly beside those who feel they "cannot even think about the future," including those struggling with mental health issues or difficulties in living.

The second is to support the "future" of teams and organizations.
Through interactive training, workshops, and hands-on support, I want to help people in the field articulate their vision in their own words and translate it into a "sustainable system." I want to continue translating themes like psychological safety, well-being, and learning organizations into concrete procedures on the ground.

The third is to cultivate knowledge that supports the "future" of society as a whole.
It is to deepen and articulate the insights of health psychology, positive psychology, and behavioral science in the form of research. I want to continue disseminating this not only through papers and academic presentations but also in ways that reach practice and the field.

What is common at every level is the sense that "the future is a collaborative work to support someone's 'now'."
The future is not a finished blueprint in one person's head. It is a "co-creation" that slowly takes shape through dialogue and is polished by the hands of many people.

I want to take on the role of opening up that space for collaborative creation, supporting it, and turning it into words and systems.
The future-oriented nature of the Solution-Focused Approach, the perspective of strengths and hope from positive psychology, and the perspective of the "living body" from health psychology. With these three as a foundation, I want to continue to be committed to the "future."