Which is NOT a characteristic of brief therapies?

Brief therapies are designed to be more focused and efficient, often emphasizing specific client concerns rather than engaging in lengthy exploration of complex issues. One of the defining features of brief therapies is their time-limited nature, typically involving sessions that have a predetermined number of visits or a specific timeframe in which therapy is expected to occur.

The focus on the client's presenting concerns is a hallmark of these therapeutic approaches, as they aim to address the most pressing issues quickly and effectively. Additionally, active engagement from the therapist is crucial in brief therapies to ensure that the client remains motivated and that therapeutic goals are actively pursued.

In contrast, long-term therapeutic relationships are generally not a characteristic of brief therapies since such approaches prioritize swift interventions and concise engagement rather than an extended relational dynamic, which is more characteristic of traditional psychotherapy. Hence, the chosen answer identifies a distinctive feature that fundamentally does not align with the principles of brief therapies.