When Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg founded the Brief Family Therapy Center (BFTC) in Milwaukee in 1978, they set out on a journey which led not only to the development of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) but also to a revolutionary influence across and beyond the whole psychotherapeutic field. Terms such as solution focus, resource orientation, scaling, miracle question and many more are taken for granted today, and the broader implications of their work on how we think about therapy are still emerging. Steve and Insoo worked all over the world, introducing people to their practices and inspiring many to get involved with SFBT and take their ideas into fields such as coaching, teaching, social work and organisational change. Their journeys created powerful and lasting connections, which are still producing new work and developments. This book lets you eavesdrop on many of the meetings and friendships which they developed over the years, and appreciate even more their work, ideas and contribution. The book contains memories and stories from former BFTC team members as well as numerous colleagues from Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Finland, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA.

The latest developments in this groundbreaking therapy approach! More Than Miracles: The State of the Art of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is a ground breaking, intellectually provocative book, revealing new advances in the widely used, evidence based Solution-focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) approach. The final work of world renowned family therapists and original developers of SFBT, the late Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg (who passed away shortly before the book’s release) this definitive resource provides the most up-to-date information available on this eminently practical, internationally acclaimed approach. New revelations about the impact of language in therapeutic change are presented precisely and clearly, illustrated with real life case examples that give readers a “hands-on” view of the newest technical refinements in the SF approach. Challenging questions about the applications of SFBT to complex problems in “difficult” settings are given thoughtful, detailed answers. The book’s unique design allows the reader to “listen in” on the lively discussions that took place as the authors watched therapy sessions. The solution-focused brief therapy approach is based upon researchers observing thousands of hours of psychotherapy sessions and studying which questions and responses were most effective in helping people develop solutions to their problems. More Than Miracles: The State of the Art of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is the most up-to-date, comprehensive review of this approach. This book discusses the latest developments in the fields of family therapy, brief therapy, and psychotherapy training and practice. A succinct overview orients the reader to the current state of SFBT, and provides three real life case transcripts that vividly illustrate the practical applications of SFBT techniques. The seminar format of More Than Miracles: The State of the Art of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy allows readers to: sit in on surprising psychotherapy sessions eavesdrop on the authors’ commentary about the sessions get a comprehensive overview on the current state of SFBT review and understand the major tenets of SFBT learn specific interventions, including the miracle question and the reasons for asking it understand treatment applicability read actual session transcripts understand the “miracle scale” get insight into the unique relationship between Wittgenstein’s philosophy and SFBT better understand SFBT and emotions examine misconceptions about SFBT and more More Than Miracles: The State of the Art of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is illuminating reading for psychotherapists, counselors, human services personnel, health care workers, and teachers.

The Next Generation of Solution Focused Practice shows how practitioners help create change by ‘stretching the world’ of their clients. The book brings new ideas from enactive cognition which show how skilled attention on the client and their words is important both practically and conceptually. It provides both a summary of the development of Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) over time and how the latest developments form a newly coherent form of practice based on developing descriptions. The author has structured the book using simple and easy to understand metaphors to paint a rich, creative, and visual picture of therapy for the reader, which makes it an accessible read. This book will be of interest to a wide range of SF practitioners internationally, as well as to those involved in coaching, counselling, family therapy, education, social work, healthcare and organisational change.

Solution Focused Practice Around the World provides an exploration of the diverse uses of SF and offers fascinating insights into how the Solution Focused approach is currently used in many applications around the globe. Bringing together prominent authors, practitioners and trainers, the collection is divided into five sections: theory; therapeutic applications; working with children and adolescents; coaching and working with organisations. Originating from the first international conference on Solution Focused practice spanning all applications of the approach, the chapters provide a grounding in the theory and practice, and an exploration of the breadth and depth of Solution Focused therapy. All practitioners of the Solution Focused approach globally as well as those working in the wider fields of therapy, social work, education, coaching and human resources will benefit from this text and the applicability of the inherent theories to their area of expertise.

Brief Therapy Conversations features stimulating discussions between two international experts about essential topics, including the importance of the therapeutic relationship, the role of diagnosis, the therapist’s mindset, specific techniques and guiding logics, therapist development, and likely future trends. It explores a wide range of literature and ideas on brief therapy and single-session therapy. For those interested in time-sensitive treatment, several expanded journal articles are included that provide additional insights into ways to improve therapeutic efficiency. Reader friendly and conversational in format, this book is essential reading for professionals involved in brief therapy research, teaching, and practice. .

This accessible textbook provides therapy students and practitioners with an understanding of postmodern theories, founders, and practical applications to family therapy. It introduces complex concepts in bite-sized pieces so readers can cultivate and master competent real-world applications of postmodern philosophy in therapy. Relying predominantly on primary sources, Kelsey Railsback shows how postmodernist ideas influenced the development and implementation of postmodern family therapy models, focusing on collaborative-dialogic practice, narrative therapy, and solution focused brief therapy. It describes why certain therapeutic techniques developed and explains the context and history of their development. Each section begins with an introduction to the model before moving to the philosopher and ending with the founders’ application of philosophical ideas to therapy techniques. These chapters summarize prominent ideas from esteemed professionals in their fields, covering the philosophical pioneers Wittgenstein, Foucault, and Gergen and the therapy pioneers Anderson, White, Epston, de Shazer, Berg, and more. Critically, this book demonstrates how postmodern theory can be applied in mental health practice. By the end of the book, students will be able to interweave the philosophers, founders, and applications of postmodern family therapy into a comprehensive picture. To better understand their epistemology and why they are more inclined toward certain practices over others, students can utilize the included self-quizzes to deepen their understanding. Filled with etymological explanations, reflective questions, keywords, and summaries throughout, this book is designed for students and practitioners in systemic and relational therapy or related fields such as psychology, social work, and mental health counseling.

Managing Conflict at Work provides practical guidance on how to prevent, contain and resolve conflict in the workplace. It demonstrates how effective conflict management can have a powerful impact on the way organisations channel their energies; encouraging positive mindsets and building stronger and happier workforces. Putting the cost of rising conflict in context with recessionary times, it looks beyond individual cases to issues such as workforce motivation and corporate responsibility. The authors provide a wide range of practical techniques, tools and templates to support individuals who need to facilitate the resolution of employee disputes. Aimed not just at mediators and conflict practitioners, but at staff managers and anyone who needs to deal with people disputes; the book emphasises simple and practical ways for dealing with conflict situations - both when potential disputes are first emerging, and once a conflict has escalated into a formal complaint. Also including international case studies, extensive appendix of templates, tools and forms, including stakeholder analysis, mediation in-take forms and reflective questioning prompts, Managing Conflict at Work provides practical support to ensure that your company prevents disputes and stays within the law. The book is accompanied by an extensive range of ready-to-use templates and case studies and is supported by a dedicated website, providing information and downloads referred to in the book, as well as videos and podcasts.

Apply the major psychotherapy theories into practice with this comprehensive text Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice: Skills, Strategies, and Techniques, 2nd Edition is an in-depth guide that provides useful learning aids, instructions for ongoing assessment, and valuable case studies. More than just a reference, this approachable resource highlights practical applications of theoretical concepts, covering both theory and technique with one text. Easy to read and with engaging information that has been recently revised to align with the latest in industry best practices, this book is the perfect resource for graduate level counseling theory courses in counselor education, marriage and family therapy, counseling psychology, and clinical psychology. Included with each copy of the text is an access code to the online Video Resource Center (VRC). The VRC features eleven videos—each one covering a different therapeutic approach using real therapists and clients, not actors. These videos provide a perfect complement to the book by showing what the different theories look like in practice. The Second Edition features: New chapters on Family Systems Theory and Therapy as well as Gestalt Theory and Therapy Extended case examples in each of the twelve Theory chapters A treatment planning section that illustrates how specific theories can be used in problem formulation, specific interventions, and potential outcomes assessment Deeper and more continuous examination of gender and cultural issues An evidence-based status section in each Theory chapter focusing on what we know from the scientific research, with the goal of developing critical thinking skills A new section on Outcome Measures that provides ideas on how client outcomes can be tracked using practice-based evidence Showcasing the latest research, theory, and evidence-based practice in an engaging and relatable style, Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice is an illuminating text with outstanding practical value.

This is the first book to explain the many synergies between solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) and harm reduction (HR). Seán Foy discusses how these two approaches are complementary and when used in conjunction, create a novel way of approaching addiction work. The book covers several detailed case studies examining how the concepts and theories of both approaches are intertwined to enhance and deepen the work undertaken with people who misuse and abuse substances. It will be of great interest to scholars of psychotherapy, social work, social care, addiction, nursing and health care, as well as to practitioners seeking a clearer understanding of solution focused brief therapy and harm reduction and how to apply these to case work with problematic drinkers and drug users.

First published in 1982. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.