The Solution Focused Approach with Children and Young People: Current Thinking and Practice brings together leading figures and innovative practitioners from different professions, contexts and countries to provide a unique overview of Solution Focused work with children and young people. Presenting a range of applications in individual, group and community work, it puts the spotlight on diverse fields, exploring how the Solution Focused approach can work in real-world contexts. This book showcases a powerful, engaging approach which helps children and young people find the resources and strengths to manage difficulties and make the most of their lives. It contains interesting case studies, narrative descriptions of original practice, programmes of work developed using Solution Focused principles, and thought-provoking discussions of key elements of practice. With chapters presenting perspectives from coaching, therapy, consultancy and education, and applications including learning assessments, child protection, bereavement, edge of care, and youth offending, the book provides an overview of the current state of practice and provides pointers to potential new developments. The Solution Focused Approach with Children and Young People will help both experienced practitioners and those new to the approach to develop and update their knowledge and skills, as well as introducing them to creative and cutting-edge tools to inspire fresh ideas and thinking. It will be essential reading for Solution Focused practitioners and students, as well as coaches, social workers, school counsellors and mental health professionals working with children and young people.

Solution focused approaches offer proven ways of helping children overcome a whole range of difficulties, from academic problems to mental health issues, by helping them to identify their strengths and achievements. Based on solution focused practice principles, this book illustrates communication skills and playful techniques for working with all children and young people, regardless of any health, learning or development need. It demonstrates how the approach can capture children's views, wishes and worries, and can assist them in identifying their strengths and abilities. The approach encourages positive decision-making, and helps children to overcome challenges, achieve their goals and reach their full potential. The book is packed with case examples, practical strategies, and practice activities. This valuable text will be of great use to a range of practitioners working with children and young people, including social workers, youth workers, counsellors, teachers and nurses.

Brief Coaching with Children and Young People: A Solution Focused approach is the first book of its type to describe the thinking and practice of Solution Focused coaching with these age groups. The approach empowers young people to find their own solutions in the shortest possible time, focusing on where they want to get to rather than the details of the problem they are concerned about. The authors’ emphasis on practical and straightforward techniques and materials will equip all those interested in working with and supporting young people and their families to help them achieve their hopes for the future. The book is illustrated with numerous examples from the coaching practice of the authors in different settings, with a particular emphasis on challenging cases. As a whole, it serves as a key resource for working with children and young people, but each chapter can also be read individually to enhance the reader’s understanding of the topic. Downloadable resources are available online which enhance the practicality of the text. Ratner and Yusuf have created a practical, jargon-free resource for all those who work with and support children, young people and their families. It will be invaluable for coaches, therapists and counsellors as well as anyone who interacts with children and young people, including social workers, teachers and mentors and foster parents.

Brief Coaching offers a new approach to coaching by considering how the client will know when they have reached their goal, and what they are already doing to get there. The coach aims to work towards the solution rather than working away from the problem, so that the client's problem is not central to the session, but instead the coach and the client work towards the client's preferred future. This book employs case examples and transcripts of sessions to offer guidance on: looking for resources rather than deficits exploring possible and preferred futures examining what is already contributing to that future treating clients as experts in all aspects of their lives. This practical guide includes summaries and activities for the coach to do with the client and will therefore be a useful tool for both new and experienced coaches, as well as therapists branching into coaching who want to add to their existing skills.

Solution-Focused Therapy with Children and Adolescents offers mental health professionals an integration of creative and playful approaches and solution-focused therapy. The author presents developmentally appropriate and expressive alternatives to oral communication including sandtray, writing, puppetry, drawing and coloring, photography, and music. The text presents an overview of strength-based and creative approaches with a focused examination of the philosophy and process of solution-focused therapy, then divides chapters into specific stages of therapy—beginnings, searching for treasure, setting goals, and ending the session—with creative techniques offered in each section. The final chapter addresses working with children and adolescents in solution-focused groups, including how to set up groups and progress through different group stages, presenting specific techniques and activities focused on each stage of the group process.

Tools for Effective Therapy with Children and Families provides mental health professionals with step-by-step tools and strategies for effective therapeutic outcomes with children and their families. An integration of solution-focused brief therapy and play therapy, this groundbreaking book is uniquely suited to clinicians working with school-aged children and their parents. Tools for Effective Therapy with Children and Families uses clearly articulated and creative play activities to elicit conversations about solutions, successes, and collaborative goals with clients. Session transcripts and technique illustrations throughout the chapters allow clinicians to see the solution-focused approach in action.

This textbook shows how any conversation directed towards change can become a solution-focused one, whether in a planned series of sessions with individuals, families, groups, or in the less structured contexts in which many helping professionals work. Full of real-life case examples and stimulating activities, this will be an invaluable guide to anyone wanting to develop their skills in this empowering approach. This textbook is a comprehensive and accessible guide for anyone who wishes to incorporate solution-focused practice. Originating in the world of talking therapies, the adaptability and usability of solution-focused practice is already used by many practitioners in health, social care and educational settings. New to this Edition: - Explores a more diverse range of examples than the previous edition - Includes end of chapter summaries, providing additional clarity on what's been covered - Updated policy, procedure and legislation

Solution Focused Brief Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques provides a concise and jargon-free guide to the thinking and practice of this exciting approach, which enables people to make changes in their lives quickly and effectively. It covers: The history and background to solution focused practice The philosophical underpinnings of the approach Techniques and practices Specific applications to work with children and adolescents, (including school-based work) families, and adults How to deal with difficult situations Organisational applications including supervision, coaching and leadership. Frequently asked questions This book is an invaluable resource for all therapists and counsellors, whether in training or practice. It will also be essential for any professional whose job it is to help people make changes in their lives, and will therefore be of interest to social workers, probation officers, psychiatric staff, doctors, and teachers, as well as those working in organisations as coaches and managers.

Solution Focused Coaching for Adolescents explains the principles and attitude of the popular 11-step, Mission Possible, Solution Focused Coaching program for working with adolescents. By comparing the Mission Possible principles with the 'normal' way of problem-solving in coaching scenarios, the author makes the theoretical structure and conversational style of the program easy to learn for professionals. Applied both individually and as a group activity, Mission Possible is a learning experience that makes fulfilling dreams and achieving goals easier for teenagers and young adults. It helps to make difficult things accessible for them by using one's own strengths and resources. The book is filled with detailed case studies and useful coaching tools, breaking the program down into five themes, outlining the goals, the process, and any potential pitfalls. This practical book is intended for coaches, youth counselors, trainers, teachers, mentors, and therapists who want to coach young people using the clear step-by-step Mission Possible-program, and all those working in pastoral roles with children and adolescents.

An invaluable guide to the history, descriptions of practice strategies, and applications of SFBT! The Handbook of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is a unique, comprehensive guide that assists clinicians, regardless of experience level, in learning and applying the concepts of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) to particular situations with clients. Noted experts discuss the therapy practices and various uses for the approach in detail, which focuses on encouraging clients to look at exceptions, times when the problem could have occurred and did not, and goals and future possibilities. A history of the practice model and its interventions is discussed, along with limitations, descriptions of practice strategies, applications to specific client populations, and clinical problems and concerns. This useful resource also includes an illustrative case study that uses the SFBT model. The Handbook of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy first lays a foundation of knowledge, providing chapters on the crucial assumptions and practices, history, and epistemology behind the approach. Further chapters use that basis to explain the application of the approach with several clinical issues and various populations, including couples, depression, domestic violence, schools, children, pastoral work, therapist burnout, and a few “outside therapy room” applications. Other chapters focus on the important issues in therapist training and supervision. Extensive references are provided at the end of each chapter. Topics discussed in the Handbook of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy include: assumptions within the SFBT tradition history of the SFBT approach epistemology SFBT with couples depression domestic violence offenders public schools children and young people SFBT in faith-based communities assessing and relieving burnout in mental health practice SFBT beyond the therapy room supervision of training possible limitations, misunderstandings, and misuses of SFBT a tribute to the late Steven de Shazer, co-founder of the SFBT approach The Handbook of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is an invaluable reference for all types of therapists, including psychologists, counselors, social workers, and family therapists at any level of experience, including students, trainees, and experienced therapists.