In Very Brief Therapeutic Conversations, Windy Dryden demonstrates the therapeutic value of very brief interventions in counselling, psychotherapy and coaching, using a wide range of techniques and skills to bring this novel approach to life. The book provides an informative and innovative guide on 'how to do' very brief therapy in 30 minutes or less. The often fascinating and universal problems the volunteers discuss, as well as the goal and guiding principles of this novel therapy, are explored in the first half of this book. Inspired by Ellis’s therapeutic ‘Friday Night Workshops’, transcripts from Dryden’s own therapeutic conversations at his 'live sessions' with volunteers form the second half of the book. Very Brief Therapeutic Conversations is an accessible and entertaining read for all therapists, whether in training or practice, who want to see very clear examples of theory being put into practice.

This book represents an addition to the literature on brief therapy. Solution Talk is a term Furman and Ahola use to refer to a constructive and agreeable manner of talking with people about problems. A conversation dominated by solution talk rather than problem talk is characterized by an atmosphere of mutual respect and is likely to focus on the future rather than the past, on resources rather than shortcomings, on success and progress rather than failure, and on solutions rather than problems.

On the leading edge of the new solution-oriented and narrative approaches, this book presents groundbreaking work converging around the idea that psychotherapy is primarily a special kind of conversation that elicits clients' strengths, competencies, and solutions. The therapist is seen as an expert in creating conversations that reveal clients' expertise and empower them to change. The book was conceived around a conference that took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June 1992. In the meeting rooms and the hallways, over morning coffee and late into the night, the conversations among all conference participants - presenters and attendees - were intense and dynamic. People engaged in ongoing conversations about therapy, defining and redefining their positions in, as Bill O'Hanlon has called it, "the third wave" of psychotherapy. Readers will sense the flavor and excitement of those Tulsa discussions in the dialogue of chapters and commentaries in Therapeutic Conversations. Here contributors not only present their latest views on ways to empower clients but also discuss such issues as positioning of the therapist, time as a dimension in psychotherapy, the uses of rituals and stories, and the differences been "exceptions" and "unique outcomes". Representing various perspectives on narrative, conversational, and solution-focused therapies, the contributors include, among others, Bill O'Hanlon, Steve de Shazer, John Weakland, Michele Weiner-Davis, and Stephen Gilligan. There is a distinctly international flavor, with contributions from Karl Tomm of Canada, Michael White of Australia, and David Epston of New Zealand. Whether venturing into the Theoretical Conversations of Part I or the ClinicalApplications of Part II, readers will find themselves stimulated not only to try new ways to converse therapeutically but also to participate in the continuing conversation that defines the practice of psychotherapy.

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 book is a compilation of twelve interviews with brief therapy experts and some of the field's most influential innovators (O'Hanlon, de Shazer, White, and Meichenbaum to name a few). The interviews, conducted to explore technical, theoretical, and ethical aspects of the theory and practice of brief therapy, offer the give-and-take spontaneity that can only be found in an interview style. The selection of the content is based on both the expertise of the interviewees as well as those issues of most concern to the field: managed care and economics, ethics, and being solution-focused.

There are stories that we use to explain what happened to us twenty years ago or last wee, those we use to explain why the world works the way it does, and those that we sue to "fix" the world when it doesn't work the way other stories said it should. And as the author points out in this collection of essays and interviews, some of these stories are better than others. This book is an investigation into which might be the better stories and how they can help clients reach their goals in therapy. This book contains fifteen essays and interviews written or co-written by Michael Hoyt. The collection represents Dr. Hoyt's recent thinking on helping clients with the brief, future-orientated therapeutic approaches.