Solution-focused therapy is often misunderstood to be no more than the techniques it is famous for—pragmatic, future-oriented questions that encourage clients to reconceptualize their problems and build on their strengths. Yet when applied in a "one-size-fits-all" manner, these techniques may produce disappointing results and leave clinicians wondering where they have gone wrong. This volume adds a vital dimension to the SFT literature, providing a rich theoretical framework to facilitate nonformulaic clinical decision making. The focus is on how attention to emotional issues, traditionally not emphasized in brief, strengths-based interventions, can help "unstick" difficult situations and pave the way to successful solutions.

This book adds a dimension to the solution-focused therapy literature, providing a framework to facilitate nonformulaic clinical decision making. Focus is on how emotional issues can help pave the way to successful solutions. Case material is also used showing not only what a clinician does at particular moments in therapy but why.

"This brief volume presents the basic premises of solution building, liberally enriched with examples. This is a remarkable book, the first of its kind, radical in its message, written about couples but also suitable for all manner of referrals."--Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries ìElliott Connie has written a remarkable book. Read it and you will be taken on a journey. If you are new to the world of solution focused brief therapy, beware! This book could capture your heartÖAs Elliott says from the very beginning, solution focused brief therapy is simple, so simple it is really hard to learn. And from this book, if you set out to do so, you could teach yourself how to become a competent solution focused brief therapist. It is all here, laid out clearly, packed with examples from the real world of therapy, repeated and repeated like onion skins, each repetition releasing its own flavour, a variation on a theme, a new understanding of something already known.î Chris Iveson, MA BRIEF London, UK Working with couples presents psychotherapists and counselors with a unique set of challenges, such that many therapists prefer not to work with couples or attempt to avoid it entirely. In the first book written about solution focused therapy (SFT) with couples, author Elliott Connie describes how his use of SFT made working with couples a pleasure rather than a burden. The solution focused approach is one that facilitates cooperation between partners in the creation of an agreed-upon future, rather than merely focusing on the problems that have come to define the relationship. Beginning with a clear explanation of the assumptions and tenets required for the practice of SFT, this book presents a step-by-step breakdown of exactly how to conduct solution building sessions with couples. Each chapter focuses on a different part of the therapeutic process and includes sample dialogues, techniques, and vignettes drawn from the authorís own extensive practice. Readers will feel as though they themselves are going through the therapeutic process with the couples and observing the impact of each step of the process. Numerous exercises and common solution focused questions help readers integrate this new material into their repertoire for immediate use. Key Features: Provides a unique view of couples therapy in action using the solution focused approach Includes actual questions to ask clients, sample dialogues, and sample homework assignments Features examples drawn from actual cases, illustrating techniques used in practice with real couples Presents scales to measure progress and supporting research for the application of solution-focused therapy to couples counseling

This second edition of Solution-focused Therapy remains the most accessible yet comprehensive case-based introduction to the history, theory, research and practice of solution-focused therapy (SFT) within mental health care and beyond. Drawing on contemporary research and the author′s own extensive experience, the fully revised and updated new edition includes: " discussion of recent developments relevant to research and training " a new chapter on challenges to SFT and the integration of SFT with other therapeutic approaches " extended discussion on ethical issues " topical exploration of the application of SFT with patients with personality disorders and dementias " contemporary research on solution-focused coaching and approaches to organizational change " new case material. This highly practical guide should be on the desk of every student or trainee studying this strongly supported, growing approach. It is also a useful resource for practitioners wanting to update their core skills and knowledge.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, by Johnny S. Kim, is the first book in the field to provide a practical overview of the essentials of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) from a multicultural perspective, including intervention skills, research, applications, and implications for practice. Case examples illustrate SFBT in action with a wide range of client populations. In addition, the book incorporates recommendations from the recently developed and approved SFBT treatment manual, published by the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association.

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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. History of Brief Counseling: The Fly Bottle. 2. Facilitating Change: The One Constant. 3. The Centrality of the Counseling Relationship: No Magic Tricks. 4. Helping Clients Frame Goals: The Pull of the Future. 5. Constructivist Counseling: Inventing Realities. 6. Narrative Counseling: Clients' Lives as Stories. 7. Managing the Clients' Emotional Arousal: Hot-Wiring. 8. Using Mystifying Techniques: Turning Stumbling Blocks into Stepping Stones. 9. Chaos and Complexity in Counseling: Butterflies and Loaded Dice. 10. The Reflecting Team, Consulting Break, and Offering Suggestions. 11. The Brief Attitudes, the Second Session, and Beyond. 12. Dealing with Involuntaries and Revisiting the First Session.