Is There Really a New and Improved Version of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy?
On your quest to find the best Solution-Focused training, you may have heard a few professionals talk as though there is now a new and improved version of Solution-Focused Brief Practice. Some have used terms like “version 2.0” and made reference to improvements they have made to the model. They are typically comparing their improvements to the original team’s work in the early 80s at the Brief Family Therapy Center (BFTC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This is the common benchmark used as the definition of the founders’ Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer’s work. At Denver Center for SFBT this “old vs. new” way of thinking is not one that we find helpful, and I wanted to shed some light on our stance.
"To label the BFTC model as 'version 1.0' is rather dismissive of all the work Insoo and Steve did throughout their careers, for Solution-Focused Brief Practice was actually continually evolving and quite different at the end of their work."
While studying the work of the original BFTC team is historically interesting, it is somewhat misleading to compare the model Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer ultimately created and taught throughout their long careers with the rudimentary foundations that this original team created in the early 80s. In these early years, the team was reacting to the current way of thinking in psychotherapy and in such had many over corrections, including a focus on technique. Insoo and Steve went on to refine the model into the amazing, non-technique driven model that I learned directly from them in the early 90s. To label the BFTC model as “version 1.0” is rather dismissive of all the work Insoo and Steve did throughout their careers, for Solution-Focused Brief Practice was actually continually evolving and quite different at the end of their work. I think about how artists evolve and change over their careers. For example, it would be foolish to look at a famous artist’s early paintings (such as Claude Monet) and not consider what he learned throughout his career and not appreciate his later style and significant contributions to the field.
SFBT is riddled with myths, and it is mistakenly taught in Universities and by professionals unfamiliar with the power of the model, as a technique-driven, superficial model. This was something that frustrated the original founders, Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer. Both had a deep understanding that this model was much more than technique despite these rumors, and that it required years of dedication to master the true art of this model.
"So how does one who is new to Solution-Focused Practice cut through all the claims and myths?"
As I have listened to professionals talk about their “improvements” to the model, I am struck how these are really nothing new compared to the amazingly powerful model I learned years ago from my dear friends, Steve and Insoo. They understood the need to listen to the heart of each client and personalize each and every question. I learned from them how to purposefully and compassionately match each question to the answer last given by the clients. It was never about technique. It’s an art that requires a different way to skillfully listen and be with clients. So why the talk about improvements to the model? Maybe it’s a marketing tool to make themselves stand out, or maybe it’s people who never had a chance to really understand the original model and the resulting evolution that Insoo and Steve loved and sought to pass on after they passed.
So how does one who is new to Solution-Focused Practice cut through all the claims and myths? I invite you to become curious about how this evidenced-based model evolved throughout Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer’s work over their entire career rather than thinking of it in a static form. At Denver Center for SFBT we say that our focus of our training is on understanding the tenets and underlying mindset developed by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg and on recognizing the key interventions. This includes the entirety of their careers. In fact, during our Solution-Focused Practitioner Certification Program, in partnership with the International Alliance for Solution-Focused Teaching Institutes (IASTI), we require an in-depth study of Steve and Insoo’s entire careers and the development of this powerful model. We believe this is necessary to provide our participants with a truly comprehensive Solution-Focused Brief Practitioner program. This allows us to share with you the deeply personal, client-focused, model that I personally learned from my time with Insoo and Steve and from those close to them in the later years of their career. It is a model that allows us as professionals to connect heart-to-heart with compassion and flexibility to meet each client’s needs regardless of the presenting problem. It is a model that is empowering, energizing, and results in an excitement and passion for our work.
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What's Our Approach? |
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To learn to use evidenced-based Solution-Focused practice in the way it was truly designed, it takes a lot of work and effort. It is similar to learning a new language. At Denver Center for SFBT we want to help support you in this exciting journey every step of the way. Not only can you come to our training center in Littleton, Colorado and attend our in-person classes, we now offer online courses each month through the interactional and free, Zoom platform. These are ideal for when you can't travel but would still like to connect with like-minded professionals and sharpen your solution-focused skills. Some of our upcoming online courses include: Solution-Focused Basics Overview (Jan 23rd), Using Solution-Focused Thinking to Help Clients Cope with Grief/Loss (Jan 23rd), and Using Solution-Focused Thinking to Prevent Burnout (Feb 19th). Click here to see a few of our upcoming courses (online courses are clearly noted. All others are in person at the Littleton Training Center.)
In addition, we are excited to offer our highly-popular Summer Intensive training again this summer in July. The Summer Intensive is perfect for you if you want to immerse yourself into a week-long training and put yourself on the fast-track to learning this approach as you continue your quest to master the principles of evidenced-based Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). These five days will re-energize your practice and deepen your skills. You will reap the rewards of making a difference in your clients' lives. Come for the unique blend of discussion, demonstration, and practice which will ensure that you will gain a deeper understanding of this evidenced-based approach regardless of your current level of expertise. We want you to be part of it, so make this investment in yourself and become the effective professional you've always wanted to be. Save your spot today.... the Summer Intensive fills up fast.
Keep reading to learn more about our Summer Intensive. . .
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