When did the potential of the solution-focused approach first hit you?

[Coert Visser]

My question today is: When did the potential of the solution-focused approach first hit you?

Here is my story: It was about ten years ago. I was walking in a large bookstore. It had been a while since I had bought a book and today I was determined to find me something interesting to read. Only, I did not have a clue what it could be. Then I saw a modest pile of books which drew my attention. The book piled up there was Interviewing for solutions by Peter de Jong and Insoo Kim Berg. "Wait a minute", I thought to myself, "Wasn't that about this solution-focused approach I heard about recently?" Indeed, my colleague Gwenda Schlundt Bodien had recently come across the approach and had mentioned it once to me. But somehow it did not make too much of an impression to me, then. In fact, I thought it sounded simple and superficial. Furthermore: nothing new, I was sure. So there I was in the bookstore. Since I could not find any other interesting book, I thought I'd give Interviewing for solutions a try. I bought it and sat down somewhere for a cup of coffee. I took the book and thought I'd read a page or two, out of curiosity. I started reading and on the first and second page I recognized bits of what I'd heard about the approach. I thought it did sound interesting and friendly. I read it bit more. I read about a woman, Rosie which was interviewed by a group of students asking her al kinds of questions. These questions sounded very sensible to me. Reading further, I wondered what the authors would have to say about these very resonable questions. Nothing wrong with them, I thought. Then, the authors started to explain how all of the questions were about problems, mistakes, feelings, causes and implied solutions. Next came some explanation about the solution-focused approach and the authors showed how the interview might have been approached differently. Then and there the potential of the solution-focused approach hit me at once. I remember thinking how this was exactly what I had been searching for for some time and I realized I was going to do this and be busy with it for many, many years. And so it went.

What is your story? When did the potential of the solution-focused approach first hit you?

if you want to read what michael hjerth, paolo terni, peter damoc, liselotte baeijaert, jeffrey guterman have answered go here: http://bit.ly/Pq2EK

[william collier]

I´m a old way psychiatrist. Doing therapy and drug-treatment in the last 31 years. Have done Jung trainning and unhappy with the results.Start studiyng Milton Erickson Brief hipnotherapy I went to Arizona and heard about hypnosis whitout a transe. Then solution-focus was a child, Steve de Shazer was in is second book. I studied alone and start the practice, and become happy again whit the resolution my clients get.

[Coert Visser]

Thanks Simon!

[Simon Lee]

Hi Coert,

I enjoyed your postings and I am very impressed with your web blog. My first encounter with the solution focused approach was with Dr Mark McKergow in Singapore around 2004. I had completed other coaching programs but was still unsure if I could make an impact using my newly acquired coaching skills. Then I was introduced to Dr Mark McKergow's Masterful Coaching with the Solutions Focus workshop. I found the approach very attractive and it changed my life and work so much and since then I got myself sucked into learning more about SF - I went to the SOL conference, the Summer University, attended Insoo's workshop, Dr Ben Furmen's workshop and then there's no end to it. I found myself being SF'd with more influences coming from Dr Peter Szabo, Paul Z Jackson, and many more people I met. Today, my work centers around SF and Appreciative Inquiry and I continue to propagate SF wherever i go. I work with Dr Peter Szabo to offer SF Brief Coaching in Malaysia and I am hoping to be able to organize the first SF conference soon. There is so much to learn and so much to share. And every time I share about SF, I have no doubt the magic will rub on to others.....Simon Lee (from Singapore/Malaysia).