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MATTHEW SELEKMAN
EEUU

Matthew Selekman is the founder and director of Partners for Collaborative Solutions, an international organization for the practice and training in family therapy and brief therapy in Evanston, IL, USA. He is an addiction consultant, clinical member, and accredited supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. He specializes in family therapy, therapy with children, adolescents, and adults who have difficulties managing anger, exhibit oppositional defiant behavior, gang involvement, substance abuse, self-harm, eating disorders, and with highly conflictive couples.
In 2006, 2000, and 1999, he received the Walter S. Rosenberry Award from the Children’s Hospital of Denver, Colorado, for making significant contributions to the fields of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.
Matthew has published numerous articles on family therapy and is the author of nine practice-oriented books: Working with High-Risk Adolescents: A Strengths-Based Collaborative Therapy Approach; (with Mark Beyebach) Changing Self-Destructive Habits: Pathways to Solutions with Couples and Families; with Giorgio Nardone, Bingeing, Purging, Torturing: Therapy in Brief Time; Collaborative Brief Therapy with Children; Self-Harm Treatment Manual for Adolescents and Young Adults: A Strengths-Based Collaborative Brief Therapy Approach; Working with Self-Harming Adolescents: A Strengths-Based Collaborative Approach; Pathways to Change: Brief Therapy with Difficult Adolescents, 2nd ed. (a globally recognized book and an essential manual for many professionals); and with Thomas Todd, Family Therapy Approaches with Adolescents Who Abuse Substances. Recently, in 2024, he published «The Therapist’s Use of Self: Being the Catalyst for Change in Couple and Family Therapy.»
Since 1985, Matthew has presented workshops on family therapy and strengths-based collaborative brief therapy with couples and families, challenging clients presenting self-destructive behaviors, serious difficulties in anger control, and children and adolescents with extensive treatment histories throughout North America, Mexico, South America, Europe, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, and South Africa. He provides consultations to mental health and addiction professionals, juvenile justice programs, behavioral health care organizations, and school systems worldwide. His passion, humor, and strong emphasis on teaching creative and practical therapeutic tools and strategies that professionals can use with their most difficult clients are often highly recognized. Matthew’s research interests include: couple and family therapy with self-harm, substance abuse, and eating disorders; the therapeutic relationship and alliance-building strategies; creative uses of self as a catalyst for change; and clients’ self-generating change capabilities and natural recovery.
Published Works
Selekman, M. D. (1999). Collaborative brief therapy with children. Guilford Press. Selekman, M. D. (2002). Working with self-harming adolescents: A strengths-based collaborative approach. Norton. Selekman, M. D. (2005). Pathways to change: Brief therapy with difficult adolescents (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. Selekman, M. D., & Todd, T. (2005). Family therapy approaches with adolescents who abuse substances. Norton. Selekman, M. D. (2009). Self-harm treatment manual for adolescents and young adults: A strengths-based collaborative brief therapy approach. Norton. Selekman, M. D., & Nardone, G. (2010). Bingeing, purging, torturing: Therapy in brief time. Routledge. Selekman, M. D., & Beyebach, M. (2013). Changing self-destructive habits: Pathways to solutions with couples and families. Routledge. Selekman, M. D. (2017). Working with high-risk adolescents: A strengths-based collaborative therapy approach. Norton. Selekman, M. D. (2024). The therapist’s use of self: Being the catalyst for change in couple and family therapy. Norton.
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PAMELA KING
EEUU

Pamela is a family therapist, international speaker, and trainer in solution-focused practice.
Founder of Solution Play Training Center, she is an enthusiastic and experienced solution-focused therapist, international speaker, author, and trainer. She has 30 years of experience in numerous intervention contexts, including domestic violence treatment programs, intervention in public schools, university teaching, and private practice. Pamela has designed and implemented innovative solution-focused play therapy programs for children and their families. She has specialized training in play therapy, trauma, and family violence. Pamela applies improvisation principles to develop flexibility, confidence, and spontaneity with clients.
Pamela holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and a Master’s degree in Human and Family Development from Utah State University, USA. She is the author of the book Tools for Effective Therapy with Children and Families: A Solution-Focused Approach, published by Routledge, as well as articles and chapters in other publications. She received the Steve de Shazer Memorial Award for her innovations in solution-focused brief therapy in 2017.
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MARK BEYEBACH.
SPAIN

Mark is Doctor in Psychology, Specialist in Clinical Psychology, and Family Therapist. He is a professor in the Health Sciences Department at the Public University of Navarra and a guest lecturer in various university postgraduate programs in clinical psychology, psychotherapy, family therapy, sexology, and social work.
He trained with Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee in 1991 and has since practiced, researched, and taught Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. After more than thirty years of professional practice and teaching and research activities, he has become one of the leading figures in brief therapy in Europe.
He is the author of over seventy scientific publications on family therapy and solution-focused brief therapy. He has published the books Family Therapy. Readings, Advances in Systemic Family Therapy, 24 Ideas for Brief Psychotherapy; with Marga Herrero, 200 Tasks in Brief Therapy, How to Raise Tyrant Children and Solution-Focused School Intervention; and with Matthew Selekman Changing Self-Destructive Habits. Mark has given lectures and seminars in Europe, the United States, Latin America, and Asia.
In 2017, he received the «EBTA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Solution-Focused Thinking» from the European Brief Therapy Association
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MARCOS PEREZ LAMADRID
BOLIVIA

Marcos Pérez Lamadrid is a Clinical Psychologist from Bolivia with a Master’s degree in Health Psychology. He is trained in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy at BRIEF and SFU.
He has experience working in hospitals, schools, and organizations supporting people at risk. Currently, he teaches at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, where he coordinates a program supporting family protection services in indigenous communities of the Bolivian highlands.
His interest in cultural humility has led him to conduct research on the solution-focused approach in multicultural contexts. He is also dedicated to promoting the Solution-Focused Approach in Latin America.
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FELIPE GARCIA
CHILE

Felipe García holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Concepción, Chile. He is the founder and General Director of the Center for Systemic Studies (CESIST), Chile. He serves as an academic in the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Concepción, and is the Director of the Doctorate in Mental Health at the University of Concepción.
He has published 14 books, including: «Brief Systemic Therapy: Foundations and Applications» (2014), «Manual of Brief Psychotherapy Techniques» (2015), «Manual of Brief Systemic Therapy» (2016), «Overcoming Traumatic Experiences» (2022), «Problems, Solutions, and Change» (2022), and «Brief Systemic Therapy for Trauma: An Intervention Protocol» (2023). Additionally, he has contributed several book chapters and over ninety research articles in indexed scientific journals in the past ten years.
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URSULA BÜHLMANN-STÄHLI
SWITZERLAND

Ursula Bühlmann is a doctor and is a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy in Bern, Switzerland. She is a supervisor, coach, and trainer. She has certified training in systemic family therapy, solution-focused systemic therapy, creative therapy with children, hypnotherapy, and traditional Chinese medicine. She is a board member of the European Brief Therapy Association (EBTA). www.creathera.ch
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TONI MEDINA
SPAIN

Toni Medina is a psychologist and solution-focused professional accredited by the International Alliance of Solution-Focused Teaching Institutes (IASTI). He specializes in family and psychosocial intervention and brief systemic solution-focused intervention. He works in the social services of the City Council of La Laguna, Tenerife, in an interdisciplinary team supporting children, adolescents, and families. Since 2005, he has been deepening and applying the solution-focused approach, with a particular interest in psychosocial care, child and adolescent protection, and family support.
He has published various articles and chapters on the application of the solution-focused approach. Toni dedicates a significant part of his life to helping vulnerable children, adolescents, and families achieve greater well-being in their lives and relationships, and to training other professionals in solution-focused practice. He has taught in the University Expert in Brief Systemic Interventions program at the University of La Laguna, Spain, as well as numerous courses, conferences, workshops, and seminars for national and international groups, public and private organizations, related to therapy and solution-focused practice in social services, child and adolescent protection, juvenile justice, and psychosocial intervention with vulnerable or at-risk populations.
In 2011, he began a research project that concluded in 2014, studying the effects of solution-focused practice in the child protection system of Tenerife, Spain. This research received two awards at the national and international levels from the Spanish Federation of Family Therapy Associations (FEATF) and the European Brief Therapy Association (EBTA). He is currently working on his doctoral thesis based on the results of this research. Toni Medina is a member of EBTA, part of its international cooperation committee, president of the newly established IMAGINE Association for Research and Development of Solution-Focused Practice, and academic director of the Canary School of Therapy and Solution-Focused Practice, LA CASA.
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NAOMI WHITEHEAD
UK

Naomi is a solution-focused professional accredited by the International Alliance of Solution-Focused Teaching Institutes (IASTI). Naomi works online, in Sheffield, across the UK, and internationally as a coach, therapist, and trainer focused on solutions. Naomi’s experience includes working and coordinating services for adults facing multiple and complex challenges, including homelessness, supporting youth involved in the criminal justice system, substance abuse, and project management in the voluntary sector. This experience informs the structured yet curious and deeply respectful approach she brings to all her work.
Naomi completed her sociology studies in 2001 and discovered the solution-focused approach in 2003. She became more inspired by its potential three years later while volunteering in two youth prisons in Bolivia, South America. In 2015, Naomi became an independent professional with a portfolio that includes trauma therapy, executive coaching for young women, facilitating reflective practices, and international training on current innovations. Naomi represents the UK in the European Brief Therapy Association (EBTA) and is a member of UKASFP and SFiO.
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TERI PICHOT
EEUU

Teri Pichot, a social worker, has thirty-five years of experience working with challenging clients, including those struggling with substance abuse, chronic mental health issues, and domestic violence. She studied Solution-Focused Brief Therapy with Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer, whose methods continue to influence her personal and professional life.
In the mid-90s, she led an outpatient treatment program for those with co-occurring disorders and dual pathology. Over fifteen years, she learned firsthand the administrative challenges of complying with state, federal, and local regulations while ensuring clients received the best care possible with increasingly limited resources. In this role, she honed her skills in engaging and effectively working with clients mandated to receive treatment by the child welfare and judicial systems. She managed high caseloads, inexperienced staff, and the push for evidence-based practices in a fast-paced, problem-focused environment.
Despite these challenges, Teri found ways to apply solution-focused practice in all aspects, from client care, supervision, policy development, quality control, outcome measurement, to strategic planning. She discovered that solution-focused practice was more than a therapeutic model; it was a powerful way of thinking and working with people in all walks of life.
Currently, Teri is an internationally recognized trainer and consultant in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and has authored five books (translated into French, Japanese, Mandarin, Chinese, and Spanish). She is the founder of the Denver Center for Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and provides inspiring and educational training and workshops worldwide on using this evidence-based approach with the most challenging populations. Known for her energetic and engaging teaching style, Teri brings passion and practicality to her workshops, ensuring participants gain meaningful tools that make an immediate difference in their clients’ quality of life.
For more information about her published works, click here:
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ALBA GARCÍA
SPAIN

Alba García has been studying the best way to combine psychomotricity and solution-focused practice. Alba is a psychologist and relational psychomotor therapist with extensive experience in child, adolescent, and family therapy. She collaborated with the Psychomotricity Department at the University of La Laguna from 2004-2009, conducting research, diagnosis, and intervention with children who have motor, sensory, intellectual, and psychological limitations. In 2007, she began working as a psychomotor therapist. Her first encounter with Brief Systemic Therapy was in 2007, training in Strategic Brief Therapy with Victor Amat and Toni Piera of the Centre de Terapia Breu de Barcelona and in Solution-Focused Therapy with Toni Medina. Currently, she directs the Gami Center on the island of Gran Canaria and is co-founder of the Canary School of Solution-Focused Practice LA CASA, with Toni Medina.
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CAROLINA CALLIGARO
ARGENTINA

Carolina Calligaro is a psychotherapist with a strong background in the Systemic Model. She holds a degree in Psychology and is a specialist in the Systemic Model, trained at the Argentine Systemic School with Marcelo Ceberio. She is a facilitator in Mindfulness and mind-body therapies. Currently, she is completing her doctoral thesis in Psychology on the systemic therapy model. Carolina has participated in research related to mental health, communication, and adolescence. She has collaborated on projects covering topics such as family, human relationships, stress, emotions, the brain, and addictions. Contributions during the pandemic: Along with the team of psychologists at the Argentine Systemic School, she developed recommendations to protect children and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has worked for years with individuals with chronic illnesses, such as cancer or those undergoing dialysis. Her approach is based on loving unconditionally and effective communication to care for the mental health of new generations. She is committed to university teaching, research, and clinical practice from a psychoneuroimmunoendocrine, systemic, and social perspective. Her work aims to improve people’s quality of life.
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GESA DÖRINGER
HOLAND

Gesa is an experienced practitioner of solution-focused brief therapy and an occupational therapist. Trained at NIK in Bremen and Berlin, she had the privilege of learning directly from two pioneering minds, Insoo Kim Berg and Yvonne Dolan.
Since establishing herself in Amsterdam in 2007, she has worked as a vocational counselor in the early-onset psychosis department at UMC Amsterdam. With deep respect, she witnesses the resilience and ingenuity of her clients. She is passionate about using the solution-focused approach and acceptance and commitment therapy to support them in reclaiming their lives.
Over the past decade, she has shared her expertise as an author and solution-focused trainer in Germany and the Netherlands, training more than 700 professionals in solution-focused techniques.
Experiential learning and playful elements are the secret ingredients of her work as both a therapist and a trainer, creating a safe space for clients and colleagues to explore new perspectives, discover possibilities, and celebrate successes.
In 2020, Gesa published her first book on solution-focused practice for occupational therapists, which has since sold over 1,000 copies. She launched her therapy game, The Mindsetter, in 2023
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BEN FURMAN
FINLAND

Ben Furman is a Finnish psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and professor specializing in solution-focused therapy, coaching, and organizational development. He has authored over 20 books on solution-focused psychology, published in various languages, including two in Spanish: «Kids’ Skills» and «Never Too Late to Have a Happy Childhood.»
In 1985, Ben and his colleague Tapani Ahola founded the Helsinki Brief Therapy Institute (Lyhytterapiainstituutti), where Ben worked as a trainer in solution-focused therapy and organizational development. Ben has also been a media personality, hosting his own TV show (200 episodes) and a call-in radio program on the Finnish National Broadcasting Company YLE.
Internationally recognized as a solution-focused psychology trainer, Ben has developed innovative methods and tools such as the Kids’ Skills program and Responsibility Steps for helping children and adolescents overcome problems, Reteaming, Twin-Star, and Cooperation for solution-focused teaching for leaders and organizational staff.
Ben works extensively at an international level, regularly teaching in solution-focused training programs in the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, and Sweden. He has also taught in countries including Bulgaria, England, Scotland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Egypt, Germany, the USA, Mexico, New Zealand, Israel, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, and Austria. Currently, Ben runs his own consultancy.
More information is available at www.benfurman.com.
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FREDERIC LINSSEN
GERMANY

Frederic is a psychologist, professor of systemic consulting (SG / DGSF), teaching supervisor (SG), teaching coach (SG), consultant, coach, and trainer in solution-focused communication. He has training in psychotherapy (HPG) and additional training in solution-focused communication (Milwaukee, USA) and systemic supervision (SG). In private practice since 2001, he focuses on coaching and supervising managers. He is the co-founder and director of the ILK institute and co-initiator of systemic psychotherapy training in cooperation with ABZ-OWL. He is also the inventor of the Changers Intervention.
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ANDREEA ZAK
POLAND

Andreea Żak holds a Ph.D. in Social Sciences and is a certified psychologist and psychotherapist. She is a member of the Research Working Group of the European Brief Therapy Association (EBTA) and currently leads the EBTA International Cooperation Working Group. She is the responsible editor for research articles in the Journal of Solution Focused Practices (JSFP). Andreea provides individual psychotherapy for adults and adolescents, as well as couples therapy, in her private practice «Inaczej» (Differently) in Wadowice, conducted in Polish, English, and Romanian. She is also an author or co-author of articles published in national and international scientific journals.
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KRZYSZTOF PEKALA
POLAND

Doctor in Health Sciences, practicing psychologist and theorist, certified psychotherapist, researcher, and lecturer at the University of Medicine in Lodz, certified trainer. He utilizes his practical work experience in psychotherapy consultations, NGOs, as well as in the business and training fields. He participates in various scientific and research projects. He is the author and co-author of several scientific publications related to psychotherapy and psychology in medicine and a presenter at scientific congresses.
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MERCÉ RIVED
SPAIN

Mercé is a Ph.D. in Psychology (international mention). She has a diploma in Occupational Therapy and multiple master’s degrees in Psychology and Analytical Psychotherapy, Constructivist Psychotherapy and Health Psychology, Systemic Family Therapy, Childhood and Family, and Disability and Mental Health.
She is an associate researcher at the University School of Nursing and Occupational Therapy at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (EUIT-UAB), a trainer for the European Social Fund, and a collaborator on international cooperation projects. She has had a private practice since 2010, focusing on adolescents, adults, and families.
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JOAQUIM FRAMIS
SPAIN

Joaquim is a pedagogue and social educator. He holds an Advanced Postgraduate Degree in Strategic Brief Therapy in Barcelona (MRI, ISBA, Family Therapy School of H. De Sant Pau). He has a Master’s in NLP and Ericksonian Approaches and is trained in the solution-focused model. He has experience in individual, group, community, and family interventions in basic and specialized social services. Currently, he works as a social educator in the Basic Social Services Team of the Southern Zone of Granollers (Barcelona). He directs and intervenes, along with Plàcid Fuste, in the GPS project, working with men who have children with open risk files.
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PLÁCID FUSTÉ
SPAIN

Plácid is a social educator. He holds a postgraduate degree in self-knowledge and NLP, personal development, and program management from the University of Vic (Barcelona). He works as a social educator in the Social Services of Granollers, with over 15 years of experience in child and family support. He directs and intervenes, along with Joaquim Framis, in the GPS project, working with men who have children with open risk files.
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RYTIS PAKROSNIS
LITHUANIA

Ritys is a EuroPsy certified psychologist, working as an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas, Lithuania), a psychologist at the VMU Psychology Clinic, and in private practice. He is a board member of EBTA, a member of the EBTA Research, Psychotherapy, and Theory Working Group, and on the Editorial Advisory Board of JSFP (Journal of Solution Focused Practices). He is author and co-author of research articles and books/chapters on solution-focused practice. His fields of interest include outcome research, solution-focused theory and training, and psychotherapy research.
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HANS JARA IGLESIAS
PERÚ

Psychologist – Psychotherapist – Consultant. Master’s in Dialogical and Collaborative Practices (Mexico). Trained in Brief Systemic Therapy, Couples Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and as a Facilitator Coach. He has been exploring Solution-Focused Practice since 2008 and has received specialized training with Mark Beyebach, Marga Herrero (Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Solution-Focused Interventions in Schools, Spain), Luc Isebaert (Coaching in Solution-Focused Cognitive and Systemic Therapy, Belgium), Sue Young (Anti-bullying Teams, England), Evan George (Solution-Focused Practice in Organizations, England), and Ben Furman (Working with Children and Adolescents, Finland).
He is the founder and director of the Latin Center for Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, through which he has developed academic activities inside and outside his country (Peru, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Ecuador, Mexico, Bolivia, and Spain). He was invited to participate in the IV World Solution-Focused Conference in The Hague (Netherlands) and was present at the SFBTA Conference Online 2020, one of the most important conferences in the solution-focused community worldwide. He has eight years of experience in university teaching. He was awarded the EBTA Research Grant 2018 for his research «Solution-Focused Classrooms in Educational Institutions in the City of Trujillo: Results and Differences in School Work in Contexts of Psychosocial Risk.»
He collaborated on the book «Practical Manual of Brief Systemic Therapy,» compiled by Felipe García and Marcelo Ceberio; on the book «Conversations for Change: Solution-Focused School Intervention. A Practical Manual for Education Professionals,» compiled by Mark Beyebach and Marga Herrero (Spain), and on the book «Stories of Change: The Systemic Approach in Action» edited by the Santo Tomás University of Chile.
In 2023, he published the book «Beyond Exceptions: History and Reflections of Solution-Focused Practice,» featuring contributions from various professionals involved in solution-focused practice.
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MARGA HERRERO
SPAIN

Marga Herrero de Vega is Ph.D. in Psychology, is a family therapist, and a supervisor in family therapy accredited by the FEATF (Spanish Federation of Family Therapy Associations). She was a professor at the Pontifical University of Salamanca in the Faculty of Psychology from 1999 to 2012, teaching «Systemic Interventions and Family Violence.» She also taught in the Master’s program in Family Therapy and Systemic Interventions and the Postgraduate program in Gender Violence at the same university.
Since 2013, she has been directing and practicing clinical work at the «Institute of Psychotherapy» in Salamanca and collaborates as a trainer and supervisor with various NGOs and educational centers. Alongside Mark Beyebach, she co-directs the «Intensive Training in Brief Systemic Intervention» program in Salamanca and Pamplona.
She is the author of various publications on brief therapy and family and has given numerous lectures in Spain, Europe, and Latin America on the application of the solution-focused approach in clinical, social, and educational fields. She is the co-author, with Mark Beyebach, of «How to Raise Tyrant Children,» «200 Tasks in Psychotherapy,» and «Solution-Focused School Intervention: Interventions for Change in School.»
Together with Pilar Ortiz, she created the therapeutic materials «Purita Ilusión,» which are used in clinical, social, and educational contexts.
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ANNE-MARIE WULF
DENMARK

Anne-Marie Wulf is a Socialworker, licensed Familytherapist and founder of the Danish Solution Focused Institute, from where she offers a 3-year training program as a Solution Focused Master Practitioner accredited by the International Alliance of Solution-Focused Teaching Institutes (IASTI).
Anne-Marie is an international teacher, trains, and supervisor, in addition, she’s an author, published her latest book in 2024 for Routledge titled: Women’s perspectives on the Solution Focused approach; International Applications and Interventions. Anne-Marie has presented at numerous conferences in Europe, board member of IASTI and current president of EBTA.
Beside, she’s married and the grandmother of five, which brings balance in life.
kontakt@danskloesningsfokuseretinstitut.dk
www.danskloesningsfokuseretinstitut.dk
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JACQUI VON CZIFFRA-BERGS
SOUTH AFRICA

Jacqui von Cziffra-Bergs is a Psychologist from Johannesburg, South Africa and teaches Solution Focused Therapy and Solution Focused thinking to psychologists, social workers, schools and organisations. Jacqui started the Solution Focused Institute of South Africa which is an organisation that aims to teach and promote world class training in Solution Focused thinking. Dr Jacqui von Cziffra-Bergs was an associate professor at the University of Johannesburg and still teaches at universities across the country on a consultancy basis. She has lectured extensively on Solution Focused Therapy throughout South Africa and in the United States.
Dr Jacqui has written 5 books and her latest book for Routledge is titled: Women’s perspectives on the Solution Focused approach.
Dr Jacqui is married and has two sons that keep her feet firmly on the ground.
drjacqui@solutionfocusedsa.com
www.solutionfocusedsa.com
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MAARIT PIETILÄINEN
FINLAND

Maarit is Psychotherapist graduated from the University of Eastern Finland (solution-focused orientation endorsed by IASTI, private practice), Psychiatric Nurse, Bachelor of Culture and Arts.
Maarit is part of the International Cooperation Commission of EBTA. She has worked for years in the field of mental health and psychiatry from various perspectives. For Maarit, as a solution-focused psychotherapist, it is crucial that the client feels heard and attended to without prejudice.
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KATRIN BERGER
GERMANY

Katrin Berger is a qualified pedagogue and solution-focused family therapist and works as a school counsellor for the Bremen Education Authority (Germany).
She is also a part-time self-employed counsellor and owner of the „Lösungswerkstatt“. In addition to solution-focused counselling and mediation, she also offers supervision and further training.
She is passionate about supporting cooperation and keeping democracy alive: «Finding creative solutions, loving cooperation and humour are what it’s worth living for!»
Www.Loesungswerkstatt-Berger.de
Loesungswerkstatt@posteo.de
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SEBASTIEN VERNIEUWE
BELGIUM

Sebastien Vernieuwe is member of the permanent training staff at the Korzybski Institute, home of The Bruges Model for Solution Focused Therapy. As a psychotherapist and special educations professional, one of his Solution Focused areas of interest has since long been the possibilities and pitfalls of digital evolution for client’s wellbeing.
The last decade he has been training therapists and youthcare workers in applying the Solution Focused approach when dealing with problematic Gaming and Internet habits. The lightspeed evolution of AI has offered a new challenge to explore.
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MARIE-CHRISTINE CABIÉ
FRANCE

Marie-Christine Cabié is a French psychiatrist and psychotherapist. She has spent her entire career in psychiatry, both in inpatient and outpatient settings. She initially trained in systemic family therapies, has worked with Luc Isebaert since 1980, and contributed to the creation of
the Bruges model. She is a founding member of the EBTA (Paris 1993). She has participated in the development of SFT and the Bruges model in the French language, particularly in France and Switzerland. She has published articles and books on systemic therapy, SFT, and the Bruges model, including two co-authored with Luc Isebaert. She currently has a private practice and conducts training and supervision sessions. She is editor of the journal «Thérapie Familiale» at Editions Medecine & Hygiène ( CH- Genève) and director of the «Relations» series at Éditions Erès ( F- Toulouse).
PUBLISHED WORKS
Isebaert, L., & Cabié, M.-C. (2015). Pour une thérapie brève. ERES.
Gammer, C., & Cabié, M.-C. (2005). La voix de l’enfant dans la thérapie familiale. ERES.
Gammer, C & Cabié, M.-C. (1999). L’adolescence, crise familiale. ERES.
Beauzée, N., Cabié, M.-C., & Rybak, A. L.-V. et C. (2002). L’entretien infirmier en santé mentale. Eres.
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TOMASZ SWITEK
POLAND

Tomasz Switek – solution focused practitioner – psychotherapist, coach, trainer, supervisor, based in Poland. He’s been practicisng solution focused approach for 26 years now in the field of education, business, therapy, social work and more…
Tomasz has created sf model known as situations focused open model. Privately being married, father of 5 children, passionate about sport activities – cycling, squash, basketball, as well as spending good quality time during everyday life. EBTA’s and IASTI’s boards member. You can know more by visiting his website: www.centrumpsr.eu
“Observe, think, co-create meanings…”(t.s.)
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JANNIE LUND-NIELSEN
DENMARK

Janne Lund-Nielsen is the managing director of Move1 and an educator in the ‘Family Counseling Education Program,’ where students are certified in the Flexible Family Counseling method. She is a solution-focused practitioner with training in systemic family therapy, specializing in neuroaffective developmental psychology. She is also a family counselor specializing in Flex Family Counseling and a committed educator.
For many years, she has specialized in supporting exposed and vulnerable children, youth, and families with complex problems.
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TARA GRETTON
UK

Tara Gretton (she/her) is a freelance social worker and solution-focused practitioner in Bath in the UK. Tara works with children and young people in schools and in private practice as a solution-focused practitioner. Tara also trains schools and school staff in the SFP across the UK. Tara is a co-director for Solution-Focused Trainers.
She fell in love with the solution-focused approach in 2002. Tara worked with adults with learning difficulties until 2010 and then transitioned to Children’s and Family Services in Bath (UK), where she worked on a team of social workers using the solution-focused practice with teenagers and their families to prevent them from entering the child protection system. Tara has extensive experience using the solution-focused approach with minors and their families. Since becoming an independent practitioner in 2014, she has worked in many local schools, conducting individual and group interventions with children and young people. Tara is also a consultant for primary schools and trains all staff within schools in the solution-focused approach.
Tara is on a mission to share the solution-focused approach in schools, with children, teenagers, families, and teachers. She works in schools across the southwest of England as a solution-focused practitioner and trainer. She has worked with most primary and secondary schools in Bath, Bristol, and Wiltshire. This work has ranged from individualized work to group work and staff training with great success. Tara is also passionate about ensuring the voices of children, teenagers, and young people are heard and loves training them in the solution-focused approach. Tara also enjoys working with musicians, actors, and artists, where they combine the magic of solution-focused practice and the arts.
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NICOLAS HEUX
CANADA

Nicolas is founder of AOS Institute – Advanced mastery in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy -Supervisor – Trainer
Nicolas Heux has built his professional practice with over 20 years of experience in helping relationships in France and Quebec, working with people in situations of great vulnerability. He also serves as a clinical supervisor and trainer for health and social service professionals in France and Quebec.
Nicolas is part of an international network of practitioners (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, coaches…) who promote the solution-focused approach
in the fields of psychotherapy, social work, and professional coaching in Canada.
His solution-focused brief coaching services are grounded in a systemic vision of support and an ethical stance based on the systematic pursuit of empowering
individuals and groups
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PAULINA NASILOWSKA
POLAND

Paulina Nasiłowska is psychologist and therapist based in Warsaw, Poland. She combines Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), logotherapy, and Nonviolent Communication (NVC). She focuses on emotional regulation skills and improving communication, helping her clients find peace and face life’s challenges more effectively.
Paulina is an enthusiast of dance, active in theater, and enjoys performing at charity events. She likes to combine traditional methods with innovative techniques, emphasizing warmth, authenticity, and humor to create a safe, supportive atmosphere for her clients. Her strong work ethic and commitment make her highly valued in the Polish therapeutic community.
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MAGDALENA SZUTARSKA
POLAND

Magdalena Szutarska works in various roles and contexts: therapy, training, and supervision.
She supports children and adults who have experienced traumatic life events. She promotes Solution-Focused Brief Therapy in Poland, actively working on developing the approach. Her work is characterized by the use of metaphorical cards, and she teaches professionals how to work with this tool.
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GEERT LEFEVERE
BELGIUM

Geert Lefevere Psychologist-psychotherapist, Lic. Clinical Psychology, License in family and sexological sciences, Member of the Association of Clinical Psychologists, Member of the Association of Sports Psychologists, Member of the Belgian Association of Relationship and Family Therapy (BVRGS), Member of the Board of the European Brief Therapy Association (EBTA) , Sft in chronic conditions, about which publication, Sft applications in the sports domain.
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JACEK SZCZEPKOWSKI
POLAND

Ph.D., Doctor. Professor at UKW (Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland), psychotherapist, trainer, and supervisor of solution-focused practice at PSTTSR. Head of the Department of Resocialization Pedagogy at UKW in Bydgoszcz, founder of the Center for Solutions, and author of numerous studies and book chapters on solution-focused practice. His focus is on solution-focused practice in working with at-risk youth in residential settings.
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ARTUR LEWINSKI
POLAND

Artur is psychotherapist, trainer, and supervisor of solution-focused practices. He is the founder and Head of the Short-Term Addiction Clinic in Torun, Poland, and the founder of the Center for Solutions (a solution-focused training center). He has organized all eighteen Polish National Solution-Focused Approach Conferences. He is also the President of the Polish Association of Solution-Focused Therapists.
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DRAGANA KNEZIC
CROATIA

Dragana Knezic is SF practitioner, psychologist and human rights activist. Dragana practices SF in non-governmental organizations, working with people on the move, trauma survivors and other underprivileged groups and individuals. Dragana trains and facilitates workshops on the topics of integrating human rights approach in social services and applying SF approach in different contexts.
Dragana trains and facilitates workshops on integrating the human rights approach in social services and applying the solution-focused approach in various contexts. She currently works in counseling and as a researcher and independent expert on social policies. She is a board member of EBTA.
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MIRJANA RADOVIC
SERBIA

Mirjana is a psychologist working at a preschool in Belgrade, Serbia. She also provides solution-focused therapy and training as the only solution-focused professional in her country.
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JAVIER VERDÚ
SPAIN

Javier is psychologist. Since 2006, he has been working at the Canary Youth Foundation IDEO, developing interventions with adolescents and young people who are serving Therapeutic Internment Judicial Measures at the CIEM Valle Tabares. In December 2012, he joined the team of the Open Environment Program, which works with adolescents and young people serving Judicial Measures in a supervised freedom context, handling the intervention of Outpatient Treatment Measures, addressing behavioral and drug dependency issues. In 2017, he began training in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, which radically changed his professional practice. He currently applies solution-focused practice with adolescents and young people in juvenile justice, quickly achieving results. After 17 years of direct intervention, he is currently developing and implementing a Prevention Program designed based on Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Motivational Interviewing.
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JAMES BEAUCHEMIN
EEUU

James Beauchemin is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Boise State University. He received his PhD from Ohio State University and MSW from the University of Vermont. Primary research interests include Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, wellness promotion, integrated mind-body-spirit interventions, and the mental health of college students. Scholarly pursuits have led to opportunities such as serving as a Subject Matter Expert for the American Council on Exercise, Research Committee member for the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association, and providing wellness-focused training for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Recent publications include: Effects of a Brief, Solution-Focused, Digital Intervention on Social Wellness Among College Students: A Pilot Study; The impact of a brief solution-focused classroom intervention on attitudes toward multidimensional wellness promotion among college students in helping professions; and Solution-focused wellness coaching: A mixed methods, longitudinal study with college students. In the past he has presented papers and conducted trainings at local, regional, national, and international conferences.
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EHA RÜÜTEL
ESTONIA

Eha Rüütel is a solution-focused psychotherapist, creative arts therapist (art therapy), and supervisor. She currently works as a distinguished professor at Tallinn University. In private practice she mainly works with clients who have issues with mental health, self-definition, relationships, and difficulties in coping with life events.
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CORNELIE OP TEN NOORT
GERMANY

Since 2015 Cornelie Op Ten Noort work as a psychologist at the Dept. of Military Mental Healthcare of the Dutch Ministry of Defence. She is a clinical psychologist is a specialized psychologist who has completed a six-year postgraduate course after university. The clinical psychologist’s field of work consists of diagnosing and treating complex psychological problems and mental disorders. Her daily tasks at the Military Mental Healthcare include treating and diagnosing active-duty military personnel, clinical research and training colleagues. For the past 6 years, my work has also involved providing solution-focused group therapy and training health workers (medical doctors etc.) with the solution-focused approach.
Since the start of my education for clinical psychologist in 2021, my colleagues and I started an open uncontrolled naturalistic study, to examine the effects of solution focused thinking on well-being and positive affect, after following a solution focused group therapy.
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JODY VAGNONI
ITALY

Jody Vagnoni is a social worker and psychologist. He currently works as an itinerant psychologist, conducting solution-focused conversations both online and face-to-face with people he meets during his travels who are going through particular periods of transition. He has deepened and developed his competencies in strategic brief therapy and solution-focused brief therapy at the Brief Center in London, with Mark McKergow, and in Australia, where he also explored single-session therapy.
His work experience also includes consulting and training, both for groups and individuals. He has also worked in the United States as a social worker in a residential center for adolescents, an experience that significantly enriched his professional practice. In recent years, he has traveled extensively, which has allowed him to expand his cultural background and incorporate diverse perspectives. Living in the United States, Bolivia, and Indonesia has provided him with a broader worldview, influencing his professional and personal approach. He is currently involved in independent research on informal therapies, with the aim of integrating solution-focused epistemology as a potential evolution in the field of psychology.
Jody practices freediving and integrates it daily with his yoga routines. He firmly believes that, before being professionals, we are people. Therefore, he has always invested in his psycho-physical well-being.
Jody is currently writing a book in Italian on solution-focused coaching, which aims to become a reference point for those who wish to approach this practice.
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NATALIA GRUBIZNA
POLAND AND HOLAND

Natalia Grubizna is a psychotraumatologist, sexologist and counsellor, specialising in sexuality and relationship issues. Originally from Poland, she runs her private solution-focused practice in Rotterdam and internationally online. Natalia works with a wide range of adult clients, including those who practice diverse forms of sexual expression, such as consensual non-monogamy or kink. She also collaborates with Dutch universities, conducting workshops on consent, personal boundaries, diversity & inclusion. Her other work experience includes consultancy and training. Natalia’s therapeutic interests focus on integrating various psychosexual interventions with solution-focused approach, which is at the heart of the professional training she runs in Poland’s CTSR.
Occasionally she appears in online and printed media, offering her advice and expertise on sexual wellbeing.
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LEÔS ZATLOUKAL
CZECH REPUBLIC

Mgr. Leoš Zatloukal, Ph.D. et Ph.D. works as a psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer of solution-focused therapy and supervision. He is co-founder of Dalet institute, the only institute in Czech republic which provides long-term (5 years) trainings in solution-focused therapy and many other trainings. He also work as a researcher and lecturer on Palacký University in Olomouc (department of social work) and Charles University in Prague (department of supervision and management).
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ALESYA COURTNAGE
CANADA

Alesya received a Masters of Arts degree from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA in 2001 and has been practicing as a psychotherapist in different mental health settings ever since. In 2008 Alesya attended her first workshop in Solution Focused Brief Therapy and fell in love with the hope, optimism and respect that drives this way of working with others. Alesya’s passion for Solution Focused Brief Therapy has led her to both lead and attend trainings around the world. She travels throughout Canada providing seminars on this approach to mental health agencies, professional associations and conferences. Alesya has received training from the leading Solution Focused minds in the world and is engaged in her own research and publication projects while completing a PhD in Social Work at Wilfred Laurier University. Alesya continues to practice as a psychotherapist in private practice and remains amazed at people’s resilience, strength and ability to work through even the most challenging situations.