Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg: From problem to solution (1994) Part 1

Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg in an audio recording of the first of their two presentations at the joint MRI/BFTC conference The Global Reach Of Brief Therapy, Sunny Vale CA, 26-27 August 1994.

This session is interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly Steve and Insoo usually worked separately, and there is not much material of them speaking jointly. Secondly, de Shazer in particular is on confident and assertive form in these sessions (not always the case). His book Words Were Originally Magic had just been published, and he had a lot to say at this time.

This conference was a rare occasion when the two leading 'brief therapy' approaches of the time shared a joint event. MRI model brief therapy (problem solving/pattern interrupting) led the way in the 1960s and 1970s. The later Solution-Focused brief therapy of Berg and de Shazer, thoroughly inspired by the MRI model while simplifying it, appeared in the 1980s and by this time was beginning the be in the ascendancy around the world. it has since gone on to global usage and application. Berg and de Shazer were supposed to have presented a talk each, but on the morning of the event decided to pool their resources and present both sessions together. The result is a compelling and insightful insight of these two masterful practitioners talking about their work to a well-informed audience. (Jenny Clarke and I were also in the audience, not so well-informed at this stage!)

In this first part of the talk we hear about the first session outline (and how they start sessions differently to each other), the miracle question, the importance of what people want, what to do if clients want others to change, and the difference between a therapist and a waitress. While some the audience questions are not totally audible, the responses are loud and clear. This inspiring talk gives a fascinating insight into de Shazer and Berg's work in the mid 1990s.

Part 2 of this session is at    • Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg: F...  .