In-house or customised training
Any of the Institute's training courses can be provided onsite at your workplace or agency for a group of employees and we work with you to "customise" the program so that it meets the particular needs of your organisation.
Our courses are all two-day courses; however, we are happy to discuss providing a one-day version or a longer version (in New Zealand, the basic Solution-Focused Brief Therapy training course is routinely offered as a three-day course).
Email Michael at michael@brieftherapysydney.com.au
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
This 'flag-ship' course is a comprehensive introduction to Solution Focused Practice for practitioners in various settings. Thought-provoking and inspiring, the course offers a PROVEN approach that is effective for mental health problems, trauma, disruptive behaviour, substance use and many other social and emotional problems in counselling/therapy and in broader coaching and school settings.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) offers professionals an efficient, user-friendly and research-supported approach that is responsive to the practical realities of working with young people and adults. The role of counsellors, and other professionals rests largely on the ability to interact with people in ways that emphasise people’s existing strengths/resources, identifies possible different futures and supports movement to change. With an emphasis on “what works”, SFBT focuses on the reality that change is the name of the game. It's used with clients with anxiety, depression, trauma, disruptive behaviours and a host of other emotional and well-being issues. This popular workshop offers a thorough overview of the approach and shares real clinical examples, including substance abuse, trauma, mental health, child and adolescent difficulties.
This 'flag-ship' workshop has been the introduction to Solution-Focused Practice for many of Australia's leading practitioners. Comprehensive, thought-provoking and inspiring, many participants can't wait to get back to their workplace to practice.
This course will be particularly suitable for psychologists, social workers, counsellors, mental health nurses, school counsellors, coaches and anyone interested in working EFFECTIVELY and EFFICIENTLY to promote change. It will be relevant BOTH for those who have already had some exposure to Solution-Focused Brief Therapy but would benefit from a comprehensive framework for conceptualising and practising the approach AND also highly applicable for people with no real exposure to the approach.
This training is the most comprehensive introductory Solution-Focused training available in Australia, conducted by Michael Durrant, who had a personal and professional relationship with the founders of the Solution-Focused approach and is a sought-after speaker and trainer internationally.
Solution-Focused Supervision and Leadership
These are tough times for every organisation. Fear and uncertainty are running wild, in homes and workplaces alike. Most managers (like you, perhaps) are operating in difficult and sometimes unfamiliar territory. The last global economic downturn caused substantial increased demand for community services putting more pressure on a sector that was already facing significant challenges. Then COVID19 changed everything. How should people be managed when fear is in the air, confidence is slipping, demand is rising and the road ahead will be rough?
The Solution Focused Leadership approach focuses on solutions rather than concentrating on how to solve the problem, meaning your organisation's time and focus is spent on developing action steps towards solutions or your clients' improved outcomes. Sounds simple yet too many organisations are driven by focusing on: what is wrong and how to fix it? Solution Focused organisations enhance social power and cooperation to build a culture of strengths-based practice, that separates the health inside the team from the challenges outside.
This workshop is about outcomes — how we construct them, how we achieve them and how we can lead others to make better ones. Managers and supervisors will explore evidence and develop skills in:
- What are improved client outcomes and when it happens how will we know?
- Solutions v problems: how the fundamental shift from “problem-driven” to “solution-focused” can dramatically change the performance of individuals and organisations
- Solution-focused roles: core attributes all supervisors/ managers/ coaches need in a challenging workforce
- Creating culture: the use of social power and motivation, focusing on what is working and how to do more of it
- Goal setting: increasing employees’ solution-focused decision-making, judgment and strengths
- Scaling up: solution-focused conversations with individuals and teams
- Building up: solution-focused performance appraisal and disciplinary action
The Solution-Focused Leadership approach simply and easily integrates into your existing management and supervision structure, to create a culture of motivation, focusing on what is working and how to do more of it. Solution Focused Leadership develops organisations, teams and leaders into experts in what works.
Post-Traumatic Success: A Solution-Focused Approach to working with Trauma & Grief
Traditionally, a lot of professional attention has gone into diagnosis and recovery from the psychological damage associated with traumatic experiences. Specialist therapies with a primary focus on past events are the norm and PostTraumatic Stress Disorder is increasingly seen as an almost inevitable consequence of experiencing trauma. However, trauma work can be approached from a different angle. Several studies show that traumatic experiences need not be this debilitating and that most people can and will progress to a new stable pattern of healthy functioning and positive emotions with the help of appropriate future focused interventions. This does not mean ignoring the reality of pain and trauma but rather utilising a therapeutic approach that builds on and values, hope, possibility and strength. From a SolutionFocused perspective, the focus in treatment shifts from post-traumatic stress to post-traumatic success.
This practical and experiential 2 day workshop focuses on working with adolescents and adults who have experienced traumatic events such as sexual abuse, violence, natural disasters, and significant loss, who present with difficulties of guilt, depression, grief, self esteem, relationship problems, etc. It offers a practical framework for intervention derived from Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and positive psychology, providing attendees with direction and skills for assisting people struggling to recover. It includes exercises that can be used with individuals or groups that aim to identify, strengthen and harness personal strengths and resources in the wake of traumatic experiences.
Some of the key content areas that Michael will discuss include:
- How to shift the focus of treating trauma from reducing distress and surviving, to positively thriving.
- When and how to balance the need for clients to look forward as a more useful focus, whilst allowing space for looking back in creative, helpful ways.
- How to explore client's contrasting notions of ongoing damage with the idea that people who have suffered abuse and trauma can build new views of self, and possibilities for a successful future.
- Why the solution-focused assertion that the problem and the solution are not necessarily connected, challenges many common beliefs of trauma, loss and grief.
- How transforming belief to encompass the possibility of change, draws attention away from feelings of blame and disempowerment.
Solution-Focused schools
Training for teachers and school personnel on using Solution-Focused ideas in the classroom to promote different kinds of teacher-student conversations.
Details HERE.
If you wish to discuss training for your team or organisation, email Michael at michael@brieftherapysydney.com.au