Western Australia Solution Focused Brief Therapy Interest Group (WASFIG)

Connect with a Supportive, Encouraging and Passionate Group of SF Practitioners

right here in WA and Beyond!

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"Kerry and Steve provide a warm, nurturing and professionally informative learning SFBT environment in the WASFIG. They're a well prepared duo who ensure that participants are seen and valued and deliver what they're sharing with huge respect for both the content and the clients that Solution Focused Brief Therapy ultimately serves. It was an honour for me to share space with them and their group participants."

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 – Anna Francis (August 2023, CEO of the Solution Focused Universe)

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WASFIG Best Hopes: Share, Connect, Grow, Learn, Develop

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1. Share – To keep our Solution Focused knowledge alive and evolving, revisiting what we first learned in training while embracing fresh insights and practices.

2. Connect – To nurture meaningful relationships with fellow SF practitioners, reducing isolation and building a strong, supportive community spirit.

3. Grow – To spark curiosity and expand interest in SFBT across WA and beyond, knowing that every small SF step can contribute to changing the world.

4. Learn – To explore where, when, and with whom SF works best in our practice, bringing clarity and focus to how we apply it.

5. Develop – To strengthen our effectiveness and efficiency as practitioners, making every session count—approaching each one as though it is the only, or the last, and giving our very best.

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We gather to share what we’ve learned on the way,
Fresh insights unfolding with each passing day.

We connect with each other, no longer alone,
A community strengthened, a spirit well grown.

We grow the bright spark of SFBT far and near,
Each sign of hope making pathways more clear.

Together we see possibility’s call,
Bringing hope into action—
a vision for all.

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Mental Health Practitioners working with, or interested to learn about, the SFBT Approach are invited to join us for our bi-monthly WA SFBT Interest Group Meetings. These are held via Zoom on Saturday mornings 9:30am-11:30am (Western Australia Time) to enable practitioners across Australia and beyond to come along and share our knowledge and experience to inspire each other in working with our clients from the SFBT approach. 

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Some of our past topics have focused on learning about the latest SFBT 2.0 approach (Mark McKergow, 2021) using the Diamond Approach (Elliott Connie and Adam Froerer, 2023) and working with clients managing grief and trauma.  We have been honoured to be joined by many special guest speakers including Andrew Turnell, Mark McKergow, Theresa Acutt, Evan George, Anna Francis, Adrian Holmes, Katti Jisuk Seo, Pene Turnell, Andrew Gibson and Dr Jacqui von Cziffra-Bergs.  We are ever grateful to the community of solution focused practitioners who have begun the journey with us in 2021 or have joined us along the way, sharing their ‘sparkling moments’ of client work, their experience in working with certain client groups from the solution focused perspective, and just being there to connect with and encourage each other.  While we work in a challenging field, together we look to make a difference in our clients’ lives in a solution focused way that is good for our clients and energising for ourselves as practitioners. 

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Evan George (BRIEF, London) reminds us SFBT is ‘the simple, not easy approach’ and Elliott Connie (SFU, USA) encourages us to connect with a group of SF practitioners to build our skills and mastery in working with clients and confidence in ourselves as the practitioner we aspire to be.

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We have enjoyed connecting with practitioners across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore who work in a variety of areas with different client populations and with various levels of experience in SFBT - from those who are just learning about the approach to others who have many years of experience. 

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We hope these meetings can continue to raise awareness of the benefit of SFBT to promoting positive, rapid and long-lasting change for clients and to maintain energy, work satisfaction and vicarious resilience for the wellbeing of practitioners. 

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Introducing Co-Coordinators: Kerry Drummond and Steve Runciman

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Kerry Drummond:

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I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Supervisor with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), a member of the Australasian Solution Focused Association (ASFA) and hold Honours in Psychology and Masters in Counselling from Murdoch University. I am a Level 2 Certified Solution Focused Brief Therapy Diamond Practitioner with the Solution Focused Universe and am currently completing Level 3.  I work part time for an Employee Assistance Program provider and have been in private practice since 2013 working to support individuals and couples.

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I discovered SFBT 2.0 in 2019 and completed training with SFBT experts Evan George and Chris Iveson of BRIEF London and Elliott Connie and Adam Froerer of Solution Focused Universe (SFU) in the USA.  Following this my passion for SFBT began and I have enjoyed many training opportunities to develop and enrich my SFBT practice.   I engage in ongoing SFBT supervision and consultation with Evan George and Anna Francis. My Best Hopes for WASFIG are to inspire other practitioners as I have been inspired by SFBT; to increase your confidence and fulfilment in your client work regardless of the presenting problem by building on your client's hope and empowering their strength amidst the struggle; and to reduce burnout and compassion fatigue by tapping into your vicarious resilience.

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Steve Runciman:

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I have been a registered Clinical Psychologist in private practice for over 35 years. I am currently working with individual adults, couples, families and organisations.  I also provide professional supervision to psychologists, both individual and team school psychologists, school principals, chaplains, ministers and other professionals. 

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My background in SFBT began in the late 1980's.  I was one of the first trainers of SFBT in WA and have attended numerous workshops with key personnel in SFBT including originators Steve de Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg and Eve Lipchik.  I access ongoing SFBT supervision and consultation with Evan George, one of the UK's leading SF trainers. See www.steverunciman.com.au for further details.

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Please Join us on our SFBT Journey!

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We hope to continue to move in the direction of a more SF future for WA in connection and fond partnership with the rest of Australia, New Zealand and internationally! 

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We are always excited to discover other practitioners in WA or beyond who are working with SFBT.  If you would like to join us please contact Kerry on invictuscounsellingservice@gmail.com or Steve on srunciman@iinet.net.au for more information.  

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If you are interested in presenting at one of our meetings or have a SFBT topic you would like to see presented we would be glad to hear your thoughts.  We hope together we can continue to move towards the practitioners we aspire to be!

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Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3103428583276551