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!
"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."
– Anna Francis (August 2023, CEO of the Solution Focused Universe)
WASFIG Best Hopes: Share, Connect, Grow, Learn, Develop
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Share and expand on our SFBT knowledge since our original training;
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Connect and network with like-minded SF practitioners to reduce isolation and enhance community;
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Grow interest in the SFBT approach in WA and beyond to do our bit to change the world one SF step at a time;
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Learn how SFBT might be best applied in our practice by adopting the SF mindset, following the SFBT 'road map', and building fluency in our SF language;
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Develop our clinical effectiveness, efficiency and confidence in SFBT to support our clients in a useful way to move forward in their lives with as many sessions as they need and not one session more.
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 their experiences and passion for working with SFBT.
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, and meeting experts in SFBT including Andrew Turnell, Mark McKergow, Evan George and Anna Francis.
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.
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.
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 practitioners.
Introducing Co-Coordinators: Kerry Drummond and Steve Runciman
Kerry Drummond:
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 currently work part time for an Employee Assistance Program provider and have been in private practice since 2013 working to support individuals, couples and adolescents.
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. Most recently I completed a 4 month Coaching Course with the SFU. I engage in ongoing SFBT supervision and consultation with Evan George. 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/compassion fatigue by tapping into your vicarious resilience.
Steve Runciman:
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.
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.
Please Join us on our SFBT Journey!
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.
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!
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3103428583276551
