Solution-Focused Therapy and Counseling with Children, Young People and their Families

This practical volume contains a detailed discussion of key topics within solution-focused therapy and counseling with children and their families. Grounded in decades of clinical experience and international research, the Bruges Model offers an integrative approach that empowers clients to rediscover their own strengths and achieve meaningful change in a relatively short time. Developed by renowned psychiatrist Luc Isebaert and his collaborators at the Korzybski Institute in Bruges, this volume combines solution-focused practice, systemic thinking, and cognitive principles into a coherent framework for effective therapeutic work with families across diverse settings. The book begins by introducing the core assumptions and goals of the Bruges Model, which emphasizes techniques for discovering a child’s own ‘manual’ for coping and growth. Chapters consider a range of environments including those which can be problematic for therapists such as in-school contexts, working with juvenile offenders, and with child protection, and offer a model to successfully navigate therapeutic practice when working with systemic and relational issues. Filled with practical, hands-on guidance for clinicians, this is an essential resource for psychotherapists, counselors, psychologists, and students seeking a practical, evidence-informed approach to helping children, couples, and families foster satisfying and sustainable change.