[Ailist] Article: "Solution Focused Mediation" by Fredrike P. Bannink

[Stephanie West Allen]

I thought several of you would enjoy this article on Solution Focused  
Mediation. Excerpt:

The solution focused model was developed during the 80s by De Shazer,  
Berg and colleagues at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee,  
USA. They expanded upon the findings of Watzlawick, Weakland and Fish  
(1974), who found that the attempted solution would sometimes  
perpetuate the problem and that an understanding of the origins of  
the problem was not necessary. Propositions of De Shazer (1985) are:



The development of a solution is not necessarily related to the  
problem (or conflict). An analysis of the problem is not useful in  
finding solutions, whereas an analysis of exceptions to the problem is.
The clients are the experts. They are the ones who determine their  
preferred future and the road to achieving this. De Shazer (1994)  
assumes that problems (or conflicts) are a sort of subway tokens:  
they get the person through the gate (to the table of the mediator)  
but do not determine which train he will take, nor do they determine  
which stop he will use to get off.
If it is not broken, do not fix it. Leave alone what is positive in  
the perception of the clients.
If something works, continue with it. Even though it may be something  
completely different from what was expected.
If something does not work, do something else. More of the same leads  
nowhere.

Rest here:

http://www.mediate.com/articles/banninkF1.cfm

Best,

Stephanie

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Stephanie West Allen, JD
New seminar: http://www.brainsonpoint.com
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