Description
2 Day Face to Face International Workshop:
“How to Engage with Children in Solution Focused Conversations”
HPCSA CPD Points – Accredited for 14 CPDs
SACSSP CPD Points – Accredited for 11 CPDs
Date: 22 – 23 August 2023
Time: 08:00 Registration for 08:30 Start – 16:30 Close
Workshop Venue: The Johannesburg Holocaust Conference Centre, 1 Duncombe Road, corner of Jan Smuts Avenue, Forest Town, Johannesburg, 2193
Early Registration (limited to first 40): R2 500-00
Normal Registration (once Early Registration is closed): R2 850-00
Group Discount: Email your group size for a quote to drjacqui@solutionfocusedsa.com
Cost Includes: Arrival tea/coffee and snack / Mid-morning light breakfast / Light lunch / Afternoon tea/coffee and snack
Workshop Presenters: Anne-Marie Wulf (Denmark) and Dr Jacqui von Cziffra-Bergs
Workshop Outline:
The old saying that “children should be seen and not heard”, makes children invisible and pre-assumes that children do not have good ideas or opinions about their own lives. To be able to hold engaging and helpful conversations with children, we need to hear their voices, hear their perspectives, and acknowledge their opinions.
This workshop is all about engaging with children in hopeful, creative and empowering ways. At the heart of this workshop lies our Solution Focused approach to guide our conversations toward encouraging and supporting children to believe in their competencies and to have happy, hopeful, fulfilling lives.
Come and join Anne-Marie Wulf, the Director of the Danish Solution Focused Institute and Dr Jacqui von Cziffra-Bergs, as they share what it means to be Solution Focused with children, and how to do and apply the Solution Focused approach with children in an engaging and creative way.
Solution Focused Brief Therapy – Presenter is Jacqui:
Solution Focused Therapy is one of the most well-known and recognized approaches when working in a brief way in the therapeutic field. Jacqui will be presenting a brief overview of the main tenets of what a Solution Focused therapeutic conversation looks like and the structure and the classic elements of a Solution Focused conversation.
Basic Assumptions – Presenters are Jacqui and Anne-Marie:
The Solution Focused Approach is based on several assumptions, which set the direction for our work as a Solution Focused therapist or practitioner. Assumptions about practice, about clients, about problems and about change processes influence the way we work. In this workshop the participants will not only get to know the assumptions, and the beliefs that Solution Focused Brief Therapy is based upon, but also the impact these assumptions have on our practice with children. Lots of exercises and live demonstrations will be incorporated into the presentation.
How to Engage Children in Conversations – Presenter is Anne-Marie:
In the mental health field we have for years talked about the importance of involving children and adolescents in conversations about their life. All mental health practitioners whether they are counselors, psychologists or social workers need to be able to facilitate conversations with children that are hopeful, positive and helpful. This workshop invites participants to move from simple conversations with children to engaging interactions. We will look into ‘the good reasons’ children have for doing what they do, what they can do differently to change and what fun and creative ways we can use to engage them in these helpful conversations. This will include a fun and creative section of the workshop, which provides concrete tools for the participants to integrate in their practice.
Creative Tools and Techniques to Engage with Children – Presenter is Anne-Marie:
Engaging with children in a way that makes them comfortable and interactive requires that we become more playful and more curious. By asking Solution Focused questions without interaction does not lead to engagement, however playing out, drawing or building a story whilst asking Solution Focused questions is magical and empowering. Using play figurines to help children map out their family network is fun, empowering and engaging. Using drawings to draw out the 3 Houses of Safety creates interaction and involvement and allows the child to give details of what is not working, what is working and what they desire differently.
How to Use Text Messages as a Dialogic Tool – Presenter is Anne-Marie:
By talking and interacting via digital media, such as phones, chat rooms and apps, emails and text messages, places time and presence out of order and context and allows 24/7 communication. This way of communicating will be presented and will show how text messages can be used as a dialogic tool e.g. how is it possible to respond to messages in a useful and meaningful way for clients? Through micro-analysis of text-dialogues Anne-Marie will demonstrate that a Solution Focused therapist can create opportunities for clients to talk about themselves as active, energetic and competent with resources, strengths and opportunities. By the end of the Workshop, participants will be able to apply using text messages in a helpful, ethical and useful way in their own practice.
Reflection and Summary – Presenters are Jacqui and Anne-Marie:
The ART model of assumptions, relevance and technique will be discussed and put into practice. The workshop will end with an hour summary and reflection. An interactive activity of sharing and co-constructing learning will be done in order to reflect and build on the knowledge gained.
Aims of the Workshop:
– Unpack the basic assumptions of Solution Focused Therapy
– Discuss and practice Solution Focused techniques e.g. miracle question, scaling and exception finding
– Creative activities to engage with children in a playful way
– Demonstrate useful ideas on how to turn Solution Focused questions into playful interactions with children
– Integrating play figures to listen, select and build a preferred future
– Using the 3 houses techniques to determine signs of safety for vulnerable children
– Finding “good reasons’ for the behaviour and changing it to positive interactions
– Using text messages in a useful and diagnostic way with adolescents
– Utilizing the ART model to keep us Solution Focused
Outcomes of the Workshop:
– Able to conceptualize the basic assumptions of Solution Focused Brief Therapy
– Apply Solution Focused questions as intervention techniques
– Turn Solution Focused questions into playful activities
– Help children engage in a positive manner
– Create creative and playful conversations of hope
– Use creative techniques to engage with children including Playmobile figures, 3 houses drawing and playful miracle drawings
– Use technology, especially text messages as a therapeutic tool
– Include and incorporate parents, school and other resources into therapy
Bibliography:
– Wulf, A and von Cziffra-Bergs, J (2023): Women’s perspective of the Solution Focused Approach: International Applications and Intervention. Routlege UK, in publication.
– Dierolf, K et al (2020): Solution Focused Practice around the World. How to use text-messages as a dialogue tool in solution-focused conversations by Anne-Marie Wulf. Routledge: UK.
– Wulf, A (2019): “As If I didn’t have a heart attack”. As If magazine: Fondazione Franceschi Onlus.
– Wulf, A (2028): Making Waves -Solution Focused Practice in Europe. Working as a solution focused mentor – how we do and what we do. EBTA 25 anniversary conference book.
