The Journal of Family Therapy (U.K.) published a special edition devoted to sft (1997, 19, 117-232). It includes a minimum definition of sft for research purposes by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg: miracle / break / compliments with or without task in first interview; scaling in all interviews. Some workers wish to substitute exceptions for miracle in chronically ill populations. This topic will be further discussed at the European Brief Therapy Association meeting in Brugge, Belgium (October 17-20, 1997).

Contemporary Family Therapy (USA) published an sft special in Spring 1997 (19(1), 1-144).

Beyebach, M & Carranza, V E (1997) Therapeutic interaction and dropout:

Beyebach M, Morejon AR, Palenzuela DL, Rodriguez-Arias JL. Research on the Process of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. In: Miller SD, Hubble MA, Duncan BL (eds)(1996) Handbook of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco (p 299-334). 39 outpatients in mental health; 80% goal achieved, avg. 5 sessions, mean 33 min / session; concrete goals and pretreatment change important.

Burr W (1993) Evaluation der Anwendung losungsorientierter Kurztherapie in einer kinder- und jugendpsychiartischen Praxis (Evaluation of the use of brief therapy in a practice for children and youths). Familiendynamik, 18: 11-21. (German: abstract in English). 55 cases; follow-up 6-12 months. 34 replies - 26 (77%) improved. Avg 4 sessions; new problems reported in 4 with improvement and 4 without.(wburr@t-online.de)

de Jong P & Hopwood LE Outcome Research on Treatment Conducted at the Brief Family Therapy Center 1992-1993. In: Miller SD, Hubble MA, Duncan BL (eds) (1996) Handbook of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco (p 272-298). 275 cases: age 50%<19, 93%<45; avg. 2.9 sess, 45% goal achieved, 32% some progress.

de Shazer S (1985): Keys to Solutions in Brief Therapy. Norton: New York. (p147-157).

de Shazer S (1991). Putting Differences To Work. Norton: New York. (161-162).

Eakes, G, Walsh, S, Markowski, M, Cain, H, Swanson, M (1997) Family-centred brief solution-focused therapy with chronic schizophrenia: a pilot study. Journal of Family Therapy, 19, 145-158. Experimental and control groups: 5 clients and families each. Reflecting team present; no miracle question. Experimental group: Family Environment Scale showed significant increase in expressiveness, active-recreational orientation and decrease in incongruence.

Franklin C (1997) Using client self-anchored scales to measure outcomes in solution-focused therapy. Journal of Systemic Therapies (in press). Pilot study (3 cases)of this measure as a test of outcome. (cfranklin@mail.utexas.edu)

George E, Iveson, C, Ratner H (1990) Problem to Solution. Brief Therapy Press: London. 41 of 62 traced were satisfied. (brief3@aol.com)

Johnson LD & Shaha S (1996) Improving quality in psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy, 33:225-236.
38 cases, OC-45 checklist (symptoms, relationships, social role). Improvement after avg. 4.77 sessions. (ljohnson@INCONNECT.COM)

Macdonald AJ (1994) Brief therapy in adult psychiatry. Journal of Family Therapy, 16: 415-426. 41 cases ; 1 yr follow-up. 29 (70%) improved - longstanding problems did less well. Equal outcome for all social classes; avg 3.71 sessions.

Macdonald AJ (1997) Brief therapy in adult psychiatry: further outcomes.

Lindforss L & Magnusson D (1997) Solution-focused therapy in prison.

Sundmann, P (1997) Solution-focused ideas in social work. Journal of Family Therapy, 19, 159-172. Nine social workers in the experimental group received basic training in solution-focused ideas while 9 controls worked as usual. Session tapes and questionnaires were analysed at 6-mons. More positive statements, more goal focus and more shared views were found in the experimental group. (peters@megabaud.fi)

Vaughn K, Young BC, Webster DC, Thomas MR A Continuum-of-Care Model for Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment. In: Miller SD, Hubble MA, Duncan BL (eds) (1996)

Handbook of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco (p 99-127). 688 cases before sft model avg. stay 20.2 days; 675 cases after avg. stay 6.6 days.

Wheeler J (1995) Believing in miracles:the implications and possibilities of using solution-focused therapy in a child mental health setting. ACPP Reviews & Newsletter, 17,255-261.

Mark Beyebach, Salamanca mark.beyebach@upsa.es solution-focused Master’s in psychology available. Trainees currently researching sft process: miracle question and its effect on goal definition etc; similar projects on pre-session change, scaling and overall changes are being developed.

Cynthia Franklin, Austin (cfranklin@mail.utexas.edu): what elements of sft can be identified accurately by observing trainees? Also developing manual for sft.

Luc Iseabeart, Belgium: one year and five year evaluation of inpatient and outpatient programmes for alcohol abuse; Dr M-C Cabie and Luc Iseabeart (1997) ‘Le Choix Comme Ethique’ Editions Eres: Paris. (Dr Marie-Christine Cabie: La Grange C.T.F.B.: adeline@club-internet.fr).

Cynthia Osborn, Ohio (osborn@ouvaxa.cats.ohiou.edu): looking at attitudes of alcohol counsellors to sft concepts.

Riikonen E, Helsinki (eeror@stakes.fi): Doctoral dissertation comparing sft interviewing with psychiatric (problem-focused) interviewing. Problem models and interviewing practices in professional helping: From problem language to competence language. In:

Heike Schlemmel, Bamberg (heike.schlemmel@ppp.uni-bamberg.de): study based on review session with clients after 6 mon. Also using sft questions in study of qualitative changes in gender and self-perception in relation to disability.

Dr George S Greenberg, Director, Brief Therapy Center and Family Therapy Institute of Greater New Orleans, 4535 Dryades Street, New Orleans, LA 70115, USA; (504) 891 2464; and 1529 River Oaks Road West, New Orleans, LA 70123; (504) 733 8621. He does a lot of group work in various settings using sft. Most of his many publications are in American books rather than journals. He can let you have lists of references.

homepage: http://hem1.passagen.se/solution/ebta.htm

EBTA Newsletter website: http://home1.swipnet.se/~w-16644/EBTANews.html

Sft Webpage:http://www.cyberenet.net/~suberri/