Speakers & Programme

Speakers and abstract will appear here. However we can tell you that presenters include; Rebekka Ouer, Elliott Connie, Rob Silver, Cate Walton, Paul Hanton…and more.

Abstract submissions are open; please submit an abstract of about 100 words for a 40 minute presentation. Presentations may be didactic, case studies, interactive workshops, research presentations, topical discussions etc. There is no specific format required but your abstract must satisfy the organising group that the content is relevant to useful to share in our SF community.

Click here to Submit Your Abstract

If you wish to make a briefer presentation, slots may be split but you will need to find someone to fill the remaining time and co-submit. Such submissions should have a common theme, e.g., current research findings.

Please also submit a brief bio, again of no more than 200 words. Please insert these on the submission form at the above link.

If this is your first time presenting your solution focused ideas and/or work and are a little worried, please don’t be, you are amongst friends. Fee free to contact us if you need some advice, guidance or support.

Here is conference timetable 2023 july 15 how it is looking so far…it changes 🙂

Rebekka Ouer - Morning Keynote. SFBT & the LGBT community.

Rebekka Ouer is a clinical social worker who specializes in solution focused work with the
LGBT community. She has served as an adjunct professor at UTA’s School of Social Work
and she is also a clinical supervisor for LMSW’s in Texas.
She frequently conducts trainings about Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and the LGBT
community and has authored a book from Routledge Publications: Solution Focused Brief
Therapy with the LGBT community: Creating Futures through Hope & Resilience.
Specialties
 LGBT Individuals
 LGBT Couples & Relationships
 Trans Teens & Families
 Transgender Letter Assessments

SFBT is the absolute perfect fit for working with marginalized clients, and in this
presentation the conference participants will learn this truth through the lens of
working with the LGBT community. They will receive this lesson directly from a
therapist & author who has been passionately utilizing SFBT while working with LGBT
clients in the American south for the last decade.

Elliott Connie - Special guest - Closing Speech

Paul Hanton

I first trained in SFBT at BRIEF (known then as The Brief Therapy Centre) in London, circa 1993, studied for an achieved an MA on the worlds first SFBT Master course, 2000, Birmingham University, I have written and trained a fair bit, was a founder member of the UKASFP and of this conference....I love my family, including my spoilt dog, love curry, Spurs, play and coach badminton. www.solutionfocused.co.nz

Short note (like a keynote, but briefer). Being respectful using SF with Maori tāngata, from a Tauiwi perspective.

I will also run a workshop based on the SF Reflecting team approach (Tom Anderson Sweden, Harry Norman UK). Please bring a case that you want some live supervision on...this style of peer supervision will change your practice, forever! Big claim huh?

Rob Silver & Wendy Isakson

Hi I’m Wendy. Married to Gordon, with 3 children, and many interesting life experiences, I’ve been working as a Counsellor in the Hawke’s Bay for more than 10 years. Most recently, I have been working at Tamatea High School and seeing private clients. I feel challenged on a regular basis in my counselling work with teens and adults. My grandson Max (who was born during the 2020 edition of this conference) and my dogs keep me sane!

Hi. I’m Rob. I’m proudly married to Eth, and we have 2 married kids, 2 kids-in-law, 2 grandsons and a crazy Labrador. I have been working as a school counsellor since 2008. My introduction to SFBT was through Brent Gardiner in 2010 and 2011. I continue to learn and grow in using SFP as my main modality. Family life and volunteer prison chaplaincy challenge my edges regularly!

Where to from here?

This is an interactive workshop. Participants will discuss vignettes of counselling sessions through a Solution Focused lens. We will use SF principles to come up with ways a counsellor using this modality might proceed in similar situations.

Cate Walton

To come

Wanda Douglas

To come

Eva Corson

To come

SF, children and young people.

Anna Francis

To come

Raesha Ismail

Raesha graduated in December 2020 with her Masters of Counselling at the University of Canterbury. She currently see's clients at Petersgate counselling and Canterbury Men's Centre. She has established her own unique way of counselling that aligns with trauma-informed care, bicultural and cross-cultural SFBT integration.

Raesha has a passion for culturally responsive counselling. She also specialises in Unwanted Sexual Behaviours, Pornography Addiction and Betrayal Trauma due to internet infidelity.

Raesha has 18 years of experience in education as a primary teacher, tertiary health educator and teacher trainer. Overall holistic health and well-being is a significant part of her work.

After the loss of her brother during the March 15th Mosque attacks it is her best hopes to use this adversity to help bring more community awareness about being a Muslim in Aotearoa and what hope and healing looks like in Islam.

Bicultural and Multicultural SFBT practice.

SFBT can be utilised to enhance bicultural and multicultural practice. By listening with intent and language matching clients can feel valued, heard and supported. Desired outcomes are achieved that allow for client success. Though skillful questioning clients can be supported to make meaningful change towards their preferred future. This workshop will offer examples of effective solution focused practice with clients from different cultural groups.