Re: Book review
In-Reply-To: <199609191520.RAA04405@goules.nat.fr>
Please supply ISBN and publisher of books you described...
Review: 'Working with the Problem Drinker', ISBN 0-393-70134-4, by Insoo
Kim Berg & Scott D Miller, publisher WW Norton & Co (New York and London)
1992
Subject Matter: The book describes 'solution-based' therapy for
alcoholism, as developed at the Brief Family Therapy Centre in Milwaukee.
Rating: Highly recommended and well worth reading: could add some very
elegant strategies for NLP therapists. Some excellent, illustrative
snippets of client/therapist case study dialogue.
Comment: The book has been in print for 4 years, but it was new to me! It
draws on work by Steve de Shazer, Milton Erickson and others, and deals
with solution-focused strategies for negotiating new behaviour with the
client.
This approach does not use the powerful NLP techniques for re-programming
at 'profound' levels: time-lines, parts models and others. However, much
will be familiar to NLPers: it sets out therapists' linguistic
strategies, for example, to assist the client to achieve well-formed
outcomes, to mutually negotiate co-operation, to re-frame, to orientate
the client for change, to chunk the solution, and finally to maintain and
enhance progress. All with great elegance, which can only enhance any
therapists skills, in areas you may not have considered (such as dealing
with 'reluctant' clients).
Patrick Rea, London