Stephen Henfrey

Face to face appointments are Mondays-Fridays 9-4pm

Appointments last 50 minutes

Virtual (Zoom/Teams/FaceTime) and telephone appointments are as above with some scope for evening sessions

The core beliefs I hold are:

• everyone has strengths, competencies and resources
• the client is already doing some of the solution
• to work with the client rather then the problem
• to look for resources rather then deficits
• to explore possible and preferred futures
• to explore what is already contributing to those possible futures
• to treat clients as experts in all aspects of their lives

I see an intervention in terms of a conversation. A solution focused conversation in which talk, solution talk, is future orientated, not past orientated; during which time we search for solutions rather than explanations. We collaborate and identify what works with the intent of doing more of it in a simple, minimalist way rather than complicating things by trying to fix what's wrong, focusing on resources rather than deficits and exceptions to the 'problem', rather than the problem itself.

The client is the expert of their life experiences and has the strengths and resources to bring about sustainable and meaningful change. It is the role of the therapist to access ways of talking with clients to facilitate their achieving their best hopes.

To summarise, the Solution Focused approach is to:

• Respect the clients’ expertise

• Suspend negative assumptions and hypotheses

• Show curiosity about clients’ solutions

• Respect clients’ solution finding strategies

• Highlight clients’ resources

• Do more of what works

The more and more you listen, the more and more you hear; the more and more you hear, the deeper and deeper your understanding becomes.

Sogyal Rinpoche

I work on the basis that everyone has strengths, competencies and resources. The client has the resources, skills, and strengths to resolve their issue(s). I have no goal other than the one formulated by the client and, together, therapist and client co-construct a unique way of addressing the given issue according to the specific context of the client’s values, beliefs, and culture. This conjoint meaning-making, allows for a greater number and variety of possibilities and solutions.

Whatever the client does represents their best attempt to resolve the situation. It follows that the client will know when the work has finished and whether or not it has been useful.

I also firmly believe that knowing the cause of a problem is not necessary to achieve a solution. Problems do not represent underlying pathology, as there is not necessarily a logical relationship between problem and solution. The practitioner must acknowledge a client’s issue(s), thereby validating them. If the practitioner assumes that there is some underlying meaning to the problem it becomes increasingly difficult to listen to the client.

I work on the basis that the 'problem' is something the client wants  to change, and that change is inevitable and constant. I also believe that the key to successful therapy, supervision or education is to identify clear goals and find the quickest way there. There are always times where the client is already doing some of the solution. Sometimes only a small step is necessary to set in motion a solution.

If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.

Shunryu Suzuki  

Your first session could be your last!

No assessment. 

The first question I ask ever clients is, 'what are your best hopes for our meeting today?' And we go from there.

I am a solution focused practitioner with over 30 years’ experience of working in young people’s services. I am a well-respected and highly skilled facilitator and coach with extensive experience providing clients with learner-centred training and consultancy services. I work with organisations to build customer focus, train and develop people and facilitate a positive culture. I have led diverse teams of professionals in training and learning design interventions, and facilitated training programmes in partnership with broad-ranging groups of stakeholders and am committed to providing clients with an opportunity to learn, develop skills and achieve their full potential.

I have worked with multicultural groups in England, Spain, France and South America in the public, private and non-governmental sectors. Clients include:

• Awareness Centre

• 15billion

• BRIEF

• Catch-22

• Chrysalis Care

• CityLit

• College of North West London

• Corelli College

• London boroughs of Bexley, Croydon, Greenwich, Lambeth, Newham, Kensington and Chelsea, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth

• Greenwich PCT

• Hackney Quest

• Lewisham Youth AID

• London East Connexions Partnership (LECP)

• NCY Trust

• Osmani Trust

• Peabody

• South London YMCA

• Thurrock Council

• UK Association of Solution Focused Practitioners (UKASFP)

• YMCA George Williams College

The workshops are both dynamic and participative, promoting a stress free training experience in which delegates can feel comfortable interacting with both myself and their fellow delegates; and designed to challenge and encourage them to acquire practical, hands-on skills to enhance their workplace performance. Delegates will be encouraged to share their own experiences during the workshops to promote their participation and learning as much as possible. I use real-life examples and refer to current best practice throughout the training.