Words Were Originally Magic - Steve de Shazer

Steve de Shazer explores the power of language in psychotherapy, examining how the words exchanged between therapist and client can shape the way problems are understood and solutions discovered. Drawing on ideas from Freud, Jacques Lacan, Gregory Bateson and other thinkers, he investigates the relationship between language, meaning and therapeutic change. The book’s central focus is solution-focused brief therapy, illustrated through detailed clinical conversations that show how careful listening and questions can help clients imagine different futures and identify practical ways forward. Published by W. W. Norton in 1994, this edition includes references and an index.