Mechelen, Belgium on 15-16-17 May 2025 SOLWorld 2025: A Celebration of Being In Good Company The SOLWorld 2025 Conference in Mechelen, Belgium, brought together a vibrant community of professionals who use the Solution Focused (SF) approach in organisations around the world. Over three energising days, we explored fresh developments in SF practice, took part in interactive workshops, and reconnected with the joy of learning together. This video provides a flavour of the event.
SOLWorld 2025: A Celebration of Connection, Curiosity and Community Two years on from the SOLWorld Conference in Vienna, Anton Stellamans introduced this year’s SOLWorld Conference in Mechelen, which lived up to every expectation and beyond. As Anton said, “Dreamwork is what makes the teamwork” and this team dreamed creatively!
Liselotte Baeijaert, John Brooker, Peter Szabó & Carey Glass
Introduction by Carey Glass What caused Sleeping Beauty to wake up? The kiss of the Prince or just that the 100 years of sleeping were over? What would we like to believe when we work as coaches, are we the kissing Prince, or do we just happen to be there in the moment when Sleeping Beauty wakes up anyway because 100 years are over?
Wim Sucaet & Joe Chan
Review by Joe Chan As a manager in the senior management of a non – profit organisation I work with people and the community, handling and tackling pressures and expectations from internal and external stakeholders. So, I can relate well to Wim’s position and challenge in this article. As a Solution Focus (SF) practitioner, Wim has really demonstrated some key essence of the SF approach which shone through his works and project:
Wim Sucaet, John Wheeler & John Brooker
SFiO - Solution Focus in Organisations · Wim Sucaet Introduction by John Brooker This recording and the review comments below are intended to demonstrate an example of a real SFiO review process in action. We hope that it might awaken your interest in having a piece of work reviewed by your peers, or attract you to become a reviewer; if you have already been reviewed.
John Brooker, Wendy Van den Bulck and Brent-Gardiner
Introduced by John Brooker Wendy Van den Bulck is an SF leadership trainer in Belgium who works with horses to teach leaders how to become meaningful to others. I had always thought she applied Solution Focus with horses. As Wendy explains in the video, horses use Solutions Focus with people and each other, one might say, they are “SF Inside”, (with acknowledgement to Yasuteru Aoki, an SF practitioner from Japan, for that concept).
Book Review by Anton Stellamans Author - Wendy Van den Bulck - Equoia, 92 pp, ISBN 978-94-63883-85-6, 2019
Wendy Van den Bulck is a familiar face for many of us who attend SOLWorld conferences and summer retreats. We all know how passionately she can talk about her life with her 10 horses and how much wisdom she received from working with them. She has been working as a coach, trainer and consultant since 2010. Two years later, as she and her husband established Equoia, she started to introduce her horses as co-coaches in her practice. Some SF therapists use their dog in the therapy session, Wendy doesn’t hesitate to let you interact with one (or more) of her horses in the coaching session. It is best not to wear your Sunday shoes when you have an appointment with Wendy!
Louis Cauffman & Andrew Gibson
SFiO - Solution Focus in Organisations · Louis Cauffman A Chapter with the Author Conversation with Louis Cauffman and Andrew Gibson above Louis Cauffman & Andrew Gibson Book reviewed by Andrew Gibson I once met a new client who owned a small boutique hotel. She wanted to retire and pass her business on to her children. Unfortunately, neither of her children wanted to take the business on. So what was she to do? She needed help. In this small example, just one difficult family business problem is apparent. How do you help family businesses where there is all the added complexity of family ownership and involvement?
Lily Deforce & Vonneke Beeker
Introduced by Katalin Hankovszky In times of debate and division, this dialogue format is a true treasure to experience. Lily Deforce and her colleagues at Ilfaro embraced an initiative that brings people together around significant, yet divisive, questions. With their solution-focused approach, they designed the “Different Opinions Dialogue,” a structured process allowing any two people to listen deeply to each other and understand one another’s perspectives. In less than an hour, a truly enriching experience unfolds. The purpose of these dialogues is to enter a mode of listening and discovery—not to convince someone with opposing views or resolve a conflict. The structure is beautifully simple:
Wendy Van den Bulck
Introduced by Owen Charnley “There is no doubt that great conversations play an important role in helping people change.” Wendy Van Den Bulck From: “Connective Clarity (When Horses Invite You to Take Up Authentic Solution Focused Leadership”)
In this edited recording of an SF24 workshop, Wendy summarises core elements from her book Connective Clarity. She provides many valuable tips on using SF to coach people in the art of Solution Focus, particularly on making choices.