Solution-focused therapy is often misunderstood to be a one-size-fits-all approach. This book adds a vital dimension to the literature by showing how attention to emotional issues and the therapeutic alliance, traditionally not emphasized in brief, strengths-based work, can help "unstick" difficult situations and pave the way to successful solutions. Using extensive case material, and drawing on the theories of Harry Stack Sullivan, Milton Erickson, and Humberto Maturana, Eve Lipchik brings to life not only what an experienced clinician does at particular moments in therapy, but why. Addressed are such vital questions as what to respond to and what to ignore in a solution-focused interview; what to do when clients do not respond to positive, future-oriented questions or goal definition; how to formulate the message and task at the end of the session; and how to apply the model to different populations and situations.