Ben Furman, M.D. co-director of Helsinki Brief Therapy Institute Ltd. and Twin Star Ltd, is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist and and trainer of solution-focused psychology and psychotherapy.

Ben has worked for years with his colleague Tapani Ahola developing various ideas and practical tools pertaining to solution-focused psychology.

Ben's publications include, among others, "Never too late to have a happy childhood", "Solution Talk - hosting therapeutic conversations" and "Kids' Skills: practical and playful solutions to children's problems". His book about the Kids' Skills method was originally written in Finnish but has since been published in 10 different languages including Japase and Bulgarian.

Ben's most recent book (with Tapani Ahola), titled "Change through cooperation - handbook of reteaming", is a manual for the solution-focused coaching method Ben and Tapani have developed together.

In 1986 Ben founded, together with Tapani Ahola, The Helsinki Brief Therapy Institute, which provides professional training in solution-focused psychotherapy. The institute's three year training program is accredited in Finland.

In addition to his work in the field of solution-focused psychotherapy Ben has also been active exploring other applications of solution-focused psychology such as coaching, leadership training, team building, education and parenting.

Together with Tapani Ahola he has developed a solution-focused method for coaching and managing change called reteaming and a concept for teaching solution focused leadership and communication they call the Twin Star.

Together with Tapani Ben has also developed a number of methods to help children and adolescents overcome problems. Kids' Skills is a solution-focused approach to helping children solve all sorts of problems together with their family and friends, Steps of Responsibility is a constructive way of dealing with the wrongdoings of pupils at school. Most recently Ben and Tapani have developed a solution-focused parenting program tentatively titled Kids' Skills for parents. which will be field tested in the near future in Germany, Finland and Norway.

Ben teaches in and lectures in his own country as well as abroad. In Finland he is will known for his informative psychological program on national TV which he hosted for several years during 1990's and 2000's.

Ben lectures internationally and has over the years had engagements in all Scandinavian countries, in several european countries including Germany, Austria, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Holland and England as well as overseas including USA, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, Singapore, Israel and Egypt.

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