# Insoo Kim Berg

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Korean American psychotherapist (1934–2007)

Insoo Kim Berg Born Insoo Kim(김인수) (1934-07-25)July 25, 1934 Korea Died January 10, 2007(2007-01-10) (aged 72) Milwaukee, United States Alma mater Ewha Womans University University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Family Institute of Chicago Menninger Foundation Mental Research Institute Occupations Psychotherapist, social worker Spouses Charles H. Berg Steve de Shazer

**Insoo Kim Berg** (25 July 1934 – 10 January 2007) was a Korean-born American [psychotherapist](/source/Psychotherapist) and [social worker](/source/Social_worker) who was a pioneer of [solution focused brief therapy](/source/Solution_focused_brief_therapy).

## Biography

Berg was born and raised in [Seoul](/source/Seoul), [Korea](/source/Korea).[1] She was a pharmacy major at [Ewha Womans University](/source/Ewha_Womans_University) in Seoul.[1][2] In 1957, she travelled to the United States after her marriage to Charles Berg, to continue her studies. With her background in pharmacy, she worked as a tech, then worked in an animal lab, and worked with a stomach cancer researcher.[3] She continued her studies in pharmacy and science because that is what her parents wanted, but then realized she could pick whatever she wanted, so went into social work.[3] She began her studies at [University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee](/source/University_of_Wisconsin-Milwaukee) in 1960, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work.[4][1] She subsequently began her social work practice in Milwaukee. Berg and her first husband, Charles, divorced in 1972. They have a daughter, Sarah K. Berg.[4]

Berg completed post-graduate studies at the Family Institute of Chicago, the [Menninger Foundation](/source/Menninger_Foundation) in Kansas, and the [Mental Research Institute](/source/Mental_Research_Institute) (MRI) in [Palo Alto, California](/source/Palo_Alto%2C_California).[1] At the MRI she also met her future husband, [Steve de Shazer](/source/Steve_de_Shazer).[5] She and Steve married in June 1977.

Berg died on January 10, 2007, in Milwaukee, at the age of 72.[1][6]

## Solution-focused heritage

### Solution-focused brief therapy

In 1978, Berg and de Shazer co-founded the Brief Family Therapy Center (BFTC) in Milwaukee.[4] Berg was the executive director and a clinician at the BFTC.[6][4] Berg and de Shazer are recognized as the primary developers of [solution-focused brief therapy](/source/Solution-focused_brief_therapy), which emerged from research they conducted at the BFTC in the 1980s, building upon studies conducted at the Mental Research Institute.[7][8]

Berg led training workshops on solution-focused therapy in countries around the world, including Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Israel, Australia, Singapore, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland and Germany.[4] She authored a number of books on solution-focused approaches to therapy.[4] Her books include Interviewing for Solutions (with Peter De Jong), Brief Coaching for Lasting Solutions, Family Based Services:A Solution Based Approach, Children's Solution Work (with Therese Steiner), Working with the Problem Drinker (with Scott D. Miller), Tales of Solution (with Yvonne Dolan), Building Solutions in Child Protective Services (with Susan Kelly), Solutions Step by Step:A Substance Abuse Treatment Manual (with Norman H. Ruess), and Brief Coaching for Lasting Solutions (with Peter Szabo).

## Works

- Berg, Insoo Kim, and Scott Miller. *Working with the Problem Drinker: A Solution-focused Approach*. New York: Norton, 1992. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0393701340](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0393701340)

- Berg, Insoo Kim, *Family-based Services: A Solution-focused Approach*. New York: Norton, 1994. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0393701623](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0393701623)

- Berg, Insoo Kim & Susan Kelly. *Building Solutions in Child Protective Services*. New York: Norton, 2000. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0393703108](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0393703108)

- Berg, Insoo Kim & Yvonne M. Dolan. *Tales of Solutions: A Collection of Hope-inspiring Stories*. New York: Norton, 2001. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780393703207](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780393703207)

- Berg, Insoo Kim & Peter Szabó. *Brief Coaching for Lasting Solutions*. 2005. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780393704723](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780393704723)

- Berg, Insoo Kim & Therese Steiner. "Children's Solution Work". New York: Norton, 2003.[ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780393703870](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780393703870)

- Berg, Insoo Kim & Norman H. Reuss. "Solutions Step by Step: A Substance Abuse Treatment Manual. New York: Norton, 1998. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780393702514](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780393702514)

- De Jong, Peter & Insoo Kim Berg. *Interviewing for Solutions*(4th ed.) Pacific Grove, Calif.: Brooks/Cole, 2012. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1111722203](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1111722203)

## See also

- [Solution-focused brief therapy](/source/Solution_focused_brief_therapy)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:0_1-4) ["Insoo Kim Berg Obituary"](https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/jsonline/obituary.aspx?n=insoo-kim-berg&pid=86061279&fhid=5691). *Milwaukee Journal Sentinel*. 2007-01-21. Retrieved 2019-12-07.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Interview_2-0)** Yalom, Victor (October 2003). ["Interview with Insoo Kim Berg"](http://psychotherapy.net/interview/Insoo_Kim_Berg). *psychotherapy.net*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-psychotherapy.net_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-psychotherapy.net_3-1) Yalom, Victor; Rubin, Bart. ["Insoo Kim Berg Solution Focused Therapy Interview"](https://www.psychotherapy.net/interview/insoo-kim-berg). *www.psychotherapy.net*. Retrieved 1 July 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:1_4-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:1_4-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:1_4-5) West, John D.; Bubenzer, Donald L.; Smith, Jeffrey M.; Hamm, Terri L. (1997). "Insoo Kim Berg and Solution-Focused Therapy". *The Family Journal*. **5** (4): 346–354. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1177/1066480797054014](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1066480797054014). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1066-4807](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1066-4807). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [143032470](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:143032470).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** de Shazer, S., Dolan, Y. 2007. More Than Miracles: The State of the Art of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. Hawthorn Press, Binghamton, N.Y. p.ix

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_6-1) Dolan, Yvonne (2007). "Tribute to Insoo Kim Berg". *Journal of Marital and Family Therapy*. **33** (2): 129–131. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1752-0606.2007.00011.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1752-0606.2007.00011.x). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0194-472X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0194-472X).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Shazer, Steve; Berg, Insoo Kim; Lipchik, Eve; Nunnally, Elam; Molnar, Alex; Gingerich, Wallace; Weiner-Davis, Michele (1986). "Brief Therapy: Focused Solution Development". *Family Process*. **25** (2): 207–221. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1545-5300.1986.00207.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1545-5300.1986.00207.x). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0014-7370](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0014-7370). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [3732502](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3732502).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** McKergow, M. (2016). "SFBT 2.0: The next generation of Solution Focused Brief Therapy has already arrived". *Journal of Solution Focused Brief Therapy*. **2** (2): 1–17.

## External links

- [Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association (SFBTA)](http://www.sfbta.org/)

- [The Mental Research Institute (MRI)](http://www.mri.org/)

- [Social Construction Therapies Network](http://www.socialconstructiontherapies.yolasite.com)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Insoo Kim Berg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insoo_Kim_Berg) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insoo_Kim_Berg?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.