Insoo Kim Berg

July 25, 1934 - January 10, 2007

Insoo Kim Berg passed away suddenly and peacefully  in Milwaukee, Wisconsin  on January 10, 2007. She was 72 years old.

 Berg   was along with her husband, the late  Steve de Shazer,  primary developer of the Solution Focused  Brief Therapy  (SFBT) approach.  A world renowned  psychotherapist,   lecturer,  and  author, she  was co-founder and   Executive Director of the Brief Family Therapy Center (BFTC) in Milwaukee, and   trained  therapists all around the world in the  SFBT approach.  A prolific writer, she   authored  numerous articles clarifying the SF approach, and 10 ground breaking  books elucidating its application to a wide variety of clinical, social service and other settings. Her books, which have been translated into many  languages, include among others Interviewing for Solutions , Tale of Solution, Family Based Services,  Solutions Step by Step,  Children’s Solution Work, Brief Coaching for Lasting Solutions , and  most recently, More than Miracles (currently in press).

Berg served  on the editorial boards of  the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Family Psychology and Counseling Series, Families in Society,  and Family Process. She was a Founder of the Solution-focused Brief Therapy Association, a Clinical member and Approved Supervisor for the  American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy, and was also active in   the Wisconsin Association for Marriage & Family Therapy, the  National Association of Social Workers, and  the  European Brief Therapy Association.  She was a frequent  key note speaker at  international conferences and  regularly  conducted seminars and workshops on Solution-focused Brief Therapy throughout the U.S., Canada, South America, Asia and Europe.

Born and raised in Korea, Berg  studied at Ewha Women’s University in Seoul, Korea  prior to  coming to the  United States  to study  in 1957. She  earned B.S. and MSSW degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Miwaukee,  completed post graduate studies at the Family Institute of Chicago, the Meninger Foundation and  the Mental Research Institute  in Palo Alto, CA where was mentored by the late John Weakland.  It was at MRI that she first met Steve de Shazer. She worked at the Milwaukee Family  Services in the early years of her career.

Berg  consulted to  widely diversified  range of  institutions and programs including  among others, human service agencies, social service and  mental health centers,  drug and alcohol abuse  treatment facilities,  foster homes,  homeless  shelters,   battered women’s shelters, correction departments, home based family services programs, primary and secondary schools, various univers nities, the State of Michigan, and professional business coaching organizations.

An extremely hardworking person, she took obvious pleasure in her  work and rarely took a day off. In her personal life, she enjoyed a wide range of physical  activities including  vigorous daily walks,  stretching exercises,  and gardening.  An advanced yoga practitioner, her  flexibility and balance  surpassed fellow classmates  half her age. She liked to read well written  novels, enjoyed classical music, but also appreciated the beauty of silence, the tranquility of nature,  and knew how to  savor the everyday magic of a satisfying conversation, healthful well prepared food, and the welcome respite of  good night’s sleep after a long journey or a day of hard work. 

Widely recognized as a  profoundly gifted clinician, Berg’s impressive  intellect was balanced by an abiding compassion for others, and a modest, informal demeanor. Her deeply caring attitude was punctuated by a lively  sense of  humor, a warm, ready smile,  infectious optimism and enthusiasm. She radiated undeniable respect and absolute confidence in the self-expertise of each individual  person. She affected everyone she came into contact with in profound ways both personally and professionally.

She is survived by her daughter Sarah, daughter-in-law Amy Underberg,

sister CJ Kim, brother in law Marshall Perlman, brothers Haksoo,  Taiksoo

and Hunsoo Kim and their wives along with many nieces and  nephews. She

was preceded in death by her beloved husband,  Steve de Shazer.