The Academy of Solution Focused Training is a coach education provider aimed to make premium quality coach training assessable to individuals who want to empower and inspire others to be at their best for the world. We offer an elegant coaching approach that is empirically sound, effective and efficient. With our global community of likeminded coaches, we value diversity and inclusion.
Debbie Hogan, M.S., MSFC, MCC, EMCC MP & ESIA, Singapore, USA
Debbie has advanced degrees …
Debbie has advanced degrees in Psychology and Counselling with over 20 years experience as a psychotherapist, coach and trainer. As an executive coach, she works with CEO’s, top-level management, and the private sector. She is a Certified Master Solution Focused Coach and Examiner for the CCPC and IASTI certifications, Master Practitioner with the EMCC and Accredited as a Global Coach/Mentor Supervisor, and Master Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. Debbie trained with Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer, the developers of Solution Focused practice and founded the Academy of Solution Focused Training in 2004 and has been training and certifying coaches across Asia, Europe and the US. Her coach training is accredited as an ACTP with the ICF and she is a member of the PCC Assessor Community. Debbie served as Vice President and Director of Membership for ICF Singapore Chapter from 2019 – 2021, the largest single chapter in the world. She is a contributor to The Art of Solution Focused Therapy, Encounters with Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg, co-editor of Solution Focused Practice in Asia, and co-editor of Solution Focused Practice Around the World. Her current book project, Solution Focused Coaching in Asia will be published in 2024.
Dave Hogan, M.Th., MSFC, MCC, EMCC SP, ESIA & ITCA Singapore, USA
Dave has over 26 years experience as …
Dave has over 26 years experience as a consultant, trainer and coach. He has degrees in French, Theology and Counseling and specializes in coaching, training, mentoring and leadership development. He conducts training for organizations in team coaching, leadership development and career transitioning. As an executive coach, he works with CEOs, top level managers and leaders in local and multi-national companies. Dave is a Certified Solution Focused Coach with the CCPC, Master Solution Focused Coach with the International Alliance of Solution Focused Teaching Institutes, and Master Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation. He is an accredited Team Coach with the EMCC and a Mentor Coach with the ICF. Dave is the Director of the Academy of Solution Focused Training and has been training and certifying coaches across Asia with the CCPC and IASTI since 2004. In 2016, his coach training was accredited with the ICF as an ACTP. He is co-editor of Solution Focused Practice in Asia with Debbie Hogan, Jane Tuomola and Alan Yeo, a first in Asia. Dave is Chapter President of Solution Focus in Organisations (SFiO) and isactively involved in the international community of SF practitioners. He facilitates a monthly Coaching Circle for current and previous students in our coaching school.
Yvonne Dolan, M.A., USA
Hermann Ditzig, M.A., M.Sc., PCC, Certified Coach Supervisor (CSA), Singapore
Hermann has graduate degrees …
Hermann has graduate degrees and doctoral level training in Medical Sociology, Clinical and Social Psychology, Organizational Design/Development and Leadership. He has worked in almost every Asian country since coming to Singapore in 1984, designing leadership development programs for some of the top 50 global corporations. His passion for leadership development started as a result of a 5 year US study looking at the impact of work experiences on people’s emotional well-being. The results clearly showed that leaders had a profound impact, which influenced him to leave clinical work and pursue Organizational Design/Development and Leadership. His work evolved into a focus on Leadership and Executive Coaching for over twenty years. He is an active member of the Singapore ICF Chapter since 2014, serving as President in 2016-2017. He is an Associate Trainer and Mentor Coach with the Academy.
Joe Cannon, M.A., MSFC, PCC, Trainer, Supervisor, Mentor Coach, USA
In private practice as a …
In private practice as a Life and Fitness Coach, Joe coaches individuals, couples and families. Joe is a Director and Associate Trainer, Supervisor and Mentor Coach with the Academy of Solution Focused Training in their accredited Coach Training program and an Associate trainer with Kirsten Dierolf’s Solutions Academy in the ACTP coach training programs. Joe has an extensive background in counselling with doctoral level training in psychology, having worked as a Psychological Examiner, Marriage and Family Therapist and individual counsellor across a variety of private, community and faith-based settings. He has worked specifically with substance abusers and juvenile delinquents, and was Manager of a halfway house for the chronically mentally ill who were transitioning into independent living. Joe is a Certified Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. With a life-long interest in physical fitness, he is an instructor in Shuri Ryu Okinawan Karate and practices many bodywork modalities including Thai Medical Massage, Soft Tissue Release and Reiki. He is a Master Solution Focused Practitioner with IASTI and a Professional Certified Coach with the ICF.
Kirsten Dierolf, M.A., MSFC, MCC, EMCC MP, ESIA, ACTA Germany
Kirsten has been coaching executives …
Kirsten has been coaching executives, middle managers and teams for global corporations since 1996. She also designed and delivered large leadership development programs all over the globe. In 2016 she was certified as Master Certified Coach. She has coached over 3000 hours as a professional coach and passed the thorough exams of the International Coaching Federation. Kirsten is member of the ICF PCC Assessor team for PCC and MCC. She has been running programs to develop professional Solution Focused Coaches since 2008. Her first Accredited Program ran in 2015. Her Solution Focused expertise comes from training directly with the founders of the approach, Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer. Kirsen is a Master Practitioner with the EMCC. She founded and was president of SFCT, the association for the quality development of solution focused consulting and training and was member of the editorial team for Interaction — the journal of Solution Focus in Organizations. She is a prolific writer with over 30 articles and two books, The Solution Tango with Louis Cauffman and Solution Focused Team Coaching. She is co-editor, with Debbie Hogan, Svea van der Hoorn and Sukanya Wignaraja of Solution Focused Practice Around the World.
Jane Tuomola, D.Clin. Psy, MSFC, PCC, EMCC SP, ESIA, Singapore, Finland
Jane has her own company in …
Jane has her own company in Singapore where she has worked for 11 years. She works as both a Clinical Psychologist (specializing in adult mental health) and as a Life and Executive Coach, Mentor Coach and Coaching Supervisor. She is a Master Solution Focused Practitioner with the International Alliance of Solution Focused Teaching Institutes (IASTI) and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF)
She is an Associate Trainer and Supervisor with the Academy of Solution Focused Training, offering Level 1 SFBT training and coordinating the monthly Solution Focused Peer Supervision sessions. Jane’s particular area of expertise is supervision. She has over 16 year’s experience as a clinical supervisor and 6 year’s experience as a coaching supervisor. She offers both individuals and group supervision, as well as teaching Solution Focused Supervision. She is an Approved Supervisor with the Canadian Council of Professional Certification and an Accredited Coach Supervisor with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.
Jane is co-editor of Solution Focused Practice in Asia with Dave Hogan, Debbie Hogan and Alan Yeo. Jane has a passion for helping others learn the SF approach as a trainer, mentor and supervisor.
Edwin Choy, M.S., CSFT, CSFC, MSFC, PCC, Trainer, Supervisor, Singapore
Edwin holds a Master’s Degree …
Edwin holds a Master’s Degree, a Graduate Certificate in Marriage & Family Therapy with over 20 years experience as a counsellor, trainer and coach. He is co-founder of the Centre for Fathering and a pioneer in designing outdoor adventure camps for father-child bonding. Edwin is a qualified trainer in MBTI, PREP, Couples Communication I & II and Parent Education Leadership Training. Edwin is a Certified Solution Focused Coach and Therapist from the CCPC, Master Solution Focused Practitioner from IASTI and Professional Certified Coach with the ICF. He is a pioneer in Teacher Renewal programs and has been training educators and discipline masters in the use of Solution Focused coaching in schools across Asia. He is a contributor to Solution Focused Practice in Asia. Edwin is an Associate Trainer of the Academy of Solution Focused Training and serves as a Mentor Coach and Supervisor.
Dennis Welch, B.B.S., CSFC, PCC, Trainer, Supervisor, Mentor Coach, Cambodia
Dennis spent the first half of his life …
Dennis spent the first half of his life as a career Air Traffic Controller in Dallas, Texas, where he first developed his training skills. After retiring from the US Federal Aviation Administration, he pursued a Bachelor of Biblical Studies degree from Sunset International Bible Institute. Since 2008 he has served as a faith-based trainer, mentor and coach in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dennis specializes in using the Solution Focused Approach in all his service activities, including individual coaching, small group studies with Group Coaching, and Leadership Team Coaching. He is a Mentor Coach and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Dennis is a Certified Master Solution Focused Practitioner with IASTI and is one of our trainers. Dennis and the team have developed an accredited faith-based SF coach training program called Faith Focused Solutions.
Sukanya Wignaraja, M.Sc. (Oxon), CSFC, MSFP, PCC, EMCC SP, ESIA, Therapist, Coach, Trainer, Sri Lanka
Sukanya has a Masters in Social Work …
Sukanya has a Masters in Social Work from Oxford University, UK. She is a Master Solution Focused Practitioner and Professional Certified Coach. Sukanya worked in the mental health field in the UK for many years across a range of settings, including community, hospitals and the prison service. She was a Specialist Advisor in Social Work to the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Sukanya was an Executive Coach and Senior Psychotherapist in the EAP services for Expatriates in the Philippines and Japan, where she conducted training programmes for counsellors. Since 2017, Sukanya has been in private practice in Colombo where she works with individuals and couples and as an Executive Coach. Sukanya is a Mentor Coach and Associate Coach Trainer with the Academy of SF. She is a Clinical Supervisor, and is Co-Director of the Academy’s Peer Supervision Programme.
Alex Tan, MSFC, PCC, EMCC SP, Coach, Mentor, and Trainer, Country Director, Malaysia
Alex is a …
Michael Pucci, Ph.D., MSFC, ACC, Coach and Trainer, Rwanda
Dr Michael Pucci is an international …
Dr. Michael Pucci is an international educator and IASTI certified Master Solution Focused Coach, based in Rwanda. He comes with diverse program consulting, design, and delivery experience in 26 countries. His current focus is partnering for professional development and personal transformation outcomes with individuals and teams through capacity building, competency learning, and SF coaching. He is committed to raising the awareness and profile of indigenous, refugees, women and other underrepresented talent. He is passionate about training more Solution Focused practitioners to multiply the benefits of SF in new worklife contexts.
Adele Pucci, B.S. Ed., MSFC, ACC, Coach and Trainer, Rwanda
Adele has been an educator and …
Adele has been an educator and trainer for the past twenty-five years in over four different countries. After first learning about Solution Focused therapy in 2010 she has gradually implemented the approach throughout her life and work becoming an Advanced Solution-Focused Practitioner with IASTI in 2022. Intrigued by the effectiveness of the Solution Focused approach in intercultural contexts she is committed to help others be equipped with the powerful tools of SF through training and coaching primarily in Rwanda and also in Canada, USA, Singapore, and more.
Baijesh Ramesh, M.Sc., Therapist, Coach, India
Baijesh Ramesh is a Clinical Psychologist …
Baijesh Ramesh is a Clinical Psychologist, OD Consultant, Trainer, and Coach based out of Hyderabad, India. With a career spanning well over a decade, he acts as a catalyst for change, co-creating innovative solutions that have empowered people and organizations around the world. As the director of Pivtox Wellness Solutions, his mission is to work towards optimizing human capital, cultivating thriving work environments, and fostering a culture rooted in continuous growth and innovation. He has partnered with various organizations to develop tailored solutions that address their unique needs and concerns, leading to increased productivity, employee wellness, satisfaction, and overall success. Through Pivtox Academy, in partnership with the Academy of Solution Focused Training, he delivers coach training programs for those seeking certification with ICF.
Breda Arredondo, B.A., Operations Manager
Breda Arredondo, Operations Manager
Breda, Operations Manager, has a degree in Biology from St. Edward’s University and extensive experience in Program & Data Management. Breda has a passion for understanding of how people learn and grow, and is eager to help others reach their full potential. At the Academy of Solution Focused Training, Breda is responsible for designing and implementing a wide range of coach education programs, all aimed at empowering and inspiring individuals to be their best selves for the world. Breda works to ensure that all of the Academy’s training programs are of the highest quality, and accessible to all.
Our learning philosophy guides delivery and accreditation management
Our team shares a common belief in the existing innate qualities and capabilities of each individual and we aim to treat each person with dignity and respect, whether they are our clients, students, trainers or associates. Our shared philosophy is based on a solution focused mindset, which focuses on the exploration of the desired outcome and preferred future, rather than on the problematic present or past. While we respect different points of view and consider conflict as important opportunities to learn, we strive to collaborate and create a working and learning environment that evokes creativity and possibilities for maximum learning and development. We highly value an inclusive versus exclusive environment; mutuality versus hierarchical. The philosophical underpinnings of the solution focused mindset is isomorphic in nature. This means we not only teach a coaching approach based on high regard for people, who they are and what they know, we also live out this belief in how we train, supervise, mentor others and run the day to day operations of our coach training program. We take each concern, issue or problem seriously and strive to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution for everyone involved.
Within the training space, we carry the same philosophy, based on solution focused practice. That is, our assumptions are based on the belief that people are capable, intelligent and brilliant. They have experiences in which we can utilize and be curious about. We set up conditions that facilitate learner experience, reflection and process to allow for integration and meaning making. We allow for individual choice and self-efficacy in taking responsibility for their own learning, while providing guidance in absorbing the material in order to meet the ICF requirements for ICF gold standard accreditation as a coach. We offer a variety of learning methodology to cater to the spectrum of individual learning styles. We use innovative and up to date technology and teaching methodology so as to keep the learning environment conducive for maximum benefit.
We engage our learners to take responsibility for their own learning journey. Our learners are not consumers of a product but actively involved in their own growth as coaches. As coaching education providers we act as mentors and coaches in the training program. We aim at offering learning opportunities in many different modality to cater for the different preferred ways of learning for our participants: live and engaging classes, off-line and in-class practice with feedback, videos, self-learning material, literature, etc. However, we also believe that coaching can mainly be learned by coaching and feedback.
Program Management
We aim at managing our programs with a focus on:
- Quality
- Equity
- Diversity
Quality
All of our trainers and mentors are credentialed coaches with ACC, PCC and MCC. Our observers and assessors participate in alignment programs every 6 months where we discuss coaching recordings and their assessment. We have a detailed train-the-trainer program in which trainers are inducted into the trainings. Our training director runs weekly sessions for preparation of all courses.
We also measure the quality of the engagement of our learners by participant feedback surveys after each course and active feedback after each session. We can see who has engaged with the material and contact learners when they do not engage or engage very little to see if we can help.
Equity
We give discounts to people from regions where there is less purchasing power. Also, we aim at providing learning opportunities for everyone by having an easily accessible online training program. We can make arrangements for people with disabilities, for example by transcribing all of our material or enabling sign language interpreters to join our classes for free, or sending course materials and slidedecks before each session for the visually handicapped to integrate into their systems.
Diversity
We actively further diversity by our respectful Solution Focused approach. A plurality of viewpoints is always actively encouraged and we attract participants from all over the world. Since many participants come from China, we provide translation service during the training and materials translated in Mandarin. We aim to do our little bit to create world peace.