In this warm, rich and deeply practical episode, we sit down with Vicky Essebag — therapist, educator, coach, and founder of Relation Spaces — to explore what happens when Solution Focus moves into the heart of school communities.

Vicky has spent decades working across the school system — as a teacher, counsellor, and administrator — and what she's seen is remarkable. Fewer suspensions. More engaged students. Teachers who stay past the bell. Parents who show up. Administrators who stop butting heads and start co-creating.

In this conversation we explore:

• Why Solution Focus is just as much a communicative model as a therapeutic one
• What it really looks like to bring SF into classrooms, staffrooms, and leadership teams
• Her six principles of Relational Spaces — and how they help parents, teachers and administrators get into a solution focused mindset fast
• The ripple effect of SF in schools: fewer suspensions, more engaged students, teachers who stay past the bell, and parents who show up
• Why asking a struggling young person "how come nobody ever told you how kind you are?" can change everything

Whether you work in schools, lead organisations, or simply care about how we talk to young people — this one is for you.

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Connect with Vicky

• Website: relationspaces.com
• Email: info@relationspaces.com
• Podcast with Tara Gretton: School Solutions Talk
• YouTube: youtube.com/@VickyEssebag

Vicky's Book Relationspaces: A Solution-Focused Handbook for Parents — available on Amazon

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In this practical and engaging episode, we connect with Annette Gray to explore what it really takes to create meaningful change in people, teams, and systems.

Annette is a leadership development consultant and leadership coach.

In our conversation Annette reflects on how her thinking has evolved — from seeing Solution Focus as something that sits alongside coaching, to recognising it as the coaching approach. A way of working that centres on asking more and telling less.

Drawing on her experience across global organisations, leadership programs, and high-pressure environments, Annette shares how Solution Focus cuts through complexity, helping people quickly identify what’s wanted and take steps toward it. She highlights how leaders often grasp the approach immediately and are able to apply it in their everyday conversations.

Together, we explore how small shifts in language and attention can build ownership, strengthen relationships, and support more collaborative ways of working — not just in one-to-one conversations, but across whole systems.

Here’s what we explore:

• Why Solution Focus works well in complex and fast-paced environments
• How leaders can apply the approach immediately in their day-to-day work
• Moving from telling to asking in leadership conversations
• The role of co-creation and curiosity in creating sustainable change
• Working with people, rather than trying to fix them

This episode offers a clear and practical look at Solution Focus as a way of working — with accessible and immediately usable insights are.

You can find out more and get in touch with Annette at https://www.annettegray.com.au/

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In this thought provoking, confronting and practical episode, we are privileged to speak with Victoria Spatchenko — intercultural coach, trainer, and author — about the power of small shifts, daily practices, and what it means to live a Solution Focused life.

Drawing on years of work with educators, businesses and public service, Victoria shares how the Solution Focused approach shapes her conversations, her mindset, and her way of being. From coaching and facilitation to national mental health programs, she reflects on how the language of strength, progress, and potential can quietly transform how we work and connect with others.

We explore:

• How Solution Focused principles can show up in journalism, education, and national wellbeing programs
• What it means to practise “glimmering” — and how to train your attention toward moments of hope and connection
• The difference between using Solution Focused tools and embodying a Solution Focused stance
• Why pausing to notice strengths can lead to better decisions and braver actions
• How everyday conversations can become spaces for presence, perspective, and possibility

This conversation is full of practical ideas and grounded wisdom — offering a clear example of how Solution Focused practice can be lived, shared, and sustained over time.

Find out more about Victoria here

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