Steve de Shazer

Life & Legacy

Steve de Shazer (June 25, 1940, Milwaukee – September 11, 2005, Vienna) was a psychotherapist, author, and developer and pioneer of solution focused brief therapy. In 1978, he founded the Brief Family Therapy Center (BFTC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his wife Insoo Kim Berg.
De Shazer was originally trained as a classical musician and worked as a jazz saxophonist. He received a Bachelor in Fine Arts and an MSSW in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. De Shazer wrote six books and was translated into 14 languages. He was a lifelong friend of John Weakland, whom he saw as his mentor.
De Shazer died in Vienna while traveling on a training and consulting tour in Europe from pneumonia. De Shazer has a nephew, Tony de Shazer whose wife is Marie Laure de Shazer, educator and author, and two great nieces Elodie and Amelie de Shazer.