Tomas Horak

Reinach, Switzerland
Email: tomas.horak@solutionforum.ch
Web: www.solutionforum.ch
Social: www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-horak-16144b115

In his professional journey from social work to business coaching, Tomas’ first encounter with the Taos Institute profoundly transformed his approach. He discovered Harlene Anderson and Harold Goolishian’s “Not-knowing Approach to Therapy” through their seminal article, “The Client is the Expert: A Not-knowing Approach to Therapy.” This paradigm shift became foundational to his career as a business coach, guiding him to explore relativistic and interactional approaches. It sparked an interest in the connections between constructivism, social constructionism, and systemic therapy, as well as solution-focused brief therapy frameworks.

His interest in organizational development led him to David Cooperrider’s work on Appreciative Inquiry, which seamlessly bridged solution-focused methodologies with organizational practices. This pivotal learning brought him closer to the Taos Institute and the relational perspectives of Ken Gergen. Engaging with Gergen’s influential books, such as An Invitation to Social Construction and Relational Being, deepened his understanding of social constructionist principles.

In the spring of 2024, he sought to expand his knowledge of relational ideas and the Taos Institute community by participating in an introductory course led by Celiane Camargo-Borges. This experience further fueled his fascination with constructionist concepts of relationship-building, inspiring him to actively engage in Taos Institute activities and offer his support.

His educational and professional experiences have steered him toward specializing in self-development, communication, and interaction. He has been particularly captivated by the solution-focused approaches pioneered by the Brief Family Therapy Center (BFTC) in Milwaukee, WI. Early in his career, he integrated systemic, constructionist, and solution-focused ideologies into his practice, shaping his personal philosophy.

Influences from luminaries such as Steve de Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg, Carl Rogers, the systemic Milan group, Virginia Satir, the Palo Alto group, and Gregory Bateson have been instrumental in his development. These insights have become pillars of his coaching business framework. Social construction offers a valuable theoretical and practical foundation that not only supports his work but also significantly benefits his clients.