This two-hour workshop will demonstrate how to foster secure functioning in your couple practice. Attendees will first get a deeper understanding of what is secure functioning versus insecure functioning in a couple system. We will answer the question as to why secure functioning is the only possible solution to relationship satisfaction and longevity. Then, through live demonstration, attendees will experience various challenges and opportunities to promote secure-functioning principles and orient partners toward a two-person psychological system of interdependency, teamwork, threat reduction, win-win outcomes, and protection of their union. We will also cover conflict management and why a couple system can be measured by how much load bearing it can take before the wheels start coming off.

Learning Objectives:

1. To be able to list at least five characteristics of a secure-functioning relationship.
2. To be able to name and describe the brain’s error potentials and why they matter.
3. To be able to clarify and enforce principles of secure functioning with all couples.
4. To be able to apply basic PACT interviewing/intervention crossing techniques.
5. To be able to describe and implement therapeutic containers.