One out of eleven couples has one partner with ADHD which can impact not only the individual, but also makes certain relationship dynamics more likely—and makes these couples more likely to show up in your office. Unfortunately, if the one partner’s ADHD isn’t addressed directly, the therapist will get stuck in the same traps as the partners do. We will begin with a more useful conceptualization of how ADHD impacts an individual’s abilities to meet daily demands. We will then discuss how this sets up the dynamics that commonly develop in these couples, so that you can help these clients break free of the disempowering tug of war and create a more balanced and satisfying relationship. This will include how ADHD impacts a couple’s sex life and how to make yet another area of discontent into a shared activity that adds energy to the relationship. This presentation will be full of practical strategies you can use with your next client.
During this time of extreme polarization in the country, political stress has invaded couple relationships. Loyalties to different political tribes create tensions, as do different ways of coping with this stressful environment. This is new territory for couples therapists, and of course we are dealing with our own distress about what’s going on the country. The presenter will offer clinical strategies for helping couples in turbulent times, along with examples of how he has applied couples therapy strategies to create community interventions to reduce polarization, via the nonprofit Braver Angels.
One out of eleven couples has one partner with ADHD which can impact not only the individual, but also makes certain relationship dynamics more likely—and makes these couples more likely to show up in your office. Unfortunately, if the one partner’s ADHD isn’t addressed directly, the therapist will get stuck in the same traps as the partners do. We will begin with a more useful conceptualization of how ADHD impacts an individual’s abilities to meet daily demands. We will then discuss how this sets up the dynamics that commonly develop in these couples, so that you can help these clients break free of the disempowering tug of war and create a more balanced and satisfying relationship. This will include how ADHD impacts a couple’s sex life and how to make yet another area of discontent into a shared activity that adds energy to the relationship. This presentation will be full of practical strategies you can use with your next client.
In this golden age for models of couples therapy, therapists may wonder if they should be practicing the “one best model.” The research is clear that couples therapy models that have been tested are about equally effective, and that there are a number of key ingredients in any effective way to practice couples therapy. The presenter will describe these key ingredients that cut across models and some skills necessary to practice any model. He will argue that since this therapy is about improving relationships, the relationships we establish with our couple clients—balanced, caring, and sometimes challenging—are the heart of what we have to do well.
Couple therapists must be able to organize each session in such a way that allows for measuring progress in their treatment plan. One such way is to think of placing the couple and therapist in discreet “containers” or exercises that stress the couple. These exercises, tasks, or games allow the therapist to test and retest hypotheses, test a particular capacity, or otherwise allow the therapist to view couple performance in real time. These containers include a task, timing, and possible roles casted by the therapist and may include a role the therapist must also play. An example might be a psychodrama whereby partners must replay a recent event – step by step – as the therapist, as investigator, gets the facts. Or another container might involve a deal breaker issue whereby partners are required to persuade each other out of a deal breaker while the therapist plays the role of mediating only the manner in which partners argue their points.
In this golden age for models of couples therapy, therapists may wonder if they should be practicing the “one best model.” The research is clear that couples therapy models that have been tested are about equally effective, and that there are a number of key ingredients in any effective way to practice couples therapy. The presenter will describe these key ingredients that cut across models and some skills necessary to practice any model. He will argue that since this therapy is about improving relationships, the relationships we establish with our couple clients—balanced, caring, and sometimes challenging—are the heart of what we have to do well.
Working with sexuality and the erotic behavior many people engage in today can challenge a therapist’s deeply held beliefs about sex and relationships. It can be difficult just to keep up with the impact of technology on sexual behavior, especially with the advent of sex robots, teledildonics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. Intensive and fun, this workshop includes videos, expert panels, and small-group discussion to help therapists face their own preconceived notions and countertransference around sex and intimacy.
Increasingly more and more couples are working together or working virtually in the same space. It is estimated that in the United States 43% of small businesses are family-run and 53% of managers share day-to-day management with a spouse. Working together tends to kill romance and take over a couples life.
As therapists we tend to look at our clients mainly through the lens of our favorite therapy model. However, couples who work together face unique challenges that are not rooted in attachment styles or family of origin conflicts.
Ellyn will delineate 6 foundational skills that support couples who work together and demonstrate how the business can become a source of connection rather than generating stress and disconnection. (Includes video)
Couples often come to therapy in the aftermath of infidelity. Their marriage is in crisis, their emotions are intense, and you are required to quickly organize a lot of complex information into a coherent treatment plan. How do you do this with confidence?
Discover what to look for, how to delineate core treatment issues in the initial, middle and termination stages of therapy. Next, use 10 parameters to assess the meaning of the infidelity and then uncover the major types of lies and deception to give you a solid way to determine what to address and when.