CC17 Workshop 11 - The “Deal Breaker”: Detection and Intervention - Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT

CC17 Workshop 11 - The “Deal Breaker”: Detection and Intervention - Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT

The PACT therapist is always moving couples toward secure functioning. A deal breaker is a conflict between partners for which there is no workable solution. Deal- breakers lead partners to a dead-end and therefore threaten the existence of the relationship. The couples therapist must play the long game as partners almost always are playing the short game. To them, facing a deal-breaker squarely triggers fear of loss, and so it is avoided. If secure functioning is to be a therapeutic goal, the couples therapist has a duty to keep partners from bending reality and avoiding deal-breakers. In this two-hour workshop, attendees will learn how to detect large and small deal-breakers and how to apply a well-defined process for guiding the couple toward dissolving the deal-breaker for good.

Educational Objectives:

● List at least three examples of deal-breakers

● Identify, amplify, and work through deal-breakers

● Apply at least three interventions for dealing with deal-breakers