Every problem has a sequence of internal experiences—images, sounds, words, and feelings--that elicits the undesired outcome. Saying, “Let’s say I had to fill in for you for a day,” can be a doorway to eliciting this sequence in detail and discovering exactly how it works, providing multiple choices for intervention.
Couple therapy will flourish as this field integrates research from social and neuropsychology and clarifies the processes that mediate change in love relationships. It will address more and more “individual” physical and mental health problems, relationship traumas and sexual issues. We can integrate science and the sizzle of “hot” emotion to transform individuals and relationships.
Following a brief discussion of the nature of expertise, the implications for psychotherapists will be considered. How to formulate collaboratively a Case Conceptualization Model that informs treatment decision -making will be presented. How to implement the Core Tasks of Psychotherapy and evidence-based behavioral change principles will be examined.
Millions of Americans are overweight or obese. Medication and psychotherapy may result in modest weight loss but nearly all regain weight within five years. The missing ingredient for successful treatment is cognition. To make permanent changes in their eating behavior, and thus their weight, individuals must learn how to change their dysfunctional ideas about food, eating, other people, and themselves and learn how to cope with a sense of unfairness, deprivation, disappointment, and discouragement. Cognitive behavioral approaches have been demonstrated to be effective for this problem.
Dr. Polster will flesh out the roles of an attention triad of concentration, fascination and curiosity in evoking amplified interpersonal immersion in the therapeutic process. The resulting involvement leads to a quasi-hypnotic energy opening the client to new experience. Conceptual perspectives will be elaborated, augmented by live demonstrations of therapy sessions.
BT12 Workshop 30 – Changing the Doing, Viewing and Context: The Essence of All Brief Therapy – Bill O’Hanlon, MS
After making a connection with and establishing a relationship with the client, I contend that all brief therapy relies on some variation or combination of three interventions: Changing the doing (actions/interactions), changing the viewing (focus of attention and meaning attribution/interpretation) and changing the context (the social or physical environment) involved in or around the problem. The session will give details about how to conceptualize and implement these shifts in brief clinical work.
BT12 Workshop 39 – The Art of Persuasion: Changing the Mind on OCD – Reid Wilson, PhD
Persuading OCD clients to adopt a new frame of reference is the therapist’s primary task. Altering perception– not adding technique–helps them change directions, because belief always trumps exposure practice. Participants will learn a persuasive strategy–built out of whole cloth within the first session–that will frame the entire treatment protocol.