Mindful awareness has been scientifically proven to promote social, emotional and physical well-being, and is an effective part of treatment to prevent relapse of drug addiction and chronic depression. Mindfulness also enhances empathy, and in that way may promote healthy interpersonal relationships. This ancient practice of being fully aware in the present moment, without grasping onto judgments, has been found in cultures around the world. At the heart of this proposal is that the state of mindful awareness harnesses specific social and emotional circuits in the brain. The development of these “resonance circuits” creates an integrated brain state that creates the benefits of improved immune and cardiac function, enhanced empathy and self-understanding, and a deeper connection to oneself and others.
Starting with a review of recent studies on the neurobiology of trauma, Dr. van der Kolk will examine the utility of approaches from the fields of hypnosis, body oriented therapies and EMDR, both with research data and videotaped clinical interventions. The integration of these approaches during different stages of treatment will be discussed.
The Law and Ethics Workshop covers emerging legal and ethical issues for mental health practitioners of all disciplines. The four-hour program addresses issues including confidentiality and privilege, note-taking, record-keeping, coping with subpoenas, the impact of professional society ethical codes on regulation of mental health practice, liability exposure with suicidal patients, and recent developments in “Tarasoff situations.”
This program focuses more closely on the needs of clinicians who fall into particularly high risk groups. Topics include confidentiality and privilege for children, coping with high-conflict divorce/custody families, the regressive impact of the regulatory environment on family therapy in particular, supervision/consultation issues that arise for professionals whose agency positions may include functions that conflict with ethical codes.
Inevitable conflict, the second stage of all committed relationships, is growth "trying to happen." This session will address core issues most couples face, working with difficult couples, how to transform destructive conflict into creative tension through the dialogue process and how to discern when a couple can or cannot be helped. Participants will be introduced to a therapy process that transforms conflict into connection and facilitates couples being healers for each other.
Harville Hendrix, PhD Healing is the restoration and maintenance of connection. This occurs only in relationship and is dependent upon the quality of the "between." For healing to occur, therapists must help couples shift their focus from personal to relationship needs. This session will teach and demonstrate concepts and processes that enable couples to replace conflict with safety and compassion.
This lecture will posit that marriage is alive and well and evolving into a new form, replacing a personal, psychological marriage focused on the satisfaction of individual need with a partnership marriage that produces healing and evokes psychological and spiritual growth. This transition is an instance of a shift from the "individual paradigm "to the "relational paradigm."