Couples’ expectations about the role of sexuality in intimate relationships have changed dramatically over the past 40 years. We will explore the main ideas of the romantic ideal: how we want our partner to fulfill our needs for connection, belonging and continuity, as well as give the sense of transcendence, mystery and passion. Examining the cultural values of love and respect, freedom and responsibility, and interdependence vs. autonomy, we will map a culturally relevant approach to work with the dilemmas of desire in couples. We also will probe the difference between clearly assigned gender role repartition and the post-feminist egalitarian model.
In the course of human evolution, our brains have been shaped by countless adaptational challenges resulting in an organ functioning simultaneously in the conscious present and our primitive and hidden past. This presentation will explore aspects of the human brain which make sustained intimate relationships both possible and problematic.
The story of sex in committed modern couples is one that often tells of a dwindling desire that includes a long list of sexual alibis, claiming to explain the inescapable death of Eros. The absence of fantasy, the proliferation of pornography and affairs, as well as a lack of understanding of the nature of erotic desire all contribute to the predicament. This workshop examines the cultural pressures that shape domesticated sex and the puzzling inverse correlation between greater emotional intimacy and the loss of sexual desire.
BT06 Workshop 04 - The Four Pillars of Relationship Change - Ellyn Bader, PhDDifficult couples challenge therapists with their aggressive interactions, their demands for intimacy, and the repetition of unyielding negative cycles. Dr. Bader will demonstrate how to use a developmental approach to target change in brief couples therapy by focusing on one of four pillars of change. Attendees will learn to take a strong leadership role so that clients change faster, with less conflict and more cooperation.
Forgiveness has been held up as the gold standard of recovery from intimate wounds. Often people find forgiveness too generous, particularly when the offender is unrepentant. Dr. Spring proposes a bold, new healing alternative that lets us make peace with the past- with or without forgiving.
The new brain science explains many of the mysteries of love and offers new hopes for troubled relationships. Neuro-scientific approaches are used to address the most common reason cited for divorce, i.e. growing apart. Three clinical techniques will be presented which are specifically designed to create an intimate bond between two people and pave the way to grow together instead of apart. Lecture, video, handouts and experiential exercises will be used.
For the first time in history, empowered women are asking for emotional intimacy in their relationships. Many men are coming up short leaving them unfulfilled, frustrated, bewildered and unloved. Traditional therapy sidesteps this basic asymmetry - Rational Empowerment Therapy addresses it. In this address, participants will be introduced to the art of relational empowerment. This radical new approach to intimacy and couples therapy will look at the five losing agendas that waylay good people from fulfilling their goals. This address also will introduce participants to the fundamental techniques of Terry Real's Relationship Turnaround, a method of producing quick, profound and permanent change in troubled couples.
Through stunning new brain imaging research, the ADD brain has been uncovered. Based on extensive research using brain SPECT imaging, Dr. Amen has been able to see where ADD resides in the brain and why it has such a negative impact on behavior, including relationships. This workshop will discuss the impact of ADD on relationships and give strategies to help cope with the major issues.