This workshop will expand on the premise of the keynote by more deeply exploring a working definition of the mind and mental health. At the core of this approach is the role of neural integration in developing a flexible, adaptive, coherent, energized and stable state flow of the mind. This FACES state enables the clinician to feel the pulse of wellbeing as moving between the extremes of rigidity and chaos.
At last count, over 400 separate models of psychotherapy have been found to exist (Garfield & Bergin, 1994). Despite the claims and promises made by the proponents of the various treatment models, 40 years of increasingly sophisticated outcome research has not found any one model or technique superior for the resolution of the problems that clients bring into treatment, Indeed, most of the research has only confirmed "common sense" (Frank 1993). In this workshop, forty years of outcome research will be translated into practical, common sense and empirically supported therapeutic skills that you can use for the efficient and effective resolution of the problems that clients bring to treatment.
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.
"Standard" cognitive therapy often is just not effective enough for clients with personality disorders. Participants will learn how to conceptualize patients and use this conceptualization to plan treatment across sessions and minute-by-minute within sessions. Special attention will be paid to developing the therapeutic alliance, structuring the session, maintaining a problem-solving focus, facilitating homework compliance, and using advanced cognitive and behavioral techniques to help these patients change their deep-seated beliefs at both an intellectual and emotional level.
BT06 Workshop 06 - Brief Adlerian Psychotherapy - Jon Carlson, EdD, PsyDAdlerian psychotherapy is an effective brief therapy model that integrates strategies from many approaches. Adler's ideas highlight the importance of not only understanding the individual but the social context. This approach emphasizes working from a multi-cultural orientation and highlights personal responsibility. The approach uses a four-step process: Engagement, Assessment, Insight and Reorientation. The focus of treatment is positive as the therapist uses encouragement strategies to help the client identify their assets and strengths. Video-tape examples of actual sessions will be used to highlight the process and demonstrate how effective short-term change is possible with this approach.
BT06 Workshop 07 - Enhancing Relationships - Cloé Madanes, Lic Psic, HDLMadanes will present a series of skills, practices and strategies for enhancing relationships. There will be opportunity for discussion and for practicing some of these skills.
With religion as a precedent and large group formation as an instrument, Dr. Polster will show how we may address the everyday, non-pathological needs of people. A complementary offshoot of these life-long groups is the reciprocal benefits it will share with brief therapy, supplying continuity to the brief therapy experience and individual focus to the large group formations.
An introductory presentation reviewing how our daily mental activity may turn on the activity-dependent gene expression and protein synthesis cycle to construct and reconstruct the neural networks of our mind-brain and facilitate healing of the body. We will explore innovative approaches to facilitating the four-stage creative process in therapeutic hypnosis and psychotherapy in a group process and individual demonstrations.