Speaker: Arthur Nielsen
CE Credit: 1.0
This course is provided by the Couples and Intimate Relationships Network; find out more and how to join at www.aamft.org/tin.
Couple therapy is a complex undertaking that proceeds best by integrating various schools of thought. Grounded in an in-depth review of the clinical and research literature, and drawing on the presenter's 40-plus years of experience, this webinar will present a comprehensive, flexible, and user-friendly roadmap for conducting couple therapy. We begin by describing "Couple Therapy 1.0," the basic conjoint couple therapy format in which partners talk to each other with the help of the therapist. After noting the limitations of this model, we take up upgrades derived from systemic, psychodynamic, and behavioral/educational approaches, and show how to combine and sequence them. The most important upgrade is the early focus on the couple's negative interaction cycle, which causes them pain and impedes their ability to address it. Using clinical case examples, the webinar will show how all three approaches can improve couple process as a prerequisite for better problem solving. Additional modules and sequencing choice points are also discussed, including discernment counseling and encouraging positive couple experiences.