About this course

Learning Objectives

• List two ways in which individual therapy for a married person that lacks a couple therapy component risks violating the core therapy ethical principles of beneficence and/or maleficence.
• Describe how to inform clients of the therapist’s policies regarding confidentiality and also the one-therapist rule.
• Explain the Hand Map and the Circle of Skills, two of the guiding concepts of effective couples therapy.

Learning Levels

• Beginner and intermediate couple therapists.
• Experienced individual therapists looking to add couple therapy to their offerings.
• Experienced couple therapists looking to increase their technical skills and gain a conceptual framework for integrative treatment.

Target Audience

Course Instructor(s)

• 

  Susan Heitler

  Dr. Heitler

  Dr. Heitler first opened her private practice as a clinical psychologist almost 50 years ago. From her Denver office, in addition to treating both individual and couple therapy clients, Dr. Heitler has written 6 books, journal articles, plus over 300 psychologytoday.com blogposts that have garnered over 26 million reads.

  In response to her innovative perspectives, Dr. Heitler has been invited to speak on her treatment methods in most states of the US plus on almost every continent including Europe, Australia, China, India, and throughout the Middle East. In Lebanon she was chosen as the keynote speaker for the first-ever gathering of the Arab Psychological Association.

  Dr. Heitler's contributions have focused particularly on the importance of win-win conflict resolution skills for sustaining individual and also couple and family emotional health.

  Dr. Heitler's writings have earned high praise, starting with her first major book, From Conflict to Resolution, a book reviewed in the British Journal of Psychiatry as "a modern refreshing book . . . A highly commendable read for all therapists, particularly those striving to practice in what they hope is an integrative way" and by a practicing therapist in Alabama as "the best clinical psychology book I have ever read."

Disclosure

References

• Pope, K. S., & Vasquez, M. J. (2016). Ethics in psychotherapy and counseling: A practical guide. John Wiley & Sons.
• Lazarus, A. A. (1994). How certain boundaries and ethics diminish therapeutic effectiveness. Ethics & Behavior, 4(3), 255-261. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327019eb0403_10
• Bayaz‐Öztürk, G. (2022). Parental breakup and children's outcomes in the United States. Family Relations, 71(4), 1802-1816. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12662
• Bradley, L. J. (2023). Ethical issues and ethical traps. The Family Journal, 31(2), 193-197. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480722115051
• Chou, J. L., Lynch, L., Brooks, S., Krauthamer Ewing, E. S., Jordal, C., McDowell, D., & Bluteau‐James, V. A. (2022). Couple/marriage and family therapist extent of training for working with families impacted by substance use. Family Relations, 71(4), 1658-1678. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12690
• Gurman, A. S., & Burton, M. (2014). Individual therapy for couple problems: Perspectives and pitfalls. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 40(4), 391-404.
• Murphy, M. J., & Hecker, L. L. (2020). Ethical and legal issues unique to systemic family therapy. The Handbook of systemic family therapy, 1, 531-554. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119438519.ch23
• Shah, A., Nagpal, A., Manjula, V., & Rynjah, I. L. (2016). Combined couples’ therapy: A qualitative study of individual and conjoint sessions. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 27(2), 99-108. https://doi.org/10.1080/08975353.2016.1169019
• Whittaker, K. J., Johnson, S. U., Solbakken, O. A., Wampold, B., & Tilden, T. (2023). Childhood trauma as a predictor of change in couple and family therapy: A study of treatment response. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 12(1), 24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000181
• Heitler, S. (2016). Prescriptions without pills: For relief from depression, anger, anxiety and more. Morgan James Publishing.
• Estrada, A. U., & Holmes, J. M. (1999). Couples' perceptions of effective and ineffective ingredients of marital therapy. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 25(2), 151-162.
• Heitler, S. (1998). Treating high-conflict couples. Psychologists' desk reference. New York: Oxford.
• Jansen, M. A. (2007). Therapists' handling of secrets between partners in couple therapy.
• Halford, W. K., & Pepping, C. A. (2019). What every therapist needs to know about couple therapy. Behaviour Change, 36(3), 121-142. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/bec.2019.12
• Waite, L. & Gallagher, M. (2001). The case for marriage: Why married people are happier, healthier, and better off financially. Crowne.
• Heitler, S. (1990). From conflict to resolution: Skills and strategies for individual, couple, and family therapy. NY: Norton.