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102: Launching the First Session. Clarification of The 3 Key Therapist Roles.

CE Hours 3

About this course

Get off to a strong start when you greet new couples! Dr. Heitler begins this segment of the Effective Couple Therapy course by clarifying the information that merits gathering prior to the first session. Dr. Heitler then identifies the multiple important goals of a first session. Her practical suggestions aim for maximizing the likelihood that the couple will choose to return for further treatment. Dr. Heitler's book-ends strategy, for instance, enhances the couple's growth and also their awareness of what they have gained from each session, including from a first session. Lastly, Dr. Heitler playfully and powerfully clarifies the three "hats" that together enable therapists to help couples to enjoy a loving and secure attachment. Readings and handouts augment Dr. Heitler's video lectures with a brief history of couple treatment, more treatment overview, sample intake forms, and a compelling case example.

Learning Objectives

  • Utilize an intake form that clarifies what the treatment will need to address and also suggests how straight-forward or difficult the case will be to treat.
  • Explain two factors that from the outset of treatment enhance the therapeutic alliance.
  • Demonstrate a "talk together" diagnostic technique for information-gathering about the couple's conflicts and at the same time their dialogue patterns.
  • List a couple therapist's three "hats," that is, the three therapist roles that together yield effective treatment.
  • Name at least one use for each of the following four therapy techniques: Interruptions, Bookends, “Close your eyes,” and Best Possible Light.
  • Write a disclosure form explaining the therapist's policies regarding confidentiality and also regarding the number of therapists involved in the couple's treatment.

Learning Levels

  • Therapists in training.
  • Experienced individual therapy practitioners who want to add couple therapy to their offerings.
  • Intermediate and experienced couple therapists who want to expand their toolkit and their conceptual clarify.

Target Audience

1) Therapists-in-training (beginner and intermediate) 2) Experienced individual therapy practitioners who would like to augment their practice with couple therapy offerings. 3) Experienced couple therapists who would like to add to their technical toolkit and also to integrate their varied treatment methods within one conceptual framework.

Course Instructor(s)

  • Susan 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

DISCLOSURE OF RELEVANT FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity ― including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests). The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity’s planners, faculty, and the reviewer: PLANNERS AND REVIEWER The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships. FACULTY The faculty of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

References

  • Wachtel, E. (2016). The heart of couple therapy. New York: Guilford Press.
  • Heitler, S., (1990). From conflict to resolution: Skills and strategies for individual, couple, and family therapy. Chapter 10: Overview of the therapeutic journey. New York: Norton.
  • Bradbury, T. N., & Bodenmann, G. (2020). Interventions for couples. Annual review of clinical psychology, 16, 99-123. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-071519-020546
  • Darwiche, J., Carneiro, C., Vaudan, C., Imesch, C., Eira Nunes, C., Favez, N., & de Roten, Y. (2022). Parents in couple therapy: An intervention targeting marital and coparenting relationships. Family process, 61(2), 490-506. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12773
  • Lebow, J. L. & Snyder, D. K. (2023) Clinical handbook of couple therapy, 6th edition. NY: Guilford.
  • Markman, H. J., Hawkins, A. J., Stanley, S. M., Halford, W. K., & Rhoades, G. (2022). Helping couples achieve relationship success: A decade of progress in couple relationship education research and practice, 2010–2019. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 48(1), 251-282. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12565
  • Nielsen, A. C. (2020). Couple therapy integrated: A commentary on couple impasses—three therapeutic approaches. Clinical Social Work Journal, 48(3), 313-318. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-020-00767-8
  • Ripley, J., Solfelt, L., Ord, A., Garthe, R. C., Worthington Jr, E. L., & Channing, T. (2021). Short-and long-term outcomes of hope focused couple therapy. Spirituality in Clinical Practice. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/scp0000286
  • Wachtel, P. L. (2018). Pathways to progress for integrative psychotherapy: Perspectives on practice and research. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 28(2), 202. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/int0000089
  • Worthington Jr, E. L., Ripley, J. S., Chen, Z. J., Kent, V. M., & Loewer, E. (2023). Spiritually integrated couple therapy. DOI: . https://doi.org/10.1037/0000338-018
  • Halford, W. K., Pepping, C. A., & Petch, J. (2016). The gap between couple therapy research efficacy and practice effectiveness. Journal of marital and family therapy, 42(1), 32-44.
  • Fraenkel, P. (2019). Love in action: An integrative approach to last chance couple therapy. Family Process, 58(3), 569-594.
  • Halford, W. K., & Pepping, C. A. (2019). What every therapist needs to know about couple therapy. Behaviour Change, 36(3), 121-142.
  • Margola, D., Donato, S., Accordini, M., Emery, R. E., & Snyder, D. K. (2018). Dyadic coping in couple therapy process: An exploratory study. Family process, 57(2), 324-341.

CE Process Info

Content

  • Course Videos
    2 parts
    • Class 2a: The First Session: Getting Off to a Strong Start
    • Class 2b: The Three Therapist Hats, Plus the Importance of Bookends
  • Readings and Handouts
    7 parts
    • Intake Form for use in an initial couple therapy session.
    • Couple Therapy: Historical Overview, Ethical Issues, and New Trends
    • Two Bicycles: /Combined Individual/Marital Therapy Within A Conflict-Resolution Framework
    • Beginning The Session
    • New Client Information Form for Clients to Complete and Send to the Therapist Prior to the First Session
    • Session Notes Form
    • Sample Disclosure Letter
  • American Psychological Association (APA)

    CE Learning Systems, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CE Learning Systems maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

  • New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work (NYSEDSW)

    CE Learning Systems SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0060.

  • New York Education Department for Licensed Mental Health Counselors (NYSEDLMHC)

    CE Learning Systems, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0072.

  • New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology (NYSEDPSY)

    CE Learning Systems dba CE-Credit.com & AddictionCounselorCE.com is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0016.

  • New York State Education Department's State Board for Marriage and Family Therapy (NYSEDMFT)

    CE Learning Systems dba CE-Credit.com & AddictionCounselorCE.com is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Marriage and Family Therapy as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0045.

102:  Launching the First Session.  Clarification of The 3 Key Therapist Roles.
You Have Completed This course
$67
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  • CE Hours
    3
  • Type
    Self-Paced
  • Publication Date
    Jul 9th, 2024
  • Expires on
    July 10th, 2026

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