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103: Communication Skills That Sustain Marital Satisfaction. And Coaching Techniques That Maximize Couples' Learning

CE Hours 3

About this course

PRELUDE: New couple therapists are at risk for getting flooded with all that goes on in a couple therapy session. One antidote: a 3-categories form for organizing therapists' case conceptualizations and also note-taking . MAIN TOPIC: Marriage is a high skills activity! Learn the talking, listening, and dialogue skills that couples need so when they talk together, especially about sensitive issues, their dialogue stays friendly, forward-moving, and satisfying. Learn also coaching techniques that enable a therapist to accelerate couples' learning—and even make the learning fun. The ability to talk together in a way that enables both spouses to feel comfortable, fully seen, and fully heard provides an essential foundation for a secure and loving attachment. The skills therefore need to be introduced early in treatment, upgraded throughout the treatment, and, ideally, consolidated to the level of solid new habits as couples approach completion of their treatment.

Learning Objectives

  • List the three categories that enable therapists to keep diagnostic information and also session note-taking orderly and helpful.
  • Explain the I-message alternative to the boundary violations that Dr. Heitler refers to as 'crossovers.'
  • Identify at least two problematic outcomes that are likely to result when spouses' listening responses include the words 'but,' 'no,' or 'not'.
  • State the 4 S's of effective dialogue that are especially helpful for problem-solving or conflict resolution.
  • Explains examples of the 6 D's of effective coaching.
  • State the words called the 6 Safe Sentence Starters for potentially contentious discussions.

Learning Levels

  • Beginning and intermediate therapists
  • Experienced indiviudal therapists aiming to add couple therapy skills.
  • Experienced couple therapists seeking to augment their skills and clarify a conceptual framework for integrative treatment.

Target Audience

Effective Couple Treatment, including this specific course, aims to educate three target audiences: 1) Therapists-in-training 2) Experienced individual therapy practitioners who would like to augment their practice with couple treatment interventions. 3) Experienced psychodynamic couple therapists who would like to broaden their treatment toolkit with behavioral skills-coaching.

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."

References

  • Heitler, S. M. (1997). The power of two: Secrets to a strong & loving marriage. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
  • Heitler, S. M., & Hirsch, A. (2003). The power of two workbook: Communication skills for a strong & loving marriage. New Harbinger Publications.
  • Friend, D., & Cavallo, S. (2023). Tips for Providing Skill Coaching to Reinforce Workshop Content in Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Programs.
  • Randles, J. M. (2016). Redefining the marital power struggle through relationship skills: How US marriage education programs challenge and reproduce gender inequality. Gender & Society, 30(2), 240-264. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243215602920
  • Shahhosseini, Z., Hamzehgardeshi, Z., & Kardan Souraki, M. (2014). The effects of premarital relationship enrichment programs on marriage strength: A narrative review article. Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences, 1(3), 62-72.
  • Hawkins, M. E. A. J. (2015). Does it work? Effectiveness research on relationship and marriage education. In Evidence-based approaches to relationship and marriage education (pp. 82-96). Routledge.
  • Halford, W. K. (2011). Marriage and relationship education: What works and how to provide it. Guilford Press.
  • Chalmers, J. H. (2019). What’s love got to do with it? Improving the effect of marriage education. Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships, 13(2), 171-186. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5964/ijpr.v13i2.361
  • Blanchard, V. L., Hawkins, A. J., Baldwin, S. A., & Fawcett, E. B. (2009). Investigating the effects of marriage and relationship education on couples' communication skills: a meta-analytic study. Journal of family psychology, 23(2), 203.
  • Karam, E. A., Antle, B. F., Stanley, S. M., & Rhoades, G. K. (2015). The marriage of couple and relationship education to the practice of marriage and family therapy: A primer for integrated training. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 14(3), 277-295. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15332691.2014.1002655
  • Babaee, S. N., & Ghahari, S. (2016). Effectiveness of communication skills training on intimacy and marital adjustment among married women. International Journal of Medical Research & Health Sciences, 5(8), 375-380.
  • 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
  • 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.
  • Heitler, S. (2016). Prescriptions without pills: For relief from depression, anger, anxiety, and more. Morgan James Publishing.

CE Process Info

Content

  • Course Videos
    4 parts
    • Class 3: Diagnosis and Note-Taking Plus Basics of Talking Collaboratively
    • Class 4a: More Skills for Collaborative Talking, Then Listening Essentials
    • Class 4b Dialogue Habits That Sustain Goodwill
    • Class 5: Strategies for Boosting Coaching Effectiveness
  • Required Reading
    3 parts
    • Why Teach Collaborative Communication Skills?
    • Listening Skills, from The Power of Two Workbook, Susan Heitler, PhD
    • Collaborative Talking Skills, from Prescriptions Without Pills, pgs. 204-221.

  • 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.

103: Communication Skills That Sustain Marital Satisfaction. And Coaching Techniques That Maximize Couples' Learning
You Have Completed This course
$67
You are enrolled
  • CE Hours
    3
  • Type
    Self-Paced
  • Publication Date
    Jul 9th, 2024
  • Expires on
    July 10th, 2026

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