Instructor Bios. Course Description. The Couple as a Dynamic System

Transcription

1 CPPNJ Fall 2018 Foundations in the Theory and Practice of Couples Therapy, Part One C Mondays, Starting September 17, 2018, 10:30am-12:30pm 9/17/18, 9/24/18, 10/1/18, 10/15/18, 10/22/18, 10/29/18, 11/5/18, 11/12/18, 11/19/18, 11/26/18, 12/3/18 and 12/10/18 Thomas Johnson, EdD, LCSW, Nancy Hicks, PsyD and Daniel Goldberg, PhD Metuchen, NJ Instructor Bios Thomas Johnson is a licensed clinical social worker and licensed psychologist with over 35 years of experience treating couples. He has taught and supervised systemic treatment at postgraduate training institutes, agencies, and hospitals since He is also a trained psychoanalyst and has taught and supervised at CPPNJ and the Stephen Mitchell Center for Relational Studies since 2006, and recently joined the Supervision Faculty at the Institute for Relational Psychoanalysis of Philadelphia. He has specialized training in couples therapy including Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy, and has been on the adjunct faculties of Department of Psychiatry at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and at Rutgers-GSAPP for many years Nancy Hicks Beginning as early as 1980 when I underwent my first training in Family Systems therapy, I have been involved with working with couples, enhancing this through numerous ongoing experiences in supervision and training. I have since designed and taught several courses on couples therapy, been a supervisor myself, and written and presented a number of papers on working with couples. I received my PsyD in Clinical Psychology in 1989 from The Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers. In 1998 I graduated from TRISP, the Training and Research Institute for Self Psychology, with a certificate in Psychoanalysis. Following that for a period of 10 years I taught various courses at TRISP, including Gender and Sexuality, Fantasy, and Clinical Case Studies. In 2010 I joined the faculty at CPPNJ, where I taught a course in Self Psychology and Intersubjectivity. At that time I became part of the faculty of the Couples Therapy Training Program at CPPNJ. There I taught numerous courses in treating couples and also served as a supervisor to students in the program. Most recently I co-lead a Workshop on "Impasses: The Expected and the Unexpected" with Dr. Daniel Goldberg in the spring of During all this time I have written and presented a number of articles on couples therapy, including, in May of 2016, "Using Forward and Trailing Edge Perspectives in Working with Couples", for the TRISP Workshop Series. My couples therapy interests include couples therapy from a relational perspective, integrating psychoanalysis and couples therapy, and approaching couples using intersubjective systems theory Daniel Goldberg has been teaching couples therapy for over 25 years. He developed the New Jersey Couples Therapy Training Program, was Director for 6 years until 2015, and continues to teach as a faculty member. He has given presentations to numerous professional organizations on couples therapy and has received advanced training in psychodynamic, systems, EFT, Imago, and Gottman models of couples therapy. Course Description The Couple as a Dynamic System

2 Through the use of clinical/theoretical readings, lectures, seminar-style discussions, presentation of videotapes, role-plays and case presentations, this course will address the systemic foundation of Psychodynamic-Systemic Couples Therapy. Psychodynamic viewpoints from Attachment Theory and Object Relations Theory will be integrated with systemic schools of thought, primarily Bowen Systems Theory. The important variables in assessment will be examined such as: use of the genogram, mapping three-generational patterns, tracking distance regulation patterns, tracking affect and affect regulation, and identifying multigenerational attachment issues. The course will cover the development of skills in early couples therapy engagement and de-escalation of conflict. Bonding, Intimacy and Attachment Theory Attachment theory provides therapists with a vital perspective on the workings of two-person relationships. Using attachment theory as a lens for understanding bonding and intimacy, this course will introduce students to secure and insecure attachment styles, and to how these can be observed and addressed in couples therapy. Skills for encouraging secure bonding interactions, including constructive emotional expression and the sharing of vulnerability, will be introduced and rehearsed. Attention will be given to addressing negative cycles of anger and blame, and to identifying the attachment injuries which underlie them. Lectures, group discussion, and role play will be employed. Projecting, Accessing and Integrating Disowned Parts Through the use of clinical-theoretical readings, lectures, discussion, presentation of videotapes, roleplays, and case presentations, this course will address the object relational foundation of Psychodynamic-Systemic Couples Therapy. Readings and class discussions are intended to teach class members about concepts such as Transference, Countertransference, Identification, Projective Identification, and Self-States as they affect the functioning of the couple dynamic as well as the dynamic between the therapist and the couple. Active methods of teaching (role-plays and video presentations) will address the implementation of theory into technique. Learning Objectives The Couple as a Dynamic System Weeks 1-4 Demonstrate a basic familiarity with the major theoretical components of Bowen Systems Theory covered in this course as indicated in class participation and case presentations. Describe the following assessment concepts in a case: distance-regulation patterns, triangles, affect regulation patterns, and multigenerational attachment issues. Articulate a plan for engagement and de-escalation in a case. Cite the effects of trauma on a couple, including when it comes from an intergenerational context. Bonding, Intimacy and Attachment Theory Weeks 5-8

3 Explain the nature of attachment bonds, as well as what characterizes secure and insecure attachment. Identify the primary styles of attachment and recognize these as they appear in the context of couples relationships. Describe how individual attachment styles shape interpersonal interactions, as well as how they contribute to or detract from a couple s capacity to form and maintain an intimate connection. Apply the concept of attachment insecurity to analyze and address negative emotional cycles. Characterize the positive behaviors partners need to help them achieve safe emotional engagement. Develop skills to help couples implement open emotional exploration, repair relational ruptures, and move towards greater acceptance of self and other. Projecting, Accessing and Integrating Disowned Parts Weeks 9-12 Illustrate how to use the concepts of transference and countertransference in couples therapy. Demonstrate the use of projective identification and be able to cite how the process operates in a case. They will also be able to articulate how they help each partner in a couple own his/her contributions to couple dynamics and manage those contributions more effectively. Achievement of this objective will be indicated in class participation and case presentations. Describe the meaning of self-states and demonstrate an ability to assist partners in managing their affective states and those of their partner, as indicated in class participation and case presentations. Distinguish each partner s subjective experience and demonstrate how to help each partner facilitate empathy and compassion for one another, as evidenced in class participation and case presentations. Target Audience/Content Level This workshop is appropriate for social workers at all levels. Course Syllabus/References The Couple as a Dynamic System 1. Week One - Bowen Systems Theory Foundation - This session will offer an introduction to the basic systems concepts of distance regulation, complementarity of functioning, triangles, family projection process,

4 multigenerational transmission process, and the impact of the larger system of culture. We will also discuss the use of the genogram and mapping three-generational patterns a) Nichols, M. P. (2016). Family Therapy: Concepts and Methods (11 th Edition). New York: Pearson; Bowenian family Therapy. Chapter 8: Bowenian Family Therapy b) Chapter from: Titelman, P. (2015). Differentiation of self: Bowen Family Systems Theory Perspectives. New York: Routledge. 2. Week Two - Bowen Systems Theory & Couples Therapy (Part One) In this session we will look at the work of Guerin, Fay, Burden & Kautto, who were a clinical-research team of Bowenian couples therapists. a) Guerin, P., Fay, L., Burden, S., & Kautto, J. (1987). The Evaluation and Treatment of Marital Conflict: A Four- Stage Approach. New York: Basic Books. (Chapters 5 & 6) c) Chapter from Titelman, P. (2015). Differentiation of Self: Bowen Family Systems Theory Perspectives. New York: Routledge. 3. Week Three - Bowen Systems Therapy & Couples Therapy (Part Two) In this session we will continue to examine the work of Guerin et al. We will also discuss a Bowenian perspective on infidelity, and compare these ideas on affairs to those of Esther Perel a) Guerin, Fay, Burden & Kautto Chapters 8 & 9 and The extramarital affair. b) Perel, E. (2017). The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity.New York: Harper Collins 4. Week Four - The Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma & Couples Therapy- The intergenerational transmission of trauma in families is an important concept in the worlds of trauma research, family therapy, contemporary psychodynamic theory, and couples therapy. We will introduce the concept and track its influence on couple process. a) Wanlass, J. (2013), The intergenerational and cultural transmission of trauma in Chinese couple relationships. Couple and Family Psychoanalysis, 3(2), pp b) Meyers, M.B. (2005). When the Holocaust haunts the couple: Hope, guilt, and survival. In Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Couple Work. London: Tavistock. b) Gump, J. (2016). The endurance of slavery s traumas and truths. In S. Grand & J. Salberg (Eds.) Transgenerational Trauma & The Other. New York: Routledge.

5 Supplemental Readings: Grand, S. & Salberg, J. (2016) (Eds.). Transgenerational Trauma & The Other. New York: Routledge. Chapter 3: D. Liner- When the shadow of the Holocaust falls upon the analytic dyad. Grand, S. & Salberg, J. (2016) (Eds.). Wounds of History: Repair and Resilience in the Transgenerational Transmission of Trauma. New York: Routledge. Chapter 4: J. Salberg- The texture of traumatic attachment: Presence and ghostly absence in the transgenerational transmission. Gurman, A.S., Lebow, J.L., Snyder, D.K. (2015). Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy (5th Edition). New York: Guilford. McGoldrick, M., Garcia Preto, N., & Carter, B. (2016). The Expanding Family LifeCycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives (5 th Edition). Boston: Pearson. McGoldrick, M., Gerson, R., & Petry, S. (2008). Genograms in Family Assessment (3 rd Edition). New York: Norton. Sweezy, M. & Ziskind, E.L. (2013). Internal Family Systems Therapy: New Dimensions. New York: Routledge and Taylor Francis Group. Bonding, Intimacy and Attachment Theory October 22, 2018 Overview of Attachment Theory Review of attachment theory and the meaning of attachment security and insecurity. Discussion of how to conduct initial sessions with couples. Introduction to the Attachment Interview. Reading: Johnson, S. (2005), Introduction to attachment: A therapist s guide to primary relationships and their renewal. In S. Johnson and V.E. Whiffen, Attachment Processes in Couple and Family Therapy, pp New York: Guilford Press. October 29, 2018 Attachment as a Two-Person Process Exploration of how attachment styles shape couple dynamics. Introduction to affect regulation as a component of secure and insecure attachment. Readings: Clulow, C. (2014), Attachment, affect regulation, and couple psychotherapy. In D. Scharff and J. Scharff, Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy, pp London: Karnac Books. Schachner, D., Shaver, P., and Mikulincer, M. (2005), Adult attachment theory, Psychodynamics, and couple relationships. In S. Johnson and V.E. Whiffen, Attachment Processes in Couple and Family Therapy, pp New York: Guilford Press.

6 November 5, 2018 Applying Attachment Theory in Practice Overview of process and skills in Johnson s 5-step model. Discussion of the role of affective styles in secure relating. Using role play, practice the integration of these into attachment-based couples work. Readings Johnson, S. (2005), Attachment Theory: A guide for couple therapy. In S. Johnson and V.E. Whiffen, Attachment Processes in Couple and Family Therapy, pp New York: Guilford Press. Solomon, M. and Tatkin, S. (2011). PART III: THE THEORETICAL UNIVERSE. In M. Solomon and S. Tatkin, Love and War in Intimate Relationship: Connection, Disconnection, and Mutual Regulation in Couple Therapy, pp New York: W.W. Norton. November 12, 2018 Promoting Secure Attachment Behavior Summation of how to shape and encourage secure bonds. Role plays of the use of staged enactments in couples work. Readings: Clulow, C. (2017), How was it for you? Attachment, sexuality, and mirroring in couple relationships. In S. Nathans and M. Schaefer, Couples on the Couch, pp London and New York: Routledge Press. Gottman, J., and Tabares, A. (2017). The effects of briefly interrupting marital conflict. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 44(1): pp Tilley, D., and Palmer, G. (2013). Enactments in emotionally focused couple therapy: Shaping moments of contact and change. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 39(3), pp Projecting, Accessing and Integrating Disowned Parts Week 1 (11/19/18) An overview of psychodynamic couples therapy and basic concepts- This class will offer an overview of important premises from object relations theory, attachment theory, trauma theory, and other relevant perspectives that are useful in couples therapy. We will also review and discuss the concept of shared unconscious phantasy. Scharff, D.A., Scharff, J.S. (Eds.) (2014). Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy: Foundations of Theory and Practice. London: Karnac. (Chapter1: An overview of psychodynamic couple therapy (pp.3-24); and Chapter 2: Shared unconscious phantasy in couples David Hewison (pp )

7 Week 2 (11/26/18) A Relational Approach to psychodynamic couple therapy Ringstrom s conceptual basis for couples therapy focuses on: themes of self-actualization in a committed intimate relationship; mutual recognition; and what he calls the relationship having a mind of its own. This class will explore how partners negotiate multiple self-states in the individuals along with the intersubjective space between the partners. Ringstrom, Philip A., (2014). A Relational Psychoanalytic Approach to Couples Psychotherapy. New York: Routledge. (Chapter 1 Theoretical Overview, pp. 7-36) Week 3 (12/3/18) Projective Identification in couples The next two classes will explore the process involved in identifications that couples form through projective and introjective mechanisms. Feldman, T. (2014). From container to Claustrum: Projective identification in couples. Couple and Family Psychoanalysis, 4 (2), Week 4 (12/10/18) Projective Identification in couples (Continued) In this class we will continue the theoretical discussion from last class, and focus more on recognition of projective identification in couple process and interventions that break up this sort of gridlock. Abrams, J. (2009). What s reality got to do with it? Projective identification and projective processes in adult intimate relationships. Psychoanalytic Social Work, 16, Supplemental Readings Christopher Clulow (Editor), (2009). Sex, Attachment and Couple Therapy: Psychoanalytic Perspectives (Library of Couple and Family Psychoanalysis), Karnac Books Hewison, D. (2014). Projection, Introjection, Intrusive Identification, Adhesive Identification In: Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy, ed. Scharff, D.A., Scharff, J., Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy: Foundations of Theory and Practice (The Library of Couple and Family Psychoanalysis), Karnac Books Lachker, Joan. (2004). The Narcissistic / Borderline Couple: New Approaches to Marital Therapy. Routledge; 2 edition Rabin, Clair. (2014). Winnicott and 'Good Enough' Couple Therapy: Reflections of a couple therapist. Routledge. Course Approval Statement and Expiration Date This course is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards ASWB NJ CE Course Approval Program Provider #66 Course #1910 from 07/09/2018 to 07/09/2020. Social workers will receive the following type and number of credit(s): Clinical Social Work Practice: 24 Course Completion Requirements/How Certificate will be Awarded

8 Students are required to complete the course requirements in order to receive credit attend class, signing in and signing out of each session, complete the required paper, participate in class and complete the course evaluation. CE credit will be allotted on the basis of actual number of classes attended. Certificates will be mailed after the last class is held. CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT HOURS For Social Workers: An application has been made for consideration of 24 CEs in Clinical Social Work Practice for this course. SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS NEEDED ADA accommodations available upon request. (Required at least 14 days prior to course start date.) COURSE REFUND POLICY Up to one month before a course starts there will be a full course refund less a $50 administrative fee. Less than one month before a course starts there will be a $50 administrative fee and the payment will be applied to a future course. Once a class starts, there will be no refunds. Extraordinary circumstances will be reviewed on an individual basis. INSTRUCTIONS 1- Fees: $400 course fee Annual Candidates Organization fee is $40 2- Enclose check made payable to CPPNJ and mail to: CPPNJ, 235 Main Street, #184, Madison, NJ Or register online at For more information or registration, please call , visit us online at contact us by at cppnj@cppnj.org or CPPNJ 235 Main Street #184 Madison, NJ