INTRODUCTION TO EXPERIENTIAL DYNAMIC THERAPY: INTENSIVE SKILLS TRAINING DEVELOPING TECHNICAL SKILLS AND THERAPEUTIC COMPETENCIES TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES AND THE HEALING ART OF PSYCHOTHERAPY Dr. Jessica Bolton
Helping our clients... To follow the urge to seek and find, To respond to danger when it approaches, To set limits when angry, To express sexual desire appropriately and wholeheartedly, To cry when sad, To love, nurture and care wholeheartedly, To play and laugh with joy, right on the edge of our boundaries! ADAPTED FROM MCCULLOUGH, 2003 & PANKSEPP, 2012
Integrating into complex feelings Experiencing these core feelings together Noticing the feelings are together but separate To be interested in each To make space for them To develop confidence to have and respond appropriately to mixed feelings
AIMS OF THE MODEL (DAVANLOO,1995) To help clients overcome internal resistance to experiencing their true feelings about the present and past which have been warded off because they are either too frightening or too painful. Involving: actual within session experiencing of warded off feelings - Experiential working with unconscious forces and transference feelings - Dynamic helping clients experience these warded-off feelings to the maximum degree - Intensive Attempting to achieve as quickly as possible - Short-term
AIMS OF THE SKILLS TRAINING COURSE Developing skills in: Getting and maintaining a helpful focus in therapeutic work Spotting and intervening in or enhancing conscious and unconscious anxiety defences therapeutic alliance Working effectively with emotions Dr Jessica Bolton, Thrive Psychology Psychotherapy Psychoeducation (2015)
Essence of EDTs / ISTDPs Working in the here and now Regulation of anxiety Understanding of anxiety channels and resistance / fragility Core affects expressed / experienced Avoidance of deep, unconscious feeling core of difficulty Relational Collaborative Transparent Educative Focus on emotional expression being in three parts cognitive, bodily expression and action / impulse Model of human nature Not disorder focused Diagnosing moment by moment (psychodiagnosis) not pathologising
AIM OF THE SKILLS TRAINING COURSE To integrate the following concepts in the teaching, the skill development exercises and experience of the course: Attachment Neuroscience Experiential learning Deliberate practice 7
TEACHING STYLE AND EMPHASIS Course mirroring therapeutic work -Safe, compassionate, and thoughtful environment -Emphasizing learning, development and collaboration -Building on your strengths and knowledge -Openness to feedback regarding what is working and what isn t every group is different. Experiential learning process - Learn about, observe, have a go, recap (or teach!) 8
Overall aims of the course THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENT TO CO-CREATE CHANGE SYSTEM OF RESISTANCE ANXIETY THE PERSON BENEATH DEFENSES
INTENSIVE SKILLS COURSE DAY 1 AIMS THE PERSON BENEATH ENGAGING WITH THE PERSON BENEATH Beneath their presentation, the resistance, the anxiety Their buried emotions and desire to connect with these emotions with you THEORETICAL TEACHING basics of EDT, emotional systems and development of symptoms, integrating attachment and interpersonal neurobiology PRACTICAL TOOLS clinical and non clinical videos, clinical exercises, scripted role plays for developing your clinical voice.
INTENSIVE SKILLS COURSE - DAY 2 AIMS SYSTEM OF RESISTANCE ANXIETY THE PERSON BENEATH DEFENSES LEARNING ABOUT anxiety and defenses, the barriers to connecting with the person beneath and them expressing their complex feelings. THEORETICAL TEACHING Psychodiagnosis, Anxiety, Defences and Systems of Resistance PRACTICAL TOOLS clinical videos, exercises, scripted role plays for developing your clinical voice and deliberate practice with your own case.
DAY 3: AIMS THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENT TO CO-CREATE CHANGE SYSTEM OF RESISTANCE ANXIETY THE PERSON BENEATH DEFENSES u u LEARNING MORE ABOUT DEVELOPING A THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENT TO CO-CREATE CHANGE WAYS TO APPROACH THE CLIENT AND THEIR RESPONSES TO CONNECT TO AND ATTUNE WITH THE PERSON BENEATH u u THEORETICAL TEACHING getting a specific focus, unconscious therapeutic alliance, the front of system, dealing with syntonic defenses PRACTICAL TOOLS clinical videos, exercises, scripted role plays for developing your clinical voice and deliberate practice with your own case.
STRUCTURE OF EACH DAY Each day begins with theory / recapping on the previous day's learning Skills development and recapping throughout the rest of the day, ending with group and process discussion 10.45-11.15 - Break 12.30-1.30pm Lunch 3-3.30pm Break