We live in a society where success means you are happy all the time. We are not prepared for the inevitable ups and downs of our relationships. We do not understand that our conflicts and ruptures are growth trying to happen. In this training you will learn about your role as a regulator of a dysregulated system. Of course, the place where this is most difficult is when the rupture involves an infidelity or a chronic addiction or domestic violence.

When a crisis of this nature shows up in our office it is even more vital that we explore our own biases and triggers so we can stay neutral and grounded. In this training, you will have a chance to explore your own triggers and what gets in the way of you being able to be calm in the face of the pain and upset in your office. You will gain tools to quiet the stormy waters, so that a couple can move from their reptile into their frontal lobe and become a team in service of the relationship.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the gold underneath the crisis that is presenting itself.

2. Explain the therapist’s role in establishing a safe and empathic structure when couples are polarized and in crisis.

3. Utilize Imago processes to promote secure attachment and emotional regulation in an insecure, dysregulated couple system.

4. Describe and clinically use a relational neuroscience model to enhance the dialogue.

5. Assess the therapist’s counter-transference and potential for vicarious traumatization when working with crisis couples.