One of the most common challenges for therapists is to engage the silent, withdrawn, and/or reluctant client who expresses little feelings, thoughts, interest, or wishes in therapy. Many clinicians struggle to find effective interventions that can engage the inexpressive partner. It becomes particularly challenging to do so in couples therapy while the therapist has to draw out the withdrawing partner, while validating the pursuing partner and maintain secure alliance with both.
On the other hand, highly escalated clients present unique challenges for the therapist. Clinicians often feel frustrated and overwhelmed when they are unable to help clients reduce their reactivity, regain self-control, increase their awareness, or treat their partners constructively.
Join internationally renowned EFT trainer, Ting Liu, Ph.D., for a two-day workshop on applying Emotionally Focused Therapy to these challenging situations in both individual and couples therapy. Suitable for clinicians with a basic understanding of attachment and family systems, the workshop will teach hands-on techniques for de-escalating intense negative emotions in therapy. Attendees will learn interventions and treatment strategies to interrupt destructive arguments, reduce emotional arousal, create safety, and develop constructive interactional cycles that promote secure bonding. Moreover, therapeutic interventions to engage and empower the inexpressive partners will be introduced.
The workshop will utilize dyadic presentation, video examples, and experiential exercises so participants can immediately apply the skills being taught.
DAY ONE:
Engaging the Withdrawn and Resistant Client in Individual and Couples Therapy: An EFT Perspective
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of Day 1 of this program, participants will be able to:
1. Understand clients’ emotional, cognitive, behavioral processes underlying the withdrawal and resistance.
2. Learn about the functions of clients’ withdrawal and resistance on both intrapsychic and interactional levels. 3. Understand common factors in psychotherapy, empathizing the importance of therapeutic alliance.
4. Learn to set treatment goals and case conceptualization using the theoretical underpinning of EFT.
5. Apply speci c EFT interventions with withdrawn and resistant clients in both individual and couples therapy.
6. Explore self-as-therapist issues associated with working with withdrawn and resistant clients.
DAY TWO:
Soothing the Highly Escalated Clients in Individual and Couples Therapy: An EFT Perspective
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of Day 2 of this program, participants will be able to:
1. Understand clients’ emotional, cognitive, behavioral processes underlying the escalation of con icts.
2. Learn about the functions of clients’ anger and expression of anger on both intrapsychic and interactional levels.
3. Apply EFT theory and interventions to access the vulnerability of highly escalated clients.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Ting Liu, Ph.D, the clinical director of PCEFT, is a certi ed EFT (Emotionally Focused erapy) trainer, supervisor and therapist. She is licensed in Pennsylvania as a Marriage and Family erapist and is an Approved Supervisor with the American Association of Marriage & Family erapy. She maintains a Private Practice in Wayne, PA and can be contacted via email better.relationship @ gmail.com. Dr. Liu received her doctorate in Child Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family erapy from Purdue University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Family Intervention Science at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her publications include four books she has translated into Chinese in the eld of MFT and EFT. She has also published several journal articles on
di erent applications of EFT, and wrote a chapter on multi-cultural therapy in the EFT casebook. She is currently involved in several outcome studies examining the cultural applicability of EFT to diverse populations. Dr.
Liu o ers EFT training, supervision, and case consultation to therapists in the Philadelphia area, as well as to therapists in Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Shenzen, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo. She specializes in multi-cultural applications of EFT, in delity issues, mood disorders, and Emotionally Focused Family erapy with adolescents.
DPA CONVENTION & PROGRAM AGENDA
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9
8-9am: Registration and Continental Breakfast
9am-12:15pm: Understand Withdrawn and Resistant Clients
12:15-1:15pm: Lunch
1:15-4:30pm: Working with Withdrawn and Resistant Clients: Application of EFT Individual and Couples Therapy
5:30-6:30pm: Student Poster Presentations, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, browse exhibits and silent auction items
6:30-9:00pm Buffet Dinner and Silent Auction
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10
7:30-9:00am: Continental Breakfast (for all conference attendees)
8:00-9:00am: DPA Annual Meeting (all members invited)
9:00-12:15pm: Working with Highly Escalated Clients: Application of EFT Individual and Couples Therapy
