Affect in Family Therapy 2022-2023

Instructor: Andrew Fussner, MSW

8:30am to 1:00pm

In cases presented for consultation in these clinicals, patterns of interaction in the family are highlighted with an emphasis on how members signal one another with various affective expressions. Through videotape analysis, participants are given the opportunity to practice attuning to and interpreting the meaning of family member interactions. Particular focus is given to the therapist’s affect and how family members make meaning of it.  Participants are given the opportunity through case discussion and role play to practice using their affective expressions to deepen the therapeutic alliance, establish leadership and structure in sessions, work with closeness-distance, and challenge boundaries.

As a result of participating in these clinicals, therapists will be able to:

  1. Formulate a systemic, contextual explanation of the presenting problems and use it to guide sessions.
  2. Expand the family’s experience of the possible by setting up and facilitating pattern-transforming enactments.
  3. Describe strategies for keeping family members emotionally engaged and active with one another in sessions
  4. Create and maintain a positive emotional connection (therapeutic alliance) with all family members in sessions
  5. Demonstrate how the tone of voice, physical proximity, and humor can be used to raise or lower emotional intensity and punctuate pattern in sessions

This series counts toward required annual training hours in Family Based Mental Health Services, but is not currently available for CE credit.

Agenda
8:30am-11:00am: Objectives 1-3
11:00am-11:15am: Break
11:15am-1:00pm: Objectives 4-5

This is an intermediate level course. The target audience is behavioral health professionals working within an Ecosystemic Family Therapy Model. This is a live synchronous distance learning activity conducted in real time, allowing for simultaneous participation of participants and instructors from different locations.

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