Enactment, an experiential method grounded in systems theory that brings interactional problems into the session for direct observation and change, is a component of all current evidence-based child and adolescent-focused family therapies. Enactment is the cornerstone of ESFT, where it is used to disrupt and shift negative interactional patterns to more functional ones. This course introduces the method, describes what it is, differentiates it from other widely used interventions, and explains how and why it works. A four-phase model based on Nichols and Fellenberg’s work and the Change Enactment version of the Family Therapy Enactment Scale is introduced as a framework for doing an enactment, including setting the stage and using the NIP to look for opportunities to initiate emotionally meaningful conversations, facilitating family members through the ups and downs of the process, and meaning-making. A step-by-step guide to implementing a change enactment using excerpts from a family therapy session is provided.
The course incorporates edited excerpts from a live training with therapists working in PA’s FBMHS program.
This is a Beginning Level course. The target audience is all behavioral health professionals working with children and adolescents.
Course Objectives
As a result of completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Describe what change enactments are and how they work.
- Identify when to use enactments in treatment.
- Explain the actions involved in each of the four stages of a change enactment.
This course uses an online distance-learning self-paced format. It includes recorded audio, recorded video-based webinars, and selected readings. There are post-tests to ensure comprehension of the material. Participants can communicate with the instructors via the online moodle interface. Real-time communication with the instructor in our online, self-paced distance learning courses is not possible. However, participants can send an email to the instructor via the online moodle interface within the course and expect to receive a response within 48 hours. All course content, including post-tests, should take approximately 1.5 hours to complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Visit our Self-Paced, Online Continuing Education Policies & FAQs for additional information regarding the CFBT online learning center, accommodations for disabilities, reporting problems with the course, instructions for viewing webinars, etc.