Continuing Education Seminar by Keith Edwards, Ph.D., Ph.D.

Seminar Description:

Counseling couples in distressed intimate relationships is challenging.  The complexity of the couple relationship is evident in the pattern of interaction (the system), the Self of each partner in the system, and the developmental history of each partner.  A three-level model for working with distressed couples will be presented.  Participants will learn specific intervention strategies from three distinct but complementary approaches to couples treatment:

• Emotionally focused couples therapy: 5 Specific interventions that promote emotional awareness and expression, activates systemic consciousness and facilitates attachment bonding.
• The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy: The Initiator-Inquirer Communication Strategy to Promote Self-Differentiation and Other-Differentiation in the couple system.
• Internal Family Systems: The use of Parts Language, the Self, and Imagery to heal developmental trauma.

Case vignettes will be used to illustrate the interventions.

Refreshments will be provided.

Seminar Objectives:

Objective 1: Participants will be able to define and identify four individual interventions used in EFTC for couples: empathic reflection, empathic validation, empathic conjecture, and evocative question.

Objective 2: Participants will be able to identify the characteristics of three common couple systemic interaction patterns: pursue-withdraw, attack-defend, and attack-attack.

Objective 3: Participants will be able to explain the characteristics of health self- and other-differentiation for partners in an intimate relationship.

Objective 4: Participants will be able to implement the Initiator-Inquirer Communication structure with a couple.

Objective 5: Participants will be able to differentiate among the Internal Family Systems concepts of The Self, Proactive Protective Parts, Reactive Protective Parts, and Exiles.

Number of CE Hours: 3

Presenter Bio:

Keith Edwards, Ph.D., Ph.D., is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University, La Mirada, CA.  Dr. Edwards is a licensed psychologist specializing in marriage therapy.  He is a certified Emotion Focused Couple Therapist, has Level 1 training in the Bader-Pearson Developmental Model couple therapy, and Level 2 training in EFT for Individuals with Les Greenberg.  His research interests are emotional competence, relational functioning religion, and spirituality.