Couples Therapy When Partners Have Depression, Addiction and/or Trauma: a Gottman Method Approach
CPSY x275
| Day | Friday, September 25, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:00am – 4:00pm |
| Room | Arts and Sciences Building, Room 102 |
| Credit | 0.6 CEU or 6 CE hours |
| Cost | $140.00 |
Description
One especially complicating factor in assessing and treating couples occurs when one or both partners present with comorbidity. What should the therapist do? Is couple therapy always contraindicated? What role does the therapist take and how do you approach couple issues in the context of a coexisting disorder?
State of the art approaches are emerging in the field, validating relational therapies as the treatment of choice for disorders that historically have been treated only through individual therapy. A growing body of literature suggests that couple therapy is a critical adjunctive therapy for individuals with addiction, affective disorders, and PTSD. These findings have direct implications in treating: those with severe trauma history, with most recent interest on veterans returning from war; addiction recovery; and for clients diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder and other psychiatric disorders.
Gottman Method Therapy aims at assessing relationship strengths and difficulties, providing a blue print for repairing damaged relationships, and increasing emotional connectedness. This research-based approach provides the overall framework in this workshop for assessing and treating couples with the following comorbidities: clinical depression, addiction, and trauma-related disorders. Integrating a number of theoretical perspectives, emphasis is on the following:
- Maintaining a systemic, interactional perspective with existing comorbidit(ies)
- Differentiating relationship issues not directly related to the coexisting disorder
- Determining when couple therapy is contraindicated
- Understanding and working with each partner’s “Internal Working Model” of relationships, and how to help couples when distortions impact relational functioning
- Developing strategies for helping (your most difficult) couples manage conflict
- Understanding (research-based) “normal” recovery processes for couples as they address and transition through predictable developmental stages in their relationship and in therapy
Participants need not be familiar with Gottman Method Therapy; an overview of Drs. John and Julie Gottman’s ground breaking research and treatment interventions with couples will include a specific focus on integrating other theoretical and research-based models related to trauma, addiction and psychiatric comorbidities. Case presentations and examples with clinical interventions will be presented, as well as some opportunities for case consultations.
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