Foundations of Couples Therapy Work

Credit

Faculty

Ellyn Bader, PhD Related seminars and products

The Couples Institute

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Ellyn Bader, PhD, is a psychologist, codirector of The Couples Institute in Menlo Park, California, and co-creator of The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy. She’s one of the early founders of couples therapy, as well as a recognized thought leader and trailblazer in relationship therapy. She coauthored the award-winning textbook In Quest of the Mythical Mate and Tell Me No Lies: How to Face the Truth and Build a Loving Marriage with her husband, Dr. Peter Pearson. She’s been featured on Nightline, Good Morning America, and NPR, as well as in O Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and the Wall Street Journal.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Ellyn Bader is the director of The Couples Institute and receives compensation as a consultant. She receives royalties as a published author. Ellyn Bader receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Ellyn Bader is a member of the American Psychological Association, the International Transactional Analysis Association, and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

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Objectives

1. Distinguish Significant Differences between Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy.
2. Delineate 3 Different Reasons Couples Come for Therapy.
3. Identify 5 Common Mistakes Couples Therapists Make.

Outline

Introduction & Framing the Complexity of Couples Therapy

• Why couples therapy is uniquely challenging
• How relational systems pull therapists into reactivity
• The necessity of strong therapeutic leadership when working with couples

Core Differences Between Individual and Couples Therapy

• Managing dual alliances
• Navigating heightened intensity and rapid shifts in real time

The Three Primary Reasons Couples Seek Therapy and the Importance of Knowing Why

• To grow and change
• To make a decision
• To separate or end the relationship

Common Mistakes Couples Therapists Make

• Getting caught in blame or taking sides
• Overfocusing on content instead of process
• Allowing emotions and reactive triggering interactions to dominate sessions 
• Losing leadership during high reactivity moments
• Turning individual issues into joint couples issues and inhibiting growth

5 Developmental Stages of Couples & Treatment Implications

• Describing the 5 stages  and Normalizing Developmental Growth
• Recognizing stage imbalances

3 Motivation Patterns in Partners Seeking Couples Therapy

• How motivation styles shape reactivity, engagement, and resistance
• Using awareness of motivation to influence goal setting

Target Audience

• Psychologists
• Physicians
• Addiction Counselors
• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Psychotherapists
• Other Behavioral Health Professionals

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