Workshop – Creative Coupling: Building Relational Space

Sponsored By:
Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals, Inc. & Newport Healthcare

Presenters:
Dorothy Timmermann, LMFT and John Simoncelli, LCSW, LADC, MPA

Information About This FREE Workshop:

On arriving in therapy, couples often begin to experience their problems as becoming the biggest part of their current relational identity. As the problem persists, the Couple can become “stuck” and a negative story about one another and the relationship can begin to gain momentum. Simultaneously, affirmative stories about the relationship become hidden and get lost as conflict and blame. This results in disillusionment and disconnection. This new story is a far cry from a Couple’s “falling in love story”, which fades as the new negative experience prevails.

This workshop will explore the impact of trauma triggers in reinforcing a Couple’s negative characterization of each other. The presentation will describe how the leading systemic therapy models of Emotionally Focused Therapy, The Gottman Method, Relational Life Therapy, Internal Family Systems and Narrative Mapping open new possibilities that allow Couples to create a new and expanded Life Narrative. From this new perspective, a more satisfying and positive narrative emerges and provides an opportunity for the couple to work together to resolve the obstacles and build their best relationship.

• Become familiar with a variety of theoretical lenses and interventions to facilitate change from a Family Systems perspective through the most current models of Couple Counseling;
• Be able to frame questions as empowering interventions;
• Learn modes of inquiry that enhances a Couple’s capacity for self-reflection and improve their ability to understand self and articulate that knowledge to their partner;
• Develop a better understanding of the impact of trauma, gender and socialization, both Individually and as a Couple;
• Learn how to introduce new relational skills, such as moving past one’s comfort zone, establishing a safe and trustworthy environment, enhancing empathic connectedness and increasing a Couple’s capacity to assume personal accountability and demonstrate a willingness to be vulnerable with one another.