Event

AACBT National Workshop Tour – Melbourne: Couple Therapy Basics and Beyond (Halford 7 Aug 18)

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7 Aug 2018
09:00 am
- 05:00 pm
The Larwill Studio
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AACBT Flyer HALFORD Workshop

Couple Therapy Basics and Beyond

Workshop with Professor Kim Halford

Come and hear from one of Australia’s most esteemed therapists and researchers, who is leaving the public eye after 2018. Learn about the reciprocal impact of individual disorders and couple problems.

The purpose of this workshop is to provide practical guidance on doing couple therapy. The couple therapy approach covered is integrative of the range of evidence-based couple therapies including integrative behavioural, cognitive behavioural, and emotion-focused couple therapy.

I am going to retire at the end of 2018. This tour is a final opportunity for passing along whatever I might have learned about work with couples to Australian clinicians, so it has special meaning for me.” Professor Kim Halford

These workshops combine didactic presentation, videotaped demonstration of key skills, opportunity for practice of skills, and case-based discussion of the approach.

Kim Halford is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Queensland, and is a registered clinical psychologist.  Kim’s research and clinical career has focused on couple and family relationships. He studies couples adjusting to major life challenges.

Kim has led more than 20 published trials, has over 200 research publications, and has trained more than 12,000 professionals in couple therapy and relationship education in more than 15 countries.  He was named a Fellow of AACBT in 2016.

Seats are very limited at this location, so be sure to book your seat now!

(For group bookings please contact AACBT direct on info@aacbt.org.au)

8:30am check-in on the day for a 9:00am start – we look forward to seeing you at this workshop as a part of the AACBT National Tour from Professor Kim Halford!


Further Details:

Couple relationship problems are associated with great distress, high rates of psychological disorder in partners and children, relationship aggression, and relationship breakdown. Relationship problems can become the focus in therapy either through that being the presenting problem, or through couple relationship issues being relevant to presenting individual problems. Importantly there often is a reciprocal impact of individual disorders and couple problems, and addressing the couple relationship can enhance individual therapy outcomes.

Several approaches to couple therapy (cognitive-behavioral, emotional focused, integrative couple therapy, insight oriented couple therapy) are helpful in decreasing couple conflict, increasing positive interaction, increasing self-directed relationship enhancement, promoting acceptance and enhancing relationship satisfaction. Disorder specific adaptation of couple therapy also are often useful in the treatment of individual problems, such as alcohol abuse, anxiety disorders and depression, either as the primary mode of treatment or as an adjunct to individual therapy.

Recent advances in couple therapy integrate the evidence-based approaches to couple therapy and match intervention to couple presentations. There also is an attempt to make couple therapy as brief as possible by offering therapy within a stepped model of intensity based on couple’s assessed needs for assistance in producing change.

Aims

The purpose of this workshop is to provide practical guidance on doing couple therapy. The couple therapy approach covered is integrative of the range of evidence-based couple therapies including integrative behavioural, cognitive behavioural, and emotion-focused couple therapy.

The workshop will combine some didactic presentation, videotaped demonstration of key skills, opportunity for practice of skills, and case-based discussion of the approach. You will learn:

  1. The current evidence on couple therapy effectiveness to treat relationship distress, the limitations of its effectiveness, and how the evidence based therapies can be integrated;
  2. how to select and use assessment to determine key relationship strengths and weaknesses, and to help partners understand their relationship functioning in ways that promote change;
  3. how to determine whether couple therapy is appropriate;
  4. how to discuss with couples the results of assessment and develop agreed on couple and individual goals to promote better relationships and individual functioning;
  5. how to help couples change to rebuild positive interaction and communication in their relationships; and
  6. how to assist couples to increase acceptance and reduce destructive affect.

Outline of the Day

 8:30 Arrive and check in
 9:00 Overview of couple therapy approaches, conceptualization of couple distress, engaging couples; aims and methods of assessment
 10:00  Break
 10:30  Change Interventions: self-change, modifying behaviour exchange, self-change of communication
 12:30  Break
 1:30  Acceptance based couple interventions, unified detachment: relationship education on relationship standards, common couple life stressors
 2:30  Break
 3:00  Acceptance based couple interventions: empathic joining, tracking the cycle
 4:45  Workshop evaluation
 5:00  Workshop ends

Suggested Pre-Reading (not provided)

Halford, W. K., & Doss, B. D. (2016). New frontiers in the treatment of couples. International Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 9(2), 124–139, 2016.

Christensen, A, Dimidjian, S., & Martell, C. R. (2015). Integrative behavioural couple therapy. In A. S. Gurman, J. L. Lebow & D. K. Snyder (Eds.) Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy (5th Ed. ) (pp. 61-94). New York: Guilford.

Johnson, S. M. (2015). Emotionally focused couple therapy. In A. S. Gurman, J. L. Lebow & D. K. Snyder (Eds.) Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy (5th Ed. ) (pp. 97-128). New York: Guilford.

AACBT Members can review a range of articles from Professor Halford in our Journal “Behaviour Change” – be sure to be logged into your account to access the link.

 

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