What Clinicians Need to Know

Some time ago, my wife, Jette (who just happens to be the world’s best couples’ therapist) and I were about to begin one of the several couples weekend workshops we hold every year. As we met the assorted participants in a conference room of a local hotel, it became obvious that, as usual, it was mostly the women who had dragged their mostly unwilling male partners to the weekend. During the first break, one of the men in the group approached Jette during an early break, obviously in real distress.

“You must change the sign downstairs in the lobby,” he hissed in her ear. The offending sign, there in public for all to see, said, “Couples Therapy—Mayfair Room.” The fact that he was attending a therapy event—a word so obnoxious to him that he could barely spit it out—in his mind, clearly identified him as a total wimp, a low-testosterone failure of a man, a complete loser in the masculinity sweepstakes. God forbid somebody he knew should catch him in such humiliating circumstances—it was akin to marching publicly into a room boldly labeled, “Child Molesters Convention Here.” Male shame strikes again.

The great secret that most men harbor is how often we feel incompetent, weak, vulnerable, and inadequate, not up to the seemingly impossible task of being a “man” (whatever that means).

And when we fail, however it looks on the outside, we experience the corrosive, toxic, intolerable feelings of shame. Just the threat of being shamed is so dreadful to us that we will go to any lengths to avoid it—we will yell at or stonewall our wives, get drunk, pick fights, drive our cars like bats out of hell, join a militia, have sex with as many women as possible—do virtually anything to avoid it.

It seems odd that after nearly 50 years of focusing on gender norms and how they affect women, the inner world of men would still remain as dimly understood as it is, even by psychotherapists. Until recently, a prime obstacle has been the ideological truism that, deep down, both genders want exactly the same thing from their relationships. But as we’ve made real advances in understanding some of the differences between the male and female brain as well as grasping the biology of other social mammals, we’ve had to take another look at some of our conventional therapeutic wisdom about commonalities between the sexes.

To explore further what some of our field’s most innovative contributors are discovering about working more effectively with men, here are two resources to check out. Just click here to preview the latest Networker streaming-video webcast series, Engaging Men in Therapy: Everything Clinicians Need to Know, beginning June 5th. And if you want some extremely thoughtful and provocative articles to challenge outdated clinical assumptions, click here to take a look at our May 2010 issue, The Secret World of Men. In either case, be prepared to discover how disconcerting—and illuminating—it is to embrace the possibility that men and women don’t necessarily want exactly the same things after all.

Understanding the Significance to Male Clients

In our upcoming streaming-video webcast series, "Men In Therapy", David Wexler discusses how the experience and perception of shame affects male clients.

This clip is a quick look at how to develop an inviting therapeutic relationship with male clients based on straightforward guidance.

David Wexler is the Executive Director of the Relationship Training Institute. He’s the author of five books, including Men in Therapy: New Approaches for Effective Treatment and When Good Men Behave Badly.

Engaging Men In Therapy:
Everything Clinicians Need to Know
Starts Tuesday, June 5th
Click here for full course details.

Parenting Skills: NP0019 – Session 3

Explore the distinct challenges to attachment and intimacy that the stepfamily structure often creates. Patricia Papernow, who’s worked as a trainer, consultant, and therapist with stepfamily relationships, will cover practical strategies for helping clients form healthy stepfamily relationships.

After you hear this presentation, please take a few minutes to comment about what you found most interesting or relevant, to ask any questions you have of the presenter or your colleagues, or to share any experiences. As always, if you ever have any technical questions, please feel free to email support@psychotherapynetworker.org and our Support Team will help you.

How Brain Science Illuminates Gender Differences

Pat Love is the lead-off presenter in our upcoming streaming-video webcast series bringing together leading innovators who’ve developed practical approaches that integrate the latest research on gender differences with our evolving clinical wisdom.

This clip is a quick look at the kinds of cutting edge information with game-changing applications that can help make therapy more inviting for male clients.

Pat Love is a distinguished professor, relationship consultant, and licensed marriage and family therapist. She’s the author of Hot Monogamy and The Truth About Love and the coauthor of How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It.

Engaging Men In Therapy:
Everything Clinicians Need to Know
Starts Tuesday, June 5th
Click here for full course details.

Parenting Skills: Session 2 – NP0019

What are the benefits and drawbacks of working individually with a child in therapy as opposed to working with the family at large? When is it effective to involve parents and other family members in treatment? Explore with Martha Straus the best ways to work with postmodern families in therapy. 

After you hear this presentation, please take a few minutes to comment about what you found most interesting or relevant, to ask any questions you have of the presenter or your colleagues, or to share any experiences. As always, if you ever have any technical questions, please feel free to email support@psychotherapynetworker.org and our Support Team will help you.

At the 2010 Networker Symposium, an impromptu debate was sparked between noted researcher Jerome Kagan and esteemed psychologist Daniel Siegel about the relevance of Attachment Theory to clinical practice. This spontaneous exchange became the highlight of the conference that year and was continued to be talked about long afterward.

Now, hear Kagan and Siegel back together for a conversation about Attachment Theory, the research, and its implications in clinical practice. Afterward, please take a few minutes to let us know what you think. As always, if you have any technical questions, please feel free to email support@psychotherapynetworker.org and our Support Team will help you.

Parenting Skills: Session 1 – NP0019

Today’s culture, new technologies, rough economy, and many other factors undermine the foundations of parental authority. Many parents feel confused and blamed. In this series, “Parenting Skills: All You Need to Help Family Today,” we’ll explore practical tools that therapists can use in dealing with the challenges of raising kids today.

In this first session with Ron Taffel, you’ll gain a broader perspective on the social context of parent-child relationships today. He’ll explain how clinicians can help parents reassert their authority by creating effective “I mean it” moments with their kids and teens and other practical strategies for parents.

After each session is over, please take a few minutes to engage in the Comment Boards. Feel free to comment about what you felt was most interesting about the session, to ask any questions you may have of the presenter or your colleagues, or to share any relevant experiences. If you ever have any technical questions, please feel free to email support@psychotherapynetworker.org and our Support Team will help you.

Thank you for your participation in “The Great Attachment Debate,” which has covered a wide range of viewpoints on attachment theory and research and how the role of attachment theory in the consulting room. For our Bonus Session, “What Therapists Should Know about Human Development,” development researcher Ed Tronick will join us to discuss development, attachment, and psychotherapy.

After listening, please take a few minutes to comment about what’s been most interesting to you throughout this webcast series, what stood out to you the most after this session, and ask any questions you may have. We invite you to include your name and hometown to continue creating a sense of community and to read and respond to others’ comments and questions. As always, for any technical questions, please feel free to email support@psychotherapynetworker.org and our Support Team will help you.

Thank you for attending this final session of “The Great Attachment Debate.” We hope you’ll come away from this course with a better understanding of attachment research and an awareness of the range of viewpoints about attachment theory and the consulting room.

During this session with Allan Schore, one of the leaders of the neuropsychology movement, he’ll delve into how affect and psychobiological change are significant in the therapy process. He’ll cover intersubjectivity and how understanding it can help us in our work, how to help clients develop a body-based relationship unconscious, and much more.

After listening to the course, please take a few minutes to comment about what was most interesting to you about this session, and to reflect on the course in its entirety. What was most relevant to you in your practice and everyday life? What questions remain for you? Thank you all for your participation in this series, and for taking the time to share your thoughts.  If you ever have any technical questions, please feel free to email support@psychotherapynetworker.org and our Support Team will help you.

How is Attachment Theory relevant to effectively couples therapy? Learn with Sue Johnson how understanding and working with attachment relationships will help therapists deepen their emotional presence and work with clients’ emotional reactivity in session. Johnson, one of the originators of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, will explore the principles of this empirically validated treatment and how to apply Attachment Theory in therapy.

After this session, please take a few minutes to engage in the Comment Board and let us know what you think about using this method with couples and whether you think Attachment Theory is applicable in couples therapy. What was new or most striking about this presentation? What questions did this bring up for you?  We invite you to include your name and hometown along with your comment. If you ever have any technical questions, contact support@psychotherapynetworker.org.

Are there any downsides to basing clinical treatment on Attachment Theory? In this session, discover why David Schnarch, a leading advocate of differentiation in the therapy process, believes that Attachment Theory keeps clients functioning as needy children. Schnarch will discuss how to use confrontation as an effective therapeutic approach.

After this session, please take a few minutes to engage in the Comment Board and let us know what you think about using this strategy with clients. What was most relevant about this presentation? What questions did this bring up for you?  We invite you to include your name and hometown along with your comment. If you ever have any technical questions, contact support@psychotherapynetworker.org.

How can attunement enhance brain integration and self-regulation? In this third session of The Great Attachment Debate, Dan Siegel, one of the leading proponents of integrating brain science and psychotherapy, will explore the practical applications of Attachment Theory in clinical practice, and explain the role of attunement in integration. Siegel, a prominent researcher, will shed light on interpersonal neurobiology.

After participating in this session, please take a few minutes to review and engage in the Comment Board. What did you learn in this session that was new or surprising? What was most interesting or relevant to you? What questions do you have now for the presenter or other participants? Please feel free to share your thoughts, and we invite you to include your name and hometown along with your comment. If you ever have any technical questions or concerns, contact support@psychotherapynetworker.org, and someone from our Support Team will respond as soon as possible.

Are we too attached to attachment theory? In this session with leading child psychologist Jerome Kagan, you’ll get the opportunity to explore the methodology and evidence behind Attachment Theory. Then, you’ll be able to decide whether you think the research shows that temperament or attachment is more significant to human development.

After hearing Kagan talk about the research and theories, please take a few minutes to engage in the Comment Board. Let us know what you think. What did you learn from this session that was new? What was most striking about this session for you? What questions do you have? We invite you to include your name and hometown along with your comment. If you ever have any technical questions, contact support@psychotherapynetworker.org.

During this session of “Handling Today’s Hidden Ethical Dilemmas,” you’ll have the opportunity to hear from Steven Frankel, who’s a certified clinical and forensic psychologist as well as an attorney at law. Frankel will discuss the best ways to deliberately avoid the most common ethical dilemmas in order to protect your clients and yourself.

After the session, please take a few minutes to engage in the Comment Board and share your reflections with the presenter and other participants. What was most striking to you about this presentation? Do you have any questions related to this material? We invite you to share your thoughts, questions, and ideas, as well as including your name and hometown with your comments. If you ever have any technical questions, please feel free to contact support@psychotherapynetworker.org. Thanks for your participation.

Learn from veteran therapist William Doherty as he’ll delve into complicated ethical situations by showing video clips from the popular HBO series, “The Sopranos” and “In Treatment” to lead discussions on useful and unbeneficial ways to bring up terminations when clients are no longer benefiting from therapy. Doherty will explain the most common scenarios when termination is—or should be broached—and will go over strategies for initiating termination topic at the right time and in the right way.

After the session, please take a few minutes to let us know what you think. What did Doherty discuss that was new to you? What was most interesting or relevant? We invite you to share your thoughts, questions, and revelations, as well as including your name and hometown with your comments.
If you have any technical questions, please feel free to contact support@psychotherapynetworker.org. Thanks for your participation.

Join Clifton Mitchell for a practical discussion on the latest legal developments on therapists’ responsibility to handle self-injurious behavior in clients, report abuse or rape, and handle right-to-die issues. Mitchell will delve into significant legal and ethical situations and discuss practical case studies that’ll help you better understand the best ways to deal with these important issues—ethically and legally speaking—in the consulting room.

After the session, please take a few minutes to engage in the Comment Board and let us know what you think. What did Mitchell discuss that was new to you? Do you have any specific questions for the presenter or your peers? We invite you to share your thoughts, questions, and revelations, as well as including your name and hometown with your comments. If you have any technical questions, please feel free to contact support@psychotherapynetworker.org. Thanks for your participation.

How has digital technology changed the ethical challenges practitioners face in the consulting room? Join psychologist Ofer Zur in this practical discussion of the new ethical trials that exist due to new technologies such as email, social media platforms, the Internet, cell phones, and more. Zur will break down the new issues and provide suggestions as to what therapists should do in order to best handle these ethical quandaries.

After the session, please take a few minutes to engage in the Comment Board and let us know what you thought. What did Zur bring up that was new to you? Do you think there are any other ethical dilemmas brought up by new technologies that weren’t mentioned in this presentation? Do you have any specific questions for Zur or for your peers? We invite you to share your thoughts, questions, and revelations, as well as including your name and hometown with your comments. If you have any technical questions, please feel free to contact support@psychotherapynetworker.org. Thanks for your participation.

Welcome to New Perspectives on Practice: Handling Today’s Hidden Ethical Dilemmas. This practical and thought-provoking series with leading experts on ethical practice will explore current ethical guidelines for therapists. The first session with Mary Jo Barrett will delve into how to reconcile boundary maintenance and will cover why peer supervision and consultation are vital to ethical therapy, plus many issues that are consistently confusing for clinicians.

After each session, there will be Comment Boards available as a way for participants to share what was most interesting or relevant from the sessions, and to ask questions of the presenters and of each other. We invite you to utilize these Comment Boards as a forum for thought and discussion after each session and after completing the course.

What was most striking about this session with Mary Jo Barrett? Do you have any similar, relevant experiences? Did this bring up any questions for you? Thanks so much for your participation, and welcome to this important and lively series! If you have any technical questions or issues, please feel free to email support@psychotherapynetworker.org.

This lively Bonus Session, a dialogue between Ron Siegel, an assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, and noted hypotherapist Michael Yapko, will offer contrasting perspectives on the impact of mindfulness practices on therapy today. Siegel will explore the ways in which Eastern mindfulness practices are being integrated into Western psychotherapy, and how this union is affecting both. Yapko will discuss how understanding the role of suggestion can enhance mindfulness as a clinical tool.

After this presentation, please take a few minutes to reflect on what was striking to you about this particular session, how it fits in with the series in its entirety, and what you’re thinking after participating in this course and hearing such a wide variety of perspectives on a variety of applicable topics. What do you think—is mindfulness enough? What do you think was most interesting or made the most sense to your practice? What questions remain for you? Do you have any relevant experiences to share?

We encourage you to comment on this session and about the series as a whole, as this kind of deeper engagement is key to learning and understanding. Thank you for your participation, and we hope you come away from this course with a clearer vision of how we can effectively integrate mindfulness practices and psychotherapy to benefit ourselves and our clients.

Explore the inherent joyfulness that becomes available through Buddhism’s rejection of our focus on maximizing pleasure with Mark Epstein, a psychiatrist who integrates Buddhist psychology into his work. Epstein will discuss the joyful and loving energy that Buddhist psychology can bring to the Western therapeutic relationship, as well as the pitfalls of Buddhism in the consulting room. You’ll learn what it means to have Buddhism as a therapeutic attitude.

After the session, please take a few minutes to take a look at the Comment Board and let us know what you think. We invite you to discuss your thoughts and questions, as well as sharing your name and hometown with your comments. If you have any technical questions, please feel free to contact support@psychotherapynetworker.org. Thanks for your participation.