Couples Therapy in Action: 4 Techniques for Rapid and Lasting Change with Drs. Ellyn Bader and Peter Pearson – Ellyn Bader & Peter Pearson, Ph.D.

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From the moment that couples therapy experts Drs. Ellyn Bader and Peter Pearson sit down with this conflicted couple, you will see a radically different approach to couple’s therapy. 

Most therapists open a session with “Tell me why you are here today” – a toxic approach that quickly creates defensiveness, shame and blame for the couple. In this video you will see how, in the first 10 minutes of a session, you can transform hostility to supportive collaboration, openness and cooperation.

Paul and Trish are a real couple, struggling with their relationship and their blended family of six. Therapists can easily become mired in the intricacies inherent to blended families and will often need months to get to the key underlying issues that can promote healing. Witness firsthand how master clinicians Ellyn and Pete avoid solving the couple’s problems for them and stay out of the squabbles that can get therapy off course. Rather, you will learn techniques that will teach the clients how to handle their key problems on their own and create lasting change.

Through their rapid, unique and effective approach see how Ellyn and Pete use four techniques to get to the underlying issues in only two sessions:

• The Blame-Free Therapy Starter: A radically new way to start a supportive, open and collaborative session.
• The Paper Exercise: An insightful 5-minute diagnostic exercise that give you 6 key guidelines to assess where to begin your work, as well as quickly lay ground work for intervention and deeper work.
• The Initiator-to-Inquirer Process: An advanced skill technique designed to address both partners’ developmental stuck point, and work with the underlying patterns of dysfunction.
• Gestalt Two-Chair Work: A powerful and highly effective tool that will move the couple from disconnection and shutdown to a place of openness, deep connection and a willingness to share.

1. Identify the appropriate opening questions of a therapy session to ensure the goals of the individuals in therapy align with work done in the therapy session.
2. Apply the 6 diagnostic/assessment areas of the PAPER Exercise.
3. Employ the Initiator-to-inquirer process in therapy.
4. Recognize commitment and attachment issues that couples use.
5. Use alter-ego therapy for client self-reflection, self-awareness and change.

• Radically change the opening question
  • Why “Tell me why you are here today” doesn’t work
  • Learn the session opening technique that within the first 10 minutes of the session radically changes the tone of the session 
• The Paper Exercise
  • Diagnosis what’s wrong and quickly lay ground work for intervention and deeper work
• The Initiator-to-Inquirer Process
  • A successful communication process
  • Address both partners’ issues simultaneously
  • Work with the underlying patterns of dysfunction
• Gestalt Two-Chair Work
  • Move the couple from disconnection and shutdown to a place of openness, deep connection and a willingness to share