Relationship Therapy Toolbox: Popular Empirical Skills to Transform Partnerships

by Corey Petersen, PhD, LCMFT | Nov 4, 2023 | Uncategorized

Date course created: November 2023

Clinical research in the area of relationships and couples therapy has come a long way in the last 50 years, with findings galore, absolutely ripe for integration into work with dyads and individuals alike. Although there exists prescriptive couples techniques developed by famous trainers over the years, comparatively little has been done to synthesize these findings and compile them into a helpful “toolbox” of techniques we can use to leverage these findings in our relationships work. In fact, very few trainings exist today that give clinicians helpful, skills-based, culturally adapted, and modern couples and relationships instruction based on a rich amalgamation of these 5+ decades of empirical research. Join Dr. Corey Petersen as she bridges this gap with you over two days of groundbreaking skills-based couples and relationships training, relevant for those who treat both couples and individuals with relationship issues. She’ll address the most common and destructive sources of relationship conflict and deliver actionable therapy tools that promote staying power and buffer against recurrent negative dynamics.

This workshop provides a unique and comprehensive introduction to couples therapy. Interwoven with influential relational models, clinicians will acquire practical tools and techniques to help couples build stronger, more fulfilling relationships. Attendees will learn how to apply these principles and techniques in their clinical practice, with an emphasis on assisting couples in improving their communication skills and deepening their emotional connection. The course will cover various topics, including intimacy, conflict, boundaries, and more. Through case studies, research, and activities, clinicians will be equipped with a comprehensive toolbox of knowledge and strategies to facilitate meaningful change and promote healthy, thriving relationships for their clients.

**This is a 10-CE noninteractive, self-paced online video course delivered in home study format via an industry-standard online learning platform**

Agenda:

00:00 – 01:00: Couples Therapy

01:00 – 02:00: Communication

02:00 – 03:00 Underlying Dialectics of Relationships

03:00 – 04:00: Managing Conflicts and Disagreements

04:00 – 05:00: Promoting Resiliency and Connection During Difficult Times

05:00 – 06:00: Boundaries and Privacy Management

06:00 – 07:00: Strengthening Relationships in Blended Families

07:00 – 08:00: Dyadic Coping: Coping with “we-stress”

08:00 – 09:00: Enhancing Intimacy Through Communication

09:00 – 10:00: Fostering Fondness and Appreciation

Objectives:

This training will provide participants clinical knowledge and tools to:

a). After completing this training, participants will be able to explore and discuss the most common reasons couples seek therapy services.

b). After completing this training, participants will be able to describe the role of the therapist when meeting with couples.

c). After completing this training, participants will be able to identify and describe the most common communication failures for relationship destruction.

d). After completing this training, participants will be able to explore and practice interventions to help couples manage conflict and disagreements in a healthy and productive way.

e). After completing this training, participants will be able to learn and practice interventions to help couples build a culture of appreciation and fondness in their relationship.

f). After completing this training, participants will be able to learn and describe interventions to improve relationship connection and resiliency.

g). After completing this training, participants will be able to identify and describe common relational “dialectics” and the strategies used to manage them to decrease dissatisfaction in relationships.

h). After completing this training, participants will be able to describe the role of physical intimacy in healthy relationships and ways to help couples improve their physical connection.

i). After completing this training, participants will be able to explore and discuss healthy and unhealthy strategies used in the integration of blended family systems.

j). After completing this training, participants will be able to learn and describe how to help couples set and maintain healthy boundaries in their relationship.

k). After completing this training, participants will be able to define and describe the concept of “Dyadic Coping” and how it impacts romantic relationships.

l). After completing this training, participants will be able to identify and integrate major interpersonal communication theories to enhance clinical practice with couples.

Target Audience:

The target audience for this event includes psychologists, social workers, counselors, MFT’s, and other clinical mental health professionals.

Instructional Level: Intermediate

Instructor(s): Corey Petersen, PhD, LCMFT

Material Author(s): Corey Petersen, PhD, LCMFT

Dr. Corey Petersen is a communication specialist and the owner of Communication and Connection Therapy. She completed her Ph.D. in Communication Studies at the University of Kansas, where her research focused on psychotherapeutic language and communication ethics. Prior to her Ph.D., Corey earned Master’s degrees in Marriage and Family Studies and Professional Communication. In addition to her formal education, she has completed training in four Gottman Method programs (Level 1, Level 2, Seven Principles, and Bringing Baby Home), Collaborative Language Couples Therapy, and has further training with various other relationship-oriented theories and models. Corey has been teaching collegiately for over 9 years in both the psychology and communication fields. When she is not teaching, she meets with clients in her private practice.

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