- Live Webinar
September 4, 2026
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Introduction
Therapists are trained to listen carefully to what clients say, but some of the most challenging moments in therapy arise from how clients communicate rather than the words themselves. Clients may guilt-trip, test boundaries, become defensive, threaten to quit therapy, or subtly shift the conversation in ways that leave clinicians feeling pulled into power struggles or uncertain how to respond. These moments can quickly derail sessions, strain the therapeutic alliance, and challenge even experienced clinicians.
In this engaging and practical training, manipulation is reframed not as malicious behavior, but as a form of indirect communication – often reflecting unmet needs, relational fears, or attempts to influence the therapeutic relationship when direct vulnerability feels unsafe. Understanding these behaviors through a communication lens allows clinicians to respond with both compassion and clinical clarity rather than frustration or reactivity.
Led by Dr. Corey Petersen, PhD, LCMFT, a psychotherapist and communication specialist who bridges psychology and communication science, this course integrates insights from several evidence-based communication frameworks to help clinicians decode difficult client interactions in real time. Participants will learn how to recognize common manipulation patterns in therapy, interpret the relational messages behind challenging behaviors, and intervene in ways that preserve the therapeutic alliance while maintaining clear professional boundaries. The training emphasizes practical clinical strategies, including therapist self-regulation tools, boundary-setting language, and specific therapist response scripts for navigating guilt-tripping, escalation, resistance, and other difficult therapy moments.
By the end of this training, clinicians will feel more confident navigating uncomfortable interactions, avoiding power struggles, and redirecting challenging dynamics into productive therapeutic work. Strengthen your clinical presence, expand your communication toolkit, and learn how to transform difficult therapy moments into opportunities for deeper therapeutic progress.
This is a 3-CE online seminar delivered virtually in real-time via an industry-standard webinar platform.
Attendance and Location Details
Friday, September 4, 2026
10:00am to 1:00pm (CT)
11:00am to 2:00pm (ET)
8:00am to 11:00am (PT)
Live Webinar Attendees: Zoom link and course materials will be made available to you 24-48 hours prior to event date.
Agenda:
Identity in Conflict
Understanding Challenging Communication Behavior
De-escalation, Redirection, and Coregulation
Ethical Questions and Therapist Transparency
Objectives:
This training will provide participants clinical knowledge and tools to:
After completing this training, participants will be able to understand and apply Face Negotiation Theory to reduce defensiveness in conflictual exchanges.
After completing this training, participants will be able to strategically maneuver lying, unexpected disclosure, and harmful language in the clinical setting.
After completing this training, participants will be able to utilize verbal and nonverbal strategies to deescalate unhelpful reactivity in yourself and the client.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this event includes psychologists, social workers, counselors, MFT’s, psychiatrists and other clinical mental health professionals.
Instructional Level: Intermediate
Instructor(s): Corey Petersen, MS, LCMFT, MAPC
Material Author(s): Corey Petersen, MS, LCMFT, MAPC
For additional information about this course, the instructors, or the material authors, please contact Content Assistance at content@onlinececredits.com.
Course Materials & Delivery Method:
- Course Materials – (including the link to view the scheduled live webinar) are made available to all registered attendees 24-48 hours before the event start time
- This training is interactive and provides opportunities to ask direct questions to the trainer as well as request immediate help from staff if needed. The attendee will view the presentation in real-time from their connected device via an industry-standard internet webinar platform.
CE Approvals:
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
Online CE Credits has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6795. Programs that do not quality for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Online CE Credits is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
Mind Works Professional Education, Inc. DBA Online CE Credits, #1974, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: July 23, 2025 – July 23, 2028. Social workers completing this course receive 3 clinical continuing education credits.
Other Helpful Information:
Registration Deadline – Please register at any time prior to the advertised start time of this live webinar training.- Refund & Cancellation Policy – You may review this policy at any time by clicking here.
- Accessibility Accommodations – If you require a reasonable accommodation for any reason, please email your request to cc@onlinececredits.com.
- Course Completion Requirements – Complete the Code Word Attendance Quiz by 1.) selecting the correct beginning and/or ending code words, 2.) inputting actual time signed in and time signed out, and 3.) signing your name attesting to your full attendance. Then, complete the Course Evaluation.
- Posttest Requirements (not applicable for most live webinars) – You must answer 80% or more of the Quiz questions correctly to pass. If you fail to pass the first time, you may attempt the quiz again until you are able to pass with a score of 80% or better. Quizzes are graded instantly and automatically by the learning management system once your attempt is submitted.
- Certificate of Completion – Certificates of Completion are automatically generated – downloadable from your Dashboard and emailed to you – once you complete the Code Word Attendance Quiz and the Course Evaluation. Please complete these items to receive your Certificate immediately after the live webinar training is concluded.
- Live Webinar Registration – Please select the proper admission ticket in the banner at the top of this page, and follow the prompts. You will be asked either to login with your existing account (if you have learned with us before) or to establish a new user account during the registration process if this is your first training with us.
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- Recommended Network: Home wi-fi, ethernet, or a public wi-fi with VPN (Note: agency or corporate networks are often equipped with restrictive firewalls that may adversely impact your experience on our platform).
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