District Meeting | The Art of Psychotherapy, Workshop 4 Middle Phase: Brilliance & Blunders

Dr. Jewell will continue the CSCSW series on the therapeutic relationship, moving into the middle phase. Within the context of cultural awareness and using case examples, she will focus on the inner workings of the middle phase: engagement tasks, identifying defenses, and working with Transference and Countertransference. Using elements of Attachment and Cognitive Behavioral theories, and with the purpose of building relational ability and reworking cognitive distortions, Dr. Jewell will share how she understands and has worked with particular clients in the mid phase of treatment. At times brilliant and sometimes blundering, she will share what seems to have worked and what clearly did not. In the process of ongoing learning we learn well from seeming mistakes in the treatment relationship. As in past workshops, our format will include a panel of experienced clinicians to respond to audience questions and comments. As clinicians, we have a tendency to talk about what works and are maybe reluctant to tell what mistakes we make. The middle phase of therapy includes both. The benefits of ongoing consultation will also be discussed. Please join us for this discussion on the middle phase of the therapeutic relationship. Objectives Participants will: Gain a greater understanding of the use of explanatory theory in navigating the sometimes confusing middle phase of psychotherapy. Learn to apply aspects of relevant theory to client material. Identify aspects of theory that facilitates the work with ego defenses and the issues of transference and countertransference. Acquire skills for ongoing assessment and treatment interventions within the lens of theory.