I love therapy conferences – and I love learning. A “big daddy” of conferences is on next week, the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium held this year in Washington
DC. I’ve never attended this particular conference and I’m really looking foward to it as it’s chock full of wise heavy-hitters in the field of individual and relationship therapy. There are so many great speakers in fact, I struggled to decide who to see over the three days I will be there. I wish I could see more and am disappointed to miss some folks but none the less am enthusiastic to hear the presenters I did sign up for. Here they are:
Thursday, March 24th: Neuroscience and the Art of Self-Care with Linda Graham, MFT
But how much of this knowledge do we bring to the self-care of our own brains to manage the emotion of working with challenging clients, reduce stress and burn-out, increase our adaptability, restore our sense of perspective, and recover our intuitive creativity? In this experiential workshop, we’ll learn to harness the brain’s neuroplasticity to enhance the quality of our own lives. We’ll practice 10 simple, empirically-validated techniques that regulate our body-brains, enhance coping strategies, and restore our capacities for social connectivity. We’ll then explicitly integrate the rewiring that we’ve just accomplished. By the end of the day, you’ll have mastered techniques that create a new neural integration to promote flexibility, recover a sense of balance and wholeness, and restore your capacity for open-ended creativity.”
I’m especially thrilled to see Linda speak here (first time at Psychotherapy Networker) as I am in one of her local therapist peer consulation groups in Marin County, CA – looking at individuals through the lens of neuroscience and attachment. She is incredibly wise, grounded and a mentor to me.
Friday, March 26th: Transforming the Fearful Brain with Rick Hanson, PhD
which has helped us survive as a species through the long history of evolution. However, in our 21st-century world, this survival mechanism also increases our stress, anxiety, and anger, often undermining our happiness, confidence, and capacity for intimacy. Research in neuroplasticity has demonstrated, however, that we can consciously reshape our brains to override this wired fearfulness and become more confident, optimistic, and openhearted. In this workshop, we’ll survey the evolutionary basis of the brain’s threat reactivity and then explore brain-savvy methods for activating the calming parasympathetic nervous system, deepening the implicit memory for feelings of strength and safety, and strengthening the body sense of being cared for and protected by others. We’ll review practical ways to feel less separate, vulnerable, and insecure as we pursue new aspirations and life directions with self-assurance and a more positive outlook.”
Saturday March 26th: Working with Emotion in Couples Therapy with Sue Johnson, PhD
But staying present with couples when emotions are high, volatile, and unpredictable is often difficult for therapists, taking them far beyond their comfort zone. In this workshop, we’ll explore Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, a clinical model based on attachment theory and neuroscience that explains relationships as a special emotional bond that we’re wired to need. You’ll learn a method for understanding, evoking, and regulating emotion during therapy, without feeling overwhelmed. We’ll discuss how to provide a safe framework by reflecting, validating, and unpacking emotion, to help couples listen to their feelings and ultimately communicate their needs in ways that enable them to tune in–rather than tuning out–what the other is saying.”
Last year I used Twitter to share interesting tidits and quotes from the annual meeting American Academy of Psychoanalytic and Dynamic Psychiatry – as a guest of my psychiatrist father who’s been a long time member. The response was great and people seemed very interested – so this time I’ll be sharing “info nuggets” in the same way as before, via occasional quotes from what I’m hearing. If for some reason I am unable to tweet “live” (as possibly will be the case with Linda Graham’s presentation which looks to be largely experiential) – I will take notes and post during a break.
If you’re involved with Twitter and interested in learning with me as I experience each of the three speakers mentioned above - do the following:
If you think others would be interested – please share!
Want to stay connected to The Toolbox? Here are a few other ways:
- Subscribe to The Monthly Toolbox Newsletter for the latest marriage, relationship emotional and mental health articles, tips, tools and advice.
- Like The Toolbox on
- Follow Lisa on Twitter
I love therapy conferences – and I love learning. A “big daddy” of conferences is on next week, the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium held this year in Washington
DC. I’ve never attended this particular conference and I’m really looking foward to it as it’s chock full of wise heavy-hitters in the field of individual and relationship therapy. There are so many great speakers in fact, I struggled to decide who to see over the three days I will be there. I wish I could see more and am disappointed to miss some folks but none the less am enthusiastic to hear the presenters I did sign up for. Here they are:
Thursday, March 24th: Neuroscience and the Art of Self-Care with Linda Graham, MFT
But how much of this knowledge do we bring to the self-care of our own brains to manage the emotion of working with challenging clients, reduce stress and burn-out, increase our adaptability, restore our sense of perspective, and recover our intuitive creativity? In this experiential workshop, we’ll learn to harness the brain’s neuroplasticity to enhance the quality of our own lives. We’ll practice 10 simple, empirically-validated techniques that regulate our body-brains, enhance coping strategies, and restore our capacities for social connectivity. We’ll then explicitly integrate the rewiring that we’ve just accomplished. By the end of the day, you’ll have mastered techniques that create a new neural integration to promote flexibility, recover a sense of balance and wholeness, and restore your capacity for open-ended creativity.”
I’m especially thrilled to see Linda speak here (first time at Psychotherapy Networker) as I am in one of her local therapist peer consulation groups in Marin County, CA – looking at individuals through the lens of neuroscience and attachment. She is incredibly wise, grounded and a mentor to me.
Friday, March 26th: Transforming the Fearful Brain with Rick Hanson, PhD
which has helped us survive as a species through the long history of evolution. However, in our 21st-century world, this survival mechanism also increases our stress, anxiety, and anger, often undermining our happiness, confidence, and capacity for intimacy. Research in neuroplasticity has demonstrated, however, that we can consciously reshape our brains to override this wired fearfulness and become more confident, optimistic, and openhearted. In this workshop, we’ll survey the evolutionary basis of the brain’s threat reactivity and then explore brain-savvy methods for activating the calming parasympathetic nervous system, deepening the implicit memory for feelings of strength and safety, and strengthening the body sense of being cared for and protected by others. We’ll review practical ways to feel less separate, vulnerable, and insecure as we pursue new aspirations and life directions with self-assurance and a more positive outlook.”
Saturday March 26th: Working with Emotion in Couples Therapy with Sue Johnson, PhD
But staying present with couples when emotions are high, volatile, and unpredictable is often difficult for therapists, taking them far beyond their comfort zone. In this workshop, we’ll explore Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, a clinical model based on attachment theory and neuroscience that explains relationships as a special emotional bond that we’re wired to need. You’ll learn a method for understanding, evoking, and regulating emotion during therapy, without feeling overwhelmed. We’ll discuss how to provide a safe framework by reflecting, validating, and unpacking emotion, to help couples listen to their feelings and ultimately communicate their needs in ways that enable them to tune in–rather than tuning out–what the other is saying.”
Last year I used Twitter to share interesting tidits and quotes from the annual meeting American Academy of Psychoanalytic and Dynamic Psychiatry – as a guest of my psychiatrist father who’s been a long time member. The response was great and people seemed very interested – so this time I’ll be sharing “info nuggets” in the same way as before, via occasional quotes from what I’m hearing. If for some reason I am unable to tweet “live” (as possibly will be the case with Linda Graham’s presentation which looks to be largely experiential) – I will take notes and post during a break.
If you’re involved with Twitter and interested in learning with me as I experience each of the three speakers mentioned above - do the following:
If you think others would be interested – please share!
Want to stay connected to The Toolbox? Here are a few other ways: