If you have a basic understanding of the Developmental Model, you have the opportunity to learn cutting-edge tools to further evolve and deepen your work with couples at The Couples Institute’s office! Building on what you have already learned, this class offers practical interventions, step by step, that are designed to create the powerful results that couples are often seeking.

This group begins this fall – act quickly if you would like a space!

You will learn how to take charge with the endlessly blaming couples, gain traction with the conflict avoidant couples, confront defenses in a way that is illuminating for everyone in the room, and guide entrenched couples out of destructive communication patterns. You’ll also sharpen your skills in using the Initiator-Inquirer exercise, both as an assessment and intervention tool, to foster teamwork and collaboration.

Specific topics covered in the advanced course include:
· Leadership and Structure in the Initial Session
· The Emotional Brain: Guiding Couples out of Destructive Communication Patterns
· Powerful Strategies to Refocus the Blaming Couple

· Using Gestalt to Illuminate Resistance to Change
· Diagnostic Tools: A Closer Look at the Paper Exercise & Couples Questionnaire
· Strengthening the Capacities of the Initiator
· Strengthening the Capacities of the Inquirer
· Breaking the impasse of the Conflict-Avoidant and Critical-Angry Couples

Here are the learning objectives for this course.

–Identify questions to avoid in the initial session, and ways to get off to the most powerful start.
–Describe differentiation and how it applies to managing the various ways couples get stuck.
–Clarify the true meaning of a couples team and generate collaboration.
–Recognize the role that neuroscience plays in couples negative patterns, and how to apply appropriate interventions.
–Provide a framework for developing new capacities in each partner.
–Explain how to use the Initiator Inquirer Exercise.
–Identify motivational strategies for conflict avoidant patterns.
–Determine productive interventions for blaming and critical couples.
–Define the structure of effective negotiation.
–Interpret results from diagnostic tools and apply interventions accordingly.
–Describe how to work with resistance and various defenses using Gestalt

You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and receive consultation as you apply what you are learning with your own couples.

Dates:  Wednesdays – 9/21/16,   10/19/16,   11/16/16,   12/14/16,   1/18/17,   2/15/17,   3/15/17,   4/13/17

Time: 10 AM to 12 PM

Location: Couples Institute, 445 Burgess Drive, Menlo Park, CA  94025

Fee: $105 per session

CE information:   http://www.couplesinstitute.com/ce-info-for-advanced-group/

What attendees are saying:

“Michelle is a vibrant, compassionate and very knowledgeable therapist. In addition to her many years of experience, she offers couples and individuals so many opportunities to grow stronger, happier, and more authentically themselves.”   ~Gail Gabriel, MFT

“Michelle is a highly skilled teacher. Her style is clear, informative and well paced. I particularly like the way she models excellent communication skills by encouraging audience participation. On many occasions I have heard other couples therapists attribute their confidence in teaching this process to the clarity and detail of Michelle’s presentation.”    ~Nancy St. John, Marriage & Relationship Counselor

“I am a much better and more capable couples therapist as a result of your great teaching. I had a good overview when I started, but not a sense of exactly how to put it all into practice. You really were great at giving all of us the deeper level knowledge and skill development to practice the model well.”  ~ Richard Litvak

This group is purposely kept small so there is lots of time to respond to your questions and clinical concerns. The group will fill soon so if you’d like to be sure to have a spot, please respond quickly by emailing Admin@CouplesInstitute.com, or 650-327-5915.

Office located in Menlo Park, CA.