Program Review
2021 Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference
Being the first issue after the 2021 Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference, we usually do a series of mini reviews to highlight the conference. After I polled the moderators and newsletter family for their favorites, we once again decided to cover several of the moderated presentations. Here are our offerings from the 2021 Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference.
Irv Yalom (Keynote) - The Art of Psychotherapy
Reviewed by Julie T. Anné
I was welcomed into the home, and subsequently the heart of one of our field’s greatest treasures. A man whose name is synonymous with existential psychotherapy, interpersonal group therapy, and now, grief and loss, with the book he cowrote with his wife Marilyn, A Matter of Death and Life.
During what is sure to become one of Evolution’s most classic keynote interviews, Irvin Yalom, iconic psychiatrist, emeritus professor, and prolific author invited me and as many as 3,000 appreciative psychotherapy enthusiasts to sit down and savor a most comfortable conversation with longtime friend and esteemed colleague, Jeffrey Zeig, about the most uncomfortable aspects of life. And the result, was pure Yalom.
Over an unapologetically candid 50 minutes of dialogue, master interviewer, Zeig, led Yalom sensitively through existential terrain typically reserved for intimates—and Yalom followed.
What was the result? Yalom openly and generously shared his psyche’s most honest processes. He allowed us to witness his emotions and his heart, and his struggles and reconciliations as he poignantly moved into and through the defining moments of his life.
In true form, Yalom gave us a rare gift by courageously taking the risk to be authentic, sharing his humanness with us across universal themes, such as longtime and defining love; crippling and destabilizing loss; the search for renewed purpose; and a life decidedly lived without regret.
Some of the most meaningful moments within this heartfelt keynote were Yalom’s touching display of unashamed emotion as he lapsed into spontaneous weeping while recalling the sudden weeping of a female patient who tearfully proclaimed following their interpersonal therapeutic interchange, “I’ve never been close to anyone.” To which Yalom tearfully reflected, “I taught her what it was like to be close.” That exchange made me spontaneously weep.
Another such moment was when Yalom expressed in a not-so-subtle teachable way, “The more moved I am, the more honest I am, and the more I model what closeness is like to people, the more effective the therapy.”
Illustrating what is perhaps my most cherished nugget of Yalom-esq wisdom underscored by Yalom in this interview was, “You have permission to deeply and interpersonally connect with your patient, within a healthy and reparative therapeutic relationship.”
Thank you Dr. Yalom, for your brilliance, and your heart, and your spirit, which will undoubtedly continue to touch the lives of both patient and therapist for endless generations to come.
And thank you Dr. Zeig, for so skillfully and lovingly giving us this graceful window into the delightful soul of your dear friend and cherished colleague.
Hopefully, there will be many more such interviews to follow.
Ellyn Bader - Working with Trauma in Couples Therapy
Reviewed by Robert Staffin
There is elegance, nobility, and inspiration in Ellyn Bader’s presentation, Working with Trauma in Couples Therapy. Employing what she calls the Developmental Model, Bader approaches couples therapy in a systemic, intra- and interpersonally focused manner that is experientially oriented. Harnessing the concept of differentiation—both self and other—Bader invites the couple to notice, appreciate, examine, and explore the multifaceted nature of their own internal world, and be open to learning about, understanding, and empathizing with those facets within the other.
Don’t let the elegance fool you, as there are depths of intricacy and complexity to Bader’s presentation. Rooted in her professional development, informal research, and thousands of sessions with couples, she infuses her presentation with an experientially derived wisdom that allows her to seamlessly travel between clinical theory and practical application. One example of this is her explication of what she calls “the Initiator-Inquirer process.” Her presentation demonstrates how trauma resolution and self-capacity development can be achieved within the modality of couples therapy.
The real beauty of Ellyn Bader’s presentation is her faith in her clients—recognizing her compassion, acceptance, and mentoring, as invitations for her clients to entertain new ideas, perceptions, and experiences; to be vulnerable, and take risks. Bader orchestrates and encourages self and interactive exploration and regulation. It is through this process that the individuals who comprise the couple begin to actualize their respective potentials for greater differentiation.
The inspiration is conveyed through Bader’s humble gratitude for having been granted access into the inner worlds of others and the satisfaction of bearing witness to the blossoming of another. Her invitation to us, her colleagues, is to experience these joys she infuses into her presentation with energy and optimism.
Claudia Black - Complexities in Working with the Young Adult
Reviewed by Bette Freedson
For those working with young adults in this cyber-era of fast connections, compromised attachments, and often unreliable and distorted communications (exacerbated by living through a global pandemic), Claudia Black provided the need-to-know essentials. As she explained, this vulnerable population is affected by a multitude of overlapping problems, often resulting in a complex phenomenology of trauma that in too many instances results in problematic outcomes, such as dysregulation of emotions and attachments, inadequate coping skills, and addictions.
From the moment she began, Dr. Black carefully laid out what is important, in accordance with her professional intention, which is to : “Give kids a chance!” Starting with poignant case examples of young adults suffering from a variety of traumatic life circumstances, she explained the various stressors of current societal culture, and family systems that can, and do, rob children of safety and a sense of identity, leading them to seek relief in addictions and dysfunctional, yet adaptive behaviors.
I was delighted to have an opportunity to moderate for Dr. Black’s session, as I have read and often recommended her book, It Will Never Happen to Me. However, I was less familiar with her contributions at The Meadows Treatment Center and the Claudia Black Young Adult Center. As I listened to her explain her approaches, her knowledge, and her wisdom, delivered with in-depth understanding and human compassion, I felt myself impacted by her passion in helping young adults and their families to recover a sense of self to live a more meaningful life.
Her discussion of bullying and abandonment both addressed and went beyond the common aspects of traumatic events into the subtleties of emotional abandonment. Her discussion of parental over-control, over regulation, chronic put-downs, and the invalidation of emotions explained the way such negative conditions steal comfort and safety from young adults. This can create toxic shame, the inability to calm the brain, and identity confusion, resulting in potential for self-harm and addiction.
To say that this presentation was comprehensive would be an understatement. During the hour, Dr. Claudia Black provided core elements for assessing the vulnerabilities of young adults, as well as some of the basics of treatment. She emphasized CBT, mindfulness, breath work, and sensory motor techniques, among other aspects of an eclectic approach. Her slides added substantive details.
At the start of this presentation, Black warned us that her intention was to provide a large amount of material in one hour—and indeed she did. And she succeeded in making it understandable and useful. For those of you working with young adults, this presentation could be a foundational piece of your repertoire. For anyone wanting to experience the depth and breadth of the clinical knowledge of trauma, as well as a compassionate grasp of what faces young people today, I heartily recommend viewing this presentation.
David Burns - Rapid Depression Treatment with TEAM-CBT
Reviewed by Tobi Goldfus
The first thing to strike you about David Burns is his enthusiasm and belief in his TEAM-CBT methodology and its effectiveness for depression, anxiety, and many other presenting problems. Backed by years of efficacy driven research data, his presentation is exciting and invites us to use his methods to be more effective with clients.
The “T” in TEAM is for Testing, which include brief scales for the client to complete at the beginning and end of every session. With the transparency of an X-ray, this holds the therapist accountable and allows the therapist to up his or her game. E is for Empathy. Clinicians are often less than 10 percent accurate, and they are surprised at how much they need to improve their empathy. A is for Assessment, which includes Lowering Resistance Techniques, an important key for rapid change, as well as the Gentle Paradoxical Technique. M is for Methods, which include more than 100 outcome tested techniques utilized from CBT, as well as other schools of psychotherapy.
“Am I good enough?” is something more than 95 percent of therapists have asked themselves. Burns walks us through a demonstration with a clinician client, while deconstructing his interventions that include the Daily Mood Log, Cognitive Distortions and Positive Reframing, the Double Standard Technique, and the Feared Fantasy Technique. (For the client, this is the technique from hell.) With the experiential and cognitive restructuring techniques used, the demo client reported immediate reduction of shame and anxiety, and continued relief and joy eight months post-intervention.
On his Feeling Good podcast, as well as his website:feelinggood.com , David Burns offers many free resources for clients and therapists. It would be well worth it to check out his most recent book, Feeling Great: The Revolutionary New Treatment for Depression and Anxiety. He is currently developing the Feeling Great app, a free electronic tool for depression and anxiety that is now being beta-tested with exciting preliminary results. You can participate by going to feelinggood.com/app.
Harville Hendrix and Helen Hunt - Doing Imago Relationship Therapy in the Space Between
Reviewed by Tobi Goldfus
In the poetic metaphor, “in the space between,” Harville Hendrix and Helen Hunt do a beautiful job of describing the relational paradigm from the field of quantum theory and its shift from the “self” model to a relational model of conscious partnership: being present with each other without judgement in the space between. This validation of each other assumes there are differences and “not knowing things” is considered “healthy” in a relationship. Because the learning process can be awkward, practicing these connections become more integrated into relational “muscles.” As Hunt describes, in the neuroplasticity of being full of wonder, curiosity, empathy, and full aliveness, each partner experiences being seen and valued.
As this dynamic professional duo honors the delightful space between them, it is clear this metaphor invites us to use this space in our own significant relationships—including the space between ourselves and our clients and honoring that relational navigation. Hendrix and Hunt also remind us to tell ourselves daily, “We are wonderful! And that’s the truth!”
Sue Johnson - Shaping Corrective Emotional Experiences with the EFT Tango
Reviewed by Julie T. Anné
Sue Johnson is asking us to dance, again. Specifically, to tango. But this time, with a decidedly different partner.
In Shaping Corrective Emotional Experiences with the EFT Tango, ballroom dancer and master psychologist, Sue Johnson, entices us to step onto the dance floor and to extend an attuned, steady, therapeutic hand to those less secure doing the attachment dance. The result? A flowing, organic, developmental model that helps individuals to heal within the sure footing of a healthy, reparative, therapeutic partnership.
With characteristic flare, Johnson emotionally declares, “Belonging leads to becoming,” citing Bowlby’s powerful description of an unfolding Self vis-a-vis a healthy attachment process. What doesn’t occur naturally early in life has a chance to be fostered through Johnson’s most recent offering to the EFT community: Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT).
After viewing Johnson’s multiple Evolution presentations and being honored to moderate two of her passion-filled, informative sessions, I had a hard time deciding what her greatest strength is—her gift for therapeutic artistry, or her stellar ability to seamlessly deliver difficult educational material in an uplifting and readily understandable manner. By the end of my many conversations with her, I determined it was neither. Rather, I decided it was her heart … and her brilliance—both of which harmoniously lead her to continuously sway ever so rhythmically throughout her work as a psychologist. Her strength also lies in her desire to educate those within our field who are fortunate enough to attend her exemplary performances.
Thank you, Sue Johnson, for your prolific body of work and your unstoppable nature. You continue to help many psychotherapists find their footing around the therapeutic dance floor. Your work is teaching us how to take the lead alongside our clients, in a most personal reparative tango. Thank you for helping us to help them experience the organic, healing, attachment steps necessary to nurture oneself, on the way to becoming “a more coherent, competent, expanded Self.”
Daniel Siegel - We Are Intraconnected: Living Into The Wholeness of Life
Reviewed by Eliana Gil
Daniel Siegel is internationally known as an expert not only on neuropsychiatry, but on the nature of mind as well. In his session entitled We Are Intraconnected: Living Into The Wholeness of Life, he takes an in-depth look at the idea that we are simultaneously both individuals and parts of a collective whole, AND that we live better when we include ongoing awareness of our interconnectedness.
Siegel describes the mind as an emergent phenomenon that is not specifically brain, body, and experience, but rather the product of these elements combined. A single fruit tree is not an orchard, and a single molecule of H2O is not wetness. An orchard and wetness emerge only from a multiplicity of elements. So too is the mind—a phenomenon that results from brain, body, and experience. Attuning one’s mind for enhanced performance may sound a bit cold and clinical, but there are some down-to-earth practices that can do just that. Siegel specifically discusses the Wheel of Awareness and the Three Pillars of Mind Training. These simple practices can be completed in as little as seven minutes a day. Bringing our best selves to our daily lives with positive intention, and an awareness of our role in co-creating the world around us is one way to improve our ongoing experience, as well as the lives of those around us.
Michele Weiner-Davis - Healing from Infidelity
Reviewed by Julie T. Anné
Say the word, “infidelity” and likely unfiltered thoughts of judgment, scorn, or lack of hope for a future in a healthy relationship leap to the forefront of your mind. Mention a therapist who unabashedly fights not only for the injured partner, but for the spouse who “brought” the trauma and betrayal into the theater of a marriage now playing out tragically, and you will likely shake your head.
Enter seasoned “divorce busting” therapist, Michele Weiner-Davis. Prolific author, energetic speaker, and committed therapeutic co-journeyer, Weiner-Davis is not afraid to challenge your quick judgment or to verbally fight to right your too-surface view of what most wounded couples on the brink of divorce need, and oftentimes face, following the most sacred of betrayals. She will also fight for the oftentimes isolating decision to stay and fight for a marriage, following infidelity.
In this determined, unapologetic presentation on the ability to heal from infidelity, Weiner-Davis takes participants through her HOPE-filled work to embrace, educate, and fight alongside clients who are determined to learn, heal, and eventually recover from a wounded relationship that escalated to the point of infidelity.
It’s not the number of infidelities or even the number of previously made promises never to cheat again by the “offending” partner that ultimately determines the possibility of healing, says Weiner-Davis. It’s whether the couple has received the correct treatment that works to uncover and change the underlying etiological marital problems, and the couple’s willingness to work on recreating a stronger, healthier bond.
This presentation was gutsy, confident, and informative. It fills a necessary void in the skillset of therapists who all-too-often do not get properly educated on not only the hope, but the “how” of embracing, supporting, and treating couples seeking relationship-saving psychological help, following infidelity.
Thank you Michele Weiner-Davis, for your outspoken perspective and skillful presentation on how to therapeutically bring couples back from the brink of divorce following infidelity.
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