Recorded On: Friday, September 15, 2023 from 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (EST)
Presented by: Steven M. Harris, PhD, LMFT
Where: Zoom Live Video Communications
*NOTE: Only Live Participants are eligible to received their 1.5 Hours Continuing Education Credits.
Session Description:
Attendees will receive a brief introduction to research on the topic of divorce ideation to set the stage for why couple therapists need a new way of thinking about engaging couples where one is leaning into, and the other is leaning out of, the relationship. Being able to identify a mixed-agenda couple and how to approach them clinically, so both partners feel heard and respected, is key to this approach. Unlike couples therapy, where the goal is to help the couple bond, connect, or increase their intimate connection, discernment counselling recognizes that a mixed agenda couple is unlikely to engage in this kind of work.
The goal of discernment counselling is to help couples get greater clarity and confidence in their decision making about the future of their marriage/relationship based on a deeper understanding of why divorce/break up is seriously being considered and each person’s role in creating and maintaining the relationship patterns. Participants will be introduced to this model and learn how to help each person in the couple develop a Personal Agenda for Change that taps into the clients’ individual roles in the relational dance and sets the stage for making lasting change if the couple chooses to work on their relationship.
About Steven M. Harris, PhD, LMFT:
Steven M. Harris, PhD, LMFT, is a Professor of family therapy at the University of Minnesota. He is originally from Kitchener, Ontario. He has authored over 90 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, has written five books, and has contributed a variety of other publications to the field of family therapy throughout his career. Dr. Harris is the current Editor of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. He also serves as the Associate Director of the Minnesota Couples on the Brink Project. He and his co-author, Dr. William Doherty, released the first textbook on Discernment Counselling in April 2017.