Therapist Roundtable: Hot Buttons in the Therapy Room - Nurturing the Therapeutic Relationship in a Time of “Us vs. Them”

Wednesday, November 20, 2024  from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Eastern Time

Live attendance required - no recording.

Times worldwide: convert to your time zone

The TIFI Membership Committee is pleased to offer Therapist Roundtables, a Roundtable series designed especially for members who work with clients in various therapeutic settings. If you are not a member, please join at this link and then return to this page to register.

Program Description

In this time of social conflict and identity politics, it is increasingly likely that the therapeutic relationship is impacted by global and polarizing events. How does the current zeitgeist of social polarization show up in our therapy rooms? What do we do when it does, and what do we need in order to be congruent within ourselves and for our clients?

As therapists we may be confronted with differences between our clients’ worldviews, political positions, values, ethics and identities and our own. Are there times when we find it harder to be centered and empathic due to our own biases and assumptions? Are we aware of and needing to address the ways in which we see our client as “other”?

When these differences become explicit and extreme, we may find ourselves feeling:

• Misunderstood
• Judged
• Triggered
• Invaded
• Othered
• Distanced
• Weary

Conversely are there times when congruence with the client complicates the therapy?

What do we need to feel safe and securely grounded when working with a client? What happens if a client probes into our personal territory? Do we struggle with how much and what kind of transparency and/or boundaries are needed to protect us and our client? How do we preserve the sanctity of the therapeutic relationship? Are there times it should it end?

Since there generally are few opportunities for frank and open peer conversation on these topics, we hope this Roundtable will provide a welcome and safe space to share our experiences, thoughts and feelings about these challenging issues.

Many questions can be explored, and all are welcome. Examples include:

• How do we feel and respond when a client probes into our own political, racial, ethnic or religious heritage, beliefs and values?
• How do we handle it when we feel our hot buttons pushed?
• What do we need to feel safe, sturdy and grounded and respond with empathy and respect when working with clients who challenge us in such ways?
• If we are trying to create a “therapeutic us,” what are the boundaries, if any, we set around transparency? How do we share, what do we share, and how can it deepen the therapeutic relationship?
• How and when can the sanctity of the therapeutic relationship be preserved in the face of these challenges?

Other issues and ideas may emerge from our exploration during the Roundtable. We look forward to a rich and enlightening conversation.

Who might be interested in attending this Roundtable?

Those who use Focusing to enrich their therapeutic work, whether in the past, present or future, will be interested. Current, former, and aspiring therapists are welcome, including psychotherapists, counselors, coaches, somatic practitioners, spiritual directors, occupational, physical therapists, social workers, and the like.

Regardless of modality, therapists hold in common the ethical and professional accountability and responsibility for our clients’ healing and growth. It is with this understanding that we come together to explore both the challenges of our work and the opportunities that arise through bringing a Focusing orientation to our practices. These conversations are not intended to be professional supervision sessions, but rather an opportunity to share ideas and experiences with like-minded professionals.

If you have an area of interest, curiosity or passion that you would like to explore in a future Roundtable, please let us know.

CONNECTION>CONVERSATION>COMMUNITY

What to expect from Therapist Roundtables  

Each Therapist Roundtable is designed to promote informal peer-to-peer conversation. Rather than acting as expert presenters, the Hosts will serve as conversation moderators to encourage sharing and exploration of the topics from the participants’ own perspectives. All participants’ sharings are welcome and valuable, no matter what level of experience or knowledge you have on the topic. To preserve the nature of informal conversation, the program will be offered live only and no recordings will be available. Participants are encouraged to create follow up opportunities for connection among themselves after the Roundtable.

About your hosts:

Susan Lennox, PhD, CPC, is a psychotherapist and certified professional coach in private practice in Westminster, Colorado. She is a Focusing Coordinator and has been a Certified Focusing Professional since 2000. Susan integrates Focusing and Internal Family Systems into her work with her clients. 

Steve Moscovitch, MSW is a therapist in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He has been a Certified Focusing Trainer since 2002 and integrates Focusing and a Focusing orientation into his work with individuals, couples and families. Other significant recent trainings are Emotion Focused Couple Therapy and Internal Family Systems.

Julie Ramsey, LICSW, FOT, is a Focusing Coordinator and psychotherapist in private practice in Massachusetts. She works with adolescents and adults in individual and couples therapy. She also teaches Focusing in small groups and enjoys bringing Focusing to all aspects of her work and life.

Mary Anne Schleinich, MPS, BScOT is a counselling body psychotherapist in private practice in Calgary. She is certified with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and The International Focusing Institute as an FOT. She integrates 14 years of work as an Occupational Therapist in palliative care into somatic psychotherapy.