MARIN COUNTY CHAPTER OF CAMFT
FRIDAY CONTINUING EDUCATION SERIES
Friday, November 9, 2018
How Can Couples' Therapy Have Long Term Impact?
Geoffrey Fletcher, LMFT, PsyD
For my doctoral thesis I studied couples therapy outcomes under the supervision of Dr. Scott Wooley who has written about Emotionally Focused Therapy extensively with Sue Johnson and others. My presentation is based upon original research for my thesis where I interviewed couples who had completed couple's therapy and analyzed the results in order to learn more about what works best to create lasting relationships. I have written about my research and made a presentation on this topic at a CAMFT workshop in San Diego.
This presentation is designed to be interactive with opportunities for discussion of the issues as they come up. Its starting point is a very brief review of some of the approaches to couples' therapy, particularly the use of Emotionally Focused Therapy, followed by an assessment of the outcomes. According to the available research, couples therapy has mixed success in helping couples maintain enduring relational success. It is of interest to note that very few therapists have contact with their couple clients a year or more after conclusion of therapy and there is no published research capturing the views of former couple clients. My presentation will summarize my qualitative research project that was carried out approximately three years ago to capture the voice of former clients. The transcripts of interviews with these couples has been analyzed to identify commonalities between couples and find common factors that underlie their relational success following completion of therapy.
The workshop concludes with a discussion of the key factors which clients believe helped them most to resolve issues in their relationship and deal with subsequent relational challenges such that they succeeded in building an enduring relationship after the conclusion of therapy. The analysis of the clients discussion of this topic also reveals methods to measure the progress of treatment and also a basis for assessing the likely outcomes of therapy.
Educational Goals
- Inform work with couples by knowing more about the views of couples who completed therapy a year or more ago and have built lasting relational success
- Assess current methods and interventions within the context of the viewpoint of clients who have an enduring relationship following therapy.
- Consider methods of measuring client progress and assessment of long term outcomes.
Geoffrey Fletcher, MBA, LMFT, PsyD. Born and raised in London, I began my professional career in the world of business and finance in Europe where I gained an MBA from INSEAD business school in France. My work brought me to America where I lived in New York and subsequently moved to the San Francisco Bay Area.
I have, for many years served as Chairperson of a non-profit agency, The Children’s Psychological Health Center (CPHC) which serves young children with mental health challenges. This work motivated me to go back to school at the Wright Institute in Berkeley California and obtain my Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology. I have subsequently qualified as a Marriage and Family Therapist (License LMFT 84287). I continued my studies at Alliant International University and have successfully completed a doctoral program to become a Doctor of Psychology in Marital and Family Therapy. My doctoral thesis was based on my research into the factors which support enduring relationships and the ways in which therapy can not only resolve the couple’s immediate issues, but also support their capacity to create long term relational success.
I am a frequent speaker at conferences and have written several articles on a variety of subjects related to psychology. Additionally I have worked as a Professor of Psychology at Alliant International University in San Francisco.
References:
Johnson, S. (2004). The Practice Of Emotionally Focused Marital Therapy (2nd Ed). New York, NY; Brunner-Routledge
Snyder, D. & Balderamma-Durbin, C. (2012). Integrative Approaches To Couple Therapy; Implications For Clinical Practice And Research. Behavior Therapy 43(1), 13-24.
Jacobson, N. & Addis, M. (1993). Research On Couples And Couple Therapy; What Do We Know? where Are We Going? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 547-557
The Presentation:
Time: Networking is from 11:30 to 12:00 p.m. Presentation begins at 12:00 pm and ends at 2:00 p.m.
Cost: Free for Marin CAMFT members, $10 for non-members.
Location: Corte Madera Town Center, Room 201 - 770 Tamalpais Drive, Corte Madera, CA 94925 (map)
Marin CAMFT's Continuing Education Policies:
Information: For more information about the Friday Continuing Education Series and about joining the Committee, please contact CE Director, Laurie Buntain.
Continuing Education Goal: Marin CAMFT is committed to offering continuing education courses to train LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and LEPs to treat any client in an ethically and clinically sound manner based upon current accepted standards of practice. Course completion certificates will be awarded at the conclusion of the training and upon participant’s submission of his or her completed evaluation.
Refund Policy: Requests for refunds must be in writing and received by the CE Director on no later than ten days before the program. There will be a $25.00 administrative fee to cancel registration for any program. The refund will be sent within ten days of the request.
Accommodation for Special Needs: The special needs of persons with disabilities will be accommodated. The Program Committee will endeavor to assure that continuing education program materials, content and venue selections will meet the special needs of the disabled and that reasonable accommodation will be made. A request for accommodation can be made to the CE Director, who will work with the Committee and event venue to meet the need.All instructors will read and adhere to Marin CAMFT’s stated policies.
Marin CAMFT encourages those who attend its events to respect the fact that some individuals may have allergies to fragrances and pet dander. We ask that you refrain from introducing these elements into our meeting room. Registered service animals are welcome, of course.
Grievance Procedure: Marin CAMFT will respond to complaints in a reasonable, ethical and timely manner, when submitted by program attendees in writing to the CE Director.
Anti-Discrimination Policy: Marin CAMFT shall not discriminate against any individual or group with respect to any service, program or activity based on gender, race, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, age or other prohibited basis. Marin CAMFT does not require attendees to adhere to any particular religion or creed in order to participate in training. Marin CAMFT will not promote or advocate for a single modality of treatment that is discriminatory or likely to harm clients based on current accepted standards or practice.
CE: This workshop meets the qualifications for 2 CE credits for LMFTs, LCSWs, LEPs and LPCCs. These will be provided by Marin CAMFT (CEP # 56895), which is approved by CAMFT to sponsor CE for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and LEPs. Marin CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program and its contents contact Laurie Buntain, Continuing Education Director for more information.
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