MARIN COUNTY CHAPTER OF CAMFT
FRIDAY CONTINUING EDUCATION SERIES
Friday, January 11, 2019
TRAUMA AND RELATIONSHIPS: AN ONLINE COMMUNITY PLAN
Scott Nelson, PhD, LMFT
Over the past 15 to 20 years, extraordinary advances have been made in the treatment of trauma responses (essentially mal adaptations) to many different overwhelming, traumatic life situations (war, single case accidents, complex and developmental trauma, and so on). Along with the developments in the trauma-informed treatment of far ranging symptoms, a very large number of websites offer a wide array of information and support for survivors of all kinds of trauma and traumatic experiences. Unfortunately, the same is not true for the Partners of survivors and their intimate couple relationships. As they were in 1985 when I started my first ongoing support group for the Partners of Survivors of child abuse, Partners and the couple relationships continue to be ignored, unsupported and uncared for in any meaningful way. Of course, this failure is having profound impacts on all concerned.
This workshop will be a discussion of the conceptual and structural framework for an online Community for Trauma and Relationship (CRT). This online community will be in support of ALL relationships impacted upon by ALL forms of trauma. Similar to other online support and training communities, CRT will offer a wide range of support, education, personal development, strategies for healing and so on, in a variety of formats. An overview of the contents of these elements will be presented and offered up for discussion. In addition, CRT will integrate two unique elements for use by the community members. First will be a proactive program of normative personal and interpersonal development that will serve to provide Partners and survivors with self-education and growth opportunities. This proactive approach is in contrast to the more common (and not unneeded) reactive therapeutic interventions related to the specifics of common and unique challenges faced by intimate partners in the aftermath of traumatic events. The second unique element will be the integration of what might be called two-person or collaborative strategies for addressing dimensions of disturbance common among traumatized individuals and related intimate relationships. A central impetus for this approach is that we are becoming increasingly aware that relationships (therapist/client, intimate partners) have a profound impact on “Who we are”. As Judith Herman said in 1992, trauma must be treated in the context of a relationship and in most cases where the survivor is empowered. The two-person model being developed and to be described in the workshop by its nature, stresses collaborative and empowered interactions.
It is my hope that those attending the workshop will have read the article that I wrote for this month’s newsletter and spend time, in and out of the workshop, imagining how their treatment approaches might be reconceptualized and reformatted for application in a supportive, collaborative, transactional format wherein mutual support and mutual mindful compassion are primary relational goals.
Scott Nelson, PHD has been Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working in the field of mental health for more than 45 years. Trained as a clinician/researcher/educator he directed a longitudinal study of Family Stress and Coping funded by the US Navy and was Research Director at the Mental Research Institute (MRI) in Palo Alto California. While at the institute he Dr. Francine Shapiro to the institute and joined her in the very early research related to the development of the EMDR. Dr. Nelson has authored and co-authored multiple articles on various topic in the mental health field including the Simon & Schuster book, “Lost Lovers, Found Friends; maintaining friendship after the breakup” (1991). He has taught at several universities in the areas of various aspects of the Helping Professions and multivariate statistics. In addition to being an original staff member in 1969 at the inpatient unit at the Community Mental Health Center at Marin General Hospital, Dr. Nelson worked for 12 years in the McAuley Neuropsychiatric Institute in the child and adolescent inpatient unit while attending through his doctoral education at the School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley.
In 1985, having worked with the aftermath of trauma of all kinds for many years, Dr. Nelson started his first ongoing support group for the Partners of Survivors of child abuse (sexual, physical, emotional, severe neglect). Since that initial grouping, he has led multiple long-term groups and workshops for Partners and couples in which abuse is in the picture and well as workshops and professional trainings.
Dr. Nelson is currently in private practice in Mill Valley where he incorporates a tool box of approaches garnered throughout his career, ranging from psychodynamic psychotherapy, through CBT, DBT, Gestalt, EMDR, Positive psychology, relational, Somatic, EFT, MBCT to which he always applies according to the social work adage of, “Begin with a client is”. Over the past decade, Dr. Nelson has been intensively exploring and integrating into his therapy practice recent advances in the study of human development and brain science. These include the emerging perspectives from interpersonal neurobiology, attachment theory, trance work, and quantum psychology. His broad personal and professional experience nourishes and impassions his emotional and intellectual foundation as a therapist.
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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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