Bridging Divides
6 CE Credits
As therapists we have skills and experience in helping warring couples find a way back to each other. Remembering to use those skills when we ourselves are experiencing moral outrage is not easy. In this age of extreme polarization, one of the hardest things for us and most people, has been to listen to people whose core beliefs we do not share. What if we love or care about people when we don’t like or respect parts of them? What if the core belief systems of others in our countries are actually abhorrent to us?
This webinar is meant to be participatory. There will be mini-lectures, break-out rooms, video clips of my interviews with leaders in social justice organizations and with top couples therapists including Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt, Stan Tatkin, Bill Doherty and Hedy Schleifer. This workshop is an opportunity to use our hearts and skills to work together to help ourselves, our family and friends, our clients and our community.
https://nefesh.org/workshops/ListeningWhen/viewFREE WEBINAR
Listening When You'd Rather Not:
Bridging Divides
Previously Recorded
Presenter: Cheryl Dolinger Brown, LCSW
Course Length: 6 Hours
Learning Objectives:
- Outline the six roles family members play in political conversations and strategies to use to increase communication with each type.
- Employ strategies to develop curiosity in clients and the role it plays in decreasing polarization.
- Apply tools and techniques to encourage deep listening when there are flammable issues
- Practice and refine techniques aimed at assisting couples and families navigate through political disagreements.
- Gain confidence in bringing new therapeutic skills to wider community
6 CE Credits
As therapists we have skills and experience in helping warring couples find a way back to each other. Remembering to use those skills when we ourselves are experiencing moral outrage is not easy. In this age of extreme polarization, one of the hardest things for us and most people, has been to listen to people whose core beliefs we do not share. What if we love or care about people when we don’t like or respect parts of them? What if the core belief systems of others in our countries are actually abhorrent to us?
This webinar is meant to be participatory. There will be mini-lectures, break-out rooms, video clips of my interviews with leaders in social justice organizations and with top couples therapists including Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt, Stan Tatkin, Bill Doherty and Hedy Schleifer. This workshop is an opportunity to use our hearts and skills to work together to help ourselves, our family and friends, our clients and our community.
Learning Objectives:
- Outline the six roles family members play in political conversations and strategies to use to increase communication with each type.
- Employ strategies to develop curiosity in clients and the role it plays in decreasing polarization.
- Apply tools and techniques to encourage deep listening when there are flammable issues
- Practice and refine techniques aimed at assisting couples and families navigate through political disagreements.
- Gain confidence in bringing new therapeutic skills to wider community
Agenda:
Part One: Fear of and difficulty in listening to the “other” (2 hours)
Introduction (5)
1. Tolerating being wrong- video (10)
2. Seeing the other as dangerous and managing the stress response (15)
3. Finding your inner polarizer- quiz (10)
4. Dyads (what did you learn about yourself?) (10)
5. Group discussion of our own polarizing issues. (10)
6. Video of Bill Doherty and Tori Olds- difficulty in using our skills (15)
7. Dyads and group discussion (15)
8. Roles families play in political conversations (10)
9. Symbiosis, childhood wounds, differentiation (5)
10. Strategies to help families with political differences (10)
11. Natural vs. Ethical Caring- video of Bill Doherty (10)
12. Strategies to depolarizing (15)
Part Two: Transferring therapy skills to the clients (2.75 hours)
1. Family conflicts - video of Monica Guzman (10)
2. Techniques to deal with flammable issues (15)
3. Video of two red/blue couples I interviewed (20)
4. Break out rooms to discuss what felt and thought about videos (10)
5. Group as expert: fishbowl- skills to bring to couples in videos (30)
6. Three videos of couples with political differences being coached (45)
7. Group discussion of what learned and what can use in sessions (30)
Part Three: Using skills in the community (1 hour)
1. Work with Israeli/Palestinian- video of Orli Wahrman (10)
2. Use in anti-racist, anti-poverty non-profit organization- video of All Stars Project
(10)
3. Use in divided communities- Interview with cofounder of Braver Angels(10)
4. The dream that we can know each other’s human essence- Hedy Schleiffer video
(10)
5 Group conclusion- what is a takeaway (15)
This presentation is open to:
- Social Workers
- Professional Counselors
- Therapists
- Psychologists
- Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
- Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
- Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
- New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
- Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
- Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
- Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives