When: Friday, November 15, 2019 9am-12:15pm
Where: 40 Center Street, Northampton, MA
Instructor: Daniel J. Wiener, PhD, RDT/BCT, AAMFT
Level: Beginner
CE’s: 3 CE’s approved for LMFT’s, LICSW’s, LMHC’s, and Lic. Psychologists

Instead of viewing therapy as a way of discovering “who you are,” Rehearsals for Growth (RfG) is a therapeutic form that uses theater improvisation to explore and expand the limits of “who else you can be” while maintaining an awareness of play and pretense in the moment. RfG stretches and playfully challenges patterns of intra- and interpersonal stuckness. In addition to their usefulness as tools for clinical assessment and intervention, RfG exercises provide a highly effective way of teaching systemic thinking, expanded use of the therapist’s emotional range, and clinical change via shifts in the presentation of the therapist.

In this experiential workshop, volunteer participants learned playful exercises useful as clinical interventions to:

  1. Give up over-control for mutuality
  2. Promote cooperation by making other persons look good
  3. Encourage risk-taking through fantasy and playfulness
  4. Heighten awareness of status (power) transactions
  5. Co-create new realities through embodied story-making

Following this presentation, participants were able to:

  1. Describe the difference between and relevance of the two modes of functioning: Survival Mind and Adventure Mind
  2. Demonstrate the challenge to Survival Mind of improvising
  3. Prepare at least three brief improvisation exercises useful for assessing and/or improving couples or family cooperative functioning
  4. Identify nonverbal status cues from observing social interaction
  5. Describe why therapists need to take risks in order to empower client change

 

Schedule:
Intro to RfG: Improv and Relationship Functioning 9-9:20am
Beginning Exercises: Playfulness and the Playspace 9:20-10:35am
BREAK 10:35-10:50am
Dramatic Games 10:50-11:45am
Post-Enactment Processing 11:45-11:55am
Summary & Conclusion: Q&A 11:55am-12:15pm

Daniel J. Wiener, PhD, RDT/BCT is licensed psychologist who taught Marriage and Family Therapy for 23 years as a Professor at Central Connecticut State University. Having founded his approach to relational therapy, Rehearsals for Growth (RfG), in 1984, he has presented over 230 professional workshops in 8 countries, training over 1000 therapists. He is an author/editor of 5 books (starting with Rehearsals for Growth: Improvisation for Psychotherapists in 1994) as well as 50 professional chapters and articles. He is the recipient of: Psychodrama’s Zerka T. Moreno Award (ASGPP), both Drama Therapy’s Gertrude Schattner Awards and a Research Award (NADTA). His website is: www.rehearsalsforgrowth.com.

*Who qualifies for the Agency Clinician/Student Rate?
We offer this discounted rate to enable students and clinicians working in community mental health settings on a full-time basis to be able to participate. Group practices are not eligible.

**Continuing Education Credit is pending through the New England Association for Family and Systemic Therapy (NEAFAST) on behalf of the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health & Human Services Professions, for LMFT professional continuing education.

**Continuing Education Credit is pending through Commonwealth Educational Seminars for the following professions:

  • Psychologists:
    Commonwealth Educational Seminars is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Commonwealth Educational Seminars maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • Licensed Professional Counselors/Licensed Mental Health Counselors:
    Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Licensed Professional Counselors/Licensed Mental Health Counselors. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for LPCs/LMHCs. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • Social Workers:
    Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Social Workers. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for Social Workers. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Please note: It is the participant’s responsibility to check with their individual state boards to verify CE requirements for their state.

See our Cancellation and Grievance Policies

The Couple & Family Institute of New England (CFINE)’s training facilities are handicap accessible. Individuals needing special accommodations, please contact Lindsay Swan, CFINE Administrator, at (413) 341-0543 or admin@couplesandfamilyinstitute.com.