Special Workshops on
Relationship Enhancement® Methods
The 2023 Relationship Enhancement®
and Filial Therapy Conference
May 6 and May 13, 2023
for two consecutive Saturday morning presentations
Live Interactive Webinars via Zoom
Sponsored by
National Institute of Relationship Enhancement® (NIRE)
CE Workshops
In order to make it possible for more people from around the country and internationally to attend these CE offerings, NIRE is again holding its 2023 RE/Filial Conference virtually via Zoom video conferencing.
This year there are two webinars being offered on two consecutive Saturday mornings.
These webinars will also be recorded so that they can be made available once they have been reviewed.
Links for each of the webinars will be sent out the week prior to the respective webinar.
The two webinars are:
Using Relationship Enhancement Therapy to Facilitate Healing from Pornography Use in Intimate Relationships
Saturday, May 6, from 10 am – 1:15 pm (Eastern time zone). 3 CEUs.
A Clinician’s Guide to the Principles of Collaborative Problem Solving
in Relationship Enhancement Therapy and Other Topics in RE Therapy. Saturday May 13, from 10 am – 1:15 pm (Eastern time zone). 3 CEUs.
Registration:
Please go to: https://nire.org/workshop-registration/
Workshop Descriptions
Using Relationship Enhancement Therapy to Facilitate Healing from Pornography Use in Intimate Relationships
Saturday, May 6, 10 am – 1:15 pm (Eastern time zone). 3 CEUs
Presenter: Ian Masson, M.A., LPC
Because of its increasing availability through technology, the use of pornography is becoming more widespread, with an estimated ten percent of the American population dealing with a pornography addiction. Pornography use by one individual in an intimate relationship, especially if kept from their partner, can present unique challenges for both parties when the use comes to light. Due to the frequent deception and strong feelings of hurt that accompany pornography use, it can be difficult for the couple to communicate openly about the experience, move forward, and attempt to rebuild a sense of intimacy and trust. Therapists face particular challenges in facilitating conversations around the use of pornography and what it meant for both partners, addressing the lack of trust that can be present, and facilitating the possibility of forgiveness. This workshop will address how, within the context of Relationship Enhancement Therapy, the therapist can work effectively with these challenges.
Participants completing this workshop will be able to:
1. Identify common individual and relational experiences when pornography is present in a romantic relationship.
2. Describe the benefits of skilled dialogues in order to facilitate greater trust
3. Describe how to use the RE skill of becoming to work through impasses during couples’ communication
4. Identify how best to facilitate the process of forgiveness through skilled dialogues.
Ian Masson, M.A., LPC graduated from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences (now Divine Mercy University) in 2013 with his Masters in Clinical Psychology. Ian has been certified by NIRE in Child Centered Play Therapy and Relationship Enhancement Therapy for couples and families. For several years Ian provided clinical services, supervision to clinicians and was Director of a parenting program at a community mental health clinic in Culpeper, VA. Currently, Ian serves as Director of the IPS Center for Psychological Services, which provides sliding scale therapy services from an integrative understanding of the person.
A Clinician’s Guide to the Principles of Collaborative Problem Solving in Relationship Enhancement Therapy and Other Topics in RE Therapy
Saturday, May 13, 10 am – 1:15 pm (Eastern time zone). 3 CEUs
Presenter: Robert Scuka, Ph.D., M.S.W., LCSW-C
The focal point of this webinar will be an exploration of the presenter’s soon-to-be published article outlining a systematic approach to collaborative problem solving from the perspective of Relationship Enhancement (RE) Therapy. The aim is to provide clinicians working out of any relationship therapy model a practical guide for helping couples and families successfully work through challenging relationship issues.
We will examine what makes problem solving collaborative, why a systematic approach to collaborative problem solving is important as well as the key factor that interferes with collaborative problem solving in couple and family relationships. An overview of RE Therapy is presented in addition to a detailed description of the six principles of collaborative problem solving and the therapist’s role in guiding clients through a collaborative problem-solving process. We will also address the question of the potential for unequal power dynamics in a relationship
Finally, following the principles of collaborative problem solving described, a case illustration of a challenging life decision with far-reaching implications for a couple is offered that includes an analysis of (a) three hypothetical scenarios with an unfavorable outcome, (b) two hypothetical scenarios with a favorable outcome and (c) the actual real-life decision the couple made. In each case, the analysis includes a detailed application of the relevant principles of collaborative problem solving in order to make as concrete as possible how the application of those principles, or the failure to apply them, would impact the outcome in a positive or negative way.
As time permits, this webinar will also address two additional issues: First, the not uncommon tendency of many people to unconsciously “translate” a criticism of their behavior into a perceived condemnation of themselves as a person. This all-too-common tendency fosters deepened defensiveness and interferes with that person’s ability to listen in a genuinely empathetic manner to the other person’s feelings and concerns. This in turn manifests as a dismissive verbal response that effectively rejects the legitimacy of the criticism and shuts down the possibility of constructive dialogue about the issue.
The second issue, time permitting, will address how from a genuinely subjective perspective as advocated in RE Therapy, the very concept of memory is highly problematic and itself contributes to many dysfunctional dynamics in relationships, leading to useless and winless arguments over whose “memory” is more accurate.
Learning objectives: Participants completing this webinar will be able to:
- Describe what makes problem solving genuinely collaborative
- Describe the principles of collaborative problem solving in RE Therapy
- Describe how to deal effectively with unequal power dynamics in a relationship
- Describe to clients how to be aware of the danger of “translating” a criticism of their behavior into a condemnation of themselves as a person, increasing defensiveness and decreasing one’s ability t listen empathetically
- Describe why the concept of memory is problematic from the perspective of RE Therapy
Robert Scuka, Ph.D., M.S.W., LCSW-C, is Executive Director of the National Institute of Relationship Enhancement® in Kensington, MD, a senior member of its training faculty, and lead trainer in RE Therapy. Rob is author of Relationship Enhancement Therapy: Healing Through Deep Empathy and Intimate Dialogue (Routledge, 2005) as well as a number of professional articles, including “A Clinician’s Guide to Helping Couples Heal from the Trauma of Infidelity.”
Registration:
Please go to: https://nire.org/workshop-registration/
Schedule: Each webinar will have one 15-minute break.
CE Credits
IDEALS/NIRE is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. IDEALS/NIRE maintains responsibility for each program and its content. NIRE has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5560. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. NIRE is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. IDEALS/NIRE is approved by the Maryland State Board of Social Workers to offer Category 1 continuing education programs for social workers. NIRE also is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy. APT Approved Provider 95-009. IDEALS/NIRE maintains responsibility for the program.
Each webinar will earn attendees 3 CE credits.
A CE Certificate will be issued to you attesting to your completion of each webinar attended and documenting the CE credits you have earned.
Cost
The standard fee for each webinar is $60.
The fee for currently enrolled graduate students is $10.00 for each webinar.
For further information, please call NIRE at 301-680-8977.
We look forward to seeing you virtually on May 6 and May 13!
