Transformative Couples Therapy® is a body-oriented, affective neuroscience and attachment-based method. These courses will present the theory and practice of Transformative Couples Therapy® through lively teaching from David Mars that incorporates inspiring video-recorded demonstrations of the work. Core Training also provides supervision and consultation for each group member's video-recorded session work to help participants learn to better track, inspire and affectively regulate two people at a time in couple treatment. The six group members share their own clinical video to receive constructive support, reflection and guidance. Each participant will receive 40 minutes of focused attention each time they share their work. The beauty of these TCT Core Trainings is in the way we safely develop ourselves and our work with each other by using communication based on embodied witnessing through the seven channels of experience. This is a relieving alternative to "feedback" with it's inherent judgement and projection. Instead, we will use Process Language throughout each training session to build safety and develop optimal skillful communication for creating a secure base in ourselves at the same time as learning how to generate transformative outcomes for your couples.

On the first, fourth and eighth monthly Core Training, Transformative Couples Therapy®  will be taught for one hour from an edited and subtitled clinical video over Zoom with commentary and discussion.  These training sessions help participants to learn the application of the Transformative Couples Therapy® model in a range of challenging clinical situations. "Unlikely transformations" is the theme of the teaching topics and training videos selected. It is the couples who seem impossibly mired in their patterns of combined high reactivity, dissociation and low levels of positive responsiveness who the are our greatest teachers!

Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Psychotherapists, MFT's, Social Workers, Registered Counselors, Pastoral Counselors
 

1. Identify three ways to help establish a secure base in treatment. (H.S. Waters, T.E.A. Waters, 2021)
2. Describe two ways to regulate emotional reactivity in both couple members. (Mars, 2011)
3. Detect the healthiest aspects of each couple member. (*Frederickson, 2013) 
4. Utilize two methods for couple members to process emotional experience. .(Fosha, D., & Thoma, N. 2020).
5. Design healing a portrayal to treat relational trauma. (*Iwakabe, S., Edlin, J., Fosha, D., Gretton, H., Joseph, A. J., Nunnink, S. E., Nakamura, K., & Thoma, N. C., 2020)
6. Define why affirmation of the self is important. (*Frederickson, 2013)
7. Explain how clients can melt defenses of both intellectualization. (*Iwakabe, S., Edlin, J., Fosha, D., Gretton, H., Joseph, A. J., Nunnink, S. E., Nakamura, K., & Thoma, N. C., 2020)
8. Find shared matching values in couple members.  (Mars, 2011, 2015)
9. Describe how to process warded off emotional experience. (*Iwakabe, S., Edlin, J., Fosha, D., Gretton, H., Joseph, A. J., Nunnink, S. E., Nakamura, K., & Thoma, N. C., 2020)
10. Conduct meta-therapeutic processing when couples experience reparative experiences. (Fosha, D., & Thoma, N. 2020)
11.Define the value of the core affect of surprise.  (*Frederickson, 2013)
12. Integrate core affect through slowing down. (*Iwakabe, S., Edlin, J., Fosha, D., Gretton, H., Joseph, A. J., Nunnink, S. E., Nakamura, K., & Thoma, N. C., 2020)
13. Locate two ways to tailor treatment to a couple member’s attachment style. (Pando-Mars, 2016)
14. Select opportunities to help couple members to feel and show more positivity. (*Frederickson, 2013)
15. Utilize openings to soften defenses. (*Iwakabe, S., Edlin, J., Fosha, D., Gretton, H., Joseph, A. J., Nunnink, S. E., Nakamura, K., & Thoma, N. C., 2020)
16. Define three early signs of dorsal vagal response. (Porges, 2009, Dana, 2018)
17. Demonstrate knowledge of two ways to regulate dorsal vagal response. (Dana, 2018)
18. Specify how the frequency of dorsal vagal response can be reduced in treatment. (Porges, 2009, Dana, 2018)
19. Distinguish methods for engaging avoidantly attached patients in treatment. (Pando-Mars, 2016)
20. Detect an example of a tough case in which an unexpected breakthrough occurred. (Mars, 2016)
21. Explain how a meditative state of mindfulness helps in treatment. (*Neff and Germer, 2012)
22. Conduct a role play of meta-therapeutic processing. (Iwakabe, S., & Conceicao, N., 2016).
23. Explain the value of increased awareness in patients. (*Iwakabe, S., Edlin, J., Fosha, D., Gretton, H., Joseph, A. J., Nunnink, S. E., Nakamura, K., & Thoma, N. C., 2020)
24. Identify transformance striving in a session. (*Iwakabe, S., Edlin, J., Fosha, D., Gretton, H., Joseph, A. J., Nunnink, S. E., Nakamura, K., & Thoma, N. C., 2020)
 

All Times Are PT

8am-8:10am: Orientation and opening three-minute Channels of Experience meditation

8:10am-8:20am: Check-in and discussion of participants’ responses to the meditation and any breakthroughs or problems in treating their clients with TCT

8:20am-9:00am: Presentation and discussion of a Power Point of theory and practice of TCT presented by David Mars (on alternate months a participant shares video of a session for supervision and supportive consultation)

9:10am-9:50am: Presentation of a clinical training video of a session from David Mars (on alternate months a participant shares video of a session for supervision and supportive consultation)

9:50am-10am: Closure, including metaprocessing this Core Training session

March 1, 2025

Participants must have paid tuition fee, signed in, attended the entire seminar, completed an evaluation, and signed out in order to receive a certificate. Failure to sign in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates available after satisfactory course completion at credits.education

Credits.Education is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. Credits.Ecucation maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.  Course meets the qualifications for 16 hours of continuing education credits for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.