Working with Highly Conflictual Families and Couples

Interpersonal conflict can cause substantial stress on couples, parents and their children, as well as, on the mental health professionals who try to serve these families. This 3-hour workshop will focus on addressing sources and types of conflict, and the strategies mental health professionals can employ to help intact couples, and those that may be divorcing or divorced. Ways to help children in high-conflict families will also be addressed. Additionally, options for managing ethical challenges and other stresses on the clinician will be discussed. This workshop will employ didactic and experiential transformational learning strategies and will be transtheoretical with regard to treatment approach.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Identify major sources of conflict in families
2. Describe the impact of conflict on children
3. Discuss options for reducing conflict when working with couples
4. Discuss options for reducing conflict when working with divorcing and divorced parents
5. Describe strategies for addressing ethical challenges when working with high conflict families
6. List self-care strategies to employ when working with high conflict families

Continuing Education Information