When it comes to politics, staying focused on healing instead of headlines in the therapy room can feel almost impossible. One of our most popular workshops is back again because the political drama seems to only get, well…more dramatic. Learn how to gently steer clients away from turning your office into a debate stage, while still validating the complicated emotions that emerge in response to politics, help clients heal the deep wounds that are politically formed or shaped, and navigate political tensions and divides with loved ones and friends. Additionally, understanding how your own ideologies may play out in session is equally critical and complicated. As before, we truly feel no one can do this topic justice like former APA president, Dr. Nadine Kaslow.
Nadine Kaslow, PhD, ABPP
Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, ABPP, Professor, Vice Chair for Faculty Development and DEI, Chief Psychologist, and Director of Postdoctoral Residency Training at Emory Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, is the newly appointed Director of Wellbeing, Resilience,
and Flourishing in the Emory@Grady Dean’s Office. Past-president of the American Psychological Association (APA), she also is past president of four APA divisions, American Board of Professional Psychology, and Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship
Centers. She has received numerous awards, including the APA Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training Award, APA Presidential Citation, Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award,
Grady Health Foundation’s Inspiring Mentor Award, Emory University’s Thomas Jefferson Award, and Emory School of Medicine’s Lifetime Service and Leadership Award. The recipient of multiple federal grants, she has over 370 publications including a recent chapter on Navigating Love Across the Political Divide and has co-edited seven books. A frequent media guest, Dr. Kaslow is the psychologist for the Atlanta Ballet.
Politics and Psychotherapy
$125.00
Program Description:
The current divisive political climate in the United States and in many other parts of the world has increasingly become a stressor in people’s lives regardless of their beliefs. As a result, clients may report high levels of stress and political anxiety along with strained relationships with family members, friends, and colleagues. Although historically many psychotherapists behaved as if political conversations were not welcome in psychotherapy, our psychotherapy practices have undeniably been impacted by the latest political news and the associated emotional pain and sense of helplessness and hopelessness. Thus, it is imperative that we be mindful about creating a space for political conversations that are informative and therapeutic. Processing the impact of the current political climate on our clients’ lives can lay the groundwork for deeper therapeutic work, more authentic therapeutic alliances, and more meaningful psychological growth for both the client and the therapist.
This is a highly interactive workshop. Discuss creating a therapeutic context to assess and address the impact of stress associated with the current political climate. Learn about the symptoms of political anxiety and their impact, then determine normative and non-normative levels of such anxiety. Dr. Kaslow will present integrative and values-based frameworks and specific strategies to address politics and political similarities and differences in individual or couples/family therapy. Consider how to handle conversations related to politics, whether your political affiliation is congruent or quite different from clients. Identify both the positive and potentially problematic impact of such discussions (or lack thereof) on the therapeutic relationship. This workshop will examine how the therapist’s social identities inform these conversations. Vignettes from the presenter and audience members will be used to illustrate.
Learning Objectives
- Create a context within the therapeutic relationship that supports discourse about politics that is therapeutic in nature
- Utilize information about the nature and impact of political anxiety and the most vulnerable sub-populations for experiencing such anxiety to assess when such anxiety is above a normative threshold and requires specific intervention
- Develop a guiding psychotherapeutic framework for empowering clients to develop and utilize healthy coping mechanisms that address how the political climate impacts their lives and relationships
- Explain and discuss the therapeutic benefits and challenges of engaging in voluntary and requested self-disclosure (therapist), having in-depth discourse about politics, and attending to political differences
Continuing Education Credit – 3 Hours
- APA – Avant Training is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Avant Training maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- LPC – Avant Training has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7225. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Avant Training is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
- LCSW & LMFT – Related hours
176 in stock
Refunds will be honored for attendee cancellations received at least five (5) days prior to the workshop date. We are unable to offer refunds for cancellations beyond that point. Please note that payments made on our website incur a non-recoupable processing fee with our payment portal, so all standard refunds will have a three percent fee deducted from the full amount. For more information or if you have any questions before you register, check out our FAQ page or send us an email at admin@avant-training.com.