Core Skills Training

Learn new ways to think about and work with relationship issues & SAVE $200 if you book early!

1. Core Skills Block 1 – 3 and 4 March at Sorrento
2. Practical Day – April 7 (online)
3. Core Skills Block 2 – 9 and 10 June at Sorrento

Whether you work with couples or individuals you probably spend a lot of clinical time talking about relationships.  It can be a frustrating process working with people who are stuck or even self-defeating in their relationships.

• Make your time working with clients on relationships more rewarding
• Increase your confidence in working with complex couples’ issues
• Become more effective and skillful in intervening around relationships
• Develop a clinical framework that integrates Attachment, Differentiation (Developmental Stages) and Neurobiological theory into a coherent and practical approach

This five-day training will introduce you to the Developmental Model and give a whole new perspective on why people have relationship difficulties as well as a raft of tools to help them. Participants consistently rate our trainings 4.8 out of 5 for overall value and impact so you can be sure your time and money will be well spent.

The training is compatible with all other models of relationship therapy and so is suitable for both experienced and novice therapists.  However, you MUST have completed foundational training in couple therapy such as our Working with Couples workshop, or have equivalent experience.

Whether you work primarily with individuals or couples this comprehensive perspective on how relationships operate has something for you. You also have the chance to join our growing community of therapists with access to free information, further training, consultation, and support.  All the therapists who have completed this training and gone on to intern with us now have FULL practices.  We are desperate for people to refer to who have the necessary training and expertise!  Don’t have any doubt that training like this is a good investment!

The training is organised in two blocks of two days in-person training in Auckland, months apart, with an online day in between to review and consolidate your learning.   The first block (running on 03 & 04 March 2025) focuses more on introducing the model and core skills while the second block (09 & 10 June) is focused on the application of the model to cases, including common challenging presentations.  The online review day is 07 April.  The review day is an opportunity to consolidate your learning from block one by exploring practical applications with real cases as well as asking any questions you might have.

In this training you will learn:

• How to diagnose a couple’s developmental stage and what interventions are appropriate for what stage
• How to use the different lenses of Attachment, Developmental Stage (Differentiation) and Neuroscience to broaden your assessment and intervention options.
• How to balance communication skills with self-soothing techniques to manage reactivity
• Specific interventions to help people manage conflict, delay gratification, increase differentiation and build effective empathy
• How to identify and weaken entrenched blame and withdrawal pattern.
• Ways to identify and categorise the tough relationship issues
• How to stop rapid escalation and shift to productive exchanges
• Ways to make strong confrontations whilst retain rapport
• Techniques for engaging self-absorbed and withdrawn partners
• Efficient ways to help clients process and grow from affairs and other betrayals

The training includes special sections on working with

• The Hostile-Dependent Couple – partnerships trapped in cycles of escalation and aggression
• The Conflict-Avoidant Couple – partnerships trapped in boredom, frustration and unconscious acting out
• Couples with a Passive-Aggressive Partner and resolving intrapsychic impasses
• Couples with a Narcissistic Partner and creating empathy in self-involved individuals

People who have completed this training are eligible to move into our  Developmental Model internship training.  This is an individually tailored programme of group and individual supervision and specialist courses that leads to being able to advertise yourself as a Developmental Model therapist.

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