Understanding and Handling Crisis Sessions using ISTDP - Dr. Allan Abbass

“I thought the treatment process was going along great, but then the patient returned with a complete collapse”

Psychological crisis can be defined is an extreme stress reaction with psychological and physiologic markers of anxiety plus emergence of regressive defenses. Crisis can occur in any phase of treatment using psychotherapy.

In the metapsychology of ISTDP, crisis can occur for a combination of 3 main reasons: collapse of defenses, overwhelming anxiety symptoms, and abrupt mobilization of intense emotions. Underpinning these factors, psychological processes can include: making gains in treatment, more closeness in relationships, and reaching to deeper zones of trauma laden emotions in the unconscious during repeated unlocking and facing a successful termination.

A variety of extrapsychic factors can precipitate a life crisis, including major stressors, health problems, changing medications, withdrawal from substances or other addictions, relational changes and other factors.

Is this 3-Day immersion course we will review a series of cases, including resistant repression, and fragile patients who present with sessions of crisis. We will explore the context of the crises, how these crises were handled, and the treatment response.

This course is suitable for all mental health professionals, physicians, nurse practitioners and other health professionals.

This immersion will be held online only.

Reduced rates are available for group registrations and those in certain lower income countries. Email for details.

Because the course will be held online, it is open to the following groups of healthcare professionals and therapists : 1) those who are in an ISTDP or EDT Core training or supervision, 2) those who have previously completed an ISTDP/EDT Core training program, 3) ISTDP/EDT Trainers, 4) Colleagues of these 3 groups who will attend the immersion while physically being present in the same room, and 5) those who are part of any ISTDP/EDT Societies with signed confidentiality agreements. This is all to ensure confidentiality of case materials that will be reviewed and discussed.

This training is exclusively for licensed mental health and registered health professionals, including Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, as well as Physicians, Nurses, Physical Therapists, etc. If you are not a mental health or health professional, you may not attend due to the protection of patient confidentiality. Students and trainees pursuing licensure or registration as a mental health or health professional under supervision are welcome. The course content level is Intermediate level.

16.5 Continuing Education credits are available for this event for an additional $50 (plus eventbrite transaction fees). Failure to log in/out or attend the course in its entirety will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.

CE Certificates are only available for those who pay the additional CE add-on fee through Eventbrite.

Once the course is completed and attendance confirmed, an evaluation will be sent to you via email from Karen Newell at newell@sonic.net. Please contact her with any questions about CEs.

CUE Management Solutions, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CUE Management Solutions, LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

CUE Management Solutions, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0242.

Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling.

Participants will be able to:

1. Name some of the underlying factors in precipitating crisis

2. Describe how a crisis can present across the treatment spectra, and across treatment phases

3. Describe a psychodiagnosis process and evaluation of crisis

4. Explain the main treatment ingredients to handle a crisis session

5. Describe the development of Short-Term Therapies

6. Identify the ISTDP Metapsychology

7. List the corners of the Triangle of Conflict

8. List the corners of the Triangle of Person

9. Describe Complex Transference Feelings (CTF)

10. Describe the Unconscious Therapeutic Alliance (UTA)

11. Describe the Types and Manifestations of Resistance

12. Explain the main interventions of Pressure, Bracing, Clarification, and Challenge to resistances

13. Describe the ISTDP Psychodiagnostic Evaluation

14. Describe Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria.

15. Describe the Application of ISTDP for Patients in Crisis Sessions

16. Describe the Impact on Technique for Patients in Crisis Sessions

Sample Schedule (Set to 0 so you can adjust for your timezone):

December 10

30 Mins before: Enter Zoom Conference

Overview, Metapsychology of Resistance, Fragile spectrum /processes and Crisis elements part 1

1:30-1:50 Morning break

1:50-3:00: Crisis elements part 2

3:00-3:15: Tami Chelew/Matt Jarvinen Commentary

3:15-4:15 Midday break/Lunch

4:15-5:30 Crisis elements part 3

5:30-5:50 Afternoon break

5:50-7:00 Crisis Session 2-3

7:00 Conclude Day 1

December 11

30 Mins before: Enter Zoom Conference: Make sure Zoom Name is same as Registration

0-1:30 Crisis Session 3-4

1:30-1:50 Morning break

1:50-3:00 Crisis Session 5-6

3:00-3:15: Tami Chelew/Matt Jarvinen Commentary

3:15-4:15 Midday break/Lunch

4:15-5:30 Crisis Session 7-8

5:30-5:50 Afternoon break

5:50-7:00 Crisis Session 8-9

7:00 Conclude Day 2

December 12

0-1:30 Crisis Session 10-11

1:30-1:50 Morning break

1:50-3:00 Crisis Session 11-12

3:00-3:15: Tami Chelew/Matt Jarvinen Commentary

3:15-4:15 Midday break/Lunch

4:15-5:30 Crisis Session 13-14

5:30-5:50 Afternoon break

5:50-7:00 Review all

7:00 Conclude Course

Feedback from former participants:

"Being able to see the videos along with his live commentary and follow-up questions made the theory very accessible and easy to follow."

"Dr. Abbass provided so many fabulous and practical cases and examples!"

"Incredible training! I am walking away with a much more thorough understanding of the role of guilt in driving anxiety and how to work with the rage and guilt (especially for patients with cognitive-perceptual disruption). Thank you so much Allan, Tami, and Matt!"

Allan Abbass, MD, is a psychiatrist, teacher, and researcher. He is a professor of psychiatry and psychology and the founding director of the Centre for Emotions and Health at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. He is one of the foremost psychotherapy teachers and researchers in the world, and is the author of "Reaching Through Resistance" and "Hidden From View."