Abstract:

Guided Self-practice (SP) of therapy interventions followed by written self-reflection (SR) is increasingly seen as an important, if not critical, component of psychotherapy training and continuing education, supported by the publication of workbooks for various therapy models and the research of Bennet-Levy and associates. This session provides a SP-SR experience of Schema Therapy (ST). It has the goal of increasing participants' self-awareness - the personal level - combined with SR to further understand clients’ experience - the professional level. SP/SR plays an important and unique role in therapist training and development as it integrates declarative understanding with procedural skills; integrates the conceptual with the interpersonal and technical and enhances communication between personal and professional selves. The conscious understanding of one’s own emotions, thoughts, and attitudes at the time of their occurrence, and the ability to continuously recognize them are among the most important abilities of therapists and supervisors. The growing body of empirical research evaluating SP/SR for CBT demonstrates that SP/SR enhances understanding of therapy models, skill, confidence as a therapist and belief in the model. Participants report “a deeper sense of knowing” of the therapy. They also report enhanced reflective skills, a key metacognitive competency important for continued learning for therapists. Participation in SP/SR has also demonstrated changes in attitude toward clients, enhanced interpersonal skills and increased empathy. Therapist reports suggest that SP/SR may also increase therapist resilience and decrease the propensity for burnout.  Our preliminary research suggests similar benefits from the ST version of SP/SR. SP/SR is beneficial for novice and experienced practitioners particularly for therapists less familiar with experiential interventions. This day long workshop is based upon “Experiencing Schema Therapy from the Inside-Out: A Self-Practice/Self-Reflection Workbook for Therapists”, Guilford, 2018.

About the Presenters:                   

Joan Farrell:

Joan Farrell, PhD, (with her partner Ida Shaw) has facilitated self-therapy groups for over 30 years leading to their book Experiencing Schema Therapy from the Inside Out: A Self-Practice/Self-Reflection Workbook for Therapists. Guilford Press, 2018.

She is an advanced level ISST Certified Trainer/Supervisor in individual & Group ST. She co-directs the Indianapolis Center of the Schema Therapy Institute Midwest, a training, research and practice center with ISST approved training programs in individual, Group and Child-Adolescent ST. She offers training nationally and in collaboration with ISST Training programs internationally – thirteen countries so far. She has published research articles, book chapters, a training DVD and three books on Schema Therapy. Group Schema Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder, Wiley 2012 and The Schema Therapy Clinician’s Guide: A Complete Resource for Building and Delivering Individual, Group and Integrated Schema Mode Treatment Programs, Wiley, 2014.

Joan is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, Ph.D., an adjunct professor of clinical psychology, at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and was a faculty member of the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), in Psychiatry for 25 years. She is the Research Director of the Center for BPD Treatment & Research of the IUSM/Eskenazi Community Mental Health Center. She is an investigator on a number of international schema therapy outcome studies and was awarded a National Institute of Mental Health (USA) award for a randomized controlled trial of Group Schema Therapy. Joan was a member of the Executive Board of ISST as the Coordinator for Training & Certification from 2012 to 2018.

Ida Shaw:

Ida Shaw Joan Farrell, Ph.D. and , M.A. are ISST Certified Trainer-Supervisors in Individual and Group SchemaTherapy; Ida holds the same level in Child-Adolescent Schema Therapy. They train internationally (16 countries) and are recognized as enthusiastic and motivating trainers who blend didactic and experiential elements in a compelling manner. Joan is an adjunct professor of clinical psychology at Indiana-Purdue University and director of research at the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) Center for BPD Treatment & Research. Ida is the training director of the Center. Most of their time is spent in training and supervision to pass on their learning and experience to the next generation of psychotherapists. They have published three books on ST. Their most recent is the basis for this workshop: “Experiencing Schema Therapy from the Inside-Out: A Self-Practice/Self-Reflection Workbook for Therapists”, Guilford, 2018.