Training in Couples Therapy
starting well with couples

with Dr. David & Deborah Woodsfellow

starts Fri Aug 17, 2018

Register Now!

5 Fridays, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Aug 17, Sep 14, Oct 12, Nov 9, Dec 7

Atlanta, Georgia, Near I-85 and North Druid Hills Road
minutes from I-75 and GA 400

Limited to 16 participants
$75 per meeting
one free miss

2 CEs per meeting
Category IV for psychologists
Related Hours for social workers, counselors
and marriage and family therapists

This group will be an in-depth training in how to start couples therapy. You will learn a thorough method of couples assessment to do BEFORE starting couples therapy. This method has three meetings. Before the first meeting, each person fills out in-depth questionnaires about all parts of their relationship.The first meeting is with both people together - to learn about them as a couple.  The second meeting is with each person separately - to learn about them as individual people. The third meeting is with both people - to give them feedback about the assessment and create a plan for therapy. 

Before I learned this method, I was overwhelmed with at my initial meetings with couples. There were so many things I needed to do. Right away. And so little time to do them. Gain rapport, join with both people, create hope, create a contract for therapy, explain my policies, get informed consent, learn their problems, hear each one's perspective, make each feel understood . . .

It was impossible.

Now I don't create the expectation that all that's going to happen in our first meeting. Instead, I explain this three-step assessment on the phone. The couples who choose to come in are consenting to the idea that we will have three sessions to do all this. Not just one.

What a difference that makes.

Also, it's a very good idea to try to understand just what you're dealing with, before diving in to the first thing you think of that might be helpful. Sure, better communication is a good idea. But are we also dealing with Violence? Emotional abuse? Affairs? Addiction? Depression? Suicidality? Need for medication? It's important to take these things into account before launching into treatment.

This training will teach you a model for doing this. I've modified Gottman's method to make it work for me. I expect that you might do the same. You could start with his model. You could start with my modification. And you'll adapt it over time to suit your clientele and your way of doing things.

But I think that some priniciples remain will : Assessment precedes treatment. Together-separately-together.

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David Woodsfellow, PhD is a licensed psychologist whose entire practice is couples therapy. He has been seeing couples (only couples) for 25 years. Educated at Harvard, Antioch, and Georgia State University, David did his clinical internship at UCLA Medical School. He holds Master Certification in Relationship Empowerment Therapy.  He is a certified Imago Relationship Therapist, certified Mars Venus Counselor, and has taken advanced training in Gottman Method Marital Therapy and Emotionally-Focused Therapy.

Deborah Woodsfellow, MPH is a relationship coach and former Physician Assistant. Educated at Emory University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, she also trained directly with Harville Hendrix, John Gray, John and Julie Gottman, Terry Real, and Sue Johnson. The Woodsfellow Training Program in Couples Therapy is currently in its nineteenth year.