Before we take a few weeks break, this session will attempt to link together the first three sessions of the course, where we have emphasised the core activity of understanding through the drawing out of (individual or shared) dreams.
The focus will be on the core of relationship work, the redevelopment
of a positive view of each partner through the development of
acceptance and compassion.
Pre-reading:
Benjamin Karney and Lisa Neff on love and compassion.
Cowan, Cowan and Mehta on the role of empathy in couple relationships.
Important background reading and references:
Jacobson outlining the key concepts of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy.
Acceptance versus change interventions in behavioral couple therapy.
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| Neil S. Jacobson |
Complex but central article.
Christensen et. al., Acceptance, Mindfulness and Change in Couple Therapy
If you cannot download the PDF from the above link, use this link to get a word file of the above (RTF format): http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7948541/christensen.rtf
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| Christensen |
Core competencies for session four:
1. Ability to manage own reactions to the parties
2. Ability to model an accepting view of each party
3. Ability to draw out a compassionate view of each party
4. Ability to draw out the more good points of each party
5. Encourage mutual empathy
6. Create empathic platform
7. Draw out shared dreams
Video: The empathic civilisation.
