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Paradoxical Agenda-Setting
How to Dramatically Boost Your Effectiveness in the
ForTreatment of Depression, Anxiety, Relationship Problems,
Eating Disorders, and Drug/Alcohol Abuse

David Burns, MD

Earn 7 CE/CME Hours**

In my 35 years of practice, I`ve developed scores of powerful psychotherapy techniques, but one has stood out as extraordinarily important in working with every patient and critically important with more challenging patients who don`t respond to our best efforts to help. I call this technique Paradoxical Agenda-Setting (PAS). PAS goes way beyond setting treatment goals and continues to be of vital importance throughout the course of treatment. In this workshop, I’ll show you exactly how PAS works and how to help patients struggling with depression, anxiety disorders, relationship problems and addictions such as binge eating and drug/alcohol abuse.

What exactly is Paradoxical Agenda-Setting? This is the most difficult part of the workshop to describe – to some extent it must be experienced to be really understood. First, you establish and maintain the deepest possible therapeutic alliance. Then, in the most graphic, pragmatic fashion, you help the client explore the tremendous ambivalence that nearly everyone feels about personal transformation, whether they`re conscious of it or not. This process is the heart of the workshop and is the point where the science and art of psychotherapy come together, where strong, conflicted emotions are frequently expressed, and where the real magic of therapy occurs.

Teaching methods will include lecture, demonstrations, and exercises, but will focus on practical case examples. During the workshop you`ll learn to:

  • Pinpoint the 8 most common forms of therapeutic resistance
  • Become the “voice” of the patient’s subconscious resistance
  • Overcome Outcome Resistance with the Magic Button and Magic Dial techniques
  • Defeat Process Resistance with the Gentle Ultimatum and the Paradoxical Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Paradox habits and addictions with the Devil’s Advocate Technique
  • Learn the art of acceptance: to “hold with an open hand” (like the Buddah)
  • Utilize future relapses as opportunities to maximize clinical gains

Though I`m known primarily as a cognitive therapist, this is not a cognitive therapy workshop. PAS is a fundamental and powerful technique that can easily be integrated with any therapeutic style or orientation. It will help you motivate your most resistant clients, dramatically enhance your clinical effectiveness, and accelerate the recovery process, no matter what your therapeutic orientation may be. PAS is, essentially, psychotherapy on steroids. This is a workshop I`ve been looking forward to presenting for a long time! I hope you can join us!

 Learning Objectives                                                                                                                      

Attend this powerful workshop and enhance your ability to:

  • Demonstrate how paradoxical agenda-setting techniques can motivate resistant clients
  • Recognize and deal effectively with 8 common forms of resistance
  • Utilize paradoxical interventions to help clients change
  • Describe how the “art of acceptance” can enhance clinical recovery
  • Weave paradox, empathy, and cogitive therapy techniques into a powerful therapeutic alliance
  • Employ powerful relapse prevention techniques

Who Should Attend                                                                                

All mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, family physicians, social workers, psychiatric nurses, therapists, alcohol & drug counselors, employee assistance counselors, school counselors, youth workers, sexual abuse counselors, vocational rehabilitation consultants, social service co-ordinators, street workers, and crisis counselors who work directly with clients and are seeking practical, proven methods to enhance their therapeutic skills

Dates and Locations                                      __________                                                        

September 30, 2010
Radisson Hotel- Eastlake
35000 Curtis Blvd 
Cleveland, OH 44095 
440-497-1626

October 1, 2010
Concourse Hotel and Conference Center
4300 International Gateway
Columbus, OH 43219
614-237-9012

October 2, 2010
Marriott Cincinnati NE
9664 Mason Montgomery Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45040
513-459-9800

October 13, 2010
Radisson Hotel & Conf Center Rockford
200 S Bell School Rd
Rockford , IL 61108
815-226-2100

October 14, 2010
Hilton Garden Inn Evanston
1818 Maple Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 475-6400

October 15, 2010
Homewood Suites by Hilton
16245 S La Grange Rd.
Orland Park, IL 60467
(708) 364-7573

October 16, 2010
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
350 W Maryland St
Indianapolis, IN 46225
(317) 822-3500

Workshop Information                                                                          

Check-in begins at 7:45 AM and the workshop hours are 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM with lunch on your own from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM. There will be two fifteen minute breaks.

Earn 7 CE/CME hours (UNA/ANCC Nurses = 7.5 hours)

PLEASE NOTE: This workshop includes graphic clinical material that may be disturbing to some attendees. If you need assistance please contact one of the workshop aides, the conference coordinator, or notify the speaker.

Registration Information                                                                        

To register by phone call 800-258-8411.  Or register online on the Calendar Page

$139 Early web registration (completed 14 days prior to workshop)
$149
Early registration (sent 14 days prior to workshop)
$169 Regular registration (on-site reg. is $189, space available)

Aide positions must be filled by phone.  Please call for availability. Additional information will be required.