SAVE THE DATE
November 10-11, 2022
10am-5pm AT; 2pm-9pm GMT; 3pm-10pm CET
Two Day Online Course

2-day ISTDP workshop on becoming more effective treating syntonic character pathology.

This 2-day ISTDP workshop will address how therapists can become more effective when treating syntonic character pathology. ISTDP aims to mobilise the unconscious therapeutic alliance by unlocking the multiple elements of resistance that combine to create syntonic character pathology. This includes tackling the forces of the punitive super-ego, character resistance, major resistances against feelings, resistance against emotional closeness and tactical defences. As the resistance lessens, the alliance gets more dominant in-session and the patient increasingly leads the direction and content of therapy. However, highly resistant patients have syntonic, self-limiting patterns of relating to themselves and others. One function of the resistance is to give the impression that the dyadic patient-therapist relationship is working well, when in fact an implicit masochistic process is being enacted. The therapist will inevitably get drawn into enacting these implicit patterns with the highly resistant patient. Optimally, therapists aim to recognise and step out of these dyadic processes. Even when the therapist can identify the nature of the resistance, the timing and pace of the work to address resistance is critical to avoid further enactments. This 2-day workshop will cover the phases of defence work that are necessary when treating syntonic character pathology.

Due to the use of video-based teaching material, participants need to have completed or are participating in an ISTDP/EDT core training program, or are ISTDP/EDT trainers, or their associates. Please check with organiser.  

General admission CAD$500
Early bird admission CAD$450
Full-time student admission CAD$300