Affect Phobia Therapy: Building bridges, closeness and authenticity between therapist and client

Neuroscience, attachment and psychotherapy research indicate that the therapeutic alliance is at the heart of treatment. In this workshop, Dr. Osborn will present an overview of Affect Phobia Therapy (APT) and advanced training on how therapists can integrate their own internal process to strengthen the therapeutic alliance and more effectively time and deliver interventions. More specifically, she will explain how and why cultivating your own capacity for self-compassion, self-love and self-forgiveness will increase your awareness of your own emotional experience as a clinician. More importantly, she will explain how to use this information to more fully resonate with your clients and patients so they can experience true and significant change. When working with intergenerational trauma and other conditions it is common for therapists to experience anxiety that may or may not be related to their own experiences. It is therefore very important for them to be able to decipher why, and to know what to do when they are experiencing ‘in session’ anxiety, defenses or strong emotions. Even if clinicians are themselves in therapy or in supervision, they still need to learn the skills of working with their own emotions ‘in the moment’ so they can offer a reparative and therapeutic experience for their patient. Participants will learn how the non-verbal interplay can guide them when facing a client who is experiencing intense emotions or trauma reenactments. Participants will also learn how to cultivate self-compassion in anxiety-provoking moments so they can mindfully apply interventions and make therapeutic decisions while maintaining a bond with their client. By the end of this workshop, participants will also feel more comfortable being themselves ‘in session.’