A theoretical course illustrated with clinical examples. This course is composed of videos of 5 to 15 minutes each. The PowerPoint of the course to download.
Working with resistant patients: how to reach through resistance to the patient hidden within
Jon Frederickson, Social Worker
Unveil unconscious feelings and memories that got your patient stuck in resistance
Excerpt:
- 5h of continuing education
- 39 lessons that last from 5 to 15 minutes each
- 1 certificate of achievement
- 1 PowerPoint
- 1 bibliography
- 1 course evaluation
- 4 months unlimited access
- 7-day money back guarantee
Overview
How can we work with a patient who detaches from people and takes a passive and resistant position in therapy? In this workshop, participants will learn to assess the patient using the concept of conflict and to identify the sequence of feelings, anxiety, and defenses which cause the patient’s symptoms and presenting problems. We will also learn how to explore feelings effectively and to regulate anxiety, as well as identify defenses and resistances and clarify their cost to the patient. Jon Frederickson will also explain how to work with the breakthrough of feelings and how to assess patient responses to interventions. Using video recordings of therapy sessions with patients, we will review key therapy sessions to demonstrate how the therapist can identify treatment destructive behaviors and how to turn the patient against those behaviors in order to form a strong therapeutic alliance. Clinical examples will also be used to illustrate how to work in the here and now with the patient’s resistance and to show how we, as clinicians, can work through the patient’s barriers and make contact with the person hidden behind that resistance.
About the expert

Jon Frederickson specializes in treating treatment resistant patients. He is on the faculty of the Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) Training Program at the Washington School of Psychiatry. He has provided ISTDP training in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, India, Iran, Australia, Canada, the U.S., and the Netherlands. He is the author of over fifty published papers and book chapters and of many books, including Co-Creating Change: Effective Dynamic Therapy Techniques, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: Learning to Listen from Multiple Perspectives, The Lies We Tell Ourselves, and Co-Creating Safety: healing the fragile patient. His book Co-Creating Change won the first prize in psychiatry at the British Medical Association Book Awards, and it has been published in Farsi, Polish, and Slovak, and is currently being translated into Hebrew and Spanish. His book The Lies We Tell Ourselves has also been published in multiple languages. His most recent book is Healing Through Relating.
Learning objectives
- Identify treatment resistant behaviors
- Differentiate a feeling from a defense and from resistance
- Clarify and address the price of resistance
- Maintain an effective therapeutic focus and overcome patient resistance
Learning material
Content
- PowerPoint
- 1. Presentation
- 2. Why resistance
- 3. The incapacity to declare a problem
- 4. You need the patient's permission to help
- 5. Mirroring the patient's denial
- 6. Understand drugs use
- 7. Empathize with the patient's needs
- 8. Remind the contradiction
- 9. Explore what triggers the anxiety
- 10. The patient can be telling you the problem unconsciously
- 11. How to deal with a passive patient
- 12. Deactivating denial
- 13. Use mirroring denial as pressure
- 14. Isolation of affect
- 15. Avoid interpersonal conflict
- 16. Accept the resistance, don't fight it
- 17. The fear of being invaded_1
- 18. When the patient wants to stop therapy
- 19. Addressing the resistance
- 20. The habit of hiding
- 21. The problem with insights
- 22. The declaration of a problem
- 23. Documenting for yourself and the evolution of the therapy
- 24. Homework for the patient
- 25. Caring for the patient is key
- 26. Second patient - distancing
- 27. The helplessness of the patient
- 28. Deactivating the resistance
- 29. When the patient pretends to be less capable than he is
- 30. The raise of feelings
- 31. Running away from the feelings
- 32. Trust the feelings
- 33. Facing the guilt (WARNING)
- 34. How to deal with horrific stories as a therapist
- 35. PTSD and guilt
- 36. Bringing the guilt out
- 37. Conclusion of the second patient
- 38. Questions - couple therapy and metaphor
- 39. Conclusion
- Bibliography
CE Credits
Download a certificate of successful completion.
Audience
This training is intended for mental health professionals.
Registration
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Frequently asked questions
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How long do I have access to the course?
After your registration, the course is accessible anytime and from anywhere for 124 days.
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The courses offered by ASADIS are accredited by different professional organisations. In addition, ASADIS is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. ASADIS maintains responsibility for the program.
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