Training Title:
Key Psychodynamic Concepts in Couple Therapy

Clock Hours: 1

Objectives:
By the time you complete this course, you should be able to: • Be able to differentiate between positive and negative transferences • Understand the meaning of projective identification. • Understand the two steps of projective identification and how they play out in couples. • Recognize how not to rescue couples interlocked in projective identification.

Description:
Arthur Nielsen, MD, writes that understanding projective identification “offers a powerful lens through which therapists can examine and treat marital dysfunction and discontent.” Projective identification is a defense mechanism by which individuals unconsciously recruit others to help them tolerate painful intrapsychic states of mind. Once therapists grasp the psycho-dynamics of projective identification, then, using tact and empathy, they will be able to significantly help couples become more self-reflective and aware of the minds of their partners. In this interview, Dr. Nielsen uses a number of clinical examples to demonstrate this concept. Keywords: couple therapy, counseling, projective identification, intrapsychic, psychodynamic

Approval Bodies