Section 4.1 Course 200SG Basic Clinical Training in Imago Relationships Therapy Goal: This certification track is designed to prepare the Certified Imago Therapist to be publicly known and recognized in the field of couple s therapy. Introduction Imago Relationship Therapy, a model of therapy developed by Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., co-founder of Imago Relationships International along with his wife, Helen LaKelly Hunt, Ph.D., recognizes that the inherent nature of human beings is what Jung described as a push towards wholeness. That wholeness contains Maslow s qualities of a self actualized person: spontaneity and creativity, acceptance of in life, a need to have solitude and a deep intense relationships, a sense of humor, caring and compassion for others, inner directions, and an open and fresh attitude toward life. Throughout our development as human beings, that wholeness is fragmented through experiences in relationship with out caretakers and results in a significant impact on the choice of a marriage or relationship partner and the dynamics of all our relationships in adulthood. The ultimate goal of the work that couples do in Imago Relationship Therapy is to assist each other in repairing the wounded or injured aspects of that original state, and to reclaim the whole self that can more passionately and vibrantly express itself in life and in relationship. Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Course Structure:... 2 Admission Requirements and Procedure... 2 Non-certification admission to this course for audit only (suspended)... 3 Tuition:... 3 Use of DVDs of your clinical work during training... 4 Process and requirements for certification... 5 Tape evaluation... 6 What you can do once certified:... 7 Appendix 1: Course Description... 8 Appendix 2: Membership in a Professional Association... 10 Page 1
Course Structure: The course is offered in two sections. Level I is a 96 hour (12-day) training program which is usually completed in three sessions, each 4 days long, or sometimes as 6 sessions, each two-days long. The sessions are scheduled over a 6 to 9 month period, to enable trainees to practice with clients and prepare tapes. Level II is based around a 6 - month program of supervision, which prepares for submission of a final clinical videotape for evaluation, as well as written reports. Admission Requirements and Procedure To apply, simply check that you fill the requirements below, then find your desired course online at www.gettingtheloveyouwant.com and follow the online registration process. Admission requirements for certification: 1. Participation in a Getting the Love You Want Couples Workshop led by a Certified Couples Workshop Presenter prior to admission into training. (Note: Participation should be with one s committed, intimate partner. Single therapists may attend with a close friend, relative, or colleague of either gender). This must be done before training. 2. Possession of an advanced degree (masters or doctorate degree) in the mental health field (the common degrees are M.A. or M.S. in counseling or psychology, M.S.W. in social work, M.Div. in pastoral counseling, Ph.D. in clinical psychology, M.D. in psychiatry). 3. Membership in a recognized professional association (i.e. NASW for clinical social workers, AAMFT for marriage and family therapists, AAPC for pastoral counselors, APA for psychologists, AMA for psychiatrists). All Imago Therapists must keep their memberships in their professional organization current at all times. See catalog section 4.5 for more details. Please contact us to ask about variations around the world. 4. Required Documents which can be loaded directly onto our registration page. (If you would rather fax these, please contact us. We prefer to avoid mail to reduce our usage of paper) Two letters of recommendation from colleagues who know your work well. These can be uploaded onto our registration page License to practice psychotherapy if required by your state or province 300 hours of post graduate supervision (150 hours may be group supervision. 150 hours must be one-on-one supervision). Supervision means time spent with a supervisor, not client hours Proof of malpractice insurance Copy of graduate degree A signed copy of the training agreement (if not completed online) Page 2
Each applicant will be considered on his or her own merits. If you do not have all of the above credentials, please attach a cover letter to your applications, which addresses the exception. Please note that admission to this program does not guarantee certification. Non-certification admission to this course for audit only (suspended) This course is provided primarily for fully qualified professionals as an advanced training. However we also welcome the following to audit the course, with no certification available: o Graduate Students working towards being a therapist. Certification may be available once you are licensed o Partners of therapists, accompanying their partners on the program CE Credits: 96 hours of CE credits are awarded, which are recognized by APA and several other major organizations Tuition: Level I: $3,000, Level II: $100 per month (6 months minimum) Final tape submission and Certification $195 (If accepted, one year of membership in IRI will be provided free-of-charge value of $245 in the US) If a subsequent tape is needed, the fee will be $150 for each further tape presented for Certification.) A Non-refundable Deposit of $750 (rates vary from country to country) should be made while registering with Imago Relationships International. The balance is due directly to the Clinical Instructor to be paid in full three weeks before the start of the training. If you would like a payment program, this can often be arranged directly with the Clinical Instructor. Page 3
Learning Objectives of the Clinical Training Program: Participants will be able to: 1. Discuss childhood stages of development and wounding as well as resulting characterological adaptations in primary relationships. 2. Discuss the concept of the imago and the role it plays in partner selection and subsequent stages of adult relationships. 3. Work with a couple s resistance, flow with it and keep volatile couples in dialogue 4. Demonstrate dialogical skills to assist couples in restructuring conflict and frustration, resolving adult and childhood rage, bringing them into a healing relationship, and guiding them from unconscious to conscious relating (moving them from reactivity to intentionality). 5. Demonstrate skills to assist couples in increasing validation and empathy and achieve a deeper level of commitment and intimacy. 6. Focus on their own personal characterological growth and thus be more able to deepen client s affect, getting them in touch with childhood pain, and thus helping them find healing in the adult intimate relationship. 7. Empower couples to continue the work of healing after therapy is terminated. Use of DVDs of your clinical work during training The nature of the course means that all participants will need to bring DVDs of their clinical work to the training program During Level I of the training two tapes should be presented for review. One of these tapes should be of a couple using the Imago Dialogue, another of a couple using the Behavior Change Request (BCR) dialogue process. At this stage the trainer will be looking for proficient use of the process steps set out in the Getting The Love You Want workshop manual. During Level II of the training, several tapes may be requested of your clinical work, which will be used to provide feedback on your application of Imago processes. Page 4
Process and requirements for certification The requirements for certification: Reports Complete the admission requirements section 2 Complete Level 1 to the satisfaction of your clinical instructor Complete level II to the satisfaction of your clinical instructor or consultant/supervisor Submit 3 and 6 month reports to your clinical instructor (see below) Assist at a Getting The Love You Want weekend workshop Provide a DVD of your work for evaluation Complete a signed copy of the certification agreement At three months, the participants should write a one or two page typed report of their experiences both in their personal lives and in their clinical practice and submit it to their Clinical Instructor. This report can be written before the evaluative tape is passed. It is important that this report is not a glowing report of how wonderful everything is. It is to be a report of your growing edge and what you are personally and professionally working on to become a better clinician. At six months, the participant should write a second one or two page typed report of their development both in their personal lives and in their clinical practice and submit it to their Clinical Instructor. These two reports should be about the trainee s growth edge both personally and professionally to encourage the theory and practice of Imago Therapy to become more integrated in the trainee s life and practice. Assisting at a workshop After completion of Level 1 the participant should serve as a support therapist in a twenty hour Getting the Love You Want Couples Workshop: conducted by a Certified Workshop Presenter. The trainee must meet with the presenter for one hour after the workshop for feedback and receive a positive evaluation from the presenter, which must then be submitted directly to the Professional Training Coordinator with a copy sent to the course instructor. *After completing the requirements of Level II consultation to the satisfaction of your clinical instructor for 6 months you may apply for Certification. Page 5
Tape evaluation The procedure introduced on 1 June 2009 is as follows, and applies to all trainees who commence training after that date (For trainees who started training prior to 1 June 2009, you may choose the alternative procedure provided). 1. Record a DVD of a clinical session involving the Imago Dialogue and self-evaluate it using the current scoring sheet. Be sure that this tape achieves a pass mark of 70%. 2. Ask your Clinical Instructor, or whoever is providing your Level II consultation to review this DVD as part of their consultation service to you, and to provide a note indicating that they agree the DVD is at a 70% or above level. 3. Contact the Imago Training Coordinator, who will assign an Evaluator. 4. Send the DVD, your evaluation and the note from your trainer or consultant to the Evaluator designated by the Training Coordinator, together with the fee of $195. (Prices may vary outside USA, the Training Coordinator will provide our current policy) 5. The evaluator will contact you for a telephone consultation of your DVD, or face-to-face if convenient. This will focus on reviewing your self-assessment using the Imago supervision model, and providing feedback. Providing the evaluator agrees with your self-assessment that the tape has passed, they will notify the Training Coordinator to issue a certificate. 6. If the Clinical Instructor does not agree with your self-assessment to the extent that the tape is deemed not to pass you will have to submit a new DVD. You may ask for the same evaluator for the second tape or a new evaluator. Alternative tape evaluation procedure for those who started training prior to 1 June 2009 Complete step 1 and 2 above Skip step 3 Instead of step 4, provide your DVD and evaluation to your clinical instructor together with the evaluation fee. They will follow through step 5 with you If you do not pass, you may ask for a second evaluation, by following the procedure from step 3 above, but you will need to submit a new evaluation fee. Page 6
What you can do once certified: Graduates of this track are eligible to represent themselves as Certified Imago Therapists. They may advertise themselves as such and may practice Imago Relationship therapy in their practice. They may present at conferences and various meetings up to four hours in length and may demonstrate the Intentional Dialogue and the Flooding of Admiration in public. They may use this designation for all speaking engagements and will be referred to as Certified Imago Therapists during speaking engagements conducted by the Institute. Page 7
Appendix 1: Course Description Level 1, Session 1 The primary focus of Session I is to give participants the meta-theoretical framework and essence of Imago Relationship Therapy. Assumptions serving as the foundation of the theory and the resulting paradigm shift in understanding and working with couples are presented. The assumptions are further developed in exploring the evolutionary journey of the self and how that impacts on relationships. The focus moves to the developmental journey of the individual self from a relational paradigm. The various ways individuals are wounded throughout the developmental process through parenting styles and socialization are discussed. The concept of the formation of the imago and the role it plays in partner selection and subsequent interaction is explained. And overview of the major therapeutic processes is given. Explanation, clinical demonstrations, and practice by participants of therapeutic techniques and processes form a significant portion of the first four days. Session I includes: The initial interview with the couple to establish safety as the primary therapeutic issue, to reveal the relationship conflicts in a safe manner, and to start the couple learning the dialogical process. The specific structure of the Imago dialogue is to create not only clear communication, but also cognitive and affective empathy and a safe holding environment. The parent-child dialogue to access the childhood wound (s). The partner holding process which allows safe regression to the childhood experience and re-imaging by the partner. Practice of the techniques by training participants is performed in a small group format with real material from each participant s personal experience. Participants experience each process as therapist, as client, and as observer. The clinical instructor provides supervision within the small groups. Level I: Session II Session II continues theoretical explanation, clinical demonstrations and practice, and adds small group supervision of video taped client sessions from within the framework of Imago Relationship Therapy. Theoretical material consists primarily of the process and purpose of initial partner attractions and selection and how that forms the basis of the power struggle as a natural stage in the relationship. Symbiotic beliefs and other factors contributing to the power struggle are discussed. Page 8
Level I: Session II - continued Character adaptations to the developmental wounding and socialization wounding are explained, as well as how the partner we chose is in a unique position to contribute to the healing of that wounding. Reactivity, loss of empathy, and the origins of self-hatred, projection, and prejudice are placed within this framework. Discussion of the maximizer-minimizer polarity and how that affects the relationship is presented. Explanation of the theory also includes discussion of the denied self, lost self, hidden self, disowned self, presentational self, personal self, and social self. Discovering and working with the core of resistance and the couple s core scene is explained. Explanation, clinical demonstrations and practice by participants of therapeutic techniques and processes included are: The Behavior Change Request Dialogue which lead to the restructuring of frustrations in the relationship through identifying the underlying wound and create positive, specific, and measurable requests of the partner that are designed for success. Learning that closing exits in a relationship is a process and not an event and how to do it. The importance of developing a relationship vision is discussed and demonstrated. Supervision of participant s work with clients between Session I and Session II, and work within small groups is included. The theoretical portion of this last session includes the concepts of containment within the relationship. Containment is further developed to include a framework and safe structure for intense anger or rage. Concepts regarding re-visioning and re-romanticizing the relationship are presented. Techniques are presented on how to transform the relationship with positive flooding and to understand the fear of pleasure and our resistance to letting love in. The overall structure and progression of therapy using this approach is presented, including the format and duration of sessions with couples, commitments on the part of the couples and therapist, the focus, structure, and process of a session, and the use of assignments and guided imagery. Level 1 session III The primary focus of Session III is on clinical practice and supervision of client sessions. Processes demonstrated and practiced in Session III include: Introduction to containment processes for resolving anger and rage. The process of full positive containment. The flooding of admiration. Processes to re-romanticize the relationship. Developing a relationship vision. Page 9
Appendix 2: Membership in a Professional Association Being trained as an Imago Therapist is a couples therapy specialty training and not a training in the formation of becoming a psychotherapists. We want all Imago therapists to be active members of a well recognized professional organization that has standards of ethics and standards of supervision. This organization will be the gate keeper for your membership in IRI and/or being a Certified Imago Therapist. All Imago Therapists must keep their memberships in their professional organization current at all times. We recognize that many in the helping professions get training in massage therapy, rebirthing, gestalt therapy, psychodrama, alcohol and chemical addiction therapy, psychiatric nursing, and many have certifications in these therapies. These are all very useful, but we see them as specialties, just as Imago relationship therapy is a specialty, and they do not qualify one to enter into our training program on the clinical track. Our program is not designed to educate a person to become a fully qualified psychotherapist in the highest meaning of that term. We find it necessary to have already obtained all qualifications, certificates, and licenses with hundreds of hours of supervised internships to have reached the level of being qualified to join a national professional psychotherapy organization on our list before they can become a Certified Imago Therapist. We allow a person who is in the latter stages of psychotherapy training where they can see clients under supervision to enter the program, but they cannot become a Certified Imago Therapist until they have been accepted in a nationally recognized professional organization on our list and can legitimately call themselves a psychotherapist. We also recognize that applicants from countries outside the United States have different standards and requirements for becoming a recognized psychotherapist. We are developing standards in each country that fit the local culture. Educational degrees may be different, but we require that you belong to a professional organization that is on our list that requires acceptable minimal professional educational, supervision, and ethical standards. Please contact us at training@imagorelationships.org or 800-729-1121 if you have any questions about admission requirements. Page 10