“Lean on Me?” Attachment and Dependency in Trauma Treatment | Envision Workshops
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Julie Miller
Kathy Steele

About me

“Lean on Me?” Attachment and Dependency in Trauma Treatment
with Kathy Steele, MN, CS, APRN

Kathy Steele

Online Workshop via Zoom
Bonus: receive 1 YEAR access to the recording when you register!

 

Friday, February 20th, 2026

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Eastern 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM Pacific CA/USA 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM London, UK 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Madrid, Spain 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Berlin, Germany 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Copenhagen, Denmark 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Helsinki, Finland

Live Online via Zoom

Video via Home Study 

(1 YEAR access)

Level

Introductory

Certificate with CEs
price

Free Workshop

Schedule
Target Audience

Psychologists, Social Workers, Psychotherapists, MFTs, LPCs, graduate-level Counselors
 

Virtual Workshops

100 % online with 1 YEAR access: Develop your skills from the comfort of your home office.

Workshop Description

One of the challenges of treating individuals with a trauma history, is establishing and supporting a therapeutic relationship that supports change in the client, rather than allowing the therapeutic relationship to tip into disempowering dependence.

 

This workshop will help you recognize signs that the client is shifting toward an unhealthy dependency on the therapist, and what you can do to bring it back into the realm of a more effective and collaborative connection. Participants will learn the difference between adaptive and unhealthy dependency; how to help clients manage their dependency yearnings more effectively; how to use collaboration to support a healthy therapeutic relationship; and what missteps can lead to dependency and how to correct them. 

Learning Objectives


Participants will be able to:

  • Identify at least two (2) differences between adaptive and maladaptive dependency.

  • Demonstrate at least one (1) strategy to provide a therapeutic relationship that is collaborative rather than caregiving.

  • Describe how to correct an overly dependent therapeutic relationship.

The Envision Difference

100 % online:  Develop your skills from the comfort of your home or office via Zoom.

Live Q & A:  Ask questions during the live Q & A with the presenter and participants.

1 YEAR access:  Can't attend live?  Watch later. 1 YEAR of access to the workshop recording and materials and receive a certificate with CEs for home study learning. *Exception applies, see CE section below

Schedule

Workshop Schedule - 11 am to 1 pm Eastern Time (ET) 

11:00 am - 12:00 PM

  • Attachment and dependency in trauma therapy

  • A Therapeutic Double Bind

  • The Dilemmas

  • Secure Attachment

  • Responses to Clients in Crisis

  • Separation Cry

12:00 am - 12:10 PM

  • Break

12:10 pm - 1:00 pm

  • Adaptive (secure) dependency

  • Maladaptive Dependency

  • The Golden Fantasy

  • Attachment Bondage

  • Treatment Strategies

  • Treatment Implications

Kathy Steele

About Kathy Steele, MN, CS, APRN

Kathy Steele has been in private practice since 1985, and with Metropolitan Psychotherapy Associates in Atlanta, Georgia since 1988. She was Clinical Director of Metropolitan Counseling Services, a non- profit psychotherapy and training center until 2016. She is a Past President and Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), and has also served two terms on the Board of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). Kathy served on the International Task Force that developed treatment guidelines for Dissociative Disorders, and on the Joint International Task Force that has developed treatment guidelines for Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. She has received a number of awards for her work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from ISSTD, an Emory University Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Cornelia B. Wilbur Award for Outstanding Clinical Contributions from ISSTD. Kathy has (co) authored numerous book chapters, peer reviewed journal articles, and three books with her colleagues.

BIO
5CE credit

Continuing Education (CE) Credits:
2 CE credits/contact hours awarded
*CE credits also available for the home study version!
See our FAQ section below for more information

Association of Social Work Board (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program.

Envision Counselling and Consulting, Inc., #1895, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 1/19/2025-1/19/2028. Social workers completing this course receive 2 clinical continuing education credits.

 

American Psychological Association (APA)   

Envision Counselling & Consulting, Inc. is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Envision Counselling & Consulting, Inc. maintains responsibility for this program and its content.​

National Board for Certified Counselors 

Envision Counselling and Consulting has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7241. Programs that do not qualify  for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Envision Counselling and Consulting is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)    

Envision Counselling & Consulting, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Envision Counselling & Consulting, Inc. maintains responsibility for the program.

Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)  - Pending

Please ensure to check with your individual state boards/regulatory body to verify Continuing Education Credit Hours requirements and if the workshop you are planning to take qualifies. Licensing Boards change regulations often and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about a specific course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling.

 

NBCC
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FAQ

What are the requirements for obtaining CEs?

Participants must have registered, logged in at the start of the live interactive webinar and logged out at the end, and attended the entire webinar to receive a certificate. Attendees will need to sign in by typing their first and last name in the chat box at the start of the workshop and sign out by typing their first and last name in the chat box at the end of the workshop. Failure to log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire workshop. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. An evaluation form will be made available to attendees at the end of the live workshop. The link to the evaluation form will be posted in the chat box. Certificates will be available following workshop completion. If participants cannot be present live for the entire workshop, they will have the option to watch the recording (home study) version of the presentation and will have access to Self-Study CE credits after completion of a short quiz.

Do I have to pay extra for CE credits?

No. The cost of CE credits is included with your workshop registration fee.​

If I cannot attend live, can I still get CE credits?

Yes. You can access the recording in the home study version, watch it in its entirety, and then pass a quiz with a score of 75% or higher. After taking the quiz, you will be able to download a certificate as proof of completion.

How do I access the home study version when it becomes available?

You will be emailed five (5) business days after the live event with instructions on how you can access Envision's online learning platform. Sign in to your online account: Locate the email and click on your personal sign-in link to set your password. You cannot locate the email we sent? Login directly through the platform. Copy and paste the link below into your web browser: https://on-demand.envisionworkshops.com/pages/home-page To login, use the email address you provided when you registered for the workshop. To create your password, click on "Forgot Password" and set up a password for your account. If you already have an account and password, use those credentials to login.

How long do I have to review the recording?

You will have 1 YEAR to review the recording. The recording will be made available approximately five (5) business days after the live workshop.

If I have special needs or require accommodations, what do I do?

Email registration@envisionservices.ca at least five (5) business days prior to the live workshop to request accommodations or discuss your needs. Envision cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification.

If I have a complaint or grievance, who do I contact?

Please email registration@envisionservices.ca. All grievances must be in writing and will be replied to within 5 - 10 business days.

Is there commercial support or a conflict of interest for this presentation?

Kathy Steele receives a speaking honorarium from Envision. There are no known conflicts of interests for this program. Envision does not receive any financial support for this presentation. Literature may be referred to during the presentation. Envision will not receive any book royalties and was not offered any financial incentives for the mention of those books. Please note that authors of these books will get a royalty from any sale made of their books as per their agreement with the publishing company. For more information on any potential conflict of interest or financial support, attendees may email Envision at registration@envisionservices.ca.

What are the course interaction and system requirements? 

This live workshop is fully interactive. Attendees may ask questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor-led discussions. System requirements: • Operating Systems: Windows XP or higher, MacOS 9 or higher, Android 4.0 or higher • Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 9.0 or higher, Google Chrome, Firefox 10.0 or higher • Broadband Internet connection: Cable, High-speed DSL & any other medium that is internet accessible

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