When Techniques Fail
Working with Psychological Defense and Resistance in Trauma Therapy
A Clinical Framework for Understanding Resistance, Protective Defenses, and Therapeutic Stuck Points. We will explore a major reason our approaches are not effective: the use of protective psychological defenses and resistance by clients.
Presented by Kathy Steele, MN, CS, APRN
Past President and Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD). Kathy Steele has received a number of awards for her work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from ISSTD.
When Techniques Fail
Kathy Steele, MN, CS, APRN
11:00 AM - 3:30 PM Eastern Time
Live Online via Zoom
Introductory / Intermediate
1 YEAR access to the recording
$135 CAD + tax
$115 USD
Registration is now open
Workshop Description
Many approaches and techniques have been developed to aid the therapist in providing the most effective treatment for trauma. However, there are times when techniques fail to help our clients, even those that are evidence-based. During this workshop, we will explore a major reason our approaches are not effective: the use of protective psychological defenses and resistance by clients.
Resistance is natural when we feel threatened; protective defenses against emotional pain are understandable. But when clients are unable to progress because of rigid protective strategies, the therapist must shift focus from change to working with and through the resistance. Participants will learn how to identify defenses and resistance, and how to compassionately accept and work with them effectively.
We will explore therapists’ own contributions to resistance, including how our histories, clinical assumptions, and ways of conducting therapy may unintentionally intensify client defensiveness. Finally, participants will learn the types and functions of defenses, along with practical approaches for working effectively with resistant clients.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
✔ Identify at least two (2) specific defenses and how they manifest in the client.
✔ Describe a compassionate approach to understanding and treating resistance
✔ Apply at least four (4) interventions to support resolution of defenses in clients, including defenses in the relationship.
✔ Describe at least two (2) ways in which the therapist may contribute to stuck places in therapy with their own resistance and defenses, and identify ways to resolve them.
Who should attend
✔ Psychologists, Social Workers, Psychotherapists, MFTs, LPCs, graduate-level Counselors, other mental health professionals
✔ Therapists working with trauma, attachment wounds, and dissociation
✔ Therapists wanting clinical tools for working with psychological defenses and resistance
The Envision Difference
100% Online via Zoom
Live Q&A with
Kathy Steele
1 year access to the recording and materials
Certificate with CE's for home study version
Practical applicable clinical learning
Workshop Schedule - Eastern Time (ET)
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Intro
The Problem with Resistance
What is the Difference between Defense and Resistance?
The different Psychological Defenses
Protective Functions of Defenses
Counter-resistance
12:30 pm - 12:45 pm
Break
12:45 pm - 2:15 pm
Identifying and Working with Defense and Resistance
Resistance as Phobic Avoidance
Avoidance of Inner Experiences
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Phobia of dissociative parts
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Phobia of traumatic memory
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Phobia of attachment and attachment loss
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Phobia of adaptive risk-taking and change
Indications of Defense and Resistance
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Verbal Indicators
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Non-Verbal Indicators
Manifestations of Resistance
2:15 pm - 2:30 pm
Break
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
When the Therapeutic Relationship Gets in the Way
When Grief Work Leads to Despair
“Feeling Good” is Dangerous
Fantasies that Maintain Defenses
Typical Inner Conflicts that Contribute to Defenses
Resistance in Dissociative Disorders
Continuing Education (CE) Credits:
4 CE credits/contact hours awarded
*CE credits also available for the home study version (watching the recording)!
See our FAQ section below for more information
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.
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 4 clinical continuing education credits.
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
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 & Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)
Envision Counselling & Consulting, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) to sponsor continuing education. This workshop is approved for 4 CEC.
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.
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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.