It's Not Fair: Using Contextual Therapy With Families Facing Health Issues

Presented by: Alexandra E. Schmidt, D. Scott Sibley

This roundtable aims to provide participants with knowledge about using a contextual therapy framework with clients facing health concerns and the opportunity to practice contextual interventions addressing individual and relational concerns related to physical illness and disability. While contextual therapy is not typically considered a model of medical family therapy, therapists who combine theoretical constructs from contextual therapy (i.e. trust, loyalty, commitment, and fairness of giving and taking over time) and aspects of the biopsychosocial-spiritual model are able to help families relieve distress and create meaning from illness experiences. Implications for clinical practice will be the focus of this discussion.

Commitment in Mixed-Orientation Relationships

Presented by: Kevin Zimmerman, Christian Jordal, Lisa Schwartz

Approximately 2 million U.S. couples are or have been in a mixed-orientation relationship, defined as a committed relationship between a non-heterosexual and a heterosexual. These three presentations will examine: (1) Johnson's (1999) three-part commitment model, (2) a grounded theory of marital commitment typology among bisexual-heterosexual married couples, and (3) feminist-informed counseling strategies of mixed-orientation couples who wish to remain together. These presentations illustrate that couples need not be sexually matched to enjoy gratifying partnerships. Commitment in Long-Lasting Marriages between Gay Men and Straight Women Queering Commitment: A Grounded Theory of Intact Bisexual-Heterosexual Marriages Coming Out, Staying Together

Family Adaptive Systems: The Next Wave of Family Resilience

Presented by: Carolyn S. Henry, Amanda W. Harrist, Amanda Sheffield Morris

Family resilience perspectives provide a strengths-based approach for creating synergies between theory, research, and application to address ""real world"" stressors and foster positive adaptation despite risk. Against the backdrop of family stress theory, family resilience has progressed through two waves. After a brief recap of Waves 1 and 2, we advocate for family adaptive systems as a primary emphasis in Wave 3, and introduce five adaptive systems (meaning, emotion, control, maintenance, and stress response). We will discuss and provide an example using family adaptive systems to guide research and professional practice.

Co-parenting through Divorce: Key factors & Best Practices for Creating Change

Presented by: Matthew Brosi, Ronald Cox, Timothy Welch

This presentation will provide an overview of the salient research related to key components within the divorce and co-parenting literature as they relate to co-parenting through divorce program development and recent efforts to improve programming. This presentation will center on several areas of resiliency-based co-parenting program development including the integration of change theory; systems theory; cybernetics of communication; paradigm shifts as well as provide an overview of the current literature on co-parenting through divorce such as father involvement; parental alienation; reconciliation; mediation use; authoritative parenting; empathy and forgiveness; emotion regulation; coping with stress; and problem solving.

Family Financial Strain: Free Tools and Strategies for MFTs and FLEs

Presented by: Bryce Jorgensen, Damon Rappleyea, Clinton Gudmunson, Tim Griesdorn, Alan Taylor

Couples attending marital therapy and relational education classes report that financial concerns are a significant contributor of their collective distress. Yet, many human service professionals lack confidence, skills, or credentials in financial counseling and planning. This workshop presents two assessment tools that will assist family service practitioners in assessing client financial problems and when to potentially refer clients to a certified financial service. Additionally, the workshop introduces a free and easy to use new video series that depicts financial coaching in action. MFTs and CFLEs will practice using their existing skills applied to common financial matters to help clients.

Professors of Asian Heritage: Our Stories in Couple & Family Therapy Field

Presented by: Hao-Min Chen, Karen Quek, Liang-Ying Chou, Alex Hsieh, Hye-Sun Ro

This symposium aims to incorporate the presenters' cultural heritage into their roles as scholars/supervisors in the US. Five Asian-scholars will elaborate their experiences as MFT instructors/supervisors/clinicians. They will discuss how their Asian cultural backgrounds inform their practices in higher education and clinical settings. Their stories will show acculturation and assimilation processes in enriching the social and academic contexts. Additionally, the presenters will highlight the taken-for-granted challenges from differing frame of references with regards to power and privileges, and facilitate further discussions. This serves as an opportunity to help other Asian professionals to be well-prepared for their careers in the US.

Whistle Blowers: A Systemic Understanding of Sexual Harassment

Presented by: Jody Russon, Renata Carneiro

The purpose of this workshop is to build upon feminist models of sexual harassment by providing a systemic, Bowenian perspective. Learning objectives include: 1) raising awareness of the complexities surrounding sexual harassment of women from different cultures; (2) providing a Bowenian framework to explain the dynamics of sexual harassment and the need for addressing it overtly; (3) facilitating discussion by presenting a case vignette of an international, female professor struggling sexual harassment in the United States; and (4) providing recommendations for therapists and advocates who seek to promote change at individual, societal and global levels.

Changing Perspectives in Acculturation: Effective Therapy Practice with Immigrant Populations

Presented by: Bertranna Abrams, Jessica Chou

Acculturation is often used in the literature to describe the processes through which immigrants assimilate to a host country. Existing literature tends to dwell on language barriers and cultural differences but fails to highlight the processes and interactions between and within immigrant groups. Some also fail to include the dynamic experiences that are ruled by race, gender, class and other contextual variables of immigrant groups. This symposium addresses these factors with various immigrant groups to provide clinicians with a better understanding of how the concepts of Acculturation can be used to provide effective therapy for immigrant families.