Pennsylvania

Training in Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)

Breakthrough Moments in Psychotherapy using AEDP:
An Introduction to Theory and Technique

Using lecture and extensive video footage, these introductory workshop seminars will illustrate the AEDP method of conducting individual psychotherapy. AEDP is an active, focused, experiential, healing-oriented, transformation-based model that relies on the therapist's emotional engagement and attachment orientation to facilitate the goal of character change in briefer periods than with traditional psychodynamic therapy. It is ideally suited for those traditionally considered resistant, difficult or poorly motivated, such as those with a history of trauma, personality disturbance or substance abuse. Several theoretical and technical aspects will be reviewed, such as ways to facilitate healing "breakthroughs" or quantum transformations; emotional engagement; moment-to-moment tracking of affective material and resistance; methods to facilitate deep affective experience, somatic focusing and tracking, regulating anxiety and restructuring defenses. Attention will be given to matching the therapists' style and technique with the patients' clinical needs in the moment.

This seminar is ideal for those with little or no prior AEDP exposure, as well as for more experienced clinicians wishing to further refine their skill and understanding. This seminar will serve as an introduction or overview for those interested in joining the ongoing, training group due to start in Sept, 2009. Future introductory seminars will be listed as they are scheduled. For more information, contact Dr. Steve Shapiro at stevensshapiro@comcast.net

Philadelphia Area AEDP Training Group

This training group will meet for a full day once a month in Suburban Philadelphia as an ongoing, intensive, small group experience to initially introduce and subsequently immerse participants in the theory and technique of AEDP. Training will be conducted in two phases.

Phase I (Seminar) will primarily use a didactic format to introduce participants to modules that cover the basics of AEDP theory and technique. The instructor's patient videos will be used extensively to demonstrate and explore core principles. This phase is ideal for those with little or no prior exposure to AEDP, but is also well-suited for those wanting an extensive review . The format will include lecture, facilitated discussion, patient videos, readings and skill-building exercises. Topics will include all the core AEDP principles such as moment-to-moment tracking, facilitating affective and right brain phenomenon, defense restructuring, anxiety regulation, slowing down/ deepening, somatic tracking, metatherapeutic processing, and working with positive affects. The goals of Phase I are to develop a thorough working knowledge of AEDP, to provide a foundation for skill building and to develop a cohesive working group for Phase II.

Phase II (Group Supervision) will involve supervision of participants' patient videos in a safe and cohesive small group setting to facilitate optimal integration of material. There will continue to be video presentations and teaching modules from the instructor as well as focused skill building exercises. The focus of Phase II will be accumulating technical skill while acquiring an increasingly sophisticated base of theoretical understanding and knowledge in working with a variety of populations and personality types.

Various styles and techniques will be reviewed with particular attention given to matching the therapist's interventions with the patient's clinical needs in that moment based on continuous assessment. Work with other populations will include adolescents and their families, severe character disorders, substance abuse, trauma, severe and persistent mental illnesses and those in psychiatric crisis.

In addition to focusing on technique as applied to treatment, attention will be given to development of the clinicians' professional identity through exploration of the match between technical style and personal self. The goal is to develop a style that is well integrated, as well as authentic, unique and highly individualized. Accomplishing this deep integration is an advanced goal that permits use of technique in a way that maximizes both personal and professional resources to result in a style that is highly effective, efficient, natural, and deeply rewarding to practice.

Schedule: Meetings will be held for one full day (a Friday) each month.

CEU's: Available for most professionals.

Presenter: Steve Shapiro, Ph.D.; Senior Faculty, AEDP Institute in NYC, NY Steve Shapiro, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who maintains a full-time private practice in suburban Philadelphia and has over twenty years clinical and teaching experience. He has been practicing various forms of Experiential Dynamic Therapy (EDT), such as Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (STDP), since the mid-1990's. He is a Senior Faculty member for the Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy Institute in New York City and has been studying with Dr. Diana Fosha, the developer of AEDP, since 2003. Dr. Shapiro conducts lectures and ongoing AEDP training groups nationally, as well as provides group and individual supervision. For 16 years, he was the Director of Psychology and Education at Montgomery County Emergency Service (MCES), an emergency psychiatric hospital, where he worked with a range of severe disorders and presenting problems such as severe personality disorders, involuntarily committed patients, psychiatric emergencies, suicide and deliberate self injury, severe and persistent mental illness, interpersonal conflict, adolescents and family conflict/ dysfunction.

Applications are now being accepted for new members for a Phase II training group beginning in Januaury, 2011. For more information, or to request an application, contact Dr. Steve Shapiro at stevensshapiro@comcast.net. If there are enough interested participants for a Phase I training group, such a group will be formed.

For further information about either program or to register/ apply, contact: Steve Shapiro, Ph.D. 2 Mystic Lane Malvern, PA 19355 610-688-4940 stevensshapiro@comcast.net