SP09 – My Dos and Don’ts of Working with Children: The Union of Creativity and Problem Solving

SP09 – My Dos and Don’ts of Working with Children: The Union of Creativity and Problem Solving

Location: Regency Ballroom

Difficulty: All Levels

We don’t often think of creativity and problem solving as equal partners in therapy with children. But when struggling families arrive at your office, it is the immediate blending of these two components that allows you and the family to move quickly from overwhelmed to engaged, confused to targeted. Based on 29 years of successes and failures, this speech will offer ideas to immediately connect with families, help them untangle the tired messiness they often arrive with, and create active interventions that build momentum, create new patterns, and offer hope.

Educational Objectives:

1. Utilize the 7 patterns of thought and action to identify the salient problems, teach skills, and set goals with families.
2. Create and use assignments for families that develop flexibility, action, and emotional management
3. List the common therapeutic pitfalls that actually support the disorders of anxiety and depression in families