Fairfield University announces two workshops in cutting edge clinical approaches used in marriage and family therapy | Press Releases

The Fairfield University Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions' Marriage and Family Therapy Department announces two workshops for therapists and educators in Cutting Edge Clinical Approaches on Friday April, 3 and Friday, May, 29. The workshops are independent of each other and six continuing education credits are available for each.

The Boys and Girls Village, a non-profit organization in Milford, Conn., joins the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy in presenting internationally renowned author, teacher and clinician Karl Tomm, M.D. on Friday, April 3 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Dolan School of Business Dining Room. Dr. Tomm addresses "Questions as Interventions," a comprehensive look at the significance questions play in eliciting valuable information for a therapist during the course of a clinical interview.

Dr. Tomm contends that questions are not neutral or innocent and may have generative and healing or constraining and pathologizing effects on clients, depending on the therapist’s intention and the manner in which questions are formulated and expressed. He will present his classification of four major categories of questions and their therapeutic effectiveness and conduct a live interview with a family.

On Friday, May 29, Professor Eric E. McCollum, Ph.D., LCSW, LMFT, program director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Virginia Tech University, will conduct a workshop on "Mindfulness in Therapy and Education" from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Dolan School of Business Dining Room.

With the use of mindfulness skills in psychotherapy and education increasing, Dr. McCollum introduces therapists and educators to the concept and history of mindfulness, from aspects of its Buddhist roots that have been gaining integration in clinical and educational models to its research base and specific implications for utilization. Particular attention will be paid to the grounding benefits therapists and educators realize through their own practice of mindfulness. This is a practical workshop and participants will have the opportunity to explore a variety of mindfulness techniques.

The workshops are independent of each other and each offers six continuing education units (CEUs). There is a professional and a student rate for each workshop; $100 - professional rate, $65 - student rate. or more information or to register, contact Kim Baer in the GSEAP Dean's office at (203) 254-4000, ext. 2140 or e-mail at kbaer@mail.fairfield.edu .