Alan Godwin – 2-Day Conflict Resolution Course for Mental Health Professionals

Outline

Step by Step Clinical Guide to Resolving Conflicts

• Categorize conflict to determine treatment approach
  • Preference problems
  • Perception issues
  • Difficulties with process
  • Feeling pressure
• Assess operation of the conflict trap
  • Heightened altercation
  • Inarticulate dispute
  • Combination disagreement
• Psychological consequences of poorly-handled conflict
  • Recurrent complications
  • Diminished attachment
  • Alienation from others
  • Emotional distress
• Proven strategies for healthy conflict management and resolution
  • Teach clients to defuse argument provocation
  • Interventions to manage fight or flight reactions
  • Strategies to modify immature patterns of behavior
  • Assess ability to resolve conflicts
• Teach clients 5 steps of the problem-solving process
  • Narrow
  • Validate
  • Select
  • Specify
  • Adjust
• Implement resolution of conflict in clinical practice
  • Focus on process, not issues
  • Target one issue at a time
  • Achieve understanding
  • Compromise and define the solution
  • Adjust if the stated solution doesn’t work as intended
• Conflict management techniques for improved mental health
  • Exercises to increase cognitive skills
  • Interventions to foster secure attachment
  • Enhance neural connections
  • Build emotional harmony with emotional intelligence
• Case Study: The Conflict Resolution Process

Advanced Conflict Resolution Skills for Difficult Clients

• Assess cognitive impairments in clients with limited reasoning abilities
  • Wrong vs right
  • Strengths vs weaknesses
  • Truth vs blame
  • Consideration vs selfishness
  • Reliability vs inconsistency
• Identify implicit roles clients play and select appropriate conflict resolution strategy
  • Master – “I’m in control”
  • Martyr – “I’m the victim”
  • Messiah – “I’m the hero”
  • Mute – “You should know my role”
  • Mirror – “It’s not me, it’s you”
• Strategies to end an unhealthy circular process of conflict
  • Prevent vulnerabilities from being exploited
  • Interventions to manage reactions
  • Teach clients to reason, not antagonize
• Psychological impact of conflict with a manipulator
  • Physiological response
  • Disorientation from reality
  • Emotional debilitation
• Strategies to re-structure interpersonal interactions
  • Redefine depth of a relationship
  • Assess value and limitations
  • Evaluate growth opportunities
• Interventions to move from conflict to resolution
  • Develop a plan
  • Respond vs. react
  • Teach clients to set boundaries
• Assess level of functioning in response to healthy conflict resolution
  • Intrinsic motivation to change
  • Limited potential for growth
  • Dangerous behavior
• Determine clinical treatment goals
  • Accurately assess patterns of behavior
  • Reduce emotional distress
  • Respond instead of react
  • Create realistic expectations
  • Set healthy boundaries
  • Establish support systems
  • Accept relational limitations
• Objectives for healthy conflict with these clients
  • Restrained problems
  • Empowerment
  • Redefine communication expectations
  • Improved mental health
• Case Study: The Drama Management Process