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Webinar

S21-204 Infidelity and Affairs: Helping Couples Heal their Broken Hearts


Total Credits: 3 including 3 Category I CEs

Categories:
200 Adults, Couples & Families
Instructor:
Robert Scuka, PhD
Course Levels:
Intermediate
Duration:
3 Hours 15 Minutes
Target Audience:
Social Workers, LCPCs, and Psychologists

Dates


Description

The disclosure of an affair is among the most devastating and painful experiences that couples face. It is also one of the most challenging and
complicated problems encountered in therapy. This workshop will examine various forms of infidelity, the impact of its discovery on each spouse and
the marriage, and issues of recovery and treatment. Some of the challenges encountered in treatment include how much information about the affair
should be disclosed; how to help with shattered trust, hypervigilance, and anxiety; and how to build empathy between the partners. Some important
insights that have been gained in understanding and treating infidelity and affairs will be reviewed. In addition, a framework for the treatment of
infidelity rooted in Relationship Enhancement Therapy will be presented.

Handouts

Instructor

Robert Scuka, PhD Related Seminars and Products


Dr. Rob Scuka is a Maryland licensed clinical social worker and has been meeting the diverse and complex needs of couples, families, and individuals for the past 15 years.   

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Rob is Executive Director of the National Institute of Relationship Enhancement® (NIRE) in Bethesda, MD, where he is also a member of NIRE’s training faculty and certified as a trainer and supervisor in relationship enhancement (RE) Therapy, the RE Program, and child-centered play therapy.  

  

Dr. Rob is the author of numerous articles and the book, Relationship Enhancement Therapy: Healing Through Deep Empathy and Intimate Dialogue, published by Routledge in 2005. He holds a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) from the University of Maryland School of Social Work (1994) and has served as an adjunct faculty. Dr. Rob has a Ph.D. in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Southern Methodist University.  


Agenda & Learning Objectives

AGENDA:

09:00 Registration

09:00  - 10:20

 

 

 

 

 

Lecture:

Broad definition of infidelity

Two complimentary perspectives for understanding and treating infidelity: An Assumption-of-Responsibility perspective and a Contextual Factor perspective

Vulnerability Factors within the Context of Infidelity Considerations in understanding infidelity

Important questions regarding specific cases of infidelity

10:20 - 10:30     Break

10:30 - 12:00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lecture (Continued):

Working with Cases of Infidelity Using Relationship Enhancement Therapy

Structured dialogue process and communication skills training as an ideal modality to help couples address all their issues, including the trauma of infidelity, in order to facilitate a process of healing

The 3 core RE skills: Empathic, Expressive and Dialogue skills

 The 4 option of Discernment Counseling when one partner (or both) are not certain about committing to a therapy process designed to heal the relationship

12:00 - 12:15 Questions & Adjournment

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Upon the completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Conceptualize two complementary perspectives in the treatment of infidelity.

Identify key thematic considerations in understanding and treating infidelity, including pitfalls to avoid.

Describe how to explain the issue of confidentiality in couple therapy with clients.

Describe how to use a couple’s dialogue process to facilitate the couple’s work of emotional healing.

Bibliography & References

REFERENCES

• Brown, E. M. (1991). Patterns of infidelity and their treatment. New York: Brunner/Mazel.

• Glass, S. P. (2002). Couple therapy after the trauma of infidelity, in Gurman, A.S. & Jacobson, N. S. (eds.), Clinical handbook of couple therapy (3rd ed.).  New York, Guilford Press.

• Glass, S. P. (2003). Not "just friends": Protect your relationship from infidelity and heal the trauma of betrayal. New York: Free Press

• Gordon, K. C., Baucom, D. H. & Snyder, D. K. (2004). An integrative intervention for promoting recovery from extramarital affairs. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy 30: 213-231.

• Hatzman, S. (2013). The Secrets of Surviving Infidelity. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

• Olson, M. M., Russell, C. S., Higgins-Kessler, M. & Miller, R. B. (2002) Emotional processes following disclosure of an extramarital affair. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy 28: 423-434.

• Perel, E. (2017). The state of affairs: Rethinking infidelity. New York: Harper Collins.

• Piercy, F. P., Hertlein, K. M. & Wetchler, J. L. (2011). Handbook of the clinical treatment of infidelity. New York: Routledge.

• Scuka, R. (2005). Relationship enhancement therapy: Healing through deep empathy and intimate dialogue (pp. 263-309). New York: Routledge.

• Scuka, R. F. (2012). Repairing a relationship imperiled by infidelity: Combining individual work, Relationship Enhancement® couple therapy and guided visualization to break through an emotional impasse. Sexual and Relationship Enhancement Therapy 27(4), 335-343.     

• Scuka, R. (2015). A clinician’s guide to helping couples heal from the trauma of infidelity. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 14, 141-168.

• Spring, J. A. (1996).  After the affair: Healing the pain and rebuilding trust when a partner has been unfaithful. New York: Harper Collins/Perennial.

• Spring, J. A. (2004). How can I forgive you?: The courage to forgive, the freedom not to. New York: Harper Collins.

• Strean, J. S. (2000). The extramarital affair. New York: Jason Aronson Publishers.

• Vaughn, P. (1998). The monogamy myth: A personal handbook for recovering from affairs. New York: Newmarket Press.

 

 

 

 

Live Interactive Webinar Platforms

 

LIVE INTERACTIVE WEBINAR PLATFORMS

 

The Office of Continuing Professional Education hosts Live Interactive Webinars through two platforms: Zoom and WebEx.

Both platforms offer high quality and user-friendly webinar platforms for our registrants.

 

System Requirements:

  • Operating Systems: Windows XP or higher; MacOS 9 or higher; Android 4.0 or higher.
  • Internet Browser: Google Chrome; Firefox 10.0 or higher.

Our system is not compatible with the Safari web browser.

  • Broadband Internet Connection: Cable, High-speed DSL and any other medium that is internet accessible.

**Please have your device charging at all times to ensure that your device does not lose power during the webinar.

 

Course Interaction Requirements:

To participate in Live Interactive Webinars, you MUST have a device that allows you to view the presentation on screen and hear the instructor at all times. We do not allow participants to call-in from their phones or mobile devices and solely listen to the presentation. Participation in Live Interactive Webinars is mandatory.

Late Fees and Refunds

Fee & Registration:

Cost is $65.00 and includes CE credit. Registering after March 24, 2021 will incur an additional $20 late fee. *Cancellations must be received 24 hours in advance prior to the live interactive webinar to receive a refund or a credit letter.

 

*All cancellations will be subjected to a $35.00 administration fee

Course Completion & CE Information

 

Category I Maryland BSWE Requirement

The Office of Continuing Professional Education at the University Of Maryland School Of Social Work is authorized by the Board of Social Work Examiners in Maryland to sponsor social work continuing education programs. This workshop qualifies for {3.0} Category I Continuing Education Units. The Office of Continuing Professional Education is also authorized by the Maryland Board of Psychologists and the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors to sponsor Category A continuing professional education.

 

ASWB Approved

Course completion requirements: To earn CE credit, social workers must log in at the scheduled time, attend the entire course, and complete the online course evaluation located in your account. After the online course evaluation is completed, you are then able to download your certificate. Partial Credit will not be given for participants who arrive late or leave early.

 

Unversity of Maryland School of Social Work, Office of Continuing Professional Education, provider #1611, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. UMSSW Office of CPE maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 02/11/2021 to 02/11/2024. Social workers participating in this course receive {3.0} continuing education credits.

 

Please refer to the tab "Live Interactive Webinar Policies & FAQs" for UMSSW Office of CPE policies regarding all live interactive webinar related matters.

Target Audience

Social Workers, LCPCs, and Psychologists

Webinar Policies & FAQs

Click The Link to View The Webinar Policies & FAQs

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