Practicing Socioculturally Attuned Couples Therapy
CEUs
Certificate of Attendance: 3 hours
**Counts towards CEUs for AzBBHE.**
Abstract
Emotionally Focused Therapy invites clinicians to attune closely to emotion and attachment within the couple system. Yet couples never exist in a vacuum. Culture, social identities, social location, and sociopolitical contexts shape partner relational power processes, attachment experiences, and clients’ relational realities.
This AZEFT community talk will explore what it means to practice socioculturally attuned couple therapy from a socioemotional relational therapy (SERT) framework/lens. Participants will reflect on how patterns in the larger societal context influence the problems that are reenacted in intimate relationships.
This workshop will use a clinical case to illustrate how sociocultural attunement to emotion can help partners develop awareness of the larger context influences in their lives and shift towards mutually supportive partnerships as a part of their therapeutic healing. Through this case discussion, participants will learn practical ways to integrate sociocultural attunement into their clinical practice, particularly within the use of the EFT model.
KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Discuss how sociocultural context (e.g., race, gender, faith, immigration status, socioeconomic location) shapes relational power processes and emotional experience in couple therapy.
2. Identify ways that power, privilege, and marginalization may show up within couple dynamics and EFT interactional cycles.
3. Identify how sociocultural attunement can be used to support an attachment-focused frame.
4. Differentiate between sociocultural attunement and cultural competence.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Lana Kim received her PhD from the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program at Loma Linda University with a concentration in medical family therapy. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) and an AAMFT and OBLPCT approved supervisor in Oregon. Dr. Kim is an Associate Professor and the Program Director for the Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy program at Lewis & Clark College. Her areas of expertise include culture and cultural identity, gender, social constructionist and contextual approaches, couples therapy, and parent-child relationships.
Cancellation / Refund Policy: In the event that you have paid for an upcoming event but are not able to attend, you may request a refund up to 30 days prior to the event. Refund requests must be received in writing via email to: diversity@azeft.com. Requests received at least 60 days prior to the start of the event will receive a full refund of the registration minus the Eventbrite refund fee. Requests received between 30-59 days prior to the start of the event will receive a 50% refund of the registration minute the Eventbrite refund fee. No refunds will be issued for cancellations received less than 30 days prior to the start of the event.