Who’s the ***hole? Helping Clients Know If Their Anger or Guilt is Justified

Description:

Consider the following hypothetical:
Your older sibling got married 3 years ago and your parents contributed $5,000 towards their wedding. You are now planning your own wedding. Over the last few years, your parents have made comments about feeling like an ATM to you and your siblings. You approach your parents and ask if they’ll help out financially for your wedding in a similar way that they did for your sibling’s wedding. They say they’ll write you a check for $1,000 but that’s all they can help out with.

Your client is the person asking for help from their parents and they feel angry and disappointed with their parents’ response. How could you help them determine if their anger is justified and what action to take in this situation?

Your client is the one of the parents and they report feeling a sense of nagging guilt. How could you help them determine if their guilt is justified and what action to take in this situation?

In this workshop we will give you the tools to deconstruct situations like this and provide structure on how you can help your clients understand the difference between unjustified and justified anger and guilt, and the appropriate actions to take.

Objectives:

1. Gain the basic knowledge to understand the nature and purpose of anger and guilt.

2. Be able to discern between “justified” and “unjustified” anger and guilt.

3. Build skills to be able help clients know what responsive actions to take with anger and guilt, whether “justified” or “unjustified”.

Trainer Bios:

Sam Franklin, LMFT

Stanley Thiele, LP, LMFT, JD

Stanley Thiele has been a licensed psychotherapist for 18 years and is also a licensed marriage and family therapist. Sam Franklin is a licensed marriage and family therapist. During the last decade they have co-developed the social regulatory model of anger and guilt. Both Stanley and Stan have presented seminars, co-led groups and worked with many individual clients on issues involving anger and guilt.