2008-2009 Clinical Conference Schedule

October 3, 2008
Emotional Objectivity: Oxymoron or Possibility?
Michael E. Kerr, MD
Do we have to get less reactive to our families to view them objectively or do we have to view them objectively to get less reactive? The processes are inseparable. The bad news is that people may struggle for years to be more objective, but the same problems keep recurring. The good news is that life offers an unending supply of challenges and people who persist in their efforts to become more objective sometimes “suddenly” view their relationships more factually. Emotional objectivity is no longer an oxymoron for them. What a difference it makes!

November 6, 2008
What is Emotional Reactivity?
Daniel V. Papero, PhD, LCSW
This conference will consider the idea of emotional reactivity, drawing both upon the findings of neuroscience and upon the direct experiences of the people interviewed.

December 5, 2008
My Family, My Self: A Journey of Discovery
Victoria Harrison, MA, LMSW, LMFT
Careful observation is an important step in the process of differentiation of self. This clinical conference will feature a presentation and discussion of the importance of observation: observation of emotional process in the family, of one's own reactivity and its impact, of one's part in triangles, and of changes in functioning that are part of progress. The videotaped interviews will illustrate the value of being a better observer.

January 9, 2009
Defining a Self
Kathleen B. Kerr, MSN, MA
Bowen theory describes the family as an emotional system which has enormous impact on the functioning of its members. People can work to have more control over their own functioning in the family emotional system. This requires observing both how one responds to the family and how one affects the system. The effort also requires knowing how the family system works and taking action on the basis of that knowledge. Individuals engaged in the process of differentiation of self will describe their efforts.

February 6, 2009
The Young Adult and Relationships
Anne S. McKnight, LCSW, EdD
Young adults separate from their families to begin work, to support themselves, and to establish relationships that will affect their future lives. The relationships they find are profoundly affected by the relationships in their original family, both as they were growing up and as they become adults. The complexity of their separation from the original family and its impact on them today, particularly in their choice of adult partners, will be explored through clinical interviews.

March 6, 2009
Chronic Anxiety, Symptoms, and Therapy
Louise Rauseo, RN, MS, CS
Bowen theory considers chronic anxiety in a family as an important component of symptoms of all kinds. With that in mind, how does a clinician decide where to focus the therapy? Who will be the most likely person in a family with the ability to affect change in the anxiety in the family unit? What is the role of the therapist in managing anxiety in self and in the clinical family?

April 17, 2009
The Process of Differentiation
Michael E. Kerr, MD
Differentiation of self is a way of being that grows out of a way of thinking. Knowledge of what is involved in the process of differentiation in family, work, and social systems has increased steadily over the decades. Much of the new knowledge comes from the experiences of a growing number of people who have been making long-term efforts. This conference features individuals describing their efforts and the obstacles they have encountered within themselves and within their family and other relationship systems.

May 15, 2009
Differentiation of Self in Young Adulthood: The Use of Bowen Theory in Choosing a Mate and Having Children
Roberta B. Holt, DSW, ACSW
Bowen theory is useful at all stages of life and has been especially helpful for those beginning a new family. Today’s conference will consider how knowledge about the family system and a move toward differentiation can guide life’s choices about marrying and having children.

June 5, 2009
Repetitive Posturing and Reciprocity in Relationships
when Moving Toward Self
Douglas Murphy, MA, MCMFT
The development of solid self and the ability to recognize it often is confounded by the repetitive postures brought about by emotional processes that take place with significant others. This clinical conference will explore the subtle identification with these postures by misidentifying them as “self.”