Department of Psychology, SH College, East Campus, Thevara in association with Mind Weavers associated and organized a virtual International conference titled Outcome focused Approaches in Psychotherapy and Counselling from 20th October 2021 to 24th October 2021 through Zoom Platform. The main objective of the conference was to introspect on Outcome Focused Approaches in Psychotherapy & Counselling the conference was spread across 4 days with different workshop addressing the major topics in Counselling and Psychotherapy. The Inaugural Address was given by Dr. Tilottama Mukherjee on 20th October 2021 where the resource person focused on the importance of Counselling and Psychotherapy in the present dynamic world in which we are living, the major focus of the inaugural address was about the need for Counselling and Psychotherapy and what is the role of the therapist in practice today. After the inaugural address a Key Note session was carried out by Dr. Barry L Duncan, Psy.D. CEO of Better Outcomes Now and a Psychologist, trainer, and researcher the title of the key note session was “Becoming Better at What We Do” the resource person spoke about the common factors and empirical findings regarding method improving outcomes and becoming better, systematic, client feedback.
Day 2 of the conference was on 21st October 2021 where two parallel workshops was organized with different topic. Workshop on” Balance experiences. Change in a brief time by doing the opposite” by Dr. Bernardo Paoli, Scientific Society of Strategic Psychotherapy, Rome, Italy the resource person focused on the first form of Brief Therapy without the use of hypnotic trance. The session mainly focuses on what are the forms of communication and therapeutic experiences that can, in the shortest possible time, interrupt the vicious circle (the "cybernetic circuit"), which feeds the problems, composed of the interpretation of the world made by the patient and attempts to solve the problems. The parallel workshop on day 2 was on Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples, by Harishankar Moosath, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Christ University the session discussion was mainly on Emotion-focused therapy (EFT), pioneered by Sue Johnson and Leslie Greenberg, is an evidence-based therapy for couples. It has its roots in attachment theory, experiential therapy and systemic therapy.
Day 3 of the conference was on 22nd October 2021 which was divided into two parallel workshop sessions where session one topic was on Sex Therapy by Suni M S, Clinical Psychologist/Asst. Professor MES Medical College/MES College of Nursing, Perinthalmanna MES Academy of Medical Sciences (MAMS) The resource person provided an overview of the concept of sexuality and how it is unique in humans from other species and discussed the recent paradigm shift in the classification system of sexual dysfunction in ICD 11. The other topic discussed in the parallel workshop was on “Orientation to Grief Therapy” Dr. Keerthi Pai Clinical Psychologist, Apollo Hospitals and Element H Psychological Support Services, Chennai. The key points covered by the resource person was to educate participants about stages of grief, especially the 6th stage as given by David Kessler, the workshop also covered process-oriented aspects of grief therapy, therapeutic relationship, grief yoga, and cognitive therapy aspects of Grief. Also, Indian perspectives of handling grief.
Day 4 of the conference was on 23rd October 2021 where the workshop had two parallel sessions the first parallel session was on the topic” Psychotherapy of abusers of domestic violence” by Tomasz Majewski , INTEGRITSR - a training centre for therapy and solution- focused approach, Poland. The session focused on One of the most effective ways to stop violence is psychotherapy for perpetrators of violence. The second parallel session was on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, by Baijesh Ramesh, Clinical Psychologist, Mental Health Advisor, Minerva University, California. The session covered the empirically based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies, together with commitment and behavior change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility.
Day 5 of the conference was on 24th October 2021 which had scientific paper presentation on the themes based on Counselling and Psychotherapy. A total of 13 delegates across the country did the paper presentation on topics like recent therapies, counselling strategies and techniques. Finally, the valedictory address was given by Arnoud Huibers , Netherlands, licensed psychologist and systematic psychotherapist , member of the Dutch Society of Psychologist.
Learning Outcome
Participants were able to delineate the factors that account for change in therapy and apply the research about the importance of client factors and the alliance to successful outcome. Participants were able to understand how to identify Attempted Solutions, how to work with the Symmetry of Opposites. Two exemplary therapeutic experiences: the "How worse" and the "What if". Participants will be able to elicit client feedback about the alliance and outcome to enable new directions in therapy and the recapturing of clients who would have otherwise not benefited. The work shop also enabled the participants to have an overview about Sex history taking and assessment, various sexual dysfunctions, psychological treatment approaches, research opportunities. Grief counselling helped the participants to understand Stages of Grief especially the 6th stage given by David Kessler, Grief expert and author of books on grief. The workshop also helped the participants to reflect on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and causes and role of therapist in controlling violence.
