WORKSHOPS in English and Spanish language

A new Practice of Marital Therapy: the Phase Consistent Marital Therapy- model ( FCMT)

The FCMT-model is a brief, practical , interventive and sometimes psycho-educational method of maximum 6 sessions for a very diverse (also more or less psychiatric -oriented) type of relational questions of couples in marital - distress .  Compared to other marital therapy models , the FCMT is not  monomethodic or proces-oriented ; eg. it offers possibilities to  hop from one problem area…to a  task area …to another theme…to a new relevant issue.
FCMT offers a direct practical approach with the male as well as female partner in the presented problematic relationship.
Very characteristic of the FCMT-model is the emphasis on focussing , collecting information and interviewing  differently  as a therapist, depending on which  specific life-cycle phase (stage) the couple finds itself .  Rick Pluut distinguishes 7 phases.  For every life-cycle phase a specific cluster of interventions should be or can be used .  
Relational risk factors, which the couple brings along,  are  identified and are relevant for the choice of how to interview and of the type of interventions as well.
Another fundamental aspect of the FCMT-model is to make a short evaluation at the beginning of the therapy sessions to check out if there is a discrepancy between the “calendar" life cycle and the “ behavior" life cycle  in the relationship of the couple.
This is important to know in order to decide what  the starting point will be of their marital therapy.
 
Learning Objectives of the workshop  (5—6 hours)  ; 1 or 2 days .
  1. Short historical overview on the development FCMT-model since 2001
  2. Phase-Characteristics of the  7 Marital life-cycles .
  3. Basics of brief marital therapy : attitude, planning, from collecting information to therapy,  framing and reframing,  starting and/or stopping…. etc. ).
  4. Verbal and Non-verbal  interventions .
  5. In and Out session tasks .
  6. When and how to work interventively.
  7.  When is Psycho -Education  needed?
  8. What is  the “Calendar" life-cycle and the  "Behaviour" life-cycle.
  9. Which are the couples’ marital relational risk-factors and how to handle them in therapy .

Working effectively with remarried  Couples and Families.

This workshop will provide  participants a series of  practical and  logical ideas plus simple tools to be more effective in treating and/or advising  remarried families, couples or individuals and to avoid falling into some classical (emotional) traps.
This pragmatical model consists of creating a simple new colour-genogram to be used as a central hallstand .  Stagnations with transitions,  painfull themes ,conflicts , difficult choices on what to do or where to stay ,  can all be linked to  this simplifying map . In this way dilemmas and conflicts become  more understandable for the family (couple) members and even for the therapist or coaches.
The workshop will explain how  family members and couples create rules ,  myths , and   belief-systems ( both logical and illogical ) in order to survive .
Tensions arrise when old habits and rules are transplanted into new relationships. The workshops explains furthermore classical pitfalls for therapists and families.
The above facts and concepts will assist the helpers in the field  to make choices who to invite , in which order to make appointments with the clients and how to provide a less emotional overview. Different kind of riskfactors for remarried couples and families will be presented. On this basis therapists can explain more professionally which options are possible , impossible  or out of the question .
When to work psyco-educational and when to help more in the direction of realistic change is a therapeutic choice and will be made clear in this workshop.
 
Learning Objectives of the workshop  (3---6 hours) ;  1/2  or 1 day.
  1. Important characteristics of remarried systems
  2. Transition dilemmas with remarried couples and  families
  3. Myths and pitfalls of remarried couples, families and therapists.
  4. How to make colour-genograms as startups for remarriages.
  5. When to work Psycho-Educative and when Change oriented.
  6. How to evaluate the realistic pace and tempo of remarried systems.
What is the“Calendar" life Cycle and what is the” Behaviour" life Cycle.

 Creativity at Work with Families and Couples.

In order to reach different types of family members, age groups, verbal or visual oriented persons , this workshop  will show a wide selection of creative and mostly non-verbal  possibilities to collect information and create different interventions.
Apart from genograms ( great for training, but boring for clients) the use of illu-grams , organo-grams and colour-grams will be demostrated.                    
Other visualisation techniques such as the use of space, sculpting, puppets,  role playing toys, drawings, metaphores, metaphorical objects and playful tasks can also become part of your  repertoire.  These techniques help to create a more relaxed atmoshere in your sessions .              
These visualisation techniques are also helpfull in engaging children,  youngsters and less intellectual/cognitive clients and make them feel more at ease. This way they can  participate better and benefit more from the sessions.
 
Learning objectives of the  workshop
  1. Create illu-grams , organo-grams  etc.  and use these interactively.
  2. Collecting information and how to  use this therapeuticly .
  3. The sequences of space and sculpting
  4. Choosing when to move from verbal to non-verbal
  5. Finding and  using methaphores an methaforical tasks
  6. Discovering your own creative preferences/possibilities .

 Bio Drs.Rick Pluut

1977 Drs. Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ( orientation CBT and client-centered )  
​1977 - 2017  Psychiatric Center Willibrord clinical psychologist/psychotherapist outpatient services                                                       
1980 - 1984   Specialization in Systems Therapy /Family therapy :strategical and structural  model 
1984 - Now.  Director ISSOOH. First Dutch Systemic Training Institute .  Certified Trainer and Supervisor in Systems Therapy.                                                                                                                                           
1990  Co-founder of EFTA   : the European Family Therapy Association                                              
1990 - 1999   Boardmember of  EFTA .                                                                                              
1990 - 2000 Editor EFTA -News                                                                                                      
2004 - 2012 Member Scientific Training  Committee  of the Academia de la Terapia Familia in Rome ,Italy.  
​2004 - 2007 Member Training Advisory Committee of the  Dutch Association of Family Therapy.
​2008-present Private Practice in Consultation and Supervision.

Since 1998  National and International Workshops on :
Couples Therapy  ,Remarried Systems,  Creative and Non-verbal  techniques ,  Bi-cultural marriages , Addiction , Roles of the Therapist , 
​
    100+ workshops and presentations in 24 countries in 4 languages.  
contact information
Rick Pluut +31 (0)6-5155 6782
e-mail: ​rickpluut@ziggo.nl