Navigating Conflict: Assessment and Interventions for Challenging Couples
$45.00
This training provides a comprehensive exploration of navigating conflict and implementing effective interventions for challenging couples, particularly those exhibiting hostile-dependent or passive-aggressive dynamics. Through interactive discussions and case studies, participants will learn assessment techniques and intervention strategies tailored to the unique needs of challenging couples, emphasizing the importance of recognizing signs of conflict avoidance and passive-aggressive behavior. Practical guidance will be provided on facilitating positive interaction, setting behavioral agreements, and supporting partners’ emotional growth within the therapeutic process. By the end of the training, participants will have a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in working with hostile-dependent couples and will be equipped with practical tools and strategies to navigate conflict and foster growth within these relationships effectively.
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Understand the underlying dynamics of hostile-dependent relationships and their impact on conflict resolution.
- Learn assessment techniques to identify signs of conflict avoidance and passive-aggressive behavior in couples.
- Explore intervention strategies tailored to the unique needs of hostile-dependent couples, including disrupting symbiosis and increasing capacity for differentiation.
- Gain practical skills in facilitating positive interaction and setting behavioral agreements within the therapeutic context.
- Enhance awareness of the developmental stages outlined by Mahler and their relevance to hostile-dependent dynamics.
- Develop strategies to support partners’ emotional growth and foster healthy conflict resolution within the therapeutic process.
Social workers completing this course receive 3 Clinical asynchronous continuing education credits.
For other board approvals, this course qualifies for 3 hours of Clinical, Evidence-Based Practices, and General Skill Building continuing education training.
Course Instructor: Zumrad Ahmedjanova, LCSW-S, LCAS, CCS
Recording Date: 6/29/2024
Recorded Live Webinar with downloadable presentation slides and/or handouts, evaluation, and a required quiz. The learner is required to pass with a 70% or higher to achieve the CE certificate of completion. The learner is able to reset the test until a satisfactory score is achieved. CE Training Workshops, LLC, provider #1770, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 8/2/2022 – 8/2/2025. CE Training Workshops, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7091. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CE Training Workshops, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. System Requirements: Firefox, Chrome, Brave, Safari, Edge on any modern operating system (Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS). A desktop browser is recommended. We do not provide support resources for issues encountered using a mobile device. For more information about our policies and board approval statements, please visit our FAQS page.
Zumrad Ahmedjanova, LCSW-S, LCAS, CCS (she/her) is a mentor, speaker, business owner, licensed clinical social worker and Board-Approved Social Work and Substance Abuse Supervisor with 15 years of experience and a wide range of areas of expertise.
Navigating Conflict: Assessment and Interventions for Challenging Couples (3 HR) Syllabus
I. Introduction and Objectives
- Define hostile-dependent relationships and their clinical relevance
- Identify common patterns and dynamics in high-conflict couples
- Introduce key tools for assessment and intervention
- Establish goals for supporting emotional growth and conflict resolution
II. Understanding Hostile-Dependent Relationships
- Describe mutual or one-sided hostility maintained by emotional dependency
- Highlight key features including emotional reliance, fear of abandonment, and recurring blame
- Explain difficulty with differentiation and enmeshment
III. Common Couple Dynamics
- The Perpetual Fighters: express dissatisfaction through frequent conflict
- The Push-Pull Relationship: cycle of emotional demand and avoidance
- The Resentful Dependents: conflict over roles and perceived inequities
- The Passive-Aggressive Duo: indirect hostility and avoidance of direct confrontation
IV. Assessment Tools for Couples Therapy
- Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS)
- Conflict Tactics Scales – Short Form (CTS2S)
- Couple Satisfaction Index (CSI)
- Clinical interpretation of conflict intensity and relationship satisfaction
V. Developmental Approach to Anger (Joines)
- Rage: unmet early needs
- Frustration: misunderstood or denied needs
- Anger: boundary invasion
- Arguing: lack of clarity
- Resentment: unresolved wrongdoing
VI. Intervention Strategies for Hostile-Dependent Couples
- Diffuse conflict with calming techniques and ground rules
- Establish limits through behavior contracts
- Support partners in identifying and managing triggers
- Reinforce positive behaviors, apologies, and cooperation
VII. Behavioral Contract for Conflict Resolution
- Use of “I” statements and active listening
- Guidelines for taking breaks and staying on topic
- Agreements around respect, emotional support, and non-verbal cues
- Planning for future stress and supporting individual growth
VIII. Working with Passive-Aggressive Behavior
- Identify sarcasm, withholding, silent treatment, and procrastination
- Use structured confrontation and direct communication techniques
- Encourage ownership of emotions and expression of underlying needs
IX. Addressing Passive Behaviors (Schiff)
- Doing Nothing: inertia in conflict
- Over-Adaptation: excessive compliance with others’ expectations
- Agitation: purposeless activity masking discomfort
- Incapacitation or Violence: reactive energy release and loss of control
X. Tools for Intervention and Differentiation
- Apply Karpman’s Drama Triangle to understand conflict roles
- Use Initiator–Inquirer Exercise to develop empathy and clarity
- Encourage curiosity, regulation, and direct communication
