 Dr. Kenneth V. Hardy ~ 3 CE credit hours
February 25, 2011 ~ 9:00am-12:00pm Alliant International University ~ Irvine, CA Therapy with members of oppressed groups is often complicated by the presence of invisible wounds. These wounds are the culmination of ongoing experiences with injustice, degradation, and discrimination. While the invisible wounds of oppression may not be readily discernible to clinician or client, they have a profound impact on the course of therapy and its outcome. Therapists' lack of awareness and sensitivity to the wounds of oppression can stifle the joining process and unwittingly contribute to therapeutic ways of being and interventions that are counterproductive to effective treatment. Such innocent acts of insensitivity are often the unspoken, unacknowledged, micro-acts that contribute to the premature termination of treatment and perception that oppressed people are resistant to treatment. This workshop will examine the anatomy of oppression and its impact on the life experiences of those who are targeted. It will explore the multitudinous ways in which therapy potentially replicates acts of oppression for clients whose life experiences have been maligned by prejudice and discrimination. Strategies for uncovering and addressing the invisible wounds of oppression will be discussed. Participants also will be encouraged to explore the ways in which their personal experiences with oppression both enrich and constrain their work as therapists. Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the two levels of oppression and explain how they differ. 2. Identify the invisible wounds of oppression. 3. Effectively assess and treat the invisible wounds of oppression 4. Identify three strategies therapists might employ when working from an oppression-sensitive framework. 5. Understand how their experiences with oppression (or the lack there of) may impact the relationship between provider and client. Kenneth V. Hardy, Ph.D. is a Professor of Family Therapy at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is an internationally recognized clinician, author, and Trainer. He is also the Director of the Eikenberg Institute for Relationships in New York City where he maintains a private practice specializing in working with traumatized and oppressed populations. Dr. Hardy is the former Director of the Center for Children, Families, and Trauma at the Ackerman Institute in New York City, and formerly served on the faculty at Syracuse University where he held numerous positions including Director of Clinical Training and Research, as well as Chairperson of the Department of Child and Family Studies. |
