Part 1: Understanding and Managing High Conflict Personalities

View On-Demand Portion

IMPORTANT: This first part will be two 90-minute webinars and one 60-minute demonstration video, to be viewed at your convenience before livestream sessions (Part 2 & Part 3) on scheduled dates.

Section 1: 90 minutes
To work effectively with potentially high conflict clients, professionals must understand some of their different ways of thinking, feelings, and behavior. This webinar provides an overview of five high conflict personality disorders, their common behavior patterns, how to identify them, tips for working with them, and what NOT to do in working with them.

Section 2: 90 minutes
High conflict brain dynamics will be briefly explained, then the CARS Method® will be provided for managing high conflict individuals in any setting, including Connecting with Empathy, Attention and Respect; Analyzing Options, including Making Proposals; Responding to Misinformation including the BIFF Response®; and Setting Limits on high conflict behavior. The 4 Big Skills of all New Ways methods will be introduced: managed emotions, flexible thinking, moderate behavior, and checking yourself.

Section 3: 60 minutes
A demonstration video, titled Intro for Professionals, will introduce the techniques and structure of the New Ways for Families counseling method using a family going through a sample case. It demonstrates court hearings, counseling sessions with each parent, and parent-child counseling sessions, all with explanations.   

Part 2: Skills and Structure of New Ways For Families: Counseling Method
Live training via Zoom

Section 1: 90 minutes
The overall NWFF counseling method and the 4 Big Skills will be reviewed and how all professionals (counselors, lawyers, mediators, judges, parent coordinators) should reinforce use of these skills with clients. Handling special issues will be addressed, including client resistance, domestic violence issues, child alienation, the research basis for New Ways and general procedural issues.

15-MINUTE BREAK

Section 2: 60 minutes
Using the NWFF Professional Guidebook, we will explain how to start a NWFF case, including court orders or signed agreements to use this counseling method, and information about Behavioral Declarations, Individual Parent Counselors, and Parent-Child Counselors.

Using the NWFF Parent Workbook, there will be a practice exercise for the counseling session #1, including explaining the method, assisting the client with goal setting and dealing with resistance.  

15-MINUTE BREAK

Section 3: 60 minutes
Using the NWFF Parent Workbook, we will practice session #2, including Encouraging Statements and BIFF email Communications.

Part 3: Practice Exercises: Parent and Parent-Child Together
Live training via Zoom

Section 1: 90 minutes
Using the NWFF Parent Workbook, there will be a practice exercise from counseling session #3 for Making Proposals. Sessions 4-6 will be briefly addressed. Then we will introduce the separate Parent-Child counseling sessions and how to set them up, taking into account DV, child abuse, alienation and estrangement issues. These sessions emphasize learning skills, rather than discussing feelings and past issues, with the counselor playing the supporting role of helping the parent to stay on track while teaching their child the 4 Big Skills.

15-MINUTE BREAK

Section 2: 60 minutes
Using the NWFF Parent Workbook, we will practice Parent-Child Counseling session #1, including the New Ways Parent-Child Talk and Flexible Thinking. Then, we will practice Session #3, focusing on how the parents will support each other within the reality of their case, including new behaviors that each parent and child can practice. Variations of the Parent-Child Counseling will be addressed, given the realities of different ages, number of children, and special needs.

15-MINUTE BREAK

Section 3: 60 minutes
This final session will focus on applying the skills in decision-making, possibly with a short mediation exercise. The remainder of the session will focus on how to sign up for listing as a New Ways Counselor on the High Conflict Institute website, tips for promoting your NWFF counseling practice and how to work with court systems, judges, and lawyers for referrals.  

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Identify the research basis, goals, and practical implications of New Ways for Families in reducing conflict in family law cases.

2. Identify the four steps of New Ways and use an understanding of these steps to improve service delivery to family law clients.

3. Apply skills to focus clients on learning conflict-reducing skills rather than blaming others.

4. Apply cognitive-behavior therapy methods with clients using the Parent Workbook.

5. Apply family therapy methods with clients in structuring the Parent-Child Counseling.

6. Identify the important structuring role of judicial officers with high-conflict parents and use this understanding to facilitate clients’ participation in New Ways.

7. Apply methods for dealing with the resistance of high-conflict parents.

8. Identify the professional’s role of guiding clients in making proposals, responding to proposals, and making their own lasting decisions in family law matters and use this understanding to create a supportive interdisciplinary approach to service delivery.

9. Apply methods of managing parent decision-making in the alternative dispute resolution processes of mediation, parenting facilitation, and collaborative practice.

10. Recognize the importance of all professionals reinforcing client skills in managing future problems and discuss practical implications of such.

After registering and paying for the training, you will have immediate access to a library with all training information, including:

• List of required and optional books and links for purchase

  New Ways for Families Professional Guidebook
  New Ways for Families Parent Workbook

• Materials to download/print or save to your computer
  • PowerPoint PDF, articles, exercises
• Part 1 On-Demand Portion of the Training
  • View this part prior to the scheduled livestream date 
• Zoom Link for the scheduled livestream training dates

After you complete the training:

• _{A Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you.}

• _{You will have access to additional New Ways training to view if you wish:}

  • _{New Ways for Families Pre-Mediation Coaching Training}

  • _{New Ways for Families Decision Skills Class Training}