A Fun-filled Fast-Paced Game for Experiential Couples & Organizational ST continuing education.

Audience:  All Levels

ST –C*  and ST-OD** unite in their Connect-Talk skill sets!

*(Schema Therapy with Couples)

**(Schema Therapy for Organizational Development  and Diversity inclusion across cultures, nationalities, ethnic, philosophical, racial and national views)

After a brief presentation of the key Connect-Talk skills to be used in the competition, we will  divide into teams for a competitive fun game format.  While we encourage everyone to join in and participate, you can be an “observer only”.  We will use vignettes from the Doherty model of “Relational Ethics in Therapy”  and  will also bring in some organizational vignettes that require the same use of Connect-Talk skills.  In the process you will also gain some simple and direct ways to handle these ethical decisions that clients struggle with as well as improve your connecting amidst organizational diversity.

Be prepared to have a lot of fun and 80% experiential learning with your colleagues.  We will divide into teams for several games, and we’ll see how many rounds each team wins!

This presentation is provided by:

Chiara Simeone-DiFrancesco – SIG Founder for ST-C and ST-OD, & Director of the ISST certified Simeone-DiFrancesco Schema Therapy with Couples Training Center

About the Presenters:

Chiara Simeone-DiFrancesco

Chiara Simeone-DiFrancesco PhD, psychologist (USA) (1990).  Chiara is a trainer in Couples Therapy, holding Advanced & Trainer Certifications since 2008 in Individual & Couples, and the ISST certified Simeone-DiFrancesco ST with Couples Training Center™ providing training & educational consultation.  Chiara is the co-author of:  Schema Therapy with Couples/ A Practitioner’s Guide to Healing Relationships. 

Founder of the Special Interest Groups:   ST-Couples & ST-OD (Organizational Development) involving multicultural/religious/minority dialogue.

Originator/developer of Connect-Talk® & Needs vs. Wants.  “Connect-Talk®” has been developed by her as a core competency in ST-Couples.  It is her integration of Schema Therapy & Mode awareness with the intricacies of equal-to-equal positive connecting and inner and outer dialogue.

Her private practice is Connect-Talk, LLC seeing clients from Wisconsin & Virginia (USA).  Prior to becoming a psychologist she specialized in healing of memories and dialogue (internal and in relationships) providing group workshops with her husband in multiple states.  Special studies & mentoring developed expertise in connecting with diverse multi-cultural populations and facilitating reconciliation and understanding/acceptance.

Past professional positions include Commissioned Corps Officer/ Indian Mental Health Service; Chief of Psychology/WI Dept. of Corrections; founder and CEO of a non-profit based on healing of relationships 30 years.

Chiara is very active in the Catholic Psychotherapy Association where she is the Coordinator of the Member Representatives from every ecclesial region in the USA and International.   She has respect for clients coming from differing religious persuasions, incorporating meaning in life and positive examples into their quest for Healthy Adult mode functioning.  She sees the triadic integration of Spirit/Soul, mind/reason and emotions/body as promoting the most effective human flourishing.

Mandy Walsh

Mandy is a Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor at Talk in the Bay, a Counselling & Psychotherapy practice she co-founded in Cardiff in 2008. Mandy’s passion is working with couples and relationships especially when one or both partners have suffered difficult or traumatic childhoods. She is a Certified Advanced Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer for Individuals and provides workshops via Schema Therapy Wales. She is also a Certified Advanced Couples Schema Therapist. Mandy plays an active role in the Schema Couples work group and the ST-organisational development work group.

Alongside this she is currently developing a training time using concepts from the schema mode model to deliver to Human Resource teams to help them gain a better understanding of the mental health difficulties of employees working within their organisations.

Mandy was born in Durban South Africa in 1956 where she spent the first half of her working career in the Financial Services Industry.

She moved to Cardiff, UK in 2001 with her husband Craig and has 3 adult children Brett, Greg and Lauren who all live in London.

She loves to spend time walking in the Welsh countryside and on the Island of Mallorca where she visits regularly.