When Therapy Feels like "Whack-a-mole" - Matthew Elton

What do we do when we notice the "whack-a-mole" pattern emerging in therapy? This is the pattern of a client making progress on certain issues, only for new issues to emerge, as if to replace the old ones. Transactional Analysis (TA) provides one way of thinking about this pattern by suggesting it occurs when we work on resolving "contamination" (a cognitive issue) but miss out on tackling "confusion" (a pre-cognitive issue). This distinction can be useful for both clients and therapists, not least because it helps make sense of approaches that, on the surface, don't seem to relate to the "headline" issues the client is bringing.

The workshop will:

• introduce some client case studies illustrating the whack-a-mole pattern
• explain the TA concepts of contamination and confusion in a friendly way
• talk about how the client's "confusion" can also get the therapist confused and in this way keep the whack-a-mole pattern going
• discuss the pros and cons of sharing the concepts of contamination and confusion with your clients
• explore practical ways of breaking out of the whack-a-mole pattern

RECORDING

This workshop will be recorded and you can use the ticket function to pre-purchase the recording before the event. This will be useful for colleagues who are not able to attend the event live and also for those who attend the event live and want to watch it again.

ZOOM

This workshop will be hosted on the Zoom meeting platform where we will use our cameras and microphones to interact with each other as a group.

SELF-SELECT FEE

The self-select fee is a radical inclusion policy to open learning for all colleagues. The guide price for this event is £20.00, however, we appreciate that income varies greatly in different locations and circumstances. Please contribute what you can to help us maintain inclusive professional training.

___________________________

All the colleagues at ONLINEVENTS and the presenters we collaborate with are committed to working in a manner consistent with the BACP Ethical Framework, which can be accessed on the link below. When registering for this event you are agreeing to be present and interact in a manner that is consistent with this Framework.

https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/ethics-and-standards/ethical-framework-for-the-counselling-professions/

This workshop in a collaboration between The Link Centre and onlinevents

At The Link Centre we pride ourselves in delivering high quality options tailored to needs of clients and delivered in a relaxed, comfortable yet stimulating environment in which people feel safe to learn and develop. We work with individuals, groups, organisations, and educational establishments using the depth of our psychological knowledge, to facilitate growth and development.

Our training centre is located in the heart of the countryside, in Plumpton, East Sussex. It provides a variety of training rooms, extensive parking, and disabled access, to help meet the needs of individuals attending our courses. As well as this the centre has extensive grounds that can be enjoyed during lunch and tea breaks.

We also offer in-house coaching, training and consultancy that is tailored to the needs of our customers.

Our trainers and consultants are all fully qualified, experienced, skilled and accredited to both national and international level.

For more information about The Link Centre please click the link below

https://www.thelinkcentre.co.uk/

Matthew Elton

Matthew Elton is a therapist and supervisor based in Edinburgh and has been in private practice since 2005 (www.extra-help.org.uk). He works with a wide range of clients and has a special interest in writers and artists. His formative training was in Transactional Analysis and he has since developed a strong interest in Narrative Therapy. Matthew regularly runs workshops for counsellors and therapists in Scotland, across the UK, and online.

His practical book for counsellors and therapists, Talking It Better: From Insight to Change in the Therapy Room, was published in 2021 by PCCS. It’s also available as an audiobook on Audible and elsewhere.