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San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group

HomeMastering the Art and Science of Psychotherapy 2023-2024

SFPRG Presents:

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Mastering the Art and Science of Psychotherapy: 

An Intensive Psychotherapy Certification Program

in the Principles and Practice of Control-Mastery Theory

24-weekly meetings every Monday
beginning October 16, 2023 through April 22, 2024

(with 4 Mondays off for various Holidays - for a total span of 28 weeks)

12:00 - 1:30 pm PST every Monday

Live Lecture Series on Zoom

Instructors:

George Silberschatz, David Kealy, John Curtis, Jim McCollum, Trevor Ahrendt, Pamela Lyss-Lerman, Victoria Beckner, Francesco Gazzillo and others

 

Research has shown that some therapists are significantly better than others: their patients improve faster, they are more satisfied with their therapy experience, achieve better outcomes, and they are far less likely to drop-out of therapy.  What are these effective therapists doing that their less effective counterparts are not? We have distilled SFPRG’s fifty years of empirical research and clinical experience into an online intensive psychotherapy training course that aims to answer this important question and offer you the framework to put it into practice in your therapy work.  Control-mastery theory (CMT) is an integrated psychodynamic-cognitive-relational model about how and why psychotherapy works.   It does not privilege any one set of techniques or approach to doing psychotherapy.  Rather, it provides a way of understanding each patient's unique needs in therapy and how to adjust one's approach to be responsive to that patient’s individual needs.

This 24-week, intensive class focuses on the fundamentals of CMT, how to apply it clinically, and how to develop effective case formulations for what your patients need to optimize therapeutic responsiveness. The class features multiple instructors with clinical and research experience in CMT and includes ongoing case conferences that promise to be clinically enriching and enjoyable.


Partial list of Topics:


• Why does psychotherapy work?
• Elements of the theory
• Adaptation, Safety, Attachment
• Trauma
• Pathogenic Beliefs
• Testing
• Plan formulation
• Plan formulation method
• Culture and patient-specific variables
• Use and evaluation of the plan
• Using clinical data and observations
• Responsiveness, coaching, testing
• Psychotherapy integration
• Integrating CMT in your own work roundtable
• Treatment by attitude

CE Credit: 36 CE credits. If you would like CE credits you should indicate so during registration. COA's will be sent within 30 days of the conclusion of the entire lecture series. This lecture series will be separated into 6 separate course block/units of 4 classes each (6 CE credits per course block). You must attend all classes in a course block/unit to receive your 6 hour Certificate of Attendance for that block.

 

Registration Cost: 

$975 for SFPRG Members
$1,175 for General Public

$850 for Students (Unlicensed or within two years post-licensure; comes with free SFPRG membership)

 

Cancellation Policy: No refunds are provided for this workshop. 
If you have questions about your registration, please contact 415-561-6771 or cmt@sfprg.org.

Registration Opens:  Tuesday August 15, 2023 at 10:00 am PST

Registration Closes: 
 Friday October 13, 2023 at 6:00 pm PST

Will Program be Recorded: 
No

No Class will be held on the following Days: 

12/25/23 -Winter Break
1/1/24 -Winter Break
1/15/24 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
2/19/24 - Presidents Day

Frequently Asked Questions: 

If I have to miss a class, how does that affect my CEU's? 
The class is organized into 6 blocks with 6 CE credits each. If you miss a class, you will only lose the CE credits for that block. 

Is each participant meant to bring one specific case to work with, or bring many? 
When participants bring in a case, they may find it helpful to stick with one case or with multiple.  We are flexible and want to support the participants’ learning according to each of their needs.

Course Schedule: If you would like know more about the schedule for this event please contact our front office at cmt@sfprg.org or 415-561-6771

Cancellation Policy: No refunds are provided for this event. If you have questions about your registration, please contact our office at cmt@sfprg.org 415-561-6771

Commercial Support: There is no known commercial support for this program. All planners and speakers report no relevant financial relationships.

Co-sponsorship:
There is no co-sponsor of this event.

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Meet our Instructors:

George Silberschatz

George Silberschatz, PhD is a past president of the International Society for Psychotherapy Research and is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSF.  He is the president of the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group and is in private practice in San Francisco. (PSY 5286)

David Kealy 

David Kealy, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Psychotherapy Program at the Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, where he teaches and conducts research on psychotherapy and mental health.  His research has been recognized by awards from the Western Psychological Association and the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration.  Based in Vancouver, Canada, Dr. Kealy has a background in community mental health social work and currently maintains a private practice (BCCSW 05060), providing psychotherapy and clinical supervision.

John Curtis

John T. Curtis, Ph.D. is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSF.  He is Treasurer of the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group and is in private practice in San Francisco (PSY 6545).

Jim McCollum

James McCollum, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY29263) working in private practice in San Francisco where he sees adults, families, children, and adolescents.  He received his doctorate from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Francisco, CA.  He serves on the board of the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group and chairs the Education and Outreach Committee. 

Dr. McCollum has provided trainings to organizations and clinicians on psychotherapy process, outcomes, and effectiveness.  He is a researcher who has published and presented his work on psychometrics and psychotherapy research at international conferences.

Trevor Ahrendt

Trevor M. Ahrendt, Psy.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY26754) working in private practice in San Francisco where he sees adults, couples, and runs group therapy. He received his doctorate from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. He serves on the board of the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group and served on the board of the Northern California Group Psychotherapy Association.

Dr. Ahrendt has provided trainings to organizations and clinicians on addiction and chemical dependency, the therapeutic relationship, and mindfulness in therapy. He’s provided trainings in varied settings and is a motivational speaker on issues related to personal growth and the importance of leading an examined life.


Pamela Lyss-Lerman

Pamela Lyss-Lerman, M.D. is a board-certified adult psychiatrist (CA A108806). She earned her medical degree at the University of California - San Francisco where she also completed her internship and residency training in Psychiatry. She received specialized training in Women’s Mental Health and was the first graduate from the UCSF Women’s Mental Health Focus Track after working with a committee to create this track. Her private practice is located in San Francisco where she provides psychotherapy and, when appropriate, medication management, specializing in treating women who are planning for pregnancy, who are pregnant, or who are in their postpartum period. She serves on the board of SFPRG.

Victoria Lemle Beckner

Victoria Lemle Beckner, Ph.D. is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco and a partner with the San Francisco Group for Evidence-Based Psychotherapy. She was originally trained in CBT and ACT specializing in anxiety disorders and trauma; during her career she developed a passionate interest in processes of change across various approaches, including psychodynamic and emotion-focused models of psychotherapy, which she explores in her teaching and writing. 

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Francesco Gazzillo

Francesco Gazzillo, PhD, psychoanalytic psychotherapist, Associate Professor of Dynamic Psychology, Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology & Health Studies, 'Sapienza' University of Rome. President of the Control-Mastery Theory Italian Group

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San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group
1008 General Kennedy Avenue
San Francisco, CA  94129
(415) 561-6771