Developmental Issues in Clinical Practice

All of us encounter difficult cases involving abuse and resulting issues in alliance, emotional regulation, and managing boundaries. A psychodynamic relational and developmental perspective enlightens our understanding of the clinical situation and enhances our ability to intervene in an effective therapeutic way. Dr. Holman has more than 40 years of clinical experience with complex cases as well as more than 25 years of training, supervising, and clinical consulting experience with mental health professionals working with complex and difficult cases.

Workshops on Using Developmental and Life Span Theory in Practice provide essential theoretical information for understanding clinical situations involving the developmental issues prominent in borderline, narcissistic, and abuse survivor pathologies. Workshops and Seminars review developmental theories and concepts relevant to understanding difficult cases, and discuss application of developmental and relational concepts in interventions. The perspective is developmental psychopathology in assessment and intervention. 

Seminars on Developmental Theory in Practice meet monthly and provide essential theoretical information for understanding the developmental issues prominent in difficult and complex cases.  Readings from psychodynamic object relations and self psychology provide a foundation for understanding mutuality and intersubjectivity. A post-modern perspective focuses on co-creating meaning within an interpersonal encounter. Affect and theory of emotion is integrated with current thinking about attachment and neurobiology.  Appliction to participants' cases and new ways to use the therapist's self to facilitate change are discussed.  

A foundation Seminar on Developmental Object Relations and Self-Psychology Theory reviews how the earliest relationship impacts ego and self-development.  Concepts of attunement, mirroring, and empathy and their impact on senses of self and other are considered.  The role and function of the early caregiving environment on the developing sense of self is applied to the role and function of the therapist in facilitating change and repair in self and relational ability.  Each month a reading from object relations or self-psychology literature is reviewed and applied to cases and clinical practice.

An advanced Seminar on Relationship and Mutuality in Change explores the literature of post-modernism, neuroscience, affectivity, modern attachment theory, and the application of the paradigm of intersubjectivity and mentalization.  The therapist’s use of self becomes informed by a relational and intersubjective understanding.  The role of mutual and present intersubjective encounters is emphasized, and the process of co-creating meaning within intersubjective encounters is explored.

Case consultation focuses on developing an understanding of the dynamics of the client and the clinical situation. Issues of alliance building and transference/counter-transference, and use of the therapist's self will be discussed using relational and developmental perspectives.

CEC's:

Official NASW Colorado Chapter

Continuing Education Provider.