From Pathology to Partnership:
Trauma-Informed Strategies for Therapists
Sunday, April 19, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT
Sunday, April 19, 2026, 1:45 PM EDT
Presenter: Presenter: Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, DHL, Karol Darsa, Psy.D
These workshops offer 6 Live Interactive Continuing Education Credits
Full Day Webinar
April 19th, 2026
10:00 AM - 4:45 PM EST
The cost of one day is $99.99, an individual class is $59.99
To register for the FULL DAY SEMINAR Click "BUY IT NOW". To register for just one class, click on the Class/link below.
If you have any difficulty registering, please contact us here.
Class 1
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM EST
Pathology and Partnership: When Personality Disorders Meet Couples Counseling
This presentation begins by defining personality disorders (PDs) as enduring, maladaptive patterns of behavior and inner experience that impair relationships, with a focus on Cluster B disorders like Narcissistic (NPD) and Borderline (BPD) Personality Disorders due to their prevalence in couples counseling. We’ll explore how PDs manifest as an "Emotional Ponzi Scheme House of Cards," where fragile defenses (e.g., grandiosity in NPD, splitting in BPD) create volatile dynamics—such as idealization-devaluation cycles or boundary violations—that destabilize partnerships. Drawing from sources like Landucci & Foley (2014), we’ll highlight common pairings (e.g., NPD+BPD, NPD+OCPD) and their unique challenges, including emotional volatility, poor insight, and countertransference risks for therapists. The introduction will emphasize the importance of recognizing these patterns early to tailor interventions effectively.
The second part outlines evidence-based interventions for couples with PDs, integrating eclectic strategies from Livesley’s (2005) phased approach—safety, containment, regulation, exploration, and integration—with specific techniques like boundary setting (Hafeez), DBT skills (Fruzzetti & Fruzzetti, 2003), and Gottman’s relational methods. We’ll discuss how therapists can serve as a “mirroring self-object” (Landucci & Foley) to validate injuries while fostering empathy and collaboration, illustrated through fictional case studies: “Laura and David” (NPD+BPD) navigating rage and abandonment fears, and “Alice and Eugene” (NPD+OCPD) balancing drama and control. The presentation concludes with practical tips—establishing a holding environment, managing countertransference, and setting common goals—supported by sources like Lachkar (1998), to equip clinicians with tools to stabilize these complex relationships.
(Trainer - Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, DHL is a seasoned psychotherapist specializing in high-conflict couples and families, as well as male sexual health. He maintains a private practice with offices in Brooklyn, Queens and Boca Raton)
3 Hours
Class 2
1:45 PM - 4:45 PM EST
Reparenting the Inner Child: A Therapist’s Guide to Deep Healing from Relational Trauma
Many adult clients enter therapy feeling stuck in patterns of self-criticism, abandonment wounds, or persistent emotional dysregulation, despite appearing high-functioning on the outside. These patterns often trace back to unmet developmental needs and relational trauma experienced in early caregiving relationships. This workshop will provide clinicians with a clear, experiential framework for identifying and working with the wounded inner child using parts work, somatic techniques, and attachment-based interventions.
Participants will learn how to gently access disowned parts of the self, facilitate self-compassion, and help clients develop an internal sense of safety and care. Through case examples and practical tools, this training will guide therapists in helping clients create an internal reparenting process that fosters long-term healing and integration.
(Trainer - Dr. Karol Darsa, is an accomplished trauma psychologist. In her over-25 year career in trauma and mental health disorders, Dr. Darsa published The Trauma Map: Five Steps to Reconnect With Yourself, The Trauma Bridge: Reconnecting Body and Mind for clinicians and their clients, founded the Reconnect Trauma Treatment Center, and created the Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Model (RITTM).)
3 Hours
This One Day Seminar includes two excellent classes, a total of 6 CEs. You may attend an individual class for $59.99.