Episode #18 - Bryan Nixon - Therapeutic Fish in Relational Waters

Episode 18 - Bryan Nixon - Therapeutic Fish in Relational Waters


 


Welcome back and thank you for listening! Before I jump into the
content of this episode, I have a request as well as some
exciting news to share. My request is, if you enjoy this podcast
and have found it to be useful, please consider heading to iTunes
and offering a rating. It is super helpful with getting the
podcast in front of more people who might enjoy it. Additionally,
please consider sharing the podcast with others whom you think
might be into it. I would be extremely grateful!  


 


Now for the exciting news! As you may know, for the past 4 years
I have been a trainer in the Relationally Focused Psychodynamic
Therapy post-grad continuing ed program, which I helped develop
with fellow therapists Krista Law, Clarissa Hill, and founder,
Dr. Roy Barsness. RFPT for short. 


 


We developed this program because Intuitively we all know that we
are formed in relationship, harmed in relationship, and we heal
in relationship. As therapists we have followed this intuition
into a career path. And Research has clearly shown that in spite
of which modality of therapy we are trained in, it is the quality
of the relationship between therapist and client that will
inevitably determine the outcome and yet our training is most
heavily focused on equipping us with tools to use when certain
symptoms are presented. We are not often taught how to fully show
up in a healing and transformative way within the relationship
itself.


RFPT exists to do precisely that. Rooted in Relational
Psychoanalytic theory, we aim to help therapists deepen their
clinical work to move beyond good rapport and techniques into
transformational authenticity and presence with their patients.
We have created this program to offer a communal and
developmental structure to therapists who may find themselves
silently wondering if they have what it takes to be a therapist
or to those who find that their practice feels flat and stagnant,
possibly on the brink of burnout, and are longing for a way to
add depth, vibrancy, and vitality to the work they initially felt
deeply drawn into.


The program has been housed within the Seattle School of Theology
and Psychology, which has been a huge source of support and
organization for us as we have developed the program and we are
grateful. As we prepare to begin our fourth year, I am so excited
to announce that this Fall we will be launching a brand new
institute named the Contemporary Psychodynamic Institute (CPI)
which will become the new home for RFPT! In addition to the RFPT
program, CPI will also have a number of additional offerings for
therapists who are interested in learning more about Relational
Psychodynamic practice, including: workshops and events, a
learning library, e-courses, blogs and possibly a podcast of its
own.


I could not be more excited about what is taking shape, so stay
tuned for the upcoming launch of our website! I will most likely
be posting updates about this process on my Instagram page:
@wiwpodcast If you’re a therapist and this is interesting to you,
you can also DM me there if you are curious to learn more about
CPI & the RFPT program.


I think all of this segue’s nicely into today’s episode, which I
am calling Therapeutic Fish in Relational Waters. In this episode
I will give an overview of several of the most well known
therapeutic methods…aka…the fish. And then I will describe the
nature of the water in which all of the fish are swimming, that
is the relational dynamics that take shape between every
therapist and patient. As I mentioned a minute above, the
relationship determines how effective the therapy will be,
regardless of which technique is being used. Thank you for tuning
in and I hope you enjoy! 


 


Links:


Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy (RFPT) - Post-grad
continuing education program for psychotherapists that I teach in
and mentioned at the start of this episode. If you’re a therapist
and want to learn more, I’d love to chat with you! Send me an
email at: bryan@mindfulcounselinggr.com.


Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy (RFPT) is an
evidence-based treatment approach with strong roots in depth
psychology (particularly contemporary Relational Psychoanalysis),
dialogical philosophy, and neuroscience. As of December 2018, the
Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy has set forth policy
recommendations that evidence-based therapy relationships and
responsiveness be taught as frequently as other evidence-based
treatments. (Reference: Norcross, J. C., & Lambert, M. J.
(2019). Psychotherapy Relationships that work III. Psychotherapy,
55,4, p. 303-315). The RFPT certificate program is a direct
response to these policy recommendations.


 


Why in the World Podcast on Instagram


 


Bryan Nixon is a psychotherapist and the founder and clinical
director of Mindful Counseling GR in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also
a teacher and facilitator in Relationally Focused Psychodynamic
Therapy, a post-grad continuing education program for
therapists.