Presented by AEDP Senior Faculty Karen Pando-Mars MFT
Recorded for OnDemand Learning
This online seminar is for professionals and students in mental health and the healing arts and sciences including: Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Psychiatrists, Psychoanalysts, Social Workers, Counselors, MFTs, MD’s, Nurses, Creative Arts Therapists, and Masters & Doctoral students as well as soon-to-be licensed Interns & Trainees.
Training Description
Part I & Part II of this seminar series are each designed to stand alone; they complement each other without duplicating material. This workshop, Part II, will focus on how therapists can better attune and resonate with patients, helping them to be seen and heard, aiming to set the conditions to establish a secure base in which our patient’s self-at-best can arise. Sometimes the patient’s attachment strategy can challenge the therapist’s capacity to be present, responsive, attuned and empathic. Clinicians often ask “Who is better suited to work with whom in terms of matching attachment styles?” I want to propose that it is not actually the patient’s attachment style itself that challenges therapists to feel inadequate or unable to empathize or triggers our self-at-worst attachment strategy. Rather, my reaction to the specific behavior that is manifesting in the moment is what drives me outside of my capacity to respond with the help that is needed. This workshop is about expanding the clinician’s capacity to respond moment-to-moment by deepening understanding about what is going on with whom and how to tailor the therapist’s stance with respect to patient’s distinctive attachment strategies.
This workshop will identify classic blind spots that get elicited by specific aspects of each attachment strategy. We will break down the configuration of each attachment style into its affect regulation strategies and defenses, caregiver hallmarks and the subsequent relational attitudes and patterning, and the seeds of resilience. Video of psychotherapy sessions will also be shown to illustrate the interplay of how these strategies can be further depicted on AEDP’s representational schemas and how we can intervene experientially to engage positive neuroplasticity. I will also describe the way therapists can use specific metaskills to address the impact of relational trauma that drive self-at-worst insecure attachment strategies. Metaskills is a term used by Amy Mindell (1995, 2002) to describe the background feeling attitudes and qualities therapists display that can be used in service of the patient’s therapy. AEDP’s interventions about making the implicit explicit and making the explicit relational can be helpful to apply with specificity to each attachment style. The aim of this workshop is to move towards establishing a base of connection through which our patient’s self-at-best can be engaged to gain traction and momentum for treatment.
By viewing this workshop, participants will learn to:
- How psychotherapists can draw upon attachment theory and intersubjective connection to set the conditions for building a secure base to bring patient’s self-at-best to the fore.
- The configuration of each attachment style and how the original caregiver relationship sets up self-at-best (secure) and self-at-worst (insecure) attachment strategies and what this implies for the therapist activities.
- AEDP’s representational schemas to organize therapist activities and interventions with each attachment style.
- Identify patient’s affect regulation strategies and how to intervene with patients who are over-regulated and patients who are under-regulated.
- Use distinct therapist metaskills to address the implicit patterning of different attachment strategies.
- How therapist self-disclosure and affirmation can be tailored according to each attachment style to help patients know that they matter in the specific way that they need to matter.
- Using AEDP’s experiential focus and interventions to stimulate neural circuitry and engage the potential of positive neuroplasticity to rewire the patient’s internal working model.
Meet the Presenter
Karen Pando-Mars, MFT
Karen Pando-Mars, MFT, is a psychotherapist in San Rafael, California, and Senior Faculty of the AEDP Institute. She was irresistibly drawn to AEDP in 2005 and captivated by the depth and breadth of this transformational model. She immersed herself in training and consultation with Dr. Fosha and three years of core training with Dr. Frederick. Ms. Pando-Mars is one of the founders of AEDP West and chaired the AEDP Institute Education Committee from 2011-2018. Ms. Pando-Mars’ passionate interest in what cultivates deep connection between Self and Other has been furthered by attachment theory and related neuroscience. She is known for her presence, warmth, and the clarity of her presentations. Videotapes of her clinical work are moving and inspiring examples of how AEDP’s explicit relational and experiential practices can help patients heal from relational trauma. (Read More…)Requirements
AEDP Institute On Demand Trainings are to be viewed on your private computer or smart device. They are intentionally not downloadable; we “stream” them. So, having a high speed Internet connection is important to having a good learning experience.
This training is intended to be viewed only by mental health professionals and students in mental health or related fields. You will be asked to provide evidence of and swear to uphold your professional credentials before completing registration and payment and receiving access to the materials.
Fees & Registration
$149 for non-Members
$129 AEDP Institute Members only (you must be logged in to receive the discounted price.)
To see our Refund Policy or to file a Grievance, click here.
Continuing Education Credits
Only paid online learning seminar registrants will be eligible to purchase CE credits through R. Cassidy Seminars.
This is a pre-recorded on-demand Distance Learning Video, which is considered a home study course. If you would like to earn 6 CEs for the course a test must be taken after watching the video.
There is a $25 fee associated with taking the test to earn your certificate. Upon completing the video there will be a link to take the test and pay for CE.
Participants must attest to completing the course material, complete the evaluation and complete the post-test with a passing score of 75% or better.
Failure to complete and submit these materials will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. Partial credit is not available. Documentation of CE credit is based on the date the exam is completed. The completion date cannot be changed. There are no exceptions to this policy. This course is co-sponsored by R. Cassidy Seminars, P.O. Box 14473, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Listed below are the continuing education credit(s) currently available* for this recorded On Demand Training. Each local and National professional board has its own specific Rules and Regulations for Continuing Education Credit Approval and Acceptance. Check with your State Regulatory board if you have questions or concerns not clarified by the information provided below. If your profession is not listed, please contact your licensing board to determine your continuing education requirements and check for reciprocal approval. For other credit inquiries not specified below, please contact For continuing education credit inquiries, please contact R. Cassidy Seminars at support@rcassidy.com
*Individual Board Rules are subject to change.
Satisfactory Completion
Participants must have paid course fee, completed evaluation, and completed post-test with passing grade of 75% in order to receive a certificate. Failure to complete and submit these materials will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available.
Psychologists
NY: R. Cassidy Seminars is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0018. 6 contact hours. Self-study
Social Workers
IL-SWs: Illinois Dept of Professional Regulation, Approved Continuing Education Sponsor, #159.000782. (6) hours.
NY: R. Cassidy Seminars is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider (#0006) of continuing education for licensed social workers. This program is approved for (6) contact hours. Self-study.
Counselors/Marriage and Family Therapists
IL-MFTs: Illinois Dept of Professional Regulation, Approved Continuing Education Sponsor, #168-000141. (6) hours.
NY-LMHCs: R. Cassidy Seminars is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board of Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0015. (6) contact hours. Self-study.
NY-LMFTs: R. Cassidy Seminars is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board of Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists. #MFT-0011. (6) contact hours. Self-study.
OH: Provider approved by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board for (6) clock hours, #RCST110701
TX: Approved CE Sponsor through the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists. (6) CE Hours. Provider #151
Creative Arts Therapists
NY: R. Cassidy Seminars is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board of Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0005. (6) contact hours. Self-study.
Chemical Dependency Counselors
CA: Provider approved by CCAPP; CCAPP Provider #4N-00-434-0222 for (6) CEHs. CCAPP is an IC&RC member which has reciprocity with most ICRC member states.
TX: Provider approved by the TCBAP Standards Committee, Provider No. 1749-06, (6) hours general and/or (6) hours (specific specialization), Expires 1/31/2024. Complaints about provider or workshop content may be directed to the TCBAP Standards Committee, 1005 Congress Avenue, Ste. 460, Austin, Texas 78701, Fax Number (512) 476-7297.
Dentists
CA: R. Cassidy Seminars is a provider approved by the Dental Board of California as a registered provider of continuing education. RP# 4874. (6) CE Hours. Some state dental boards are reciprocal. Check with your licensing board to be sure.
Nurses
CA: Provider approved by the CA Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CeP12224, for (6) contact hours. Many state nursing boards are reciprocal with other states. Check with your licensing board to be sure.
Educators
TX: R. Cassidy Seminars is an approved provider with the Texas Education Agency CPE# 501456. This course is (6) CE Hours.