Countertransference and Self-Disclosure around Politics and Religion

Countertransference and Self-Disclosure around

Political and Religious Beliefs:

Top Ethical Challenges in Clinical Practice

Presented by Kirsten Lind Seal, Ph.D., LMFT

DATE: Friday, March 7th 2025

9:00 am until 1:00 pm PST

4 hours Continuing Education Credit

Location: ONLINE via Zoom

(registrants will be sent a Zoom link via the email address they register with. The Zoom link will be sent out 1-3 days prior to the training and will come from "COAP Workshops.")

This workshop will be capped at 95 participants

Workshop Overview: Countertransference is, indeed, an ethical issue. It can be very confusing to try to manage our countertransference reactions due to differences we might have with our clients in terms of religious and political beliefs. When countertransference is not properly recognized, and thus not properly managed, it can be extremely damaging to the therapeutic alliance. But when properly acknowledged and managed, countertransference can actually strengthen that critical connection. Thus – an ethical issue through and through.

In this training we will take a deep dive into examining the ways in which our understanding of issues and beliefs around politics and religion contribute to the worldview of both therapist and client. This deeper self-knowledge contributes in both positive and negative ways to the process of therapy and is thus crucial to managing the countransference. Learn how to ensure that you will be able to harness the full awareness of these countertransference situations, and therefore avoid the crucial countertransference pitfalls that can harm the alliance.

The literature on countertransference is clear that the most problematic types are when therapists are unaware of those feelings. This training is crucial for heightening competence in seeing, understanding, managing and navigating the different sorts of countertransference reactions and developing the skill set to do all of this. Does that seem impossible to do? Rest assured that it’s actually quite possible. But it does require a reframe, some conscious thought and ongoing in-the-moment decisions that are made by you, the clinician. So join us for this fascinating webinar where we will dive deep into the crucial gray areas of ethical practice.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Describe why understanding the connection between countertransference and religious and political beliefs is crucial for ethical practice
• Recognize and name 3 possible consequences of countertransference
• Compare and contrast 3 methods of therapeutically and ethically addressing countertransference issues both in and out of session
• Create ongoing countertransference management plan and apply a deeper understanding of implicit bias to same
• Integrate relevant ethical principles and professional ethical codes into managing countertransference and self-disclosure
• Integrate a self-care plan into ongoing practice as a way to strengthen ability to skillfully manage religious and political countertransference

About the Presenter: Kirsten Lind Seal, PhD, LMFT holds an MA in Counseling Psychology and a PhD in Couple and Family Therapy from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Lind Seal teaches Ethics at two universities and regularly conducts trainings on Ethics and Cross-Cultural issues at the local, national and international level. She is currently Adjunct Associate Professor at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and Core Ethics Faculty (adjunct) at Chaminade University of Honolulu. Her March 2024 PESI webinar has recently been translated into French and Italian.

Dr. Lind Seal’s research has been published in Psychology Today, Journal of Marital and Family Therapy and Family Process. She has published several case studies and an Ethics-focused “In Consultation” piece in the Psychotherapy Networker and has reviewed for The Journal of Critical Psychology, Counseling and Psychotherapy (UK). She is currently conducting a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research project examining the impact of her Cultural Context Ethical Decision-Making model on graduate students’ cultural growth and ethical decision-making at Chaminade University of Honolulu.

She has a completely virtual private practice where she works with individuals, couples and family, and offers ethics consultations to colleagues. She has been interviewed as a content expert by MPR, CNN.com, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune and is in her tenth year as a regular on-air creator/contributor on Relationship Reboot, a weekly segment on relationships on WCCO TV’s Channel 4 (CBS Twin Cities).

Costs: COAP uses an online registration process that accepts credit and debit cards. The lowest registration rates are associated with early registration, we encourage you to sign up early to make sure you have a spot. This workshop is limited to the first 95 participants who register.

Registered by 2/26/25

COAP Member: $100

Non COAP Member: $115

Registered after 2/26/25

COAP Member: $110

Non COAP Member: $125

Student Rate $50

*Membership in COAP is limited to Central Oregon based active and retired psychologists, residents, and psychologist associates. You must be current with COAP dues to register at the membership rate. Yearly COAP dues are $25 and are collected in September via Cheddar Up website (a small fee will be charged by cheddar up). Please use this link to pay dues: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/coap-membership-2024-25/items?cart

We welcome all allied mental health practitioners to our workshops (at non-member registration rates). Receiving Continuing Education credit from your various Licensing Boards is left to the discretion of the individual practitioner. Please see note below about APA.

**A $35 cancellation fee will be assessed for all cancellations. Registration fee will not be refunded for dissatisfaction with the training or for no-shows.

Students are invited to attend for $50. Please be prepared to submit a copy of your student identification card as proof of your student status.

Questions can be directed to [email protected]

Check out the COAP website for additional information https://www.coapworkshops.org

Host or Publisher Central Oregon Association of Psychologists Regional affiliate of the Oregon Psychological Association