Discover the tools you need to assist your clients in addressing and resolving their life problems
Most clients who seek psychotherapy are dealing with life problems. A fundamental tenet of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is that treatment focuses on helping clients to solve their present-day problems and challenges. This webinar will provide a step-by-step illustration of tools to facilitate social problem solving, or the solving of "real life" problems (D'Zurilla & Nezu, 2007). It will distinguish between skills deficits (i.e., lack of skills) and performance deficits (i.e., presence of skills but difficulty applying them) and provide a step-by-step illustration of tools that can help clients overcome these deficits. In addition, this webinar will describe tips for implementing communication skills training, which often co-occurs with social problem solving interventions. Webinar participants will gain an understanding of the rationale for and purpose of social problem solving, hints for maximizing the effectiveness of social problem solving interventions, ways to overcome obstacles that commonly occur when implementing social problem solving interventions, and applications to specific clinical presentations.

Course Content

DEFINITION OF, RATIONALE FOR, AND PURPOSE OF SOCIAL PROBLEM SOLVING
SOCIAL PROBLEM SOLVING FOR SKILLS DEFICITS

• Problem definition and formulation
• Generation of alternative solutions
• Decision making
• Solution implementation and verification

COMMUNICATION SKILLS TRAINING

• Verbal communication skills
• Nonverbal communication skills
• Listening skills

SOCIAL PROBLEM SOLVING FOR PERFORMANCE DEFICITS

• Negative problem orientation
• Hopelessness
• Lack of self-efficacy
• Lack of motivation

TIPS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEM SOLVING

• Obstacles in social problem solving
• Maximizing social problem solving’s effectiveness

APPLICATION TO SPECIFIC CLINICAL PRESENTATIONS

• Depression
• Generalized anxiety
• Medical problems