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Andrew Sofin, Dina Bednar, Julia Imanoff
Brief Crisis Therapy Institute, Canada
Keynote: J Neurol Clin Neurosci
Statement of Problem: The pandemic has exacerbated the devastating mental health crisis globally. Service centers and hospitals are strained by the limited number mental health professionals to address the ever-growing demand for support by the public. Those who were most marginalized during the pandemic are the people who have been impacted the most. Background: This model was developed specifically to address these populations by offering free counseling services; ‘Three for Free’ through the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. The Brief Crisis Therapy (BCT) model is a new integrative model developed inductively by a team of Couple and Family Therapists during the pandemic to deal with the needs of the community, by asking clients ‘what their best hopes were’ and by being curious about their specific needs and wants. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Post-modernist, co-constructive approach to therapy where the client’s perspective and experiences are viewed as just as important as the therapists if not more. Findings: The BCT Three-Session model focuses on client’s strengths, the client as expert, and a next step by the end of each session or and on their best hopes. This modality has high satisfaction rates among therapists who learn and apply it (n=24) with confidence scores increasing on average from 3 to 10 on a 10-point Likert Scale. When applying this model, therapists utilize everything about the individuals we work with in a way that increases hope, activates strengths, and provides the opportunity for co-construction of solutions and next steps. The BCT model is one of inclusion, respect, fairness, and celebrating the uniqueness of each person as a therapeutic intervention. Conclusion & Significance: Self and social stigma limits potential for post traumatic growth. Mental health professionals need to address the discrimination of marginalized groups that experience greater rates of self and social stigma. References 1. Lorona, RT, Fergus, TA, Valentiner, DP, Miller, LM, McGrath, PB (2018) Self-stigma and etiological attributions about symptoms among individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorder: Relations with symptom severity and symptom improvement following CBT. Journal of Social Clinical Psychology 37:536-557. 2. Roffman, AE. (2020) “I am tensing”: Thoughts on active and passive language in the description of expression of emotions in psychopathy Heilig M, Egli M (2006) Pharmacological treatment of alcohol dependence: Target symptoms and target mechanisms. Pharmacology and therapeutics 111:855-876. 3. Bannock, F. (2014) Post Traumatic Success - positive psychology and solution-focused strategies to help clients survive and thrive. New York: Norton. 4. Berg, IK. (1994) Family based services: A solution-focused approach. New York: Norton. 5. De Shazer, S. (1985) Keys to solution in brief therapy, New York: Norton.
Andrew Sofin is a Registered Marriage & Family Therapist, Registered Psychotherapist, and a Licensed Therapist in Quebec for couples and families. He is also a Clinical Fellow of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. He serves as the Clinical Director of Couples Retreat at Ocean Coral and has a private practice in Montreal, Canada. He completed his graduate studies at Antioch University (USA), specializing in Couple and Family Therapy. He has many years of professional experience working in hospitals, residential programs, and private practice in Boston, Massachusetts. Currently, he is the President of the Canadian Association for Marriage & Family Therapy. e: Andrew@briefcrisistherapyinstitute.com Julia Imanoff is an Advanced Practice Nurse with a specialty in Perinatal Nursing from the Canadian Nurses Association, with 12 years of experience working with families. She has also worked in education and research for over a decade at the University of Calgary, where she is currently completing her Ph.D. She has extensive experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methods and has managed large multi-site longitudinal datasets. In addition, she is a certified Mindfulness Facilitator and has recently launched an introductory Mindfulness podcast through the University of Calgary. She also has a private practice with The Family Nurse Parenting Services Inc., which is a parenting support service in Alberta, Canada. e: Julia@briefcrisistherapyinstitute.com Dina Bednar is a Registered Psychotherapist, Registered Marriage and Family Therapist, and an American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Approved Supervisor. She served at a Children’s Mental Health Clinic in Hamilton, Ontario for 17 years and is currently in private practice in Ancaster, Ontario. She is also the Associate Director and instructor in the SFBT certificate program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE, University of Toronto), the Co-director of the Canadian Solution-Focused Center, and Co-editor of the Canadian SFBT Newsletter. She trains group internationally on SFBT, working with children and adolescents and Single Session Therapy. e: Dina@briefcrisistherapyinstitute.com
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