Workshop 5:
When Everything You've Tried Hasn't Worked: Creative Techniques for Resolving Persistent School Behavior Problems
This workshop equips teachers, counselors, helping professionals, and parents with a range of uncommon techniques that are often useful in changing persistent child and adolescent behavior problems that are unresponsive to more conventional interventions. Based on systems theory, innovative brief therapy techniques, and research on “what works” in changing persistent problems, this workshop illustrates various ways to “try something different” in the face of chronic problems instead of repeating “more of the same” interventions. The following techniques are covered in the workshop: (1) compliments; (2) acceptance and commitment strategies; (3) paradox and the “do something different” experiment; (4) storming the back door and being unpredictable; (5) reframing; (6) externalizing the problem; (7) building on exceptions; (8) utilizing people’s unique talents and interests; (9) interviewing the “internalized other;” (10) enlisting the input of influential people in the student’s life. All of these techniques occur within a cooperative working relationship based on the assumption that people are resilient, resourceful, and capable of developing creative solutions to behavior problems when urged to try something different. The workshop includes videotapes of actual sessions with parents, children and adolescents, “live” onsite demonstrations, experiential exercises, practice activities, and real-world case examples designed to increase the immediate relevance and applicability of training content.
Workshop Agenda
The Anatomy of Persistent Problems: More of the Same (Systems Theory 101)
The Anatomy of Solutions: Try Something Different (Systems Theory 102)
That Sounds Easy—Why Is It So Hard?
Relationship as an Intervention: Strategies of Cooperation and Change
Doing Something Different I: Creative Strategies for Building on What’s Right and What’s Working
Doing Something Different II: Creative Strategies for Flipping the Tables on the Problem
Maintaining Small Improvements Whenever They Occur
Wrap-up/ Question & Answer
CEU/Learning Objectives
Participants will learn how to:
· Recognize how one’s own thoughts and actions can perpetuate the problem they are intended to resolve
· Build cooperative relationships with a wide variety of students, parents, and others
· Develop creative interventions that build on what’s right and what’s working for students
· Develop creative interventions that involve thinking and acting in unexpected ways
· Empower and maintain small improvements whenever they occur
· Involve students as meaningful partners in the change process