The Citizen Therapist in a Polarized World

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Registration: 5:00 - 5:30 p.m.
Program: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Location: Macalester College - John B Davis lecture Hall (in the Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center)
3 Snelling Avenue South
St. Paul, MN 55105

Campus Map

Speaker: William J. Doherty, Ph.D.

The Minnesota Psychological Association cosponsors Distinguished Scholar Lectures with Macalester College's Psychology Department

This session is at the intermediate level and is designed for psychologists, other mental health professionals, students and faculty.

About the Program

In the toxic polarization of our society, most of us try to stay focused on our traditional work of personal healing, trying to steer clear of the struggles in our wider culture. But if “winter is coming” in a troubled world, a more proactive alternative is to expand our conception of psychotherapy to include building capacity for people to live in a pluralistic democracy. How can we enhance our impact on a Game of Thrones world where red teams battle blue teams, in which democracy is in retreat, and climate change threatens us all? We will explore a larger vision for our role as therapists and will discover how to:

• Identify the connection between your current clinical work and democratic renewal.
• Develop skills in bridging gaps between groups who see themselves as opposing the political “other”.
• Practice depolarization skills in your own life and work.
• Connect with organizations and initiatives where you can use your knowledge and skills for the public good.

This session qualifies for 1.5 continuing education credits. You must attend the full 1.5-hour program to get continuing education credit for the event.

Participants will be able to:

1. Identify how your current clinical work can enhance democratic renewal, thereby improving client functioning in the community.

2. Develop skills in bridging gaps between groups who see themselves as the political “other.”

3. Describe how to apply depolarization skills in your own work with clients and within the community.

About the Presenter:

William J. Doherty, Ph.D., is an educator, researcher, therapist, speaker, author, consultant, and community organizer. He is Professor and Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program in the Department of Family Social Science, College of Education and Human Development, at the University of Minnesota, where he is also an adjunct Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.

Bill is past president of the National Council on Family Relations, the nation’s oldest interdisciplinary family studies organization. His awards include the Significant Contribution to the Field of Marriage and Family Therapy Award, the Margaret E. Arcus Award for Outstanding Contribution to Family Life Education, and the Outstanding Community Service Award from the University of Minnesota.

Bill Doherty has authored or edited nine books for professionals, numerous articles in professional journals, and five books for lay audiences on the topics of family rituals, confident parenting, marriage, overscheduled kids, and the family dynamics of wedding planning.

A popular speaker to lay and professional audiences, Bill has won several teaching awards in his career and is frequently interviewed by print, radio, and TV media on family issues.

Since 1999, Bill has been developing and leading the Families and Democracy Project and the Citizen Health Care Project, a community organizing approach to working with families and promoting cultural change.

Bill is a licensed marriage and family therapist, psychologist, and Clinical Member, Fellow and Approved Supervisor for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. He received his Ph.D. in family studies from the University of Connecticut in 1978 and has served on the faculty of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Iowa and the University of Oklahoma before coming to the University of Minnesota in 1986.

The speaker has indicated they do not have any conflicts of interest.

To Register:

Online registration is now closed. Walk-ups are welcome onsite.

Click here to download a PDF registration form and flyer.

Walk-up registrations are welcome the day of, but pre-registration is preferred.

Refund/Cancellation Policy: A 100% refund will be made if the event is cancelled. Refunds, less a $5 handling fee, will be given if a written cancellation is received at least two working days before the scheduled program begins. Transfer of fee to another program is granted if written cancellation notice is received at least one day before the program. No refund or transfer is given the day of the program.