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Child Abuse and Family Emotional Process November 14, Friday, 2008 Walter H. Smith, Jr., PhD, Western PA Family Center, Pittsburgh PA The Clarion Hotel Manhattan KS 7.0 CEUs $100 Advanced / $120 after Nov.6 Child abuse
is a symptom of human functioning, reflecting a basic family emotional process. Individuals and families do not choose their
symptoms. Given enough stress, individuals and families will develop them. Stress is defined as individual and family tensions,
strain and anxiety, which naturally occurs when we adjust our functioning to cope and adapt with challenging events and circumstances.
When challenged beyond the limits of our abilities to cope, stress becomes chronic and symptoms develop. Aggression, violence
and child abuse are just a few possible symptoms of prolonged stress and they will occur in some portion of all families to
some degree. Symptoms have two
basic characteristics. One is that they are repetitive and persistent aspects of functioning which occur autoomatically, do
not readily change, and reflect more primary aspects of functioning. The second charasteristic is that they bind and manage
anxiety and stress in the short term, but over time, promote other problems. Child abuse is a symptom that reflects family relationship patterns which were useful
at one time. Under calmer conditions, the parents established appropriate limits for their child. As numerous stress and conflict
occured, the father became as controlling of his son as he was out of control in other areas of his life. Initially, his strict
parenting was calming and created order. But as stresses continued to escalate, he increased his aggressive behavior and became
more violent. (Smith, 2001). The
seminar will discuss the role of family emotional process in the clinical treatment of child abuse. Understanding the broad
emotional processes, common to all families can increase the effectiveness of clinical practice. Bowen theory provides a broader
framework that enables professionals to sustain clinical neutrality with families that are overtly intense or present subtle
relationship tensions and conflicts. Professionals benefit in being able to develop more accurate clinical hypotheses from
which to design interventions. |
Dr. Walter Smith, Jr., from
the Western Pennsylvania Family Center in Pittsburgh, PA, will joing us for the first time in Manhattan November 14. to present
his research and study on violence in the family and society around the focus on child abuse. Dr. Smith brings a wealth of
clinical experience and personal research
to the topic of child abuse and domestic violence from a Bowen theory perspective. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Smith has a primary interest in applying Bowen theory to family
violence, child abuse and organizational functioning. He is a licensed psychologist and a graduate of Georgetown Family
Center's Post Graduate Program in Fammily Theory and Family Psychotherapy. Dr. Smith is a founding member of WPFX. He maintains
a small private practice. He also is executive director of Family Resources, a child abuse treatment and prevention organization
in Pittsburgh, PA, and is a frequent lecturer across the country. |
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Schedule
For All Meetings Unless Otherwise Posted. 8:30--9:00 Registration
and Continental Breakfast 9:00-10:30 Presentation 10:30-10:50 Break 10:50-12:30
Presentation 12:30-1:30 Lunch (option Restaurant
On Site) 1:30-3:00 Presentation and/ or videos 3:00-3:20 Break 3:20-4:50
Discussion and Wrap Up |
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