NY Association for Marriage & Family Therapy conference focuses on recognizing, responding to, treating childhood sexual abuse

On April 20-21, the New York Association for Marriage & Family Therapy (NYAMFT) will host its annual conference, “Breaking the Silence: Recognizing, Responding and Treating Childhood Sexual Abuse.” Presented by NYAMFT and co-sponsors Syracuse University’s Department of Marriage and Family Therapy and the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, the event will take place at the Embassy Suites, 6646 Old Collamer Rd., East Syracuse.

The conference will include presentations by Catherine Diana to help participants become familiar with sex offender typologies and identify differences between sex offenders and sex offenses. Focus will also include incestuous family dynamics and sex offender treatment. The workshop will include presentations on the family systems approach and how to teach families about boundaries and safety planning. Reconciliation and/or reunification therapy will also be addressed.

Linda Stone Fish, professor in Syracuse University’s Department of Marriage and Family Therapy, will present “Complexities of Trauma: Exploring the Collaborative Stage Model,” which includes exploration of the concept of ethical attunement that helps therapists customize trauma treatment based on their ability to assess the capacity and resiliency of their clients. Additional presenters and topics include:

• Pleasures and Perils of Private Practice—Jill Weldum, LMFT, CCPT;
• Massage Therapy for Dealing with Trauma, Grief and Loss—Ed Griffin-Nolan and Tim Bryant, co-founders of the Center for Compassionate Touch

Additional information is available at www.nyamft.org, where participants can register online. For more information about conference topics, rates and registration options, e-mail NYAMFT@ymail.com. Certificates of attendance will be available.