IN-CONGRESS WORKSHOP on 08.09.2018, 10:30-12:00 :

Wisdom psychology in cognitive behavior therapy: Wisdom Therapy

Target Audience:Learning and experienced cognitive psychotherapists Abstract:Psychological research on wisdom has generated a great amount of scientific knowledge. Wisdom can be understood as psychological capacity which is needed by everybody to cope with „unsolvable“ problems in life, like going to get married, or after the death of a beloved one, but also even when buying food. It is especially important as a capacity to cope with severe and often unsolvable negative live events. In this sense it is also important in psychotherapy, , where many patients are seen who have difficulties in coming to terms with their lives and need help to overcome burdens in life.Knowlege from wisdom psychology can be transfer into psychotherapy, in the form of „wisdom psychotherapy“. Wisdom is a complex set of capacities, similar to assertiveness. These include change of perspective, empathy, serenity, contextualism, value relativism, uncertainty tolerance, long-term perspective etc.In psychotherapy in general, and cognitive behavior therapy in particular there are many ways to train such competencies. A special technique is the method of „unsolvable life problems“, which allows to specifically train wisdom competencies. There is first evidence from scientific trials and clinical experience that this approach is useful in helping patients to overcome hurting experiences. This is especially the case in patients who suffer from experiences of injustice, humiliation, or feelings of embitterment. Learning objectives:The seminar will give an introduction in wisdom psychology, explain treatment strategies of wisdom psychotherapy with special reference to embitterment patients and train therapeutic competencies. Goal is to enable psychotherapists to use wisdom psychology in the treatment of their patients. Teaching Methods:Presentation of theoretical knowledge with powerpoint presentation. Training of techniques by role play. A brief description of the workshop leader:Michael Linden has a dual training as Psychologist and Physician. He is director at the Behavior Therapy Training Institute Berlin. He is also director of the Psychosomatic Research Group at the Charité University Medicine. He has for the last years intensively studied embeitterment reactions and is one of the early authors on wisdom psychotherapy. He has published several hundred papers on mental disorders and psychotherapy and several books Implications for everyday clinical practice of CBT:Wisdom psychology is a relatively new development and is only gradually recognized by therapists. It is an important target in psychotherapy. It can be trained and gives new options in patients who have so faar been treatment resistant. Relevant background readings about the topic:Linden, M. (2008). Posttraumatic embitterment disorder and wisdom therapy. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 22, 4-14Linden, M., Baumann, K., Lieberei, B., Lorenz, C., Rotter, M. (2011). Treatment of posttraumatic embitterment disorder with cognitive behaviour therapy based on wisdom psychology and hedonia strategies. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 80, 199-205Linden, M., Rutkowsky, K. (2013), Hurting memories and beneficial forgetting. Posttraumatic stress disorders, biographical developments, and social conflicts. Oxford: ElsevierLinden, M. (2013). Wisdom and wisdom psychotherapy in coping with stress. In: Koh, K.B. (eds), Somatization and psychosomatic symptoms (p. 273-281). New York: SpringerLinden, M. (2014). Promoting resilience and Well-being with wisdom and wisdom therapy. In: Fava, G.A., Ruini, C. (eds), Increasing well-being in clinical and educational setting. Interventions and cultural context (p. 75-90). Heidelberg: Springer, Heidelberg.Linden, M. (2017). Verbitterung und Posttraumatische Verbitterungsstörung. Fortschritte