Relationship Therapy Toolbox: Effective Empirical Skills to Transform Partnerships
Clinical research in the area of relationships and couples therapy has come a long way in the last 50 years, with findings galore, absolutely ripe for integration into work with dyads and individuals alike. Although there exists prescriptive couples techniques developed by famous trainers over the years, comparatively little has been done to synthesize these findings and compile them into a helpful “toolbox” of techniques we can use to leverage these findings in our relationships work. In fact, very few trainings exist today that give clinicians helpful, skills-based, culturally adapted, and modern couples and relationships instruction based on a rich amalgamation of these 5+ decades of empirical research.
Join Dr. Corey Petersen as she bridges this gap with you over two days of groundbreaking skills-based couples and relationships training, relevant for those who treat both couples and individuals with relationship issues. She’ll address the most common and destructive sources of relationship conflict and deliver actionable therapy tools that promote staying power and buffer against recurrent negative dynamics.
This workshop provides a unique and comprehensive introduction to couples therapy. Interwoven with influential relational models, clinicians will acquire practical tools and techniques to help couples build stronger, more fulfilling relationships. Participants will learn how to apply these principles and techniques in their clinical practice, with an emphasis on assisting couples in improving their communication skills and deepening their emotional connection. The course will cover various topics, including intimacy, conflict, boundaries, and more. Through case studies, research, and activities, clinicians will be equipped with a comprehensive toolbox of knowledge and strategies to facilitate meaningful change and promote healthy, thriving relationships for their clients.
Learning Objectives:
This training will provide participants clinical knowledge and tools to:
a). Explore and discuss the most common reasons couples seek therapy services.
b). Describe the role of the therapist when meeting with couples.
c). Identify and describe the most common communication failures for relationship destruction.
d). Explore and practice interventions to help couples manage conflict and disagreements in a healthy and productive way.
e). Learn and practice interventions to help couples build a culture of appreciation and fondness in their relationship.
f). Learn and describe interventions to improve relationship connection and resiliency.
g). Identify and describe common relational “dialectics” and the strategies used to manage them to decrease dissatisfaction in relationships.
h). Describe the role of physical intimacy in healthy relationships and ways to help couples improve their physical connection.
i). Explore and discuss healthy and unhealthy strategies used in the integration of blended family systems.
j). Learn and describe how to help couples set and maintain healthy boundaries in their relationship.
k). Define and describe the concept of “Dyadic Coping” and how it impacts romantic relationships.
l). Identify and integrate major interpersonal communication theories to enhance clinical practice with couples.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this event includes psychologists, social workers, counselors, MFT’s, and other clinical mental health professionals.
CPD Information For Mental Health Professionals
Enjoy complete flexibility with 100% self-paced learning you can access anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Pay once for lifetime access.
Course Duration: 10 learning hours
Certificate and CPD hours: On completion you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion to support your CPD records.
Assessment: Complete a short quiz at the end (80% pass mark), which you can resit as many times as needed.
Lifetime Access: Your access to the course does not expire, so you can revisit key concepts anytime you want a refresher for practice.
CPD Eligibility: This program may be suitable for CPD for professionals such as:
- Psychologists
- Counsellors and Psychotherapists
- Social Workers
- Community Workers
- Mental Health Nurses
- General Practitioners (GPs)
- Occupational Therapists
CPD requirements vary between professional bodies, so please check with your association or credentialing body to confirm you can claim CPD hours/OPD points for this program and what evidence they require.
Course Content
Meet Your Instructor
Communication breakdowns that destroy relationships - whether between couples, family members, or in therapeutic settings - often stem from deeper patterns that most practitioners miss. Corey Petersen brings a unique combination of advanced communication research and clinical expertise to help practitioners understand how language shapes therapeutic outcomes and relationship healing.
With a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas and dual master's degrees in Professional Communication and Marriage and Family Studies, Dr. Petersen represents a rare fusion of academic rigor and clinical practice. His doctoral research on "Finding a Therapist That 'Speaks Your Language'" explores how therapists' communication patterns influence client engagement and treatment success - insights that directly inform his training for mental health professionals. His decade of teaching experience across communication and psychology courses gives him exceptional skill in translating complex concepts into practical applications.
Dr. Petersen's expertise spans couple and family therapy, neurodivergent-affirming approaches, chronic pain and illness, self-harm, anxiety, and cultural humility. His approach combines evidence-based therapeutic interventions with sophisticated understanding of how communication patterns either facilitate or hinder therapeutic progress. He specialises in helping clinicians recognise when their own communication style creates barriers to client connection and provides specific techniques for adapting language to match clients' communication preferences.
What sets his training apart is communication precision. Petersen doesn't just teach therapy techniques - he shows practitioners how the specific words, timing, and delivery of interventions can dramatically alter client responses. His research background gives him evidence-based insights into why certain therapeutic communications succeed while others fail, even with similar content.
For your practice, expect to gain specific skills in therapeutic communication, tools for working with neurodivergent clients, and frameworks for addressing chronic pain and medical challenges in therapy. His methods particularly benefit clinicians who want to improve their therapeutic presence or work more effectively with clients who have communication differences.
Quick Win: Petersen's "communication matching" technique teaches clinicians to identify clients' preferred communication patterns in the first session and adjust their therapeutic language accordingly - often doubling client engagement and treatment compliance.
Qualifications
- Ph.D., Communication Studies, University of Kansas, 2023
- M.S., Marriage and Family Studies, Friends University
- M.A., Professional Communication, Southern Utah University
- B.S., Psychology, Southern Utah University
- B.S., Strategic Communication, Southern Utah University
- Licensed Clinical Marriage & Family Therapist (Kansas)
- Clinical Hypnotherapist
- 10+ years teaching experience in Communication and Psychology
Teaching & Roles
- Owner, Communication and Connection Therapy, Overland Park, KS, 2013–present
- Doctoral Candidate & Graduate Instructor, University of Kansas, 2017–2022
- Academic Coach, Instructional Connections, LLC, 2015–2018
- Adjunct Teacher & Lecturer, Communication and Psychology courses (10 years)
Featured Training
- GoodTherapy webinars: "Ethical Considerations of Therapy Without a Presenting Problem" (2025)
- "Strengthening Relationships in the Face of Medical Challenges" (2024)
- "Navigating Blended Family Dynamics" (2024)
Specialised Expertise
- Communication theory applied to therapeutic practice
- Neurodivergent-affirming therapeutic approaches
- Chronic pain and illness in couple/family systems
- Self-harm assessment and intervention
- Cultural humility in therapeutic relationships
- Organisational communication principles in family therapy
Ready to transform how you communicate with clients? Discover how Dr. Petersen's research-backed communication methods can enhance your therapeutic effectiveness and deepen client connections across diverse populations.
Feedback & Reviews
This course includes:
- Lessons 8
- Topics 0
- Duration 10 hours
- Quizzes 1
- Language English