ISTDP is a practical and evidence-based therapeutic approach that targets deep-seated emotional conflicts and maladaptive patterns of behaviours contributing to various presentations, including depression, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and chronic pain and other psychosomatic problems within a relatively brief timeframe.

ISTDP was developed in the 1970s by Dr. Davanloo and his colleagues to help patients with treatment-resistant and psychoneurotic problems who present with resistant and avoidant patterns resulting from emotional conflicts and disruptions in early attachment. Later, ISTDP evolved to address fragile character structure in those with a low capacity to tolerate complex emotions and associated anxiety due to early complex attachment disruption.

In this full-day workshop, we aim to introduce ISTDP to registered clinicians, mental health practitioners and students. We will review ISTDP metapsychology, its unique features and common interventions and attempt to demystify dynamic therapy.

We will focus on patients with character resistance and psychoneurotic disorders and will discuss various approaches to effectively empower our patients to identify and overcome resistance within the therapeutic setting. Various video case presentations of treatment sessions will be reviewed to demonstrate the concepts presented. There will be time for questions and answers and to reflect on how we can incorporate learned concepts into our clinical work to aid treatment effectiveness.

Presenters: Dr. Karen Dinsmore, C.Psych., and Dr. Behnia Haghiri, MD, FRCPC

Dr. Karen Dinsmore is a clinical and counselling psychologist and co-founder of Dynamic Psychotherapy & Psychology Centre. She is adjunct faculty at the Queen’s University Department of Psychology and a board member of the International Experiential Dynamic Therapy Association. Clinically, she works with adults in individual and group therapy. She specializes in ISTDP and she is passionate about training clinicians and students in ISTDP and psychodynamic therapy. She began her training in ISTDP in 2017. She completed a 3 year core training, advanced training, and individual training with Dr. Allan Abbass and Dr. Joel Town, as well as a year of advanced training with Jon Frederickson. She continues to receive regular training from Dr. Abbass.

Dr. Behnia Haghiri is a psychiatrist and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Queen’s University. He graduated from Queen’s psychiatry residency program in 2013 and has worked in various psychiatric settings and with diverse populations. He started learning ISTDP in 2017 by attending courses and receiving supervision from Dr. Allan Abbass and recently, supervision from Dr. Jonathan Entis. Currently, he practices in an outpatient hospital-based clinic at Hotel Dieu Hospital, mainly working with patients referred from the emergency room and post-secondary students, amongst other general referrals. He is passionate about learning ways to incorporate ISTDP in outpatient settings and teaching and supervising residents and other clinicians.

Location: Robert Sutherland Hall 202 is on the Queen’s University campus, located on Union Street between the Law Building and Tindall Field.

Food and beverages: A mini continental breakfast will be served at the start of the workshop. Refreshments will be served in the afternoon.

Parking: Permit parking is available at the underground parking garage on Union Street under Tindall Field and the surface lot. There are 3 accessible meter spots on Alfred Street at Union Street.

For more information about the facilities and accessibility features, please visit: https://www.queensu.ca/facilities/accessibility/building-directory/robert-sutherland

Eventbrite Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/introduction-to-istdp-working-with-resistance-tickets-847754655997

Cancellation policy: Eventbrite’s service fees are not refundable. Refunds will not be available if cancellation occurs 2 week or less before the date of the workshop.

Presenters: Dr. Karen Dinsmore, C.Psych., and Ryan Dinsmore, M.Ed., RP