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Workshops> Creative Expression

Creative Expression: Integrating Expressive Therapies in Family Meetings

Instructor(s): Ruth Levy and Liz Brenner

Date: March 19, 2010, 9:00 am to 4:45 pm

Cost: $135.00, $125 early registration, $110 groups of two or more (see below for details)

Location: 51 Kondazian Street, Watertown, MA 02472

Doing family therapy well is a dance that involves a combination of discipline and creativity. This workshop will offer participants an effective way to hold a family meeting by relying on a five phase structure that grounds the work. An effective meeting structure will be described, demonstrated and practiced integrating creativity in the form of Expressive Therapy techniques. We will see how inviting family members to communicate using art, drama, writing and other modalities can revitalize your practice and offer new and spacious alternatives for problem solving. Using creativity within an intentional framework will allow you to work in a more playful way with a variety of clients as you provide new ways for adults and children to resolve problems that constrain their lives.Participants will have the opportunity to learn and experiment with expressive therapy techniques during the workshop. This workshop is relevant to clinicians practicing in a variety of settings. Be prepared to have some fun as we learn together!

Ruth Levy, LICSW, works as an instructor and field educator in the Expressive Therapy department at Leslie University in Cambridge, MA.  She maintains a private practice in Watertown, MA.  She has worked as a family therapist in medical hospital and outpatient settings.   As part of a team , she developed an adolescent day treatment program.  Her training in clinical social work and expressive therapies allows her to offer complimentary ways of working with clients including using art, writing, role play and guided imagery. 

Elizabeth (Liz) Brenner, LICSW is the Director and primary instructor of Family Therapy Training Boston. She is passionate about teaching and learning models and skills to facilitate therapeutic meetings in ways that are effective, making challenges manageable. Liz has 25 years of experience doing family, couples and individual therapy in child psychiatric inpatient, home-based and private practice settings. Liz has been teaching workshops since 1990; she was on the faculty of the Family Institute of Cambridge from 2003 until 2009.

Register for this Workshop:

For early or group registration please mail in the registration form

  1. Register and pay by mail: download form »
  2. OR register and pay online

Registration Information and Workshop Policies:

  • Fees:  The Early registration rate is $125 per day, payment must be received 21 days prior to the workshop. The Regular Registration rate is $135 per day (received within 3 weeks of the event). The Online registration rate is $135 per day .  
  • Group Registration rates: We encourage you attend with your friends/colleagues! Groups of two or more will be charged $110 per person per day.  Please mail together or indicate the person/people with whom you are attending.
  • Early and group discount registration must be submitted by mail and paid by check.
  • Mail checks made out to Liz Brenner with completed registration form to:
    51 Kondazian Street, Watertown, MA 02472
  • Breakfast and afternoon snacks will be served; lunch on your own.  Unless otherwise specified, the day begins at 9 am and ends at 4:45 pm.
  • Participants MUST attend 100% of the program to earn 6 CEUs per day requested for  MSW's, MHC's and MFT's. CEU certificates will be given at the end of the day after you are fully paid and have completed the workshop evaluation form.
  • Enrollment will be limited to 30 participants. Please call or email if you are registering within the last week to make sure there is still room to attend.
  • No refunds are available unless a written request is received 21 days before the program. A $50 administrative fee will be deducted from all refunds. No cancellations, including no shows, will be honored beyond this time frame.
  • Only email acknowledgments will be sent to confirm receipt of your registration.
  • If you require special accommodations, please submit a written statement at least 30 days prior to the program to see if we can meet your needs.
  • Workshops may be cancelled by the presenter(s) if minimum enrollment requirements are not met. In this case, full fees will be refunded. 
  • Weather cancellations are consistent with the decision of the Watertown, MA school system.  If Watertown is cancelled or delayed, the workshop will be as well.
  • Participants MUST attend 100% of the program to earn 6 CEUs applied for from the NASW Collaborative. CEU certificates will be given at the end of the day after you are fully paid and have completed the workshop evaluation form.
  • Grievance policy is to submit a written complaint.  If the complaint can not be resolved by Liz Brenner, she will consult with another faculty member for a second opinion to resolve the problem.