Kids in the Crossfire of Divorced and Blended Families: Interventions for Anxious, Depressed and Oppositional Children

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Faculty

Steve O'Brien, PsyD Related seminars and products

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Dr. Steve O’Brien is a clinical psychologist with close to 30 years of experience treating children, adolescents, and families in his Clearwater, Florida practice. His specialty areas include treatment for childhood anxiety and depression, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and divorced/blended family adjustment. Dr. O’Brien utilizes an integrative model which tailors treatment to the developmental level of both children and parents. His approach integrates individual child therapy with intensive parental and familial interventions. Dr. O’Brien has worked in a variety of clinical settings including community mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, and medical clinics. He earned his PsyD at Nova Southeastern University and received specialized training in applied developmental psychology. Pediatric, child psychiatric, and school consultation is a significant part of his clinical work, and he is a frequent guest speaker in the Tampa Bay area. Dr. O’Brien previously worked as a continuing education provider for the Juvenile Welfare Board, and is a well-received speaker for PESI, training professionals primarily in the areas of child/adolescent mental health treatment and complex family issues.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Steven O'Brien maintains a private practice. He receives a speaking honorarium, recording and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Steven O’Brien is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Florida Psychological Association.

Objectives

1. Identify developmental manifestations of childhood distress secondary to divorced/blended family stressors.
2. Discover effective methods of rapport-building with children and parents/step parents to enhance treatment outcomes for anxious, depressed and oppositional children.
3. Utilize semi-structured interview and observational formats for obtaining developmental, emotional and behavioural information about distressed children in divorced/blended families.
4. Recognize five typical emotional/behavioural responses in children coping with stressful divorced/blended family dynamics.
5. Implement developmentally appropriate cognitive-behavioural techniques with anxious/depressed children facing family transitions.
6. Apply individualized behaviour management and communication techniques for reducing oppositional behaviour in children seeking control.
7. Develop family-focused therapy techniques to reduce distress and disruptive behaviour in children.
8. Recommend classroom management strategies teachers can utilize for responding to children’s highly emotional or disruptive behaviour at school.

Outline

CHALLENGES FOR CHILDREN FACING DIVORCE & FAMILY TRANSITION

Multiple Losses, Multiple Reactions

• Divorce Do’s and Don’ts: How Kids Cope with Parental Missteps
• Reduce Children’s Distress due to Dysfunctional Co-Parenting
• Helping Kids Cope with Parents’ New Relationships
• Divorce-related Grief and Loss

• ”Blood is Thicker than Water”
• Through Children’s Eyes: Residential Invaders and Parent Stealers
• Healthier Family Functioning via Management rather than Resolution
• Guidelines for Smoother Stepparent-Child Relationships
• Strategies for Relationship Protection and Semi-Integration

TREATMENT TECHNIQUES FOR KIDS IN THE CROSSFIRE

Intervention Strategies for Anxious Children

• The 3-R Approach to Anxiety Management
• Daily Relaxation Rituals
• Child-Friendly CBT (No Homework!)
• Family-Focused Play/Art Therapy
• Transition-Management Skills for Dual Households

• Root Causes of Oppositional/Defiant Behavior
• Defiance as expression of Anxiety and Depression
• Social-Emotional Behavioral Assessment
• Cooperation and Consequences vs. Compliance and Punishment
• Creative Alternatives to Traditional Behavior Modification

• Effective Rapport Building and Interpersonal Approaches
• Child-Friendly Mood Management Skills
• Game Play Therapy for Family Dynamic
• Therapeutic Technologies
• Emotive Communication Skill-Building

• Vindictive/Revengeful Behavior
• Physically Destructive Behavior
• Aggressive/Violent Behavior
• Suicidal/Self-Harming Behavior
• Non-Suicidal Self Injury
• Repetitive Substance Abuse
• Socially Rejected/Excluded Children

• ”BASE” Method for Assessing Childhood Functioning
• Family-Related Stress and Academic/Learning Problems
• How Family Conflict Leads to Defiance at School
• Classroom Management for Disruptive Behaviors
• Special Accommodations for Highly Sensitive Children
• Feedback/Discussion Guidelines with Challenging Parents
• School-Wide Solutions for High-Risk Students

Target Audience

• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Counselors
• Teachers
• School Administrators
• Occupational Therapists
• Speech-Language Pathologists
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Other Helping Professionals who Work with Children