Dr. Allan Abbass: Understanding & Navigating Treatment Resistance in Psychotherapy

Treatment resistance/non-response in psychotherapy is a major contributor of disability and loss of functioning among clients as well as a considerable source of  burnout in mental health clinicians.  Renowned psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr. Allan Abbass joins us for a discussion of treatment resistance/non-response in psychotherapy which includes: how treatment resistance is definedthe prevalence of treatment resistance in psychotherapystructural factors (i.e., the dose of therapy available in public/private settings) that may contribute to treatment resistancethe biological & social factors that predict treatment resistance  clues that treatment resistance may be attributable to an underlying medical condition how psychosocial overlay to prescribing practices could influence treatment resistance the special challenge that adverse early life events pose with respect to creating non-response to treatmentconceptualization of non-responding clients from a psychological perspective common maladpative therapist responses to treatment resistance in the context of the treating relationship burnout in the context of treatment resistance clients and what can be done to avoid thisthe active ingredients in Intensive Short Term Dynamic Therapy (ISTDP) that help to address some of the unique challenges experienced by non-responding clientsanalogs in CBT to ISTDP that could be leveraged to address treatment resistancegeneral tips/perspectives for clinicians relating to treatment resistance in their clientsDr. Allan Abbass is a psychiatrist, teacher, and researcher. He is a professor of psychiatry and psychology and the founding director of the Centre for Emotions and Health at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. Dr. Abbass has consulted widely with governments, universities, and health agencies on the cost-effectiveness and applicability of short-term psychotherapy.  He has provided over 300 invited presentations around the world as well as ongoing video-recording-based training to professionals in several countries. In addition, he has been awarded many research grants and has over 200 publications.  He is also the author of Reaching Through Resistance: Advanced Psychotherapy Techniques as well as co-author on numerous other books.  Dr. Abbass has been a consultant to the American Psychological Association on the Unified Psychotherapy Project and to the American Psychoanalytic Association, where he serves on the Scientific Committee. He was a board member of the International Experiential Dynamic Therapy Association. He has been an editorial board member for the American Psychological Association journal Psychotherapy. Dr. Abbass is proud to be the David Malan Professor of Psychotherapy at the Tavistock, London, UK.http://reachingthroughresistance.comhttps://twitter.com/ISTDPhttps://www.facebook.com/allan.abbass.7

Om Podcasten

Thoughts on Record is the podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (OICBT) located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Each week we explore topics relevant to clinicians and mental health consumers from a cognitive behavioural perspective; however, if you’re generally interested in psychology, psychotherapy, evolutionary psychology, mental health, the brain, dynamics of human behaviour, creativity, wellness & performance then this podcast will certainly be of interest to you. Thoughts on Record is hosted by OICBT clinical psychologist Dr. Pete Kelly, C. Psych. Dr. Kelly is a Clinical Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa and Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Kelly is actively involved in directing speciality programming at OICBT, teaching and supervision, providing workshops to mental health professionals and is a frequent speaker to organizations around the impact of stress on well-being. Email the show: oicbtpodcast@gmail.com. You can visit the OICBT at www.ottawacbt.ca. Original theme music courtesy of OPK5, outro music courtesy of Baldhero & Van Whelan https://baldherovanwhelan.bandcamp.com