Outline
This course offers an in-depth exploration of trauma bonding, a psychological pattern where individuals form intense attachments to manipulative and abusive relationships. Utilizing a psychodynamic framework, this course examines the roots of trauma bonding as a defense mechanism against early emotional voids and unprocessed losses, which lead to pathological mourning and perpetuate cycles of abuse. Participants will learn through a combination of a recorded lecture, clinical examples, and interactive assessments designed to enhance understanding and application of the material in clinical practice.
Learning Objectives
- Understand trauma bonding as a psychological defense mechanism and its role in maintaining abusive relationships.
- Identify signs of complicated pathological mourning and its effects on patients’ ability to disengage from toxic relationships.
- Develop strategies to address and treat underlying emotional needs that contribute to trauma bonding, utilizing psychodynamic techniques.
- Apply learned concepts to clinical practice through reflective exercises and case study analyses provided in the course materials.