Patterns of Connection and Conflict: Structural and Ecological Approaches to Relational Change

IN-PERSON TRAINING!!!! TIME TO RE-CONNECT!

This full-day experience integrates ecological and structural family therapy approaches to understanding connection, conflict, and repair. Through discussion, reflection, and video examples, participants will learn how therapist authenticity, co-therapy, and relational awareness can create meaningful shifts in high-conflict family systems and support long-term relational growth.

First Workshop Title:

How to Improve and Sustain Relationships: An Ecological Approach

9am - 12pm

Program Description: This interactive session on “How to Sustain Relationships and Address Ruptures” invites participants to discus, reflect, and share. The workshop is grounded in mutual learning and analog (non digital) communication—how we connect, respond, consider what is in-between us and make meaning with one another beyond just words. Together, we will explore the interrelationship contexts of our lives—the situations that influence one another—and focus on what continues to take shape there. Using an ecological systemic approach, we will discuss ways of creating and sustaining relational possibilities, with particular attention to navigating conflict and repairing ruptures in ways that support interdependency and ongoing growth

About the Presenters

Kenneth Silvestri received his Doctorate in Family Cultural Studies from Columbia University. He has been in private practice as a family therapist for 40 years. Dr. Silvestri has taught at the graduate school level for over twenty-five years and also serves as a Clinical Professor at Daybreak University and Clinical Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the New York Medical College. He is the author of ” A Wider Lens: How to See Your Life Differently” and a monthly Psychology Today Blog in addition to being a Black Belt student of Aikido and a Tai chi practitioner. (www.drkennethsilvestri.com)

Brielle Silvestri is an educator, performer, and collaborator who utilizes theatre outside of traditional spaces to foster learning and productive dialogue. Brielle has been a teaching artist with The Moth Community and Education Programs, The NYC Children’s Theater, The People’s Theatre Project, and The Creative Arts Team. She is a co-founder of Theatre in Tandem, which offers experiential and active learning through theatre in higher education. Brielle received her Master of Arts in Applied Theatre at CUNY School of Professional Studies and has completed a Higher Education Teaching Certificate through Harvard's Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning and a Certificate in Instructional Design through Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies.

Second Workshop Title: 

The Use of Self in Structural Family Therapy

1:30p - 4:30p

Program description:  This presentation explored how therapists can use their authentic selves within a structural family therapy framework to create meaningful change in high conflict family systems. It highlighted the importance of self awareness, congruence, and co therapy as active interventions, showing how a therapist’s presence and relational style can shift family dynamics in real time. The session also introduced an ecological approach to improving and sustaining relationships, emphasizing how individual, relational, and environmental factors interact to support long term connection, resilience, and healthy patterns of interaction.  

Join us for a dynamic three-hour presentation on using a structural family therapy approach to navigate high-conflict family dynamics. Through video examples and interactive discussion, you’ll learn how co-therapists can use their authentic selves as agents of change to create meaningful shifts in families. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your skills, gain fresh insights, and engage in a collaborative learning experience!  This three-hour presentation will examine the application of structural family therapy in working with families experiencing intense conflict between parents and children. The program will emphasize how co-therapists can use their authentic selves as agents of change, highlighting the value of self-reflection and therapeutic congruence. Participants will explore how bringing one’s full humanness into the therapeutic space can serve as a meaningful intervention to promote change. Throughout the session, participants will be invited to engage in discussion, sharing their reactions, questions, and reflections related to the family, the therapists, and selected video segments. This interactive format is designed to deepen understanding of how co-therapy and therapist authenticity can be effectively integrated within a structural framework to address high-conflict family dynamics.

About the Presenters

Veronica Jaochico, MA, LAMFT, received her degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Kean University and has worked at Family Service League since 2023.  Her clinical work is grounded in systemic and relational therapy, with a strong emphasis on emotional attunement and strengthening connection within families. The work she copresents today reflects a year-long process of building safety, understanding emotional experiences, and supporting more responsive and attuned family relationships over time.

Wally Weikert, LMFT and LCSW, received his MA and MSW from Columbia University. He is currently the Clinical Director at Family Service League in Bloomfield, New Jersey.  During his many years of practice, he has been devoted to applying the ideas of FAMILY THERAPY to the amelioration of pain created by the dilemmas and tragedies that people experience.Throughout his career, Wally has supervised, trained, and taught many students and mental health professionals.  His presence has played a significant role in ensuring that anyone who walks through the front door of FSL , whether couples, individuals, or families, will receive meaningful and compassionate care. His many years of dedicated work reflects his longstanding commitment to clinical excellence, professional  development and personal integrity.  

Pricing for 6 CEUs

Non-member:  $175

Member: $150

Pre-Clinical/Retiree: $125

Student: $75

Board member: $75