Sunday, October 5, 2025 - Learn More >
Sunday, October 5, 2025
"Treatment Implications of Interpersonal Defense Theory for a Variety of Therapy Approaches"
Presented by Michael A. Westerman, PhD
Date: Sunday, October 5, 2025
Time:
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. - CE Course
10:30 a.m. - 10:55 a.m. - HVPA members are
invited to join for a brief update meeting
starting 30 minutes before presentation time and ending 5 minutes before the presentation.
Location: This will be a Zoom presentation. (You will receive the Zoom login information following your registration.)
Program Summary
Interpersonal defense theory is an interpersonal model of defense processes. Its implications for treatment can be integrated in many therapy approaches. At the beginning of this interactive webinar, the tenets of the theory that provide the basis for its treatment implications will be presented and participants will engage with these concepts in an examination of clinical material. That first part of the webinar will serve as a review (using new case material) for participants who attended the first webinar on interpersonal defense theory in September 2024 and as an introduction to the theory for participants who did not attend that webinar. We will then turn to how to employ the theory in psychodynamically-oriented therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other therapy approaches, and go from there to consider cases that participants are treating, keeping in mind the need to safeguard patient confidentiality and that time constraints will only allow preliminary discussion of the cases, not the kind of careful, detailed consideration that is possible in the context of supervision.
Presenter: Michael A. Westerman, PhD
Michael Westerman graduated from Harvard College with a concentration in philosophy, received his doctoral training in clinical psychology at the University of Southern California, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Denver. In 1982, he joined the faculty of the Department of Psychology at New York University. He was part of the core faculty for the clinical psychology doctoral program and served twice as Director of Clinical Training. He retired from NYU in September 2022. In 1984, he joined the Taconic Counseling Group and has maintained a part-time private practice as a member of TCG since then. His main clinical, theoretical, and research interests concern interpersonal processes, especially in the context of the therapy relationship, and, philosophy, which is an interest he pursues in a way that is closely linked to his clinical, theoretical, and research activities related to interpersonal processes. His many publications include journal articles, book chapters, and editing several special journal issues. Currently, he serves on the editorial boards of
Psychotherapy Research and the
Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical
Psychology.
Target Audience: All mental health professionals. NOTE: Only Doctoral Level NY State licensed Psychologists can receive CE credits.
Learning Objectives
Participants in the webinar will:
- Become familiar with the tenets of interpersonal defense theory that provide the basis for its treatment implications.
- Learn how to incorporate the treatment implications of interpersonal defense theory in several therapy approaches.
FEES:
FREE for HVPA Members
$60.00 for Non-HVPA Members
JOIN HVPA for a first-year $50 fee ($75 for subsequent renewals) and receive all CE courses provided by HVPA for FREE. For networking, listserv, and other benefits, please go to the Membership page and sign up!
CE INFORMATION
Statement of Sponsorship: Hudson Valley Psychological Association (HVPA) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0200.
CE Credits: 3 CE credits for NYS Psychologists (only) are provided upon course's completion. HVPA is authorized to provide CE credits ONLY to NYS Psychologists.
To receive continuing education (CE) credit, you need to attend the program in its entirety. CE certificates will be provided for all NYS psychologists who attend this program in full and who complete/return an online program evaluation. Please indicate your license type and license number on your registration form.
FOR ONLINE COURSES: We verify your online attendance at the beginning & end of the program and by your completion of the evaluation form and post-test.
HVPA is authorized to provide CE credits ONLY to NYS Psychologists. If you have questions, contact ContinuingEd@hvpa.org.