Training Workshop: Cognitive Psychotherapy and Wisdom Strategies in the Treatment of Adjustment Disorders

Abstract

The goal of this training workshop is to give an introduction in recent developments of wisdom psychology and their bearing for cognitive psychotherapy of adjustment disorders.

Negative life events like divorce, dead of a beloved one, job loss etc. require enhanced coping. If this is not sufficient it can result in adjustment or other mental disorders. One factor which often contributes to pathological developments in the context of negative life events is embitterment because of the feeling of having been treated unfair, been let down or been humiliated. If embitterment is present then there is a tendency not to recover spontaneously but rather to take a chronic course.

There is a new approach in the treatment for such adjustment disorders which is based on recent developments in wisdom psychology. Wisdom has been defined as the capacity to cope with unsolvable and serious problems and questions in life. It has been shown:

1. a. that persons who are not successful in coping with negaive life events lack wisdom capacities,

2. b. that wisdom capacities can be trained, and

3. c. that cognitive treatment which uses wisdom strategies is helpful in the treatment of adjustment disorders and especially those with prolonged embitterment reactions.

This training workshop will:

• • inform about the clincial features of adjustment disorders and especially posttraumatic embitterment disorders;

• • give an introduction in recent developments of wisdom psychology;

• • teach the esentials of wisdom psychotherapy.