Resistance to Caregiver Involvement
Five-hour training with Dr. Adele Lafrance
Understanding and Working with Client, Caregiver and Clinician Resistance to Caregiver Involvement in Therapy
January 23, 2026 • 10am - 3pm MT - CE credit hours
with Dr. Adele Lafrance
Resistance to caregiver involvement in mental health therapy is a complex phenomenon influenced by a multitude of psychological, relational, and systemic factors.
Some clients may resist caregiver participation due to concerns about privacy, fear of judgment, or worries that their autonomy may be compromised. For others, past experiences play a significant role; individuals who have experienced a lack of support, criticism, or even trauma from caregivers may be reluctant to involve them for fear of experiencing further hurt or harm. Clients may not believe in the clinician’s experience and skill in holding this delicate work, or they may wish to shield their caregivers from distressing details or feel embarrassed discussing certain topics in their presence.
Caregivers themselves may hesitate to participate in therapy for a variety of deeply personal reasons. Some fear that their involvement might inadvertently exacerbate the client’s distress or hinder progress, worried that saying or doing the wrong thing could make matters worse. Many caregivers feel unprepared or uncertain about how best to support their loved ones, lacking confidence in their own abilities or understanding of the therapeutic process. The prospect of being judged—by clinicians, clients, or even themselves—can foster anxiety and a reluctance to engage. Shame may also play a powerful role, especially when caregivers grapple with self-blame, especially with the back-drop of parent-blame practices in mental health.
Finally, clinicians and therapists may also encounter challenges when considering caregiver involvement. Balancing the client’s wishes with the potential benefits of collaborative care requires sensitivity and careful negotiation. Clinical judgment is key, as is the ability to differentiate clinical instinct from one’s own unhealed wounds and cultural conditioning.
Informed by theory and principles of Emotion-Focused Family Therapy, this training will explore underlying drivers of resistance to caregiver involvement - from the perspectives of client resistance, caregiver resistance and clinician resistance - and introduce tools and techniques for clinicians to clarify and work through such impasses in a way that honors the experiences of those involved.
Participants will be provided with opportunities to engage with theory experientially, including opportunities for self-inquiry regarding internalized biases. Resources and scripts will also be provided to support the integration of the material in one’s practice. Participation can be active or passive and no prior training required. This training will not be recorded.
$160 USD
(discount rate available for those with financial insecurity using code: DISCOUNT10 or DISCOUNT15; discounts also available for groups of 5 or more)