Stout MFT Conference

The Good Supervisor

Dale Hawley, PhD

The supervisor-supervisee relationship has many facets including mentoring, evaluation, client protection, and self-of-the-therapist issues.  While there are ethical standards that set a minimum threshold for supervisors, research on effective systemic supervision is sparse. This session asks the question what makes a good supervisor?  It will consider how supervisors can balance multiple roles to influence positive growth and development in their supervisees.

Dale Hawley is Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy program at the University of Wisconsin -Stout. He has been on the faculty of Stout since 2002 and previously taught in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at North Dakota State University. His research interests include family resilience and families living in cross-cultural contexts. Dr. Hawley is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor.

Self-Compassion as a Foundation for Ethical Supervision and Clinical Practice

Terri Karis, PhD

Authentic caring is key to ethical clinical practice and supervision. In this experiential workshop we will explore how our own practice of self-compassion can support attuned and caring presence with clients and supervisees and avoidance of burnout.  We will review research on the benefits of self-compassion, engage in self-compassion practices and discuss obstacles to self-compassion.

Terri Karis, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. For 20 years she’s enjoyed witnessing students learn and grow in her roles of teacher, supervisor and mentor. Dr. Karis is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, a LMFT and a Licensed Psychologist, and maintains a clinical practice in Minneapolis.

Affirmative Care in Family Therapy with Transgender and/or Non-Binary Clients.

Alex Iantaffi, PhD

This session will outline issues that might bring trans and/or non-binary people to seek relationship and couple counseling. It will address how to use a systemic approach to provide affirmative care to trans and/or non-binary clients and their partners and families. Some of the topics covered include: nurturing resilience for trans and/or non-binary providers; establishing communities of accountability for cis providers; addressing assumptions within couple and family systems; transition as a dynamic and relational process; the intersection of trans and/or non-binary identities with other aspects of identities and experiences, such as race, ethnicity, class, disability status, sexuality, and spirituality.

Dr. Alex Iantaffi, LMFT is the co-author of “How To Understand Your Gender” and “Life Isn’t Binary”. They have researched and published extensively on gender, disability, sexuality, and relationship issues.
Alex also works as a therapist and supervisor at their own clinical group practice, Edges Wellness Center LLC, on Dakota and Anishinaabe territories, currently known as Minneapolis, MN (US). They are passionate about healing justice and writing as a form of personal and collective healing. Alex is also the host of the podcast Gender Stories. You can find out more about them at https://www.alexiantaffi.com/ or follow them on Twitter @xtaffi.

Supervision and Training of Systemic Family Therapists

Anne M. Prouty, PhD

Several branches of feminism has informed the field of couple and family therapy, so it is helpful for supervisors and trainers to be familiar with several feminist perspectives as each is helpful in its own way, and because therapists will vary by which perspectives interest them. Dr. Prouty will briefly review several feminist perspectives, how they can inform supervision, and methods that feminist-informed supervisors often use in training.

Anne Prouty has been providing and writing about feminist supervision since 1996. She has a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from East Carolina University, and a doctorate in Child Development and Family Studies with an specialization in family therapy and a minor in feminist studies of the family. She has numerous publications and a passion for systemic feminist therapy and supervision. She is an LMFT (TX) and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. She is currently a visiting faculty in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Desire Discrepancy in Couples Work: A Systemic Approach

Amanda Sasek, MS

Many couples present to therapy with disagreements about their sex life. This often includes a struggle to find a rhythm with their sex life that feels good to both partners. This presentation will examine assessment and intervention tools for working with desire discrepancy couples from a systemic framework.

Amanda Sasek, LMFT owns Sexual Wellness Institute, a group of sex positive therapists who focus on clients with sexual concerns. She is a graduate of the Stout MFT program and is also an instructor in the University of Wisconsin Stout Graduate Certificate in Sex Therapy Program.

Online Therapy: The Four Essential Considerations

Shelly Smith, MS & Jen Labanowski, MS

The increased use of and demand for Telemental Health (TMH) services has great potential to help or harm our field. On one end, we can take advantage of technological advances through efficient and effective training, research, and practice. On the other end, we could fail to take advantage of the technology revolution, fail to conduct safe and ethical practice, and fail to train therapists properly. This educational discussion will overview the four essential considerations of quality TMH services: legal, ethical, logistical, and clinical. Practical suggestions will be given for how to implement each element into practice. Q&A time is scheduled at the end.

Shelly Smith, LMFT and Jen Labanowski, LMFT are co-founders of Connect, LLC and United Counseling & Wellness, LLC. Along with their team at Connect, LLC, Shelly and Jen work with therapists to provide education and consultation about TMH services. Shelly and Jen also provide online and in-person therapy services to individuals, couples, and families. Shelly lives in the Milwaukee area with her husband and children and Jen lives in Minneapolis with her husband and daughter.

The Work of the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counselor and Social Work Examining Board of Wisconsin: De-mystifying the Regulatory Board

Linda Pellmann, MS

The MPSW Joint Board, also known as the regulatory board, consists of marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, social workers and public members.  The purpose of the Board is protecting the stakeholders of Wisconsin by ensuring that professionals credentialed in these fields are practicing according to Wisconsin Statutes. The Board convenes to address licensure issues (granting, denying, limiting, suspending and revoking) and other matters related to the licensee’s education, training, and supervision.  Regulatory boards sometimes evoke anxiety among therapists. This session will seek to de-mystify these concerns by explaining the work of the board.  Linda will share typical scenarios as well as her personal experience as a member of the MSPW Board.

Linda Pellmann. LMFT has over 20 years of outpatient behavioral experience She is owner of Living Whole and Holy Counseling doing online therapy in Wisconsin.  She has her MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from Bethel University and has taught at University of Wisconsin – Whitewater and The Theological Evangelical Seminary in Prague, Czech Republic. Linda is a former President of the Wisconsin Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and has served on the State of Wisconsin, Joint Examining Board of Marriage and Family, Professional Counselor, and Social Work.  Linda and her husband Ned recently moved to Minneapolis to be closer to one of their three children and grandchildren.

Hanging Out Your Shingle: What it Takes!

Anne Ramage, PsyD & Julie Paleen Aronow, MS & Larry Aronow, MS

Whether right out of graduate school or years later as a consummate marriage and family therapist, starting a private practice is challenging on so many levels.  Through this workshop, participants will explore the process of starting their own practice while considering marketing needs, networking, financial implications, billing procedures, and HIPAA and electronic medical record systems. In addition, it will highlight how defining your “differentiator” and how you articulate it is integral to a private practice.

Anne Ramage teaches in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at UW-Stout.  She has a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology, is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, and is licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Anne has been a therapist for over 30 years and currently owns a private practice in St. Paul.  Her clinical interests include mentoring therapists who wish to become AAMFT Approved Supervisors as well as helping individuals seeking post-degree supervision.  Anne is also interested in trauma-related therapy as well as psychometric testing, receiving referrals from other therapists related to testing their clients.  In addition to UW-Stout, she teaches graduate Family Psychology classes at the University of St. Thomas.

Larry Aronow came to marriage and family therapy after 25years in the insurance business.  He obtained his M.SD. in Marriage and Family Therapy from UW-Stout. He has also completed the Addiction Studies program at the University of Minnesota and the Family Mediation program at the University of Wisconsin. Larry and his wife, Julie, recently opened Redwood Family Therapy LLC in Madison, WI.

Julie Paleen Aronow had an extensive career in business before starting a new life chapter as a family therapist. She has worked as a Chief Human Resources officer in investment banking, tax, and law firms and operated her own consulting firm focused on executive coaching. She completed her M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy at UW-Stout and has focused on a number of clinical concerns including depression and anxiety, impulsive behaviors, divorce, and attachment related challenges. She recently opened Redwood Family Therapy LLC in Madison, WI along with her husband, Larry.