Why Clients - Not Clinicians - Hold the Key to Recovery
- Speaker:
- Frank Anderson, MD
- Duration:
- 49 Minutes
- Format:
- Audio and Video
- Copyright:
-
Oct 08, 2025
- Product Code:
- POS150436
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar
Description
Trauma takes away power and control. How do we help our clients reclaim it?
As clinicians, we dedicate ourselves to guiding trauma survivors through the complexities of healing. But what if the most transformative shift isn’t in what we do for our clients, but in how we empower them to do for themselves? Too often, survivors feel like passive recipients of therapy, rather than active participants in their own recovery. Being intentional about giving power and control to a client is essential, but how do we know when we’re actually doing it, and not just thinking we are?
In this inspiring keynote, you’ll join Dr. Frank Anderson to explore a fundamental truth: healing is most powerful when clients reclaim agency over their journey. Drawing from cutting-edge research in neuroscience, key models of therapy, and trauma-informed care, you’ll uncover how small but intentional shifts—offering choice, fostering self-leadership, and integrating mind-body awareness—can radically change outcomes.
This is more than a clinical strategy; it’s a call to action about transforming the way we approach trauma therapy. Together, we can shift from a model of "fixing" to one of partnership and empowerment when it comes to helping trauma survivors not only heal but thrive. The question is: Are we prepared to step aside and make space for clients to take the lead?
Credit
Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships
All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners. For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.
Continuing education credit is not available on this product.
Speaker
Frank Anderson, MD Related seminars and products
Frank Anderson, MD, completed his residency and was a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is both a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation and is passionate about teaching brain-based psychotherapy and integrating current neuroscience knowledge with the IFS model of therapy.
Dr. Anderson has lectured extensively on the Neurobiology of PTSD and Dissociation and wrote the chapter “Who’s Taking What” Connecting Neuroscience, Psychopharmacology and Internal Family Systems for Trauma in Internal Family Systems Therapy – New Dimensions. He co-authored a chapter on What IFS Brings to Trauma Treatment in Innovations and Elaborations in Internal Family Systems Therapy, and recently co-authored Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual.
His most recent book, entitled Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems was released on May 19, 2021.
His memoir, To Be Loved, was released on May 7, 2024.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Frank Anderson maintains a private practice, is the co-founder of the Trauma Institute, and is the co-founding producer of Trauma Informed Media. He receives royalties as a published author. He receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Frank Anderson is a member of the New England Society Studying Trauma and Dissociation and the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.
Additional Info
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)Access never expires for this product.
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Objectives
- Recognize how trauma therapy and managed care can unintentionally reinforce passivity and how to reverse this dynamic.
- Integrate key principles from neuroscience, IFS, Polyvagal Theory, and somatic practices to foster client agency.
- Reframe the clinician’s role from expert to collaborator, creating space for client-driven healing.
- Develop tangible strategies to make empowerment a central pillar of clinical practice.
Outline
Why Empowerment Matters in Trauma Recovery
- The impact of trauma on agency and self-trust
- How traditional therapy models can unintentionally reinforce passivity
- What are the risks and limitations of this approach?
The Science of Engagement: How the Brain and Body Heal Best
- Understanding the concept of Self through various models of therapy, including Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Polyvagal Theory and why safety, not just insight, is key to transformation
- The role of somatic practices in restoring control and connection
Moving from Expert to Guide: The Power of Collaboration
- Shifting from prescriptive to participatory care
- Practical ways to integrate client voice and choice in therapy
- Breaking the cycle of dependency and fostering lasting change
A Call to Action: The Future of Trauma Therapy
- The ethical and clinical imperative of empowerment
- Simple shifts clinicians can make today to elevate client choice
- A vision for trauma treatment that prioritizes collaboration over correction
Target Audience
- Counselors
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Social Workers
- Physicians
- Psychologists
- Addiction Counselors
Reviews
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