This groundbreaking theory was developed from more than three decades of clinical research conducted by Dr. Sohn at the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group. Dr. Sohn has used findings from authentic cases to empower clinicians with the ability to more concisely ascertain a client’s condition through a more comprehensive understanding. This workshop brings awareness to the creative skills of the clinicians themselves, and the advantages of using these resources to create an environment of safety and healing for the client. The Control Mastery Theory (CMT) is an assimilated technique that explores the progression of psychotherapy and the role it plays in healing. This school of thought believes that psychotherapy is born from a pathogenic perspective developed from difficult and extreme life events, including stressful circumstances that may be still be present.
Pathogenic beliefs, often formed in childhood, can develop as a result of many different situations. In particular, many of these deeply held belief systems are in line with the parent’s beliefs or the caregiver’s interpretation of the world. Each child will develop his own beliefs and these thoughts will be influenced by the motivations he possessed at the time. If a child performs a behavior that elicits a negative response from his parents, he may develop pathogenic beliefs based on his perception of their reaction. However skewed this may be, he may actually be deciphering the emotional response as completely accurate or inaccurate.
Pathogenic beliefs can be debilitating and consuming to the client because they imply that the client will be subjected to injury or harm, or will harm another person, if they continue in pursuit of their goals. Many of these beliefs subject the clients to amplified stress and anxiety and disable them from functioning on a normal level. The goal of treatment for these clients is to help them recognize the belief structure that they hold and to work with them to identify the reality within those beliefs. By doing so, a client can be liberated from his emotional prison and begin to progress toward a healthier life.
