There are a number of common situations that may place a family in crisis, including a serious illness or sudden loss; divorce, separation, or marital tensions; legal issues; mental illness; adolescent acting out; or parental addiction. Parents may be polarized on how to deal with challenges their children are presenting. Children might be acting out their frustrations or they may quietly collapse as they battle to understand what is happening around them. When a desperate parent reaches out to you to help straighten out a teenager, and extinguish the chaos, you need to be decisive, clear, know your options and understand what you need to accomplish in those first opening sessions.



This web conference will present the common precipitants of family crises, discuss the six most common presentations, identify the five most common mistakes you don’t want to make, and outline your format options and opening goals. You’ll learn tips for changing the emotional climate in the session and how to override resistance. You’ll understand what to do and not to do to put out the family fire, and effectively begin the process of problem-solving and healing.



This intermediate, instructional level web conference is designed to help clinicians:




  1. Identify common precipitants of family crisis.

  2. Discuss five ways to change the emotional climate in the first session.

  3. Explain the when and how of initially seeing the individual, the parents, or the entire family.

  4. Identify five common mistakes you never want to make.

  5. Describe how to set the right tone from the first contact.



If you have any questions or concerns about this web conference, or would like more information, please contact us here.


How the Web Conference Works

Attendees who register for this event will log in to the web conference center by using a computer and calling in to the teleconference line. Attendees will be able to ask live audio questions via phone and/or submit text chat questions via computer. Live streaming video and/or document sharing will also be available to participants. Alternatively, attendees may dial in to the teleconference line only, though attendees dialing in by phone only will be unable to ask questions. The video portion of the web conference center is not accessible via smartphone or tablet.



Before the scheduled event, all registered attendees will be sent a reminder email with specific instructions on how to log in to the web conference center, as well as links to optional handout materials if applicable.



This event will include lecture and question-and-answer periods. After the live event, a written transcript of the event will be available in the Member's Area. Members of GoodTherapy.org can receive continuing education credits for attending this event by logging in to the GoodTherapy.org Member's Area.



At the conclusion of this event, you will receive an email with information about how to request a CE certificate. You will need to enter the start and end codes that will be announced at the beginning and end of the presentation. These codes confirm that you attended the entire event. You will be prompted to complete a survey. You will need to complete this online survey within six days of the event. Once you complete the survey, you can download a copy of your CE certificate instantly.


Continuing Education (CE) Information

Two CE credits will be provided by GoodTherapy.org for attending this web conference in its entirety. GoodTherapy.org is also an Approved Education Provider by NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals (provider #135463). Of the eight counselor skill groups ascribed to by NAADAC, this course is classified within counseling services.

GoodTherapy.org is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.

GoodTherapy.org is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

GoodTherapy.org, SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0395.

Registration Information

Premium and Pro Membership with GoodTherapy includes access to this web conference at no additional cost, as well as other member benefits such as a profile listing in GoodTherapy's Therapist Directory. Not yet a member? Sign up for a Premium or Pro Membership, here.

Just want CE credits? Sign up for a monthly or annual CE Subscription with GoodTherapy to get unlimited access to our CE Program, including this event, other live CE web conferences, and hundreds of hours of homestudy courses.

Mental health professionals who are not members can access the homestudy recording for $15.50. Sign up here to purchase this CE course and earn a CE certificate.

Event Reviews from Members

Bob Taibbi is a knowledgeable and effective presenter. I learned a lot. I highly recommend this workshop. - Susan Chanderbhan-Forde, PhD

Fabulous review with very helpful added specifics and strategies to use. - Elaine Willey, MA, LMHC

​This presentation was incredibly precise, practical, and helpful. It gave me a map for working with families and couples. - Terrie Towle, LCPC

Meet the Presenter

Robert Taibbi, LCSW

Robert Taibbi, LCSW has specialized in community mental health throughout his 40-year career, working not only as a clinician and a supervisor, but also as a clinical director.

Bob has authored several books, including Clinical Supervision: A Four-Stage Process of Growth and Discovery; Clinical Social Work Supervision: Practice & Process; Doing Couples Therapy: Craft and Creativity in Work with Intimate Partners; Doing Family Therapy: Craft and Creativity in Clinical Practice, which has been translated into Portuguese and Chinese and is in its third edition; and the forthcoming The Art of the First Session and Brief Therapy with Couples & Families. He has also contributed chapters to many books, including Favorite Counseling Techniques: 55 Masters Share Their Secrets, in which he was listed among the top therapists nationwide. He has published more than 300 journal and magazine articles, and he has written for a teen advice column in Current Health and as a contributing editor for Your Health and Fitness. Bob was awarded for Best Consumer Health Writing on three occasions.

Bob offers national and international trainings in family therapy, couple therapy, brief therapy, and clinical supervision. He graduated from the University of South Carolina and Rutgers University, and he has been an adjunct professor at several universities. For more information about Bob and his work, please visit www.bobtaibbi.com.