Presence Oriented Relationship Therapy (PORT)
Created as a training model, PORT is a solution focused relationship therapy. PORT identifies specific relationship targets for a couple which were developed based upon the key insights over the last 40 years. These insights are based on research and practice of John and Julie Gottman, Imago Relationship Therapy, Emotionally Focussed Therapy, PACT, Heart and the Developmental Model. PORT recognizes that couples are in each other’s care and utilizing this relationship allows for powerful validation, motivation, support and effectiveness.
Key Features
Among PORT’s innovations are the integration of the PORT Relational Brain Model that makes neuroscientific insights accessible for both clinicians and clients; The Presence Bridge Model which incorporates existential and mindfulness into the bridge concept; and the 5 Step Therapy Progress Model (AARNI) which informs intervention and manages client conflict.
Relational Brain Model
PORT’s Relational Brain model helps therapists target their interventions using neuroscientific insights. PORT is centered on teaching couples to co-develop connection skills with language that aligns with lived experience and avoids neuroscientific jargon. This allows for therapists to intervene rapidly with couples for emotional regulation and minimizing conflict through the course of therapy. It aligns developmental stages with needs and validation strategies; varying proxemic, haptic, kinesic and verbal empathy strategies; and how to triage seemingly paradoxical developmental attachment needs in the moment.
Presence Bridge Model
The goal of PORT is presence. Presence is the mindful integration of the therapist’s self into therapy and the couple's relational space. PORT’s Presence Bridge Model provides a developmental pathway to presence as a mindful flow state incorporating empathy, validation, responsiveness and appreciation. Additionally the Presence Bridge Model enables clinicians to integrate a wide variety of interventions from a range of other couple and individual therapy models. A key benefit of combining the Presence Bridge Model with the Relational Brain model is that it equips the therapist to attune quickly to the neural configuration of the couple, identify neurodevelopmental challenges in the moment, and apply developmentally appropriate interventions. This significantly increases the range of clients who can be treated effectively and speedily through couples therapy.
5 Step Therapy Progress Model
The 5 Step Therapy Progress Model (AARNI) enables clinicians to continually assess couples and then choose interventions focused on reconciliation and returning the couple to each other’s care. PORT identifies that relational development can be slow, blocked or arrested in any of the 5 stages of Alliance building, mutual Acknowledgement, Responsibility and differentiation work, Need identification, Intimacy building with engagement and resolution (AARNI). AARNI allows the PORT therapist to focus on the relevant challenges of the moment, amplifying the felt experience and providing a developmental pathway for couples to achieve presence. Couples will be able to repair and remain in connection, resolve developmental losses and that this will ultimately reduce recidivism (a significant challenge in couples work).
Comparison to other Models
PORT is an intensely practical couples therapy Modality that coalesce around the challenge of finding the successful common features of therapy models as diverse as PACT, EFT, Imago, Gottman and the Developmental Model. What became clear is that each of these models offered significant strengths but often lacked essential features or flexibilities present in other model. In addition insights from other modalities including Narrative, ACT, NLP, Psychodrama, Gestalt, Relational Neurobiology were incorporated. customers.
Students can learn PORT in 3 steps.
- PORT Level 1, professionals can complete this via the PESI training or through Relate Unlimited with a post-assessment.
- PORT Level 2, after completing PORT Level 1, professionals are eligible to register. Professionals are taught to utilize PORT skills in vivo.
- PORT Group Supervision, after completing PORT Level 2, professionals are invited to participate in ongoing group supervision and case presentation.
Relate also offers specialised training in working with affairs, betrayals and trust problems.
Introduction to Presence Oriented Relationship Therapy
PORT Training Opportunities
Blog posts
PORT: Integrated Couples Therapy
Relate and PESI are offering a 16 hour course about integrating the most powerful interventions in couples therapy. This is the Level 1 PORT training. Go here to register. Dates: Weekly Feb 6 - Mar...
Relate is Partnering with PESI: How to Break the Pursuer / Distancer Cycle
Relate is proud to be partnering with PESI to offer a free resource to the professional community. On January 31 5:30 AEDT Steven will present 'How to Break the Pursuer / Distancer Cycle.' To regi...
Video
Port's focus was simple and driven by the clear imperative of research that indicated that untrained therapist's working with couples were highly unsucessful and the therapy process itself was highly stressful for the couple and the therapist.
The challenge of course is that everyone needs to start somewhere and our focus was to support our interns to be successful as soon as possible.
While Steven was cross-training in Imago, Gottman and EFT he noticed a recurring pattern underlying their seemingly different methods. Steven adapted the Relational bridge model for interns to use and tested this among the team. The developmental brain model was the next innovation that made relational neuroscience accessible to clinicians and clients and therapy progress model among other innovations.
The feedback from PORT trained therapists is that they quickly felt confident to hold a relational space for the couple that felt safe for deep intimate connecting work and that they had strategies to help them contain and manage conflict. Additionally clinicians could maintain and develop their own unique authentic style and presence and incorporate other training and experience more seamlessly and effectively.
Port's focus was simple and driven by the clear imperative of research that indicated that untrained therapist's working with couples were highly unsucessful and the therapy process itself was highly stressful for the couple and the therapist.
The challenge of course is that everyone needs to start somewhere and our focus was to support our interns to be successful as soon as possible.
While Steven was cross-training in Imago, Gottman and EFT he noticed a recurring pattern underlying their seemingly different methods. Steven adapted the Relational bridge model for interns to use and tested this among the team. The developmental brain model was the next innovation that made relational neuroscience accessible to clinicians and clients and therapy progress model among other innovations.
The feedback from PORT trained therapists is that they quickly felt confident to hold a relational space for the couple that felt safe for deep intimate connecting work and that they had strategies to help them contain and manage conflict. Additionally clinicians could maintain and develop their own unique authentic style and presence and incorporate other training and experience more seamlessly and effectively.
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