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April 28 – 30, 2016 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kitchener, Ontario
Featured Speakers:
Nora Spinks, CEO of the Vanier Institute of the Family
Chris Bentley, Executive Director, Ryerson’s Legal Innovation Zone
Mark Yantzi, Restorative Opportunities Program, Corrections Services Canada
Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor, City of Kitchener
- Network with Collaborative Colleagues from across Ontario & Canada
- 22 Workshops to choose from
- Thursday Evening Reception
- Friday Evening Gala Dinner & Dance
Friday Morning Kick-off Speaker
CHRIS BENTLEY is no stranger to innovation. As Attorney General he worked with stakeholders in the family justice system to develop and implement “4 Pillars” of reform to provide families with more information, triage to needed services, options to litigation, and a more streamlined process for those who have to go to court. Chris left government to start the Law Practice Program at Ryerson, an innovative alternative to the traditional articling process for lawyers.
As Executive Director of Ryerson’s Legal Innovation Zone, Chris returned to family law reform with an open invitation for community collaboration. Family lawyers, mental health professionals, mediators, students and family law clients participated in 5 workshop sessions to develop creative, non-confrontational, client-focused, cost effective approaches for separating families. The results will be presented to Ontario’s current Attorney General this spring. Chris will share his passion for innovation with us using his recent interdisciplinary initiative as an example of a creative solution for families in transition.
Friday Noon Lunch Speaker
MARK YANTZI is a mediator in the Restorative Opportunities program of Correctional Services Canada. Restorative Justice has been recognized internationally as an innovative and healthy alternative to the retributive justice system. Mark grew up in an Amish community near Punkeydoodles Corners south west of New Hamburg. Early on in his career he recognized that Restorative Justice resonated with Amish pacifist principals and had the potential to innovate and reform our justice system.
Mark has been honoured for his unique and innovative contributions to the Kitchener-Waterloo community. He was a founder and Executive Director of Community Justice Initiatives Waterloo and served as a Regional and City Counsellor for over 22 years. He is a well-known expert in his field, with training in sexual misconduct and divorce mediation. He has written Sexual Offending and Restoration (Herald Press), as well as edited Three Paths to Healing (Pandora Press) and been a contributor to The Challenge of Forgiveness (from the Saint Paul University Research series).
Friday Evening Dinner Speaker
NORA SPINKS is CEO of the VANIER INSTITUTE OF THE FAMILY. The Institute monitors and reports on the changing face of Canada’s families. They continually seek and embrace new and innovative ways to reach out to researchers, educators, students, journalists, service providers, faith and labour leaders, policymakers and others with an interest in families and family life.
Throughout her 25-year career, Nora has worked with the research community to mobilize knowledge and connect those who study, serve and support Canada’s diverse families. With an accessible presentation style, she has not only informed but also engaged audiences at conferences, community and corporate events, on social media, through Vanier Institute publications, such as Transition magazine, and in the media through her many appearances on TV and radio. Nora will help us to better understand the changing face of Canadian families and provide us with some skills and strategies to support them through the work we do.
For conference schedules, registration forms, and workshop presenter information, click here to download the brochure.
Sue Goldswain and John Boland Workshop
Sponsored by Collaborative Divorce Vancouver Society
Friday, May 27, 2016
VanDusen Gardens
Peggy Gunn Woodland Hall
5241 Oak Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (registration at 8:30 a.m.)
From Infatuation to Divorce: Understanding Stages and Unconscious Patterns in Relationships
Ever wonder how the couple in your Collaborative meetings went from romantic love to so much conflict? During this workshop we will explore the predictable stages of relationship from infatuation to irreconcilable conflict and divorce. Using Imago Relationship Theory we will begin to make sense of this transition and illustrate the unconscious patterns at play that not only our clients go through but also ourselves. By normalizing both infatuation and relationship conflict we will bring clarity to the unconscious patterns all of us go through in long-term relationships. As professionals, by consciously understanding these patterns, we can develop more empathy for all of our clients and gain insights into our own reactions and projections. This workshop was presented at the IACP Forum in Vancouver last year. In this workshop, participants will:
- Gain insight into the stages of relationship and how these stages impact themselves and their clients
- Begin to understand Imago Relationship Theory, and how to shift unconscious relationship interactions to more intentional interactions
- Recognize that long-term relationship conflict has components that are rooted in the couple’s childhood experiences
- Briefly examine their own relationship histories and hopefully gain new awareness into their relationship patterns
- Have more empathy and understanding for the struggles of both their clients and their clients’ ex-partners
- Come to understand the typical dynamics of couples, including how they often have similar yearnings but opposite defensive patterns
- Be challenged to recognize that long term intimate relationships are where we have an opportunity to finally grow up and behave in more mature loving ways.
BIOS
John Boland has been a psychotherapist for over 35 years, who now specializies in relationship therapy and divorce coaching. Dr. Sue Goldswain is a registered psychologist who has been an individual and couples therapist for 30 years.
Both Sue and John are advanced clinicians in Imago Relationship Therapy, fully accredited with Imago International, and certified Imago Workshop Presenters. As a married couple they are committed to helping others explore their relationships patterns for increased connection and commitment, as well as using Imago theory and practice in their own partnership to deal with their inevitable challenges.