Part 1: Imago Relationship Theory: From the Individual to the Relational and Core Skills with Founders Harville Hendrix and Helen La Kelly Hunt
CPD courses & hours for psychologists in Australia
Australia psychologists: Master Imago Relationship Therapy's core skills. Discover how to move from individual to relational paradigms through our continuing professional development courses.
About this course in Australia
Australian psychologists and counsellors working with couples can learn the foundations of Imago Relationship Therapy from its founders, Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt, in this first course of the series. It explains the historical and scientific move from an individualistic model of human experience to a relational one, drawing on Newtonian physics, Freud, Buber and quantum theory. The structured Imago practices, especially the Imago Dialogue, are described alongside how unmet childhood needs resurface in adult relationships and how the Imago match can support healing and lasting intimacy.
This talk explores the evolution of relational understanding from a worldview of separateness toward one of connection. Beginning with an understanding of the individual-centred approach to psychotherapy, focusing on the Self, the talk concludes by explaining the relational paradigm as the space between individuals. Imago Relationship Therapy integrates different relational perspectives, and this talk describes the structured Imago practices: Dialogue, Zero Negativity, Empathy, and Affirmation to help couples move from reactivity to intentional, conscious relating.
Sections
- The Individual Paradigm
- The Relational Paradigm
- Stages of relationships
- Imago practices
- The Imago Dialogue
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this talk, participants will be able to:
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- Explain the historical and scientific shifts from an individualistic model of human experience to a relational paradigm, including contributions from Newtonian physics, Freud, Buber, and quantum theory.
- Describe the core principles and practices of Imago Relationship Therapy—especially the Dialogue process—and how they cultivate connection, differentiation, and emotional regulation in couples.
- Identify how childhood experiences and unmet needs re-emerge in adult relationships, and how concepts like the Imago match can be used to support healing and sustained intimacy.
Deepening Change in Imago Relationship TherapyStructure as a Pathway to Connection: The Imago Dialogue as Relational PracticeRethinking Couples Therapy: Imago Therapy as a Relational ParadigmRelational Ethics: Beyond AutonomyFrom Surviving to Co-Creating LoveCuratorship, Administratorship & Capacity: Ethical and Legal Considerations in South African PracticeNavigating Food Fights & Family Feuds: A Guide for Families Supporting Eating Disorder RecoverySafety, Connection and the Autonomic Nervous System: Attachment Theory and Polyvagal TheoryUnderstanding ADHD Through an Executive Functioning Lens