Brief Directive Marriage Counseling™

A 6-Session Method for Couples Counseling

2.5 CE hours · Self-paced · Book included · $89 launch price

For LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. CAMFT Provider #10072759.

View options

Level

Intermediate

CE hours

2.5

Format

Self-study (reading)

CAMFT Provider #

10072759

I wrote this book for new clinicians, and for seasoned ones. It isn’t a cheat sheet. It’s a method I’ve used to keep couples in session focused on the present and the future. It doesn’t take the place of a clinician’s clinical judgment. It offers a way to stay in the session without getting carried away by the contentious energy a couple can bring into the room.

This is a directive approach, but don’t let that scare you. When a couple starts veering off into the weeds of the past, the time their partner didn’t do something, or the time their partner hurt their feelings ten years ago, you can direct them back to their stated goal of how they want the relationship to look now.

A lot of new clinicians are hesitant to take on couples work. They don’t have the experience yet. A couple in the room can feel overwhelming, and the work is intimidating. It isn’t only them. I’ve observed the same thing in mental health organizations. Competent, knowledgeable clinicians shy away from couples work because they feel it’s unmanageable. When I’ve reached out to people I went to graduate school with, to refer a couple, there have been a number of refusals. That always surprised me. They don’t refuse because they’re too busy. They say they hate couples work. Or they say the couples they’ve seen in the past were a nightmare to work with.

If this sounds like you, this book is for you. The only condition is that you’re willing to take couples in your practice right now, or willing to try it again. You can do meaningful couples work, as meaningful as the work you already do with individuals.

From Brief Directive Marriage Counseling™, "Why I Wrote This Book"

You read the book at your own pace, take a short online post-test, complete a short evaluation, and get your certificate by email within 1 business day.

Enroll for $89

Who this course is for

  • LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs who see couples now, or want to try again
  • Newer clinicians who feel unsure about having two people in the room
  • Experienced clinicians who want a clear structure for brief couples work

Level: Intermediate

What you get

  • The book Brief Directive Marriage Counseling™: A 6-Session Method for Couples Counseling by John Oliver Ycaro, LPCC (PDF download, in full color and a print-friendly black-and-white version)
  • An online post-test
  • 2.5 CE hours and a certificate emailed to you within 1 business day after you pass the post-test and complete the evaluation

Learning objectives

After completing this course, you will be able to:

  1. Name the four screening questions used in the phone consult (physical domestic abuse, infidelity, drug or alcohol addiction, and thoughts of harming self or others) and explain how the answers guide the decision to take on a couple.
  2. Describe how four frames (LeDoux on fear processing, Minuchin's Structural Family Therapy, Gottman's Four Horsemen, repair attempts, and negative sentiment overload, and Johnson's attachment-based EFT) help the clinician stay regulated and avoid getting pulled into a couple's dysregulation.
  3. Explain the purpose of securing a verbal commitment to stay married from both partners in Session 1, and how that commitment connects to research on commitment and consistency and on self-efficacy.
  4. Demonstrate the Time Machine technique for having partners reenact a missed moment and practice a new response, speaking directly to each other.
  5. Outline the structure and goals of all 6 sessions, including the individual subsystem hours in Sessions 3 and 4 and the milestone review in Session 6.
  6. Apply the business partnership comparison to help couples turn unspoken expectations into spoken, negotiated agreements.

How it works

  1. Enroll. Pay securely online. You get the book and post-test access right away.
  2. Read the book. Go at your own pace. There's no time limit.
  3. Take the post-test online. You need 70% to pass. Retakes are free and unlimited. You'll confirm that you did the reading and the test yourself.
  4. Complete a short course evaluation. This is required for CE credit.
  5. Get your certificate. It's emailed to you within 1 business day after you pass the post-test and complete the evaluation, usually the same day.

We keep completion records for 4 years, so you can request a copy of your certificate if you need it.

Price

Book + CE

$89

$89 for the book plus 2.5 CE hours. This is a launch price.

That's the whole cost. No extra fees for the post-test, retakes, or certificate. It is a digital download, so there is no shipping.

Enroll for $89
Book alone

$34

Just want the book? It's available on its own for $34. The book alone doesn't include CE credit.

Buy the book for $34

About the author

John Oliver Ycaro, LPCC, is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in California (LPCC #LPCC9132) in private practice. He earned his M.A. in Counseling from Palo Alto University in 2017 and has about 10 years of experience working with couples in community mental health, the VA, and private practice. At the VA, where his work focused on trauma and PTSD, he brought spouses and family members into treatment, because personal challenges affect the whole family system. He wrote Brief Directive Marriage Counseling™ for new and seasoned clinicians who want a practical, directive way to work with couples. The method grew out of his own practice and is grounded in the work of Minuchin, Gottman, and Johnson.

Author disclosure: John Oliver Ycaro is the author of the course book and earns income from its sales.

CE information

Course meets the qualifications for 2.5 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

John Oliver Ycaro is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. John Oliver Ycaro maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.

  • CAMFT Provider #: 10072759
  • Format: Self-study (reading), with an online post-test
  • CE hours: 2.5, based on a standard of 6,000 words per hour
  • Passing score: 70%
  • Certificate: Emailed within 1 business day after you pass the post-test and complete the evaluation

Certificates are reviewed and issued personally by the provider, John Oliver Ycaro, LPCC. After you pass the post-test and complete the evaluation, your certificate will be emailed to you within 1 business day.

Licensed outside California? Please check with your own board to confirm they accept this course.

Provider mailing address: 200 San Mateo Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030

Policies

Refunds

You can get a full refund within 7 days of purchase as long as you haven't started the post-test. After you start the post-test, or after 7 days, all sales are final.

Book only ($34): because the book is a digital download, sales are final once the file is downloaded. If the file is damaged or won't open, email us and we'll send a working copy or refund you.

Accommodations

If you need a disability accommodation, such as a screen-reader-friendly version of the book, a larger-print file, or extra time on the post-test, email oliverycaro@losgatosmentalhealthclinic.com. We'll respond within 5 business days.

There's no charge for accommodations.

Grievances

If you have a concern about the course, email oliverycaro@losgatosmentalhealthclinic.com. You'll get a written response within 14 days. If it isn't resolved, you can contact CAMFT at cepa@camft.org.

Privacy

Payments go through a secure checkout. Your information is used only to run the course and keep your CE records.

FAQ

How long do I have to finish?
As long as you need. There's no time limit.
What if I don't pass the post-test?
Retake it. Retakes are free and unlimited.
When do I get my certificate?
Within 1 business day, usually the same day. It's emailed to you after you pass the post-test and complete the evaluation.
What do I need for the certificate?
Your name and license number.
Is any part of this not for CE credit?
Buying the book on its own doesn't earn CE credit. The credit comes from completing the course bundle and passing the post-test.
I lost my certificate. Can I get another?
Yes. We keep records for 4 years. Email oliverycaro@losgatosmentalhealthclinic.com.
Who do I contact with questions?
Email oliverycaro@losgatosmentalhealthclinic.com.