Ongoing consultation groups co-led by Steve Frankel and Phil Erdberg, or by Steve alone, are each made up of 6 to 8 professionals. They meet biweekly for 1 1/2 hours or monthly for 2 1/4 hours. The meetings are held at Steve Frankel's office at 1044 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Kentfield, California. Participants are given ample opportunity to present clinical material. To enhance these clinical dialogues, Drs. Frankel and Erdberg are prepared to discuss a broad range of topics, complemented by references to the current literature.

Continuing education units are available from Dr. Frankel for psychologists (APA Provider #1754) and MFTs and LCSWs (California Provider #3239).

The objective of these consultation groups is to create a community of like-minded professionals who can grow and work together and refer to one another.

For additional information about our consultation groups, please contact Steve Frankel.

Talks and Workshops Available for Your Organization

Steven A. Frankel, M.D., and other members of the Center for Collaborative Psychology and Psychiatry provide educational programs. The talks and seminars generally run for an hour to an hour and a half; the workshops are for a half or full day.

Talks Emphasizing the Collaborative Treatment Method and Comprehensive Assessment Process We Have Evolved at the Center for Collaborative Psychology and Psychiatry

In these talks, Steve Frankel, at times co-presenting with a colleague, elaborates upon the Collaborative Treatment Method and comprehensive assessment process we have developed and use at the Center. Both the assessment and treatment described are conducted according to the principles elaborated in Steve Frankel's four books and published articles, including his most recent book, Evidence from Within: A New Paradigm for Clinical Practice. Elaborated and emphasized are clinical "truing measures," devices through which the clinician can check and enhance the accuracy of the evolving clinical process.

Steve's presentations begin by describing this model of treatment. Aspects of the clinical processes that are highlighted include the authenticity and mutual discovery required in any effective clinical process. Also illustrated is the subjectivity of the clinical situation as it restricts the certainty of both the clinician's and the patient's impressions, underscoring the requirement that the two engage in a dedicated collaborative effort as they find their way.

In co-presented talks, a psychologist-assessor typically continues by describing his or her part in the Center's evaluation and treatment process. The balance of the talk will be devoted to one or more case presentations illustrating the place of the clinician psychologist-assessor dialogue in the assessment and treatment of these cases.

The Management of Complex Treatments, with Emphasis on the Creation and Coordination of a Multi-Disciplinary Treatment Team

At the Center we are especially interested in the contribution of teamwork to improving treatment outcome. Developing and managing a treatment team requires multiple skills. The treatment coordinator (TC) must integrate all the information required to understand a multifaceted case; speak knowledgeably with the other professionals involved; understand the complex dynamics that are inevitable when patient, multiple providers, and family members are involved; prioritize the clinical issues; monitor the ongoing clinical process; and synthesize all these components to insure the most powerful result. As the strategist-coordinator for the treatment team, the TC also develops outcome measures for monitoring the work. These are collaboratively set and repeatedly revised in the dialogue between the patient, team members, and the TC.

Clearly, the TC's job is complex and challenging. Also, it is always in flux as the patient's or family's needs change or as differing, at times conflicting, opinions develop among team members. In these talks or workshops Steve will use detailed clinical material to illustrate how the TC works. He will refer to the current literature as he and the group develop a model for the TC's role in the case or cases being discussed.

To find out more about scheduling a presentation, please contact Steven A. Frankel, M.D.