A Way to Help Clients Move From Escalation, Disconnection, and Conflict Towards Safe and Secure Connection
By Ed Peterson, LCSW, MBA
Certified Lasting Connection® Facilitator
The Lasting Connection System® WORKS with my clients! Period. I will now share, from my perspective, why this system works. As you can tell, I am a huge huge fan.
My name is Ed Peterson, LCSW, MBA and I am the co-owner of Peterson Family Therapy. My wife, Candace Peterson, LCSW, is my partner in the business and life. I’ve been a therapist for 20 years, and I am trained in Jungian Therapy, have extensive experience with addiction, and, most importantly, am an EFT Certified Therapist and a Certified Lasting Connection® Facilitator.
From my perspective, at its most basic the Lasting Connection System® is a way to help clients move from escalation, disconnection, and conflict towards safe and secure connection, and a feeling of having their partner be an emotional safe haven. Building a Lasting Connection® helps my clients have different and new conversations, and ultimately bonding moments that create a new story for the couple and push them towards being true partners. Building a Lasting Connection® does this by helping trust and safety grow.
There are many specific moves and interventions I use with the Lasting Connection System®, but here in this article I will share the basic and vital experiences that I use with the mat and my clients.
The first is to make sure that clients start on the PAUSE place, and linger there to start the process. This can start out being wonderful and connecting, or it can be highly triggering. This is where I step in to process with them what is happening or what just happened on the PAUSE place. This is vital and powerful.
The next vital and basic thing about the Lasting Connection System® is making sure that both the SPEAKER and the LISTENER are able to process their experience. As the SPEAKER is going around the DOTS, there is usually lots of emotion that comes up, and the same for the LISTENER. So, I love the connection system because it helps me as a therapist to have a clear plan of how to make sure the clients have true experiences in the present process or emotion.
I could say so much more, but to sum up: I’m so grateful that I am a part of this program. I’m so grateful that I have the Lasting Connection System® as a powerful tool that makes me a better therapist. BLC has made a huge positive difference in the positive therapy progress in my clients.
Ed is also the creator of the vlog/podcast “THERAPY, EMOTION, & SEX- conversations that matter.” He interviews therapists on topics such as self-of-the-therapist, transference, spirituality, and balancing family and work.
