Overview

‘Foundations of Therapy Talk’ is an eLearning course in the science of face-to-face communication, providing tools for psychologists to understand, repair and guide better client interactions.

This activity uses real data from research in conversation analysis and discursive psychology to help therapists understand how they use conversational cues predictably to create shared meaning and achieve therapeutic goals. Evidence-based activities reveal, for example, how misunderstanding can be repaired, how formulations are adopted or rejected by clients, and how goals can be pursued while maintaining a positive therapeutic relationship.

What you'll gain from this course:

• Insight into how collaborative talk shapes therapeutic conversations,
• Interactive activities using real-world data and clinical reflections,
• Tools and strategies to enhance everyday practice,
• Exclusive training by a conversation analysis expert,
• ‘Ask Amelia’ feedback and engagement opportunities,
• Certificate of completion for your CPD records, and 
• Ongoing access to key resources in conversation analysis.

Key topics:

1. The rules of turn-taking in conversation,
2. The structure and sequential organization of turns at talk,
3. Managing misunderstandings (how we repair our talk),
4. Formulations (how therapists frame the client’s talk in ways that are either adopted or rejected), and 
5. (Re)interpretations (how therapists layer their perspective in therapeutic talk).

Level of Learning

Foundational. This activity is targeted to those new to applied conversation analysis research.

Target audience

Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Psychology students, Allied Health Professionals, Social Workers, Educators, Counsellors, Graduate Researchers and Academics. 

Duration of access

Unlimited access to self-paced content.

Successful completion of this foundational course qualifies participants for ongoing CPD Research Membership with TALK Research.

APS CPD-Approved

This activity has been assessed against the APS Standards for CPD activities and approved for its education quality. Learn more about the APS CPD Approval process.

Publications and Resources

• View Amelia’s publications on ORCID

• Explore her work on Google Scholar

• Learn more about courses at TALK Research: www.talkresearch.org/courses

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this activtiy, participants should be able to:

• Describe the foundational building blocks of interaction.

• Explain the rules of talk to illustrate therapy as a co-constructed process. 

• Identify the collaborative processes in each turn of therapeutic talk. 

• Recognise talk-in-interaction as a structured and systematic social practice. 

• Analyse the organisation of conversation, including the management of misunderstanding. 

• Identify patterns and sequences that influence therapeutic outcomes. 

• Apply interactional strategies to guide or repair client communication. 

• Examine how everyday conversational structures can support therapeutic progress. 

• Integrate research insights from conversation analysis to inform clinical perspectives.

• Demonstrate how conversation analysis knowledge can enhance interactional practices with clients. 

Presenter(s)

Dr. Amelia Church

About the presenter(s)

Dr Amelia Church is a conversation analyst who researches how people talk at work. As an academic, she investigates how professionals make sense of one another in real-time communication. Amelia has been lecturing at universities in the UK and Australia for over 20 years and is recognised for her teaching excellence in both higher education and professional development settings.
She is the founder of TALK Research, an initiative designed to share evidence and expertise in applied conversation analysis and discursive psychology with psychologists. Amelia is also a Life Member of the International Society for Conversation Analysis and a Professional Affiliate Member of the Australian Psychological Society.

Website/s

http://www.talkresearch.org