Couples Therapy Films Collection
Watch Introduction to the Resnick’s Connection Model of Couple’s Therapy
Pictured to the left is Bob and Rita Resnick, a few years ago, in 1972.
Our couples therapy collection features three films, each containing Gestalt Couples Therapy sessions with Robert W. Resnick, Ph.D. and Rita F. Resnick, Ph.D. (both Gestalt and Couples Therapist and Trainer for over 50 years). Two of the three films contain multiple sessions with the same couple.
Purchasing as a collection provides a discount of 30%
About the Resnick’s model of Couples Therapy:
From a fusion model to a connection model, the Resnick’s model of Couples Therapy is a field theoretical applied phenomenological, dialogic and process model evolving after fifty years of practice, teaching and learning. The Resnick’s model confronts the difficulties in the Western fusion model of marriage which makes differences suspect, dangerous, and to be avoided. The Resnick’s often say: “Two Become One - And Then There Are None!?"
A few of the Resnicks' biases about coupling:
1. We all are wired to seek "meaning". This is human nature. People attempt to create "meaning" in their lives with an ongoing connection to something other than themselves. In Western culture, this is typically done with an ongoing, primary relationship. Alternatives, for example, are religion, military, work, art, social, or political.
2. Relationships and marriage are difficult, rhythmic, and not for the faint of heart. Importantly, ongoing primary relationships are worth the effort. It is only with a long term relationship that a true shared ground can be co-created. We support long term primary relationships (e.g. marriage) and we welcome new models of relationships that meet people's needs. We do not support models of marriage that are obsolete, toxic, and non-functional.
3. The Basic Human Dilemma from birth until death is the dance of life: How to be connected to another - and maintain a self… This is normal, not a "problem" and not a diagnosis (e.g. "Schizoid Dilemma", "Fission/Fusion Fantasy".)
4. In order to be connected, there must also be separateness. "Connectedness" without separateness is fusion/confluence. Irrefutable: In order to connect, there must be two.
5. "Connection" is a dynamic process and includes both contact AND withdrawal. This means there that there must be movement in between.
6. The western model of marriage ("Two Become One") is about fusion and not connection. These marriages typically end either in explosion (rupture and divorce), or, implosion (the "Secretly Miserably Married") - with very few mutually nourished couples.
7. This "Two Become One" fusion/confluence model of marriage is in direct contradiction to the Basic Human Dilemma - balancing the dance of life - connection - contact and withdrawal.
8. Dealing with difference is at the core of almost all couples' issues. The gateway issue for couples in dealing with what their differences are - is how they deal with their differences. With a fusion model, since difference is always seen as an ominous threat to fusion/confluence, difference is to be avoided - leaving only the more primitive (and unattractive) options of submission, colonization, withdrawal, or conflict.
9. Current western models and templates of marriage are anachronistic and therefore obsolete. Being static and formulaic, they clearly do not work well for most people - note both divorce rates and unhappy marriages ("Secretly Miserably Married") in today's world. This model of marriage is yesterday's creative adjustments that are today's pollutant of healthy, ongoing primary relationships (sociological/anthropological "character" structures - a horse and buggy on today's superhighways). A horse and buggy are wonderful on a dirt country road. On an Autostrada, Freeway or Autobahn - it is inevitably a disaster.
10. For too long we have pathologized and blamed the individuals in the couple for all relationship problems. With primary relationships being so difficult for most of us, it seems reasonable (and long overdue) to fundamentally question our outdated fusion model of relationships.
11. Couples remaining together are frequently mistakenly taken as representative of a "good" marriage. The literature here is misleading. Staying together is not necessarily the same as a mutually nourished couple. People sometimes stay together for questionable reasons - money, fear of being alone, religion, social shame, children, etc. As such, staying together is hardly the benchmark of "successful" relationships.
For more information about the Resnick’s model of relationships, coupling and Couples Therapy, see their interview with Malcolm Parlett, Ph.D. in the British Gestalt Journal.
File type: 720p & 1080p HD mp4 with hard coded subtitles in English or Russian. Language spoken in films is English.
Watch Introduction to the Resnick’s Connection Model of Couple’s Therapy
Pictured to the left is Bob and Rita Resnick, a few years ago, in 1972.
Our couples therapy collection features three films, each containing Gestalt Couples Therapy sessions with Robert W. Resnick, Ph.D. and Rita F. Resnick, Ph.D. (both Gestalt and Couples Therapist and Trainer for over 50 years). Two of the three films contain multiple sessions with the same couple.
Purchasing as a collection provides a discount of 30%
About the Resnick’s model of Couples Therapy:
From a fusion model to a connection model, the Resnick’s model of Couples Therapy is a field theoretical applied phenomenological, dialogic and process model evolving after fifty years of practice, teaching and learning. The Resnick’s model confronts the difficulties in the Western fusion model of marriage which makes differences suspect, dangerous, and to be avoided. The Resnick’s often say: “Two Become One - And Then There Are None!?"
A few of the Resnicks' biases about coupling:
1. We all are wired to seek "meaning". This is human nature. People attempt to create "meaning" in their lives with an ongoing connection to something other than themselves. In Western culture, this is typically done with an ongoing, primary relationship. Alternatives, for example, are religion, military, work, art, social, or political.
2. Relationships and marriage are difficult, rhythmic, and not for the faint of heart. Importantly, ongoing primary relationships are worth the effort. It is only with a long term relationship that a true shared ground can be co-created. We support long term primary relationships (e.g. marriage) and we welcome new models of relationships that meet people's needs. We do not support models of marriage that are obsolete, toxic, and non-functional.
3. The Basic Human Dilemma from birth until death is the dance of life: How to be connected to another - and maintain a self… This is normal, not a "problem" and not a diagnosis (e.g. "Schizoid Dilemma", "Fission/Fusion Fantasy".)
4. In order to be connected, there must also be separateness. "Connectedness" without separateness is fusion/confluence. Irrefutable: In order to connect, there must be two.
5. "Connection" is a dynamic process and includes both contact AND withdrawal. This means there that there must be movement in between.
6. The western model of marriage ("Two Become One") is about fusion and not connection. These marriages typically end either in explosion (rupture and divorce), or, implosion (the "Secretly Miserably Married") - with very few mutually nourished couples.
7. This "Two Become One" fusion/confluence model of marriage is in direct contradiction to the Basic Human Dilemma - balancing the dance of life - connection - contact and withdrawal.
8. Dealing with difference is at the core of almost all couples' issues. The gateway issue for couples in dealing with what their differences are - is how they deal with their differences. With a fusion model, since difference is always seen as an ominous threat to fusion/confluence, difference is to be avoided - leaving only the more primitive (and unattractive) options of submission, colonization, withdrawal, or conflict.
9. Current western models and templates of marriage are anachronistic and therefore obsolete. Being static and formulaic, they clearly do not work well for most people - note both divorce rates and unhappy marriages ("Secretly Miserably Married") in today's world. This model of marriage is yesterday's creative adjustments that are today's pollutant of healthy, ongoing primary relationships (sociological/anthropological "character" structures - a horse and buggy on today's superhighways). A horse and buggy are wonderful on a dirt country road. On an Autostrada, Freeway or Autobahn - it is inevitably a disaster.
10. For too long we have pathologized and blamed the individuals in the couple for all relationship problems. With primary relationships being so difficult for most of us, it seems reasonable (and long overdue) to fundamentally question our outdated fusion model of relationships.
11. Couples remaining together are frequently mistakenly taken as representative of a "good" marriage. The literature here is misleading. Staying together is not necessarily the same as a mutually nourished couple. People sometimes stay together for questionable reasons - money, fear of being alone, religion, social shame, children, etc. As such, staying together is hardly the benchmark of "successful" relationships.
For more information about the Resnick’s model of relationships, coupling and Couples Therapy, see their interview with Malcolm Parlett, Ph.D. in the British Gestalt Journal.
File type: 720p & 1080p HD mp4 with hard coded subtitles in English or Russian. Language spoken in films is English.
Watch Introduction to the Resnick’s Connection Model of Couple’s Therapy
Pictured to the left is Bob and Rita Resnick, a few years ago, in 1972.
Our couples therapy collection features three films, each containing Gestalt Couples Therapy sessions with Robert W. Resnick, Ph.D. and Rita F. Resnick, Ph.D. (both Gestalt and Couples Therapist and Trainer for over 50 years). Two of the three films contain multiple sessions with the same couple.
Purchasing as a collection provides a discount of 30%
About the Resnick’s model of Couples Therapy:
From a fusion model to a connection model, the Resnick’s model of Couples Therapy is a field theoretical applied phenomenological, dialogic and process model evolving after fifty years of practice, teaching and learning. The Resnick’s model confronts the difficulties in the Western fusion model of marriage which makes differences suspect, dangerous, and to be avoided. The Resnick’s often say: “Two Become One - And Then There Are None!?"
A few of the Resnicks' biases about coupling:
1. We all are wired to seek "meaning". This is human nature. People attempt to create "meaning" in their lives with an ongoing connection to something other than themselves. In Western culture, this is typically done with an ongoing, primary relationship. Alternatives, for example, are religion, military, work, art, social, or political.
2. Relationships and marriage are difficult, rhythmic, and not for the faint of heart. Importantly, ongoing primary relationships are worth the effort. It is only with a long term relationship that a true shared ground can be co-created. We support long term primary relationships (e.g. marriage) and we welcome new models of relationships that meet people's needs. We do not support models of marriage that are obsolete, toxic, and non-functional.
3. The Basic Human Dilemma from birth until death is the dance of life: How to be connected to another - and maintain a self… This is normal, not a "problem" and not a diagnosis (e.g. "Schizoid Dilemma", "Fission/Fusion Fantasy".)
4. In order to be connected, there must also be separateness. "Connectedness" without separateness is fusion/confluence. Irrefutable: In order to connect, there must be two.
5. "Connection" is a dynamic process and includes both contact AND withdrawal. This means there that there must be movement in between.
6. The western model of marriage ("Two Become One") is about fusion and not connection. These marriages typically end either in explosion (rupture and divorce), or, implosion (the "Secretly Miserably Married") - with very few mutually nourished couples.
7. This "Two Become One" fusion/confluence model of marriage is in direct contradiction to the Basic Human Dilemma - balancing the dance of life - connection - contact and withdrawal.
8. Dealing with difference is at the core of almost all couples' issues. The gateway issue for couples in dealing with what their differences are - is how they deal with their differences. With a fusion model, since difference is always seen as an ominous threat to fusion/confluence, difference is to be avoided - leaving only the more primitive (and unattractive) options of submission, colonization, withdrawal, or conflict.
9. Current western models and templates of marriage are anachronistic and therefore obsolete. Being static and formulaic, they clearly do not work well for most people - note both divorce rates and unhappy marriages ("Secretly Miserably Married") in today's world. This model of marriage is yesterday's creative adjustments that are today's pollutant of healthy, ongoing primary relationships (sociological/anthropological "character" structures - a horse and buggy on today's superhighways). A horse and buggy are wonderful on a dirt country road. On an Autostrada, Freeway or Autobahn - it is inevitably a disaster.
10. For too long we have pathologized and blamed the individuals in the couple for all relationship problems. With primary relationships being so difficult for most of us, it seems reasonable (and long overdue) to fundamentally question our outdated fusion model of relationships.
11. Couples remaining together are frequently mistakenly taken as representative of a "good" marriage. The literature here is misleading. Staying together is not necessarily the same as a mutually nourished couple. People sometimes stay together for questionable reasons - money, fear of being alone, religion, social shame, children, etc. As such, staying together is hardly the benchmark of "successful" relationships.
For more information about the Resnick’s model of relationships, coupling and Couples Therapy, see their interview with Malcolm Parlett, Ph.D. in the British Gestalt Journal.
File type: 720p & 1080p HD mp4 with hard coded subtitles in English or Russian. Language spoken in films is English.