As ISTDP therapists, we are continually called to balance the needs of others with our own internal resources. Research shows that meaning, motivation, and professional sustainability are profoundly interconnected—yet few courses place your experience in focus.

This course offers a carefully held space for deepened understanding and perspective-taking, and reflection, alongside meaningful collegial exchange in a small group.

Five live online sessions over five weeks
A personal digital kit and continuous guidance throughout the course

Pilot price: $340 (VAT added where applicable. EU companies can enter their VAT number.)
Regular price: $490

• A small group (max 10 participants)
• Exclusively for cert ISTDP therapists
• Weekly 2-hour live online sessions + 1 hour self-study incl. course material
• Grounded in current research
• Contemporary pedagogy with a personal digital platform designed to support your learning throughout the course

Time: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM Eastern Time (New York) / 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM Central European Time (CET)
Dates: Tuesdays May 22, 29, and June 5, 12, 19. 
Platform: Zoom
Self-studies: Approximately 1 hour per week using the course materials
Access: Course materials for 90 days (End September)
Language: English

Organizer
Psychological Forum
Stockholm, Sweden

Traversing the Emotional Distance is a 6-week online course for healthcare professionals working with ISTDP/EDT.

Applying therapeutic pressure effectively is one of the most complex skills in ISTDP, requiring moment-to-moment attunement to both the patient’s emotional shifts and the therapist’s own internal responses. Yet the mechanisms behind how it works are rarely made explicit.

This course introduces two practical frameworks to deepen clinical precision: psychology of language and interoception. Psychology of language shows how wording shapes emotional closeness and distance, and how shifts between abstract and concrete communication can open or close access to feeling. Interoception refers to the ability to sense and interpret internal bodily states, a key foundation for emotional awareness in both therapist and patient.

Together, these frameworks clarify how therapeutic pressure supports movement from abstract thinking toward direct emotional contact, strengthening precision and effectiveness in ISTDP practice.

Course format and access
The course is delivered entirely online and designed to fit clinical workload and everyday life constraints. All materials are accessible via a personal digital account, and participants can study flexibly between weekly live sessions.

The course includes weekly live online meetings for integration, reflection, and clinical discussion.

Access to course materials is available until last of January 2026. 

Dates
Start on Friday, August, 21st (live session: introduction, presentation, and lecture)
Live webinars each Friday until September, 25th