Working at Love's Door

This evocative phrase comes from the American psychoanalyst and author, Stephen Grosz. In his bestselling (2013) book, The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves.Grosz writes about the profound, intimate nature of the therapeutic relationship, noting that as therapists we are essentially working at love's door. Grosz captures the idea that much of therapy revolves around the human struggle to love, the fear of losing love, and the complex ways we try to let others in while simultaneously trying to protect ourselves.

Working relationally is often alluded to in the profession as a way of speaking to the complex nature of the therapeutic relationship. This is a well intentioned statement which says something about a willingness for involvement and a capacity for allowing the working alliance to become more than just facilitation. This workshop is about working at love's door, its impact on you as the therapist and we can best work with love in the therapy room in service of the therapy.