Professional Presentation
Therapists, Are You Struggling with Clients Who Are Stuck in the ‘Stay or Leave’ Dilemma?
Have you ever worked with a client who is caught in an endless cycle of uncertainty about whether to stay in or leave their marriage? Do your sessions sometimes feel repetitive, as if you're having the same conversation week after week with no real progress? If so, you're not alone. Many therapists face challenges when working with individuals experiencing divorce ambivalence—a chronic state of uncertainty about the future of their relationship.
This workshop is designed to give you practical, research-backed strategies to:
Break the cycle of unproductive sessions and move toward meaningful therapeutic progress.
Help clients gain clarity in their decision-making process.
Build your confidence in navigating the complexities of divorce ambivalence.
By attending this workshop, you will gain essential skills to support your clients more effectively, avoid common therapy pitfalls, and know when and how to make appropriate referrals for additional support.
Understanding Divorce Ambivalence in Therapy
Many individuals in long-term relationships experience serious divorce ideation at some point. Research indicates that up to 22% of married individuals in any given year consider divorce seriously. While most won’t take immediate action, many seek individual therapy to process their conflicting emotions about staying in the marriage.
As a therapist, this can be challenging. Sessions can become dominated by a repetitive, stuck narrative about their relationship, leaving little room to address deeper emotional or psychological issues within your area of expertise. Without a clear framework, therapy risks becoming a space where clients vent rather than engage in meaningful personal growth or decision-making.
This workshop provides therapists with evidence-based tools and structured strategies to help clients navigate this uncertainty, make informed decisions, and move beyond therapy sessions that feel like an endless loop.
What You’ll Learn in This Workshop
This training will give you practical guidance on how to work effectively with individual clients who are struggling with chronic ambivalence about their marriage or long-term relationship. Topics covered include:
Defining Divorce Ambivalence – Understanding what it looks like in therapy and how it differs from general relationship dissatisfaction.
Recognizing Common Challenges – Why working with divorce-ambivalent clients can feel frustrating and how to avoid therapy pitfalls.
Core Clinical Strategies – Techniques to help clients explore their ambivalence in a way that leads to clarity and action.
Effective Communication Approaches – Sample language and strategies to guide productive therapy conversations.
Knowing When to Refer for Discernment Counseling – Understanding when a client (or couple) may benefit from discernment counseling, a structured, short-term therapy model designed for couples facing a stay-or-leave decision.
Avoiding Premature Couples Therapy Referrals – How to assess whether a couple is truly ready for couples therapy or if other steps should be taken first.
This is an intensely practical workshop, offering therapists concrete skills to help clients without reinforcing stuck patterns or making premature referrals that could undermine therapeutic progress.
Who Should Attend?
This workshop is ideal for therapists, counselors, and mental health professionals who:
Work with individuals processing relationship distress or chronic indecision about their marriage.
Feel stuck in repetitive therapy sessions with clients who are unsure about staying or leaving.
Want practical tools to navigate the complexities of divorce ambivalence.
Need a framework to help clients gain clarity and take action.
Whether you're a seasoned professional or newer to the field, this workshop will enhance your confidence and effectiveness in working with this unique client population.
Meet the Presenter
Heather Guttormson, LMFT, is a licensed presenter with the Doherty Relationship Institute, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and a certified Discernment Counselor based in Fargo, North Dakota. She specializes in working with individuals and couples considering divorce and navigating high-stakes relationship decisions.
Heather’s expertise is backed by research and clinical experience. Her work has been published in The Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, and she has presented at professional conferences such as:
The Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
The Wisconsin Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
The National Council on Family Relations
Her presentations cover topics such as clinical competency, ethics, therapist training, and relational-care strategies. She is passionate about equipping therapists with the tools they need to help their clients navigate relationship uncertainty with clarity and confidence.
What You’ll Walk Away With
By the end of this workshop, you will:
✅ Understand the core concepts of divorce ambivalence and how it presents in therapy.
✅ Learn practical strategies to break free from unproductive therapy cycles.
✅ Gain effective communication techniques to guide clients toward clarity.
✅ Know when and how to refer clients for discernment counseling or alternative approaches.
✅ Leave with ready-to-use scripts and sample dialogue to make sessions more impactful.
Sign Up Today!
Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your clinical skills and transform how you work with divorce-ambivalent clients.
Or contact me to learn more about how I can bring this presentation to your organization or association. Let’s work together to equip more professionals with the tools they need to make a real impact.