It is well-known and well-documented the devastating effects mental illness can have on a family. Much of the literature and resources available focus primarily on the diagnosed person and the parents, yet very little speaks to the influence specifically on siblings. The “Well Sibling Syndrome” originated as a premise when researchers, mental health experts, and siblings themselves began taking a deeper look into how siblings are affected and shaped by growing up with a brother or sister with a mental illness. This presentation will explore the many ways siblings learn to cope with mental illness in a sibling, how that coping can create a cloak of invisibility, and most importantly, how to thoughtfully include siblings in treatment considerations to effect healing and healthy development across this generation of the family system.

Learning Objectives

• Differentiate between “subjective” and “objective” burdens of care
• Identify at least 2 areas of development of the “well-sibling” influenced by growing up with a sibling with a mental illness
• Differentiate between “command” and “report” levels of communication

Friday, June 05, 2020

Webinar

12:00 PM PDT – 01:30 PM PDT

REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR

ONLY 119 SPACES LEFT!

EARN 1.5 CE
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

About the speaker

Karlyn Pleasants, Psy.D.

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, EXECUTIVE CLINICAL CONSULTANT

Dr. Pleasants is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the Executive Clinical Consultant for BrightQuest Treatment Programs. With over 20 years’ experience with BrightQuest as a therapist, director, owner and now consultant, Dr. Pleasants has helped create a thriving therapeutic milieu that has supported hundreds of individuals with severe psychiatric diagnoses and their families successfully build a life of self-management, independence and interpersonal connectedness. In her private practice, Dr. Pleasants works with eating and trauma-based disorders using a special focus on attachment and reparative relational experiences. Her approach draws heavily from psychodynamic, family systems and self-psychology theories with a particular emphasis on attachment.

Dr. Pleasants received her Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University in San Diego. She is a professional member of the San Diego and American Psychological Associations, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) and the Consortium for Therapeutic Communities. She has served as a speaker for NAMI, the US Navy, and presents at various conferences on topics such as coping with a family member who has an illness, the well-sibling experience, restoring safety in crises, and shifting expectations to create opportunities for change.