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The 65th AAMFT Annual Conference
Healing
Fractured Relationships in the 21st Century
Long Beach, California
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October 11-14, 2007
Plenary Sessions
Thursday October 11 - Saturday, October 13
Thursday, October 11
Opening Plenary Session
4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
 Reconciliation:
Healing Each Other’s Wounds
Linda Biehl
Amy Biehl, a 26 year old Stanford University student and
Fulbright Scholar, wanted to help end apartheid in South
Africa. She went there to work with underprivileged
communities and became immersed in the local culture and
politics. In 1993 a group of local youth dragged her from her
car and beat her to death in an act of political violence.
Four young men were eventually convicted of her murder. They
applied for and received amnesty through South Africa’s
Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a move endorsed by Linda
and Peter Biehl, Amy’s parents.
The Biehls established a foundation to carry on Amy’s work in
South Africa, and to relieve social and economic conditions
that may lead to further violence. Linda has established close
relationships with the young men who murdered Amy and they now
work side-by-side with her. At the opening plenary, Linda
Biehl will share the remarkable story of Amy’s life and her
family’s journey since Amy’s death. Hear about her personal
process of forgiveness, and how individual acts of
reconciliation can heal entire communities.
Friday, October 12
Friday Morning Plenary Session
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
 The
Great Divide:
Politics in American Life
Dr. Earl
Black
From the conservative
cousin to the liberal in-law, few things stir a family feud
more than politics. In the past few years, partisan bickering
has reached a fever pitch, with neither Democrats nor
Republicans producing significant national majorities. The
ante is high, as is the passion. Each party has carved out
regional strongholds, becoming more ideologically extreme in
order to maintain those bases. Not surprisingly, a growing
segment of the population feels alienated and identifies with
neither party.
Political debates on topics from war to immigration are fueled
by multiple 24-hour news stations and ratings-seeking hosts.
How is this affecting our communities, our families, and the
clients we serve? Earl Black is a professor of political
science at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He co-authored,
with his twin brother Merle, Divided America: The Ferocious
Power Struggle in American Politics. He will discuss the
current political division, and party identification related
to race and religious cultures. He will review how we got
here, and offer insight into what we can expect in the coming
years.
Saturday, October 13
Saturday Morning
Plenary Session
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
 Wounds,
Rifts, Feuds and Wars:
How Self-Justification Keeps Us
Mired in Conflict
Carol
Tavris, Ph.D.
Each day we encounter people who insist they are right, even
when faced with clear evidence to the contrary. We can see
stubborn close-mindedness in national figures, colleagues,
clients, and our loved ones, but rarely in ourselves. Why can
we see this hypocrisy and bias in other’s actions but not our
own? When we are wrong, or when we have harmed another, we
must resolve the cognitive dissonance that rattles our self
worth. We create fictions that absolve us of responsibility
and restore our belief that we are smart, moral, and
right—which often keeps us on a course that is mistaken,
unethical, or hurtful to others.
Carol Tavris is a social psychologist whose latest book is
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by ME): Why We Justify Foolish
Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts. She will offer
numerous anecdotes of self-deception from politicians and
religious leaders, from couples, and even from
psychotherapists. Learn to recognize the dynamics of
self-justification and, more importantly, how to overcome it
and open the door to acknowledgment, forgiveness, and healing.
Saturday, October 13
Saturday Afternoon
Plenary Session
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
 Organizational
Relationships: When Missions Collide
Michael
Bowers, MA
Like individuals, organizations such as the AAMFT experience
disagreements and conflicts with other groups. Through the
life of the profession, the AAMFT has confronted groups that
believe marriage and family therapy should not exist as an
independent profession. We have taken issue with associations
that oppose MFT licensure and our accreditation efforts. We
have fought against opposition from other groups to the
inclusion of marriage and family therapists as providers in
certain programs. Ironically, we have formed coalitions with
some of these same organizations around other issues on which
we agree.
There is no question that missions of organizations are
sometimes at odds, with each believing they represent the
righteous cause. When must we stand for our principles, even
if it results in uncomfortable conflict? Michael Bowers,
executive director of the AAMFT, will review the history of
AAMFT’s relationships with other organizations and discuss
occasions in which the relationships were strained or
fractured. This will include examples from the past several
decades as well as current situations, and national issues as
well as local ones.
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