From my perspective, human struggle and suffering exists in an interpersonal context. While we certainly have problems with how we respond to our thoughts and feelings, we also have problems expressing those thoughts and feelings with others. And, we have trouble connecting with others; sometimes this is a source of our deepest challenges.
This intrapersonal vs. interpersonal distinction may seem arbitrary, but it can be quite helpful in pointing us toward strategies to help others with their pain and their desire to connect with people - to be seen and heard by others.
Using Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) or Interpersonal Behavior Therapy (IBT), my approach to easing suffering is to help people experience what is there to experience AND build and maintain connected relationships, places where we can have those experiences and be experienced.
About me
I was trained in ACT and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) at the University of Nevada, Reno where I received my PhD. In many ways, I grew up with ACT and FAP as they grew up. My academic career has focused on researching FAP as it was originally proposed, documenting the processes of clinical change, and creating assessments to track client improvement.
If it’s helpful to know, I am a certified trainer in FAP. I have published on FAP, IBT, assessment systems for IBT/FAP, and even an article combining FAP and ACT (FACT). I teach at San Jose State University, supervising and consulting with graduate students working towards their master’s degree in psychotherapy. I consult in ACT-informed IBT/FAP and have had ACT and mindfulness as part of my practice for over two decades.
I consult with professional therapists about their cases, and I’ve done lots of trainings in FAP and IBT in the US and all over the world. It has been a joy to learn from so many different people and try to inspire them to learn more about this approach to therapy that has helped so many clients and has changed the ways I relate to others.
About IBT and FAP
As FAP has grown over the years, I have maintained an interest in training people to conceptualize client problems consistent with the principles of clinical behavior analysis and to apply interventions with compassion, empathy, and understanding of each individual. FAP and IBT both see in-session client change as fundamental to the process of clinical improvement; I focus on the principles and processes of that change as it leads to greater connection and interpersonal effectiveness.
We often call this version of FAP Interpersonal Behavior Therapy (IBT) to distinguish it from where FAP has evolved. To some, IBT is just old-school FAP. That is fine. I love the original FAP! To me, the name is not nearly as important as maintaining the contextual focus on interpersonal relationships and helping clients develop more effective ways of relating.
IBT has expanded the goals of FAP, strives to include contemporary behavioral understandings of language, and seeks to be an evidenced based, principle-driven psychotherapy. This is a treatment that is rooted in theory and maintains the “magic” of in-session client change. Our job is to help demystify that magic, have the therapist learn when and how to do this work, and do it in a way that helps the client grown, meet their goals, and live their values. (Let me know if you want to read more about IBT.)
Who is IBT/FAP for?
Well, in ACBS we try not to think too much along diagnostic lines, so it’s for people who are disconnected or struggling with relationships. It’s for people who want to connect more or create deeper relations but don’t know how to or struggle with doing things that don’t work as well. It’s sometimes for people who are just really confused by relating to others.
If it’s easier, diagnostically speaking, it’s for personality disorder problems, persistent low grade depression (dysthymia), all of the parts of anxiety disorders that are about how we relate to others with anxiety, and so on. It’s not stage 1 DBT – that’s what DBT is for. That said, it can be helpful for those who have become or are more emotionally regulated and want to work on their relationships.
About IBT/FAP consultation
My consultation services are open to those with a behavioral background as well as those with no training in behavior analysis. We discuss the importance of conceptualization, of understanding each client, and tailoring treatments to fit their challenges and goals uniquely.
Our conceptualizations of clients include their thoughts and feelings and emphasize how those show up with others as clients move towards, away from, and even against others in relationships. We try to understand how the client engages and responds to others, and how that works (and doesn’t) with the therapist and those outside of therapy.
We talk about how to respond to clients in-session to help them develop more effective ways of relating (that is, we will shape repertoires), and we try to figure out how to extend in the room improvements most effectively and safely outside of session.
IBT and FAP are deeply personal approaches to psychotherapy. The therapist’s skills are important in IBT and FAP, and we often work on addressing how to more effectively respond to clients to help them reach their goals in and out of session. Consultation is not psychotherapy, but as many people learn to respond and relate more effectively to others, they often have a meaningful, transformative experience.
Learning psychotherapy can be challenging, and I approach this with a balance of reverence for the work we do and having some fun as we go.
Contact information
I meet people from all over the world over Zoom.
I do workshops and trainings over Zoom and in-person. These can range from 2 hours to 2 days. It all depends on what our goals are.
Please feel free to contact me to set up a time to chat about all of this: Glenn.Callaghan@sjsu.edu