FREE Training with Terry Real, Creator of Relational Life Therapy

Treating
“The Untreatable”

How to Work with the Most Difficult Partners in Couples Therapy

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Couples therapist, speaker & NY Times bestselling author

“We don’t want to simply survive the pain of infidelity… instead, can we use this crisis as an opportunity for profound transformation?”

1 Continuing Ed Credit Hour FREE

when you attend the full 90-minute training LIVE. Learn more →

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

For therapists and coaches who’ve felt stuck, dismissed, or powerless in the face of grandiosity or entitlement…

Join the FREE training with Terry Real to learn:

Why traditional therapy often falls flat with so-called “narcissistic” partners – and what actually works instead

Most grandiose clients don’t change in individual therapy because they aren’t in pain — the people around them are. We’ll explore why bringing in the people who are in pain helps create the conditions for real change.

The critical differences between shame and grandiosity – and how it changes the treatment

Shame-based clients respond to nurture; grandiose clients do not. Grandiosity feels good, impairs empathy, and distorts judgment. Understanding this difference helps us choose the interventions that help move our clients forward.

Understanding false empowerment – the overlooked root of many grandiose behaviours

Not all grandiosity is a defence against shame. About half of it comes from false empowerment: parentification, lack of limits, and overpraise in childhood. You’ll learn how this form of developmental injury fuels entitlement in adult relationships.

How to “wake up” clients to the impact of their behavior

Grandiose clients need more truth-telling, but you first need an accurate truth to tell. You’ll learn how RLT’s eight diagnostic lenses provide a multi-layered formulation that helps clients finally understand the consequences of their behavior.

Practical ways to engage grandiose clients without fear of retaliation

We fear calling out grandiose behaviors will result in attack, shutdown, or clients abandoning the work. Discover how RLT uses a unique set of techniques to reach grandiose clients in a way that builds trust so clients actually feel closer to you as a result.

“When I need advice, I call Terry Real. His decades of clinical experience, research, and wisdom are invaluable to my patients, colleagues, and friends.”

Esther Perel, psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author

Terry Real, LICSW, is an internationally recognized family therapist and bestselling author

The creator of Relational Life Therapy (RLT), Terry is known as “the turnaround guy,” famous for his remarkable ability to save couples on the brink of divorce – in particular couples where issues of narcissism and grandiosity are present. He has trained thousands of therapists in his RLT model to help them achieve similar results.

Your Peers On Training With Terry Real

Practical steps, down-to-earth guidance…

“Some of the things I love about Terry Real and his work are the practical steps, down-to-earth guidance and his model of having the courage and respect to be honest with couples when one partner is behaving in a way that needs to be addressed first.”

Rachel M.

RLT has helped my clients see change almost immediately...

“The practical and positive approach of RLT has helped my clients see change almost immediately. By weaving past trauma and its impact on relationships and by building new skills together, my clients have expressed new deep and meaningful connections. RLT is not just a training program, it is a community that works in unity to offer ongoing support to therapists as well as clients.”

Clare M.

My practice skyrocketed...

“I’ve done all kinds of trainings over the years but never found a model that truly fit for me. I found my home in RLT. My practice was already very successful, but since RLT certification, it’s skyrocketed. I had to close my practice to new clients. It’s also allowed me to be more selective about the clients that I work with. And I’m re-energized by the work: I used to be worn out working with couples, but now I love it. Success and making a difference is a powerful antidote to burnout!”

Sig T.

Discover How Treat “The Untreatable” and Transform Narcissistic Partners

Made with ❤️

The Relational Life

Working With Grandiosity

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

9.5 NBCC CE credit hours for Beginner Mental Health Professionals ($40 additional fee).

ACEP No. 7495

Relational Life Institute (RLI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7495. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relational Life Institute (RLI) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for beginner level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

Over 5 LIVE 90-minute classes with Terry Real, you will learn how to effectively address issues of grandiosity in your clients. You’ll discover a range of strategies and techniques to confront grandiose clients with the impact of their behaviors, build an alliance, motivate them to change, and guide them into connection—with themselves and those around them.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

Identify what’s deficient in grandiose clients and understand how you supply it as the therapist.
Identify strategies to confidently handle resistance, evasion, and verbal abuse.
Understand how to reconnect grandiose clients to themselves and those around them.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Understand the origins of grandiosity and why it isn’t always a defense against shame.

Identify techniques to find leverage to motivate grandiose clients to engage in the therapy.

Explain why taking sides is critical when working with grandiosity—and understand how to do it.

Registration URL

relationallife.com/working-with-grandiosity/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 9.5 NBCC credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:

Participants must have paid for this course, completed a course Evaluation, and passed the test (80% or higher grade) showing the material has been learned in order to receive a certificate
No partial credit is available
Failure to complete and submit these materials will result in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions can be made.

If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these CE credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these Continuing Ed credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$495

3 Payments

3 x $175

$525 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. He founded the Relational Life Institute, offering workshops for couples, individuals, and parents as well as a professional training program for clinicians. Terry has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

Please Note:

Licensing Boards change regulations often and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling.

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Relational Life

Level 2 Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

10 NBCC CE hours for Intermediate Mental Health Professionals ($40 fee)

ACEP No. 7495

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

10 ICF CCE hours (2 Core Competency + 8 Resource Development)

ICF CCE

International Coaching Federation (ICF) has approved this program for 2 Core Competency hours and 8 Resource Development hours. (Resource Development includes training formerly called Personal Development, Business Development, or Other Skills and Tools.)

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for Intermediate level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

Building on the foundational diagnostic lenses introduced in RLT Level 1, this course invites clinicians into the transformative next phase of Relational Life Therapy: deep trauma work. Therapists expand their capacity to understand each partner’s relational stance—how it was formed, how it functions defensively, and how it can be reshaped in the service of intimacy. Participants learn to conduct powerful inner child work in the presence of the partner, work effectively with resistance and leverage, and integrate attachment styles with trauma and relational stances—leaving with practical, structured tools for facilitating trauma repair within couples therapy.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

Explain when to use positive and negative leverage
Describe joining through, as opposed to clobbering someone with, the truth
Describe using the family of origin work to rebalance the relationship
Explain moving from the present into the past by using the “affect bridge” (when have you felt these feelings before?)
Explain Transitioning to Family of Origin by using the 3 questions: (Whom did you see do this? Who did it to you? And who did you do it to and no one stopped you?)
Explain how to frame current difficulties as the opportunity to transform one’s legacy and hand over a different future to one’s children
List 4 types of trauma and where they fall on the Trauma Grid
Describe how the Adaptive Child is formed
Discuss re-parenting the Adaptive and Wounded Child parts
List the five fears behind resistance and how to respond to them
Describe understanding and befriending the resistant part
Describe using positive and negative leverage with a resistant part
Explain how to sell the value of intimacy along with its skills to a Type 1 Love Avoidant
Explain how to teach negotiation and the assertion of needs along with appropriate trauma work when dealing with a Type 2 Love Avoidant
Explain how to work on self-esteem, boundaries, and the remembrance of abundance when working with Love Dependents

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Deepen understanding of each partner’s relational stance and its developmental origins

Identify and address multi-generational legacies influencing current couple dynamics

Conduct structured inner child work in the presence of the partner to foster empathy and intimacy

Facilitate trauma repair within the relational system rather than in isolation

Recognize and effectively work with client resistance using leverage principles

Practice detachment from outcome while maintaining clear therapeutic leadership

Apply attachment theory within RLT to guide interventions and strengthen relational connection

Registration URL

relationallife.com/level-2-training/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 10 NBCC or ICF credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:

Participants must have paid for this course and attended all five LIVE online sessions in full in order to receive a Continuing Education certificate.
No partial credit is available — partial attendance does not qualify for partial CE hours.
At the end of the final session you’ll receive an email inviting you to request your certificate. The certificate is free of charge.
Failure to attend all sessions will result in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions can be made.

If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, or organization is approved for these CE credit hours. There is no partial credit. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$397

3 Payments

3 x $137

$411 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Please Note:

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Relational Life

Level 1 – Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

10 NBCC CE hours for Beginner Mental Health Professionals ($40 fee)

ACEP No. 7495

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

10 ICF CCE hours (7 Core Competency + 3 Resource Development)

ICF CCE

International Coaching Federation (ICF) has approved this program for 7 Core Competency hours and 3 Resource Development hours. (Resource Development includes training formerly called Personal Development, Business Development, or Other Skills and Tools.)

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for beginner level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

Terry Real presents RLI’s introductory training course, Relational Life Therapy Level 1. Over five recorded classes you’ll be introduced to the powerful principles behind Relational Life Therapy (RLT) as taught by Terry Real, designed to give you an in-depth introduction to the theory and practice of the RLT model. Students will discover the differences between RLT and traditional psychodynamic therapy, and explore the stances of “one-down shame” and “one-up grandiosity” in couples. RLT is about action and lasting results, and the concepts of Relational Mindfulness, Joining Through The Truth, and psychological patriarchy are presented. RLT Level 1 is the first step toward RLT certification and prepares you for the Level 2 & 3 trainings.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

Compare the RLT phases and how RLT differs from traditional therapy.
Describe the role and approach of the practitioner in RLT.
Diagnose the RLT view of power imbalances in couples, of psychological patriarchy, and how these are addressed through therapy.
Summarize Relational Mindfulness and the “fight, flight, fix” responses.
Describe the role and approach of the therapist in RLT.
Explain the two types of leverage.
Discuss the concept of appropriate discrepancy and how it works with neuroplasticity.
List the 8 diagnostic lenses in RLT.
Interpret how preconditions are addressed in RLT.
Compare the two types of boundaries.
Demonstrate strategies for empowering latent clients.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Illustrate that true intimacy can only happen when partners are “same-as” – neither one-up nor one-down.

Discuss how RLT practitioners will confront and teach their clients how to live relationally.

Hypothesize how RLT practitioners use judicious self-disclosure, sharing stories of how they use these same skills in their own relationships.

Registration URL

relationallife.com/level-1-homestudy/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 10 NBCC or ICF credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:

Participants must have paid for this course, completed a course Evaluation, and passed the test (80% or higher grade)
No partial credit is available
Failure to complete materials results in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions.

Instructions are included in your RLT Course Library for Homestudy Level 1 at https://learn.relationallife.com/
If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these CE credit hours. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$397

3 Payments

3 x $137

$411 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Please Note:

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Relational Life

Level 3 Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

11 NBCC CE hours for Advanced Mental Health Professionals ($40 fee)

ACEP No. 7495

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

11 ICF CCE hours (7 Core Competency + 4 Resource Development)

ICF CCE

International Coaching Federation (ICF) has approved this program for 7 Core Competency hours and 4 Resource Development hours. (Resource Development includes training formerly called Personal Development, Business Development, or Other Skills and Tools.)

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for advanced level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

This is an advanced training for RLT clinicians who have completed our Level 1 and Level 2 trainings. Terry guides participants through a combination of lecture, video presentation, discussion, role plays, and a previously recorded LIVE demonstration of RLT couples therapy, grounding theory in practice. You will observe and then practice the more advanced techniques of RLT—drilling down into how to empower the latent and reconnect the blatant—focusing on the art of therapeutic coaching and mentoring clients into relationality.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

Practice ways to increase skill in working with family of origin issues.
Construct empowering reframes.
Demonstrate blocking and repositioning.
Analyze and articulate the couple’s choreography, their dynamic (e.g. the more she pursues, the more he withdraws).
Integrate Attachment Theory into RLT.
Identify and work on your “edges” as an RLT therapist.
Interpret the tri-part system of the psyche: wise adult, adaptive child, wounded child.
Measure the neurobiological underpinnings of trauma adaptation and recovery.
Utilize their clients’ relationships as crucibles for their own transformation.
Explain to your clients how to use the relational map and tool kit, a relational technology, that has the power to deliver on our new romantic ambitions.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Joining through the truth

What is relationality, what is self esteem?

What is real intimacy?

Triggering, types of leverage, relational reckoning

Taking a fixed position

Identifying reacting and modeling behaviors

Using skill transference, relational jujitsu

Constructing empowering reframes

RLT Stances, amplifying progress and dealing with resistance

Blocking and repositioning

Registration URL

relationallife.com/level-3-training/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 11 NBCC or ICF credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:

Participants must have paid for this course and attended all five LIVE online sessions in full in order to receive a Continuing Education certificate.
No partial credit is available — partial attendance does not qualify for partial CE hours.
At the end of the final session you’ll receive an email inviting you to request your certificate. The certificate is free of charge.
Failure to attend all sessions will result in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions can be made.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$397

3 Payments

3 x $187

$561 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Please Note:

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Relational Life

Working With Infidelity

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

7 NBCC CE hours for Intermediate Mental Health Professionals ($40 fee)

ACEP No. 7495

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for Intermediate level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

A 5-module previously recorded training on how to work with couples to help them come back from infidelity. This offers the unique RLT perspective on working with infidelity, where not only do we help couples survive an affair, but we focus on using the crisis as an opportunity for deeper change in the relationship.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

Summarize the goals of treatment: using the crisis as a springboard for transformational change in the character of each partner and the essential character of the union itself
Compare the 2 phases of treatment: containment and transformation
Demonstrate how to deal with countertransference: managing your own feelings around infidelity
Create a platform for the hurt partner to deal with the trauma of betrayal and deceit
List what ultimately helps hurt partners regain trust
Identify the dysfunctional relational stances that contributed to the infidelity and how to address them
Explain the 3 reasons behind an involved partner’s lack of “no”
Outline how each partner can implement the relational skills for a stronger and healthier relationship
Discuss moving beyond the victim/perpetrator framework into one that builds hope

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

An Overview of the RLT Approach to Infidelity

The Hurt Partner: Infidelity as a Trauma

The Involved Partner: Understanding the Lack of “No”

Infidelity as an Opportunity for Transformation

Infidelity in the Modern Age: Biases, Assumptions, and Models of Fidelity

Registration URL

relationallife.com/infidelity/#link

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 7 NBCC credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:

Participants must have paid for this course, completed a course Evaluation, and passed the test (80% or higher grade)
No partial credit is available
Failure to complete materials results in forfeiture of CE credit for the entire course. No exceptions.

Instructions are included in your RLT Course Library for this course at https://learn.relationallife.com/
If you have questions please contact support@terryreal.com for guidance.
It is the participant’s responsibility to check if their Board, state, organization is approved for these CE credit hours. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$497

3 Payments

3 x $179

$537 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 2 days after purchase. Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Please Note:

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Relational Life

Getting to a Second Session

Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

2 NBCC CE hours — free upon successful completion of a short online assessment

ACEP No. 7495

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Coaches, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for Intermediate level clinicians.

Format:

Self-Paced Online Course

Course Description

This self-paced training introduces therapists and coaches to one of the eight core diagnostic lenses used in Relational Life Therapy (RLT): The More, The More. Participants learn how to quickly identify the repeating relational pattern in a couple’s first session — and give them a compelling reason to return for a second.

Registration URL

relationallife.com/second-session/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 2 NBCC credit hours (free with completion)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Satisfactory Course Completion required:
Participants must complete a course Evaluation and pass a short online assessment (80% or higher). The 2 NBCC CE credit hours are then available free upon completion. No partial credit is available.

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 48 hours after the first live class. (Deadline for refunds: May 21, 2026.)

Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. He founded the Relational Life Institute, offering a professional training program for clinicians, and has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

Please Note:

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

The Relational Life

RLT Level 1 Training

LIVE Workshop Continuing Ed Details

Facilitated by Bonny Slim, LMFT & Terry Real, LICSW

This course is approved for continuing education hours as described below.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

10 NBCC CE hours for Beginner Mental Health Professionals — free certificate

ACEP No. 7495

Target Audience

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Nurses, and LMHCs, LMFT’s, Educators, Chemical Dependency Counselors

Course Content Level

The course content is appropriate for Beginner level clinicians.

Format:

Five LIVE Online Sessions on Zoom — facilitated by Bonny Slim, LMFT & Terry Real, LICSW

Course Description

Over five live classes you’ll be introduced to the powerful principles behind Relational Life Therapy (RLT) — an in-depth introduction to the theory and practice of the RLT model. Discover the differences between RLT and traditional psychodynamic therapy; the stances of “one-down shame” and “one-up grandiosity” in couples; and the concepts of Relational Mindfulness, Joining Through the Truth, and psychological patriarchy. RLT Level 1 is the first step toward RLT certification and prepares you for the Level 2 & 3 trainings.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this course, participants can expect to:

Compare the RLT phases and how RLT differs from traditional therapy.
Describe the role and approach of the therapist in RLT.
Diagnose the RLT view of power imbalances in couples, of psychological patriarchy, and how these are addressed through therapy.
Summarize Relational Mindfulness and the “fight, flight, fix” responses.
Identify the different types of leverage.
Discuss the concept of appropriate discrepancy and how it works with neuroplasticity.
List the seven lenses.
Interpret how preconditions are addressed in RLT.
Compare the two types of boundaries.
Demonstrate strategies for empowering latent clients.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Illustrate that true intimacy can only happen when partners are “same-as” — neither one-up nor one-down.

Discuss how RLT therapists and coaches will confront and teach their clients how to live truly relationally.

Hypothesize how RLT therapists and coaches use judicious self-disclosure, sharing how they use these same skills in their own relationships.

Registration URL

relationallife.com/level-1-live-july-26/

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 10 NBCC credit hours (free with completion)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Requirements for CE Certificate (free of charge):
At the end of the course you’ll receive an email inviting you to request your free CE certificate. To qualify you must attend the entire course (attendance is recorded; no partial credit) and pass an assessment quiz demonstrating your understanding of the material.

Cost

One-Time Payment

$395

3 Payments

3 x $137

$411 in total

Commercial Support Disclaimer

There is no conflict of interest for this program.

Accommodations

If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us at support@terryreal.com

Cancellation Policy

You may request a refund up to 48 hours after the first live class. (Deadline for refunds: May 21, 2026.)

Please contact support@terryreal.com if you wish to cancel your purchase.

Instructor’s Bios:

Terry Real, LICSW is the bestselling author of I Don’t Want to Talk About It, How Can I Get Through to You?, The New Rules of Marriage, and Us. He founded the Relational Life Institute and has been called “the most innovative voice in thinking about and treating men and their relationships in the world today.”

Bonny Slim, LMFT began training in RLT in 2012 and has participated in most of Terry’s courses since. She teaches several Practicum Trainings each year; her favorite aspect of RLT is that practicing relational skills in our own lives is essential to authentically sharing them with others.

Please Note:

Contact information:

ACEP Administrator & Operations Director for Relational Life Institute (RLI), Lisa Sullivan follows: 291 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459;

617-861-3030 support@terryreal.com www.relationallife.com

Treating “The Untreatable”

Choose Your Session Time

1 Continuing Ed Credit Hour FREE

For therapists and coaches who’ve felt stuck, dismissed, or powerless in the face of grandiosity or entitlement…

Why traditional therapy often falls flat with so-called “narcissistic” partners – and what actually works instead

The critical differences between shame and grandiosity – and how it changes the treatment

Understanding false empowerment – the overlooked root of many grandiose behaviours

How to “wake up” clients to the impact of their behavior

Practical ways to engage grandiose clients without fear of retaliation

“When I need advice, I call Terry Real. His decades of clinical experience, research, and wisdom are invaluable to my patients, colleagues, and friends.”

Terry Real, LICSW, is an internationally recognized family therapist and bestselling author

Your Peers On Training With Terry Real

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Discover How Treat “The Untreatable” and Transform Narcissistic Partners

The Relational Life

Working With Grandiosity

Continuing Ed Details

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

Target Audience

Course Content Level

Format:

Course Description

Learning Objectives:

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Understand the origins of grandiosity and why it isn’t always a defense against shame.

Identify techniques to find leverage to motivate grandiose clients to engage in the therapy.

Explain why taking sides is critical when working with grandiosity—and understand how to do it.

Registration URL

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 9.5 NBCC credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Cost

One-Time Payment

$495

3 Payments

3 x $175

$525 in total

Instructor’s Bios:

The Relational Life

Level 2 Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

Target Audience

Course Content Level

Format:

Course Description

Learning Objectives:

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Deepen understanding of each partner’s relational stance and its developmental origins

Identify and address multi-generational legacies influencing current couple dynamics

Conduct structured inner child work in the presence of the partner to foster empathy and intimacy

Facilitate trauma repair within the relational system rather than in isolation

Recognize and effectively work with client resistance using leverage principles

Practice detachment from outcome while maintaining clear therapeutic leadership

Apply attachment theory within RLT to guide interventions and strengthen relational connection

Registration URL

Continuing Ed Credits Available: 10 NBCC or ICF credit hours ($40 fee)

CE Certificate Requirements:

Cost

One-Time Payment

$397

3 Payments

3 x $137

$411 in total

Instructor’s Bios:

The Relational Life

Level 1 – Homestudy

Continuing Ed Details

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counsellors)

ICF (International Coaching Federation)

Target Audience

Course Content Level

Format:

Course Description

Learning Objectives:

Throughout the course, you’ll gain deeper competency in and be able to:

Illustrate that true intimacy can only happen when partners are “same-as” – neither one-up nor one-down.

Discuss how RLT practitioners will confront and teach their clients how to live relationally.

Treating
“The Untreatable”