There is a seductive trap in therapy that catches even the most experienced clinicians.
It is the moment your client looks at you with wide eyes and says...
"Oh my god. I finally understand why I do that."
They connect the dots. They see the pattern. You both feel a rush of relief because it feels like a breakthrough.
But then... next week happens.
And they do the exact same thing again.
The "Aha!" moment didn't change the behavior. It just gave them a more sophisticated way to explain why they are stuck.
If you rely on the old medical model... you might label this as "non-compliant" or "resistant."
You might think the client is sabotaging the work.
But if you look through the lens of Character Strategies... you see something completely different.
You see that their "Insight" is actually a survival mechanism.
And this is where we have to start listening differently.
The Story vs. The Storyteller
There is a story, and there is a storyteller. The story is what your client is saying. The narrative. The content. The storyteller is what you want to contact.
If you're only listening to the story, you might miss what's actually driving the pattern.
Listen to the storyteller.
That's where the real work lives.
But here's the question: What exactly are you listening for? That's where Character Strategies come in.
What is a Character Strategy?
Character Strategies, developed by Ron Kurtz and expanded by Pat Ogden, are survival patterns organized early in life.
There are 9 distinct strategies. Each has its own logic, its own defenses and its own doorway in.
When you can identify which one is running, you finally know where to meet your client. They feel understood. Your interventions land. The work moves.
In this workshop, we talk about the 4 Treatments Barriers and how they show up across the 9 Character Strategies:
• Sensitive/Withdrawn
• Sensitive/Emotional
• Dependent/Endearing
• Self-Reliant
• Tough/Generous
• Charming/Manipulative
• Burdened/Enduring
• Industrious/Over-focused
• Expressive/Clinging
Your clients aren't lying to you.
They are using the only tools they have to survive an environment that once felt impossible.
This training on character strategies, treatment barriers and somatic skills training, leveled up how I do assessments and treatment planning, big time!
-Rachel Berzack, MSW
Curriculum
What they don't teach in grad school:
We are taught in school to diagnose symptoms. We are taught to treat pathology.
But nobody teaches us how to look at the human being sitting in front of us and understand how they organized their experience to survive.
When we try to force "change" before we honor the strategy... we are threatening their safety.
And that is why they loop.
If you want to stop spinning your wheels with "smart" clients who never change... you have to stop treating the symptom and start working with the Character Strategy.
You have to help them find safety outside of their intellect.
That is what this workshop is about.
I'll show you how to identify the Treatment Barriers in each of these 9 strategies... and how to gently dismantle them using specific somatic interventions that respect the client's survival intelligence.
Feedback from Live Participants!
This taught me a framework to better understand where clients are operating from and how to structure treatment. I also love the contact statements!
Janae Reinhardt MSW, LCSW
I have gained clarity in how to engage with a client that is directly linked to the presenting [character] strategy!
Steven Booker, LPC, EMDR, IFS
I loved the part where you talked about joining in on the defenses that work instead of trying to change them or shame them [the "taking over" somatic exercise].
I definitely want to incorporate this!
Amanda Mcllvoy, LMFT
P.S. We don't just cover Character Strategies, we cover all 4 Treatment Barriers...and how to move past them:
Insight, Response, Nourishment & Completion.
4 barriers.
9 Character Strategies.
1 map that finally makes sense of your stuck clients.
Let's get to know each other!
I’m Esther Goldstein, LCSW. trauma educator, author, EMDR consultant, and founder of Integrative Psychotherapy NY.
I’m also a mom, a hot-yoga lover, and a fellow human who’s spent the past 15 years immersed in the art and science of healing.
After teaching and supervising clinicians worldwide, I’ve seen that the most impactful therapists blend advanced skill with attuned presence, knowing not just what to do, but how and when to do it.
My work focuses on helping seasoned therapists refine mastery, deepen confidence, and expand clinical precision,
so your sessions feel clear, connected, and truly transformative.
It’s an honor to support you in doing such powerful, necessary work. 💛