Most therapists believe they are above average, but the reality is that we all struggle with difficult cases and confusing clinical presentations.
We can teach you how to work with a wider range of patients, more effectively, and with more confidence.
Courses & Events
The 38th Annual March Workshop:
When Good Therapists Do Bad Therapy and How To Fix It
Thursday, March 5th - Saturday, March 7th, 2026
The most important guide for doing personalized treatment is the patient themselves. Patients often try to help their therapists help them more effectively. This 3-day conference focuses on approaches from several perspectives on how to understand patient problems and how to personalize treatment.
Is Porn a Problem? Helping Patients With Compulsive Porn Use and Developing Healthy Sexuality
Friday, February 13, 2026
1:00pm - 4:00pm (PST)
This session contextualizes pornography and erotic material across historical and contemporary frameworks, then examines how to thoughtfully assess their impact on patients’ lives. It explores when and how addiction models may apply, while integrating Motivational Interviewing, behavioral techniques, neuroscience, and Control-Mastery theory to support individualized treatment.
The Meaning and Therapeutic Use of Sexual Fantasies: A Control-Mastery Perspective
Friday, January 30, 2026
10:00am - 1:00pm (PST)
Based on his work with Joseph Weiss and the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group, Dr. Bader developed a new way of looking at the psychological dynamics behind sexual excitement. In this workshop he will present his theory illustrating how patients' sexual fantasies often help to disconfirm their pathogenic beliefs and how understanding these fantasies as therapists can facilitate the therapeutic process.
Becoming a More Effective Therapist: Intro to Control Mastery Theory
Friday, February 20, 2026
9:00am - 12:00pm (PST)
Over the past several decades, SFPRG has developed an empirically derived method of case formulation, the Plan Formulation Method (PFM).
In this course, you will learn the fundamentals of The Plan Formulation Method, also known as Control-Mastery Case Formulation, and begin applying it immediately to your cases. You'll learn how to integrate the PFM into your existing manner of working and strengthen the work you're already doing.
