Individuals in monogamous relationships, especially marital ones, inevitably encounter the tension between individual needs and the ‘rules’ associated with love in a predominantly monogamous society. We tend not to question love and the rules we make about it, yet these rules, along with their protective functions, may also deny vital aspects of the self. It is important for the therapist to continually explore and, at times, expand their own beliefs and values within a monogamous society. Therapy is one of the few safe places where a patient can also begin to explore beliefs and values that may be at odds with the therapist’s or the community’s point of view. In this discussion, the definition of monogamy will be examined, along with how reactions to monogamy can lead to a continuum of feelings, ranging from pain and suffering to well-being and growth.

Course Objectives:

1. Participants will learn the definitions of monogamy.

2. Participants will learn how a patient’s history influences the impact

that a monogamous relationship could have on both the individual and the couple.

3. Participants will learn how our culture’s rules about monogamy impact emotional well-being.

4. Participants will learn about countertransference reactions in treatment.

Facilitators: Margaret Debrot, LCSW, PsyA, and Kevin Gerety, LCSW

Place: In Person at 

655 Pomander Walk,

Teaneck, NJ 07666

Date: Sunday, March 22, 2026

Time: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Fee: $20 payable via Zelle or PayPal using ipsinfo@ipsnewjersey.org

RSVP: Please register by clicking the button below.

This course, provided by The Institute for Psychoanalytic Studies, Inc., is approved for 2 clinical continuing education hours by the New Jersey Society for Clinical Social Work.