This 2-hour training introduces therapists to Relationship Repair, a core relationship competency in Mindful Compassionate Dialogue (MCD) Therapy.

Through lecture, guided reflection and discussion participants will learn how repair is an embodied and structured pathway back to connection. Rather than attempting to fix conflict through persuasion, defensiveness, or apology driven by shame, Relationship Repair supports clients in regulating reactivity, naming unmet needs, expressing care and accountability, and co-creating agreements that restore trust.

The training introduces six practical skills therapists can learn to recognize, model, and facilitate within a counseling session. Therapists will leave with a clear conceptual framework of how to guide couples through rupture in a way that restores connection and builds confidence in repair as a reliable relational practice. Participants will also gain tools to navigate therapeutic ruptures with steadiness, modeling repair live in the counseling relationship.

Learning Objectives: 

After completing this 2-hour live, online training, participants will be able to:

1. Define Relationship Repair and describe its role in strengthening attachment, relational resilience, and therapeutic alliance.

2. Describe the six core skills of relationship repair

3. Differentiate effective repair strategies from tragic repair strategies and describe effective repair strategies.

4. Identify early signs of nervous system activation that interfere with repair and articulate at least two regulation strategies that support readiness for repair dialogue.

5. Guide clients in maintaining focus on a single neutral observation to prevent overwhelm and support clarity during repair.

6. Describe expressions of warmth and regret grounded in care and responsibility rather than shame or as a de-escalating strategy.

7. Share the skill of developing specific and doable agreements that promote trust and reduce future disconnection.

8. Apply the  skills of Relationship Repair to a clinical vignette or personal clinical example, identifying needs and collaborative repair strategies.

J. Ava Frank, MS, LPC, Certified Hakomi Therapist

Ava is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Hakomi Therapist, and the founder of Mindful Compassionate Dialogue Therapy (MCDT). This is an integrative approach to relational healing grounded in mindfulness, somatic awareness, and compassionate communication.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Ava earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2014 and has over two decades of study in Nonviolent Communication.

Known for her clarity, warmth, and depth of presence, Ava meets students in present-moment experience and models the consciousness at the heart of MCD Therapy as she teaches. Through Wise Heart PDX, she also offers MCD education courses directly to couples, supporting a culture of mindful and life-serving connection in relationships and communities.

MCD Therapy LLC welcomes participants of all abilities and is committed to making our programs accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

If you need any accommodations to support your participation, please email ava@mcdtherapy.com. You’re encouraged to reach out at least two weeks before the program begins so we can best plan for your needs.

Each request will be reviewed promptly, and together we’ll explore reasonable ways to make sure you can fully engage in the training experience.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:  To meet needs for inclusion, security, and predictability, refunds are only given if requested 7 days before the start of a course. If you need to cancel your registration, please email ava@mcdtherapy.com.

MCD Therapy LLC reserves the right to cancel live trainings 10 days prior to the first day of the scheduled training if it does not meet its minimum attendance requirement. A full refund will be provided should this occur.

MCD Therapy LLC  also reserves the right to cancel and reschedule any live training session if something occurs that is beyond our ability to control. This includes, but is not limited to, severe weather, national disaster, pandemic, sudden illness, or family emergency for the scheduled trainer.

If MCD Therapy LLC, needs to cancel a scheduled training, participants will receive 100% of their registration fee in the form of a credit toward future training or will receive a full refund to their method of payment.

Program Complaints and Dispute Resolution: Participants may submit a complaint or concern about any MCD Therapy program by emailing ava@mcdtherapy.com. Ava Frank, LPC will acknowledge receipt within 5 working business days, review the concern, and provide a written response within 30 days.  All complaints are reviewed to determine appropriate corrective action, and records of each complaint are maintained for audit purposes.

Confidentiality of Participant Information: MCD Therapy LLC will make every reasonable effort to assure privacy. We will never sell your information.  We will not share your personal information except as necessary to comply with the reporting requirements of the various accrediting organizations that enable us to provide CE credit or if required to do so by governmental or law enforcement agencies. We do not retain or store any credit card payment information on our server.  All records are retained securely for a minimum of five (5) years.

If a participant’s image, voice, or name will appear in a recorded program, written consent will be obtained prior to use.

Participant Evaluation Policy: Each participant receives an evaluation form at the conclusion of every continuing education program. The evaluation gathers feedback on content relevance, presenter knowledge, materials quality, accessibility, and overall satisfaction. MCD Therapy LLC reviews all evaluations within 30 days to identify improvements for future programs. Evaluation summaries are retained for five (5) years in accordance with NBCC record-keeping requirements.

Proprietary Information: The PowerPoint presentations and videos are considered proprietary information and may not be reproduced or cited by MCDT students or alumni.  Please do not share your login information with anyone. 

All materials in the course workbook are © MCD Therapy LLC and are designed for professional continuing education purposes. Therapists may reproduce the designated client-handout pages for psychoeducation or clinical use, provided proper attribution is given to MCD Therapy. The workbook and its exercises may not be altered, sold, or distributed outside of authorized trainings or beyond individual client use.

Provider Contact Information: 1008 SE 112th Ave, Portland OR 97216. ava@mcdtherapy.com , 971-266-0036