Rupture and Repair
At the Heart of Psychotherapy
Saturday 11 July 2026
A live webinar with Dr Catherine Eubanks, John Christopher Muran and Jane Ryan (chair)
CPD Credits: 4 hours
- Includes a recording of the event with access for a year (14 days post the event)
- Bookings close at 18:00pm BST Friday 24 April 2026
When someone enters psychotherapy they are perhaps above all seeking to be understood by someone who can be trusted. And inevitably that sense of safety – knowing that the therapist has your best interests at heart – develops and is tested over time. In a good therapy it results in a belief that the psychotherapist has the capacity to understand, to care and to hold the relationship in an ethical manner. But, as every therapist knows, sustaining an unfaltering alignment with the patient’s desire to be understood and held is almost impossible.
READ MORE...This event is led by two relational practitioners whose core project is to develop our understanding of the therapeutic alliance and how it breaks down. We will not be discussing the gross types of misconduct that destroy the bond between therapist and patient, but the commonplace slips, misunderstandings, micro-aggressions and failures of empathy that can puncture the psychotherapy relationship, even the best.
Our speakers will guide us through their understanding of how these occur so they can be better avoided, but also – most importantly – how they can be repaired in such a way that enriches the therapy, and deepens the patient’s capacity to withstand the fallibility of the other.
FULL PROGRAMME
14.00 BST
Introductions
14:05
Catherine Eubanks
Recognizing ruptures in the alliance: From stuckpoints to subtle shifts
Research has consistently demonstrated that a strong alliance between patient and therapist is a robust predictor of good outcome in psychotherapy across different theoretical orientations, treatment modalities, and patient diagnoses; ruptures in the alliance are predictive of poor outcome and premature dropout. At the same time, however, the successful repair of ruptures is associated with improved therapy outcomes, consistent with the idea that rupture repair provides an opportunity to enhance psychotherapy.
The first step in repairing ruptures is to recognize them. This presentation will discuss withdrawal ruptures (movements away) and confrontation ruptures (movements against) and the interpersonal and intrapersonal markers therapists can use to help recognize when a rupture is occurring. Catherine will consider examples of subtle rupture processes as well as more obvious conflicts that arise between patients and therapists. She will highlight the theme of individual and cultural differences in the definition of rupture.
14.50
Discussion and Q&A
15.05
Break
15:15
Christopher Muran
Repairing ruptures: From wicked to wonderful and then some
In various ways, rupture repair has been empirically shown to be a critical change process. It has been defined as (a) reattunement of affective states, (b) renegotiation of treatment tasks/goals, and (c) exploration of implicit relational themes. In each respect, repair promises a new relational experience.
In this presentation Christopher will describe the alliance as an ongoing process of intersubjective negotiation, whereby patient and therapist negotiate their respective needs and identities. These negotiations invariably result in power plays and objectifications as a result of implicit dialectics. Repair represents resolution of these and recognition by patient and therapist of their respective subjectivities. The principle of metacommunication (that is, bringing awareness to bear on immediate experience, a form of mindfulness-in-action) will be highlighted with regard to resolving ruptures and promoting emotion regulation and mutual recognition.
16.05
Discussion and Q&A
16.15
Break
16:30
Catherine Eubanks & Christopher Muran
Negotiating differences in rupture repair: Through the many and mess
In this session, we will highlight the inherent intersectionality of individual personality and human experience via video illustrations of repair and discussion of the important theme of negotiating differences, particularly with regard to gender and race.
17.30
Discussion and Q&A
18.00
End
SPEAKERS
Dr. Catherine F. Eubanks is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Stony Brook University.
Dr. Eubanks’ research focuses on psychotherapy process and outcome, particularly in identifying and negotiating therapeutic alliance ruptures. She co-developed the Rupture Resolution Rating System (3RS), an observer-based measure for assessing alliance ruptures and repairs. Additionally, she co-authored Therapist Performance under Pressure: Negotiating Emotion, Difference and Rupture (2020). She co-edited Rupture and Repair in Psychotherapy: A Critical Process for Change (2023).
Dr. Eubanks has received several honours, including Early Career Award from the Society for Psychotherapy Research and the American Psychological Association. She is also a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 29). Read more >>
John Christopher Muran is a renowned expert in all aspects of the therapeutic alliance. He is Associate Dean of the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology at Adelphi University. At the Mount Sinai Beth Israel, he is Principal Investigator and Director of the Psychotherapy Research Program. He is also on faculty at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Since undertaking intensive postdoctoral training at University of Toronto and New York University, his focus has been on the nature and quality of the relationship between therapist and patient.
Professor Muran’s research has attracted funding by granting bodies, including the National Institute of Mental Health, which has been widely published in the scientific literature and formed the basis of several key books. He has been editor of the international journal, Psychotherapy Research and on the editorial boards for Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice and the Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and serves on its Clinical Treatment Guidelines Advisory Steering Committee. Read more >>