PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Working with Emotional Withdrawal, Shut Down, and Stonewalling in Couples Therapy
About the webinar
Emotional withdrawal and stonewalling are often misunderstood as a lack of care or motivation, when they are more accurately signs of overwhelm, shame, and nervous system flooding. This training supports clinicians to recognise withdrawal as a protective response, work safely with shutdown in session, and help couples move out of stuck pursue withdraw patterns without increasing threat or disconnection.
What You'll Learn
How emotional withdrawal and stonewalling develop in relationships
An exploration of how withdrawal and stonewalling often emerge as protective responses rather than signs of disinterest or lack of care. This section focuses on understanding withdrawal as an attempt to manage threat, overwhelm, or relational risk rather than a deliberate refusal to engage.
The role of shame, flooding, and experiential avoidance
A discussion of how shame, emotional flooding, and experiential avoidance interact to drive shutdown behaviours. You will learn how internal discomfort and fear of doing harm or being exposed can lead partners to disengage emotionally.
How nervous system overwhelm impacts presence and responsiveness
An overview of how nervous system activation affects a person’s ability to stay present, think clearly, and respond flexibly in relational moments. This includes understanding why some partners appear blank, distant, or unreachable during conflict or emotional conversations.
How to recognise when a partner is flooded or shut down
Guidance on identifying verbal, emotional, and physiological signs of flooding and shutdown in session. This section supports therapists to intervene earlier, before withdrawal becomes entrenched or misinterpreted by the other partner.
How to work with withdrawal without pathologising or blaming
An exploration of how therapists can validate protective strategies while still supporting accountability and change. This includes shifting the focus from character judgements to understanding function and meaning.
How to support re engagement and emotional safety over time
Practical guidance on helping couples gradually rebuild emotional availability and trust. This section focuses on pacing, safety, and supporting small moments of re engagement rather than forcing connection too quickly.
Whats included
Identify the drivers of emotional withdrawal and learn strategies to safely re engage partners who shut down.
Case examples and clinical scenarios
Practical tools to identify and respond to shutdown in session
Language and prompts to support re engagement
Exercises to help couples understand withdrawal patterns
Who Should Attend?
Who is it for
Especially helpful for clinicians working with couples where one partner withdraws, shuts down, goes quiet, or emotionally disappears during conflict or intimacy.
Level of experience
Suitable for early-career and experienced clinicians. Previous training in couples therapy is highly recommended.
This training is not a certification program or a replacement for supervision. It focuses on core clinical understanding and practical tools rather than advanced modality-specific training.
Length
3 hours
Confirm Your Attendance
Join this live, three hour training for therapists who want to feel more confident and steady when working with conflict in the room.
This session focuses on practical skills, therapist self awareness, and clear ways to support couples through difficult moments.