All Webinars

 “Dr. Ray presented a great deal of information in a very organized manner and was gracious in answering questions. I look forward to attending more seminars with her! I learned more about the prescriptions used to treat addictions, such as naltrexone.”-Linnea T., Colorado

In this program I will review the conceptualization of addiction, including the biological bases for how alcohol and drugs alter the brain. I will then discuss evidence-based treatments for addiction, including pharmacological and psychosocial treatment options. I will review their evidence-based as well as provide practice advice on their implementation. Then, I will discuss the latest developments in substance use disorders, including vaping, cannabis use legalization, and the opioid epidemic. I will conclude by reviewing a host of free resources for evidence-based practices in addiction, primarily those offered by the National Institutes of Health. I will conduct this seminar by combining lecturing, question & answer periods, videos, and polling tools to engage the audience.

Group therapy is a treatment modality in which unrelated people meet together with a therapist, in contrast to individual therapy or conjoint family therapy. Groups are not a second-rate approach to helping people change. In fact, groups are often the treatment of choice - especially when a client’s problem has an interpersonal component (which is usually the case). Groups offer a natural laboratory in which people can experiment with new ways of being and receive feedback from numerous others. There is great power in groups: members actually experience their interpersonal dynamics playing out in the group. A group therapist can implement techniques from other modalities in a group format. However, there are dynamics, processes, and stages of groups that are not shared with individual approaches and which offer distinctive benefits. Because so many of the problems that people seek mental
health services for involve dysfunctional interactions between people, having group members actually interact with others in the group affords an opportunity for deep, experiential learning and development that is not possible in individual therapy. This seminar will emphasize how to facilitate such “here and now” interactions and processes in group work.

Group therapy is a treatment modality in which unrelated people meet together with a therapist, in contrast to individual therapy or conjoint family therapy. Groups are not a second-rate approach to helping people change. In fact, groups are often the treatment of choice - especially when a client’s problem has an interpersonal component (which is usually the case). Groups offer a natural laboratory in which people can experiment with new ways of being and receive feedback from numerous others. There is great power in groups: members actually experience their interpersonal dynamics playing out in the group. A group therapist can implement techniques from other modalities in a group format. However, there are dynamics, processes, and stages of groups that are not shared with individual approaches and which offer distinctive benefits. Because so many of the problems that people seek mental
health services for involve dysfunctional interactions between people, having group members actually interact with others in the group affords an opportunity for deep, experiential learning and development that is not possible in individual therapy. This seminar will emphasize how to facilitate such “here and now” interactions and processes in group work.

In the field of counseling/psychotherapy, there are few topics that are more pervasively misunderstood than the nature of emotions and their significance to human health. Even the founders of many influential approaches (i.e., Aaron Beck, Albert Ellis) believed that emotions are best controlled - rather than deeply experienced, reflected upon (processed), and communicated; fields such as affective neuroscience have demonstrated that this is simply false. Just as thoughts can be accurate/adaptive or inaccurate/maladaptive, emotions can be “on target” or “off-base”; they can also be primary or secondary (the latter is often an emotional defense of the primary emotion). Moreover, all human beings—and especially therapy clients—use defenses to avoid experiencing and dealing with their emotions. Most therapists are not taught basic knowledge of emotions and defenses. Rather, they are often taught to simply “follow the client’s feelings.” However, many feelings are actually defenses against the underlying (primary, true) feeling (i.e., sadness covering anger). If a therapist does not recognize which emotions are primary and which are defensive/secondary emotions, then one may be encouraging a client to heighten their defenses, which is almost always anti-therapeutic. Clients who defend against their emotions lose the important information that emotions can provide. This webinar will teach you how to bypass your clients’ defenses and to work directly with their emotions, because emotions are fundamental sources of information and knowledge about one’s self and the world around them.

In the field of counseling/psychotherapy, there are few topics that are more pervasively misunderstood than the nature of emotions and their significance to human health. Even the founders of many influential approaches (i.e., Aaron Beck, Albert Ellis) believed that emotions are best controlled - rather than deeply experienced, reflected upon (processed), and communicated; fields such as affective neuroscience have demonstrated that this is simply false. Just as thoughts can be accurate/adaptive or inaccurate/maladaptive, emotions can be “on target” or “off-base”; they can also be primary or secondary (the latter is often an emotional defense of the primary emotion). Moreover, all human beings—and especially therapy clients—use defenses to avoid experiencing and dealing with their emotions. Most therapists are not taught basic knowledge of emotions and defenses. Rather, they are often taught to simply “follow the client’s feelings.” However, many feelings are actually defenses against the underlying (primary, true) feeling (i.e., sadness covering anger). If a therapist does not recognize which emotions are primary and which are defensive/secondary emotions, then one may be encouraging a client to heighten their defenses, which is almost always anti-therapeutic. Clients who defend against their emotions lose the important information that emotions can provide. This webinar will teach you how to bypass your clients’ defenses and to work directly with their emotions, because emotions are fundamental sources of information and knowledge about one’s self and the world around them.

This dynamic 3-hour seminar provides mental health professionals with essential tools to support families in conflict—whether couples are married, divorcing, or never married. Drawing on decades of clinical, mediation, and non-adversarial divorce experience, Dr. Zimmerman blends real-world strategies with clinical insight to help attendees become more effective in high-conflict family situations. Participants will gain exposure to a range of alternative dispute resolution models, learn about the effects of conflict on children, and receive actionable guidance on managing professional stress in this demanding field.

This dynamic 3-hour seminar provides mental health professionals with essential tools to support families in conflict—whether couples are married, divorcing, or never married. Drawing on decades of clinical, mediation, and non-adversarial divorce experience, Dr. Zimmerman blends real-world strategies with clinical insight to help attendees become more effective in high-conflict family situations. Participants will gain exposure to a range of alternative dispute resolution models, learn about the effects of conflict on children, and receive actionable guidance on managing professional stress in this demanding field.

This course will satisfy your ethics requirement.

This comprehensive webinar explores the ethical and risk management challenges inherent in operating a mental health private practice, whether solo or group-based. Dr. Jeff Zimmerman, drawing on decades of experience and leadership in the field, guides attendees through practical applications of relevant parts of the APA Ethics Code, focusing on principles such as beneficence, fidelity, and respect for client rights. Through realistic scenarios—like those involving informed consent complexities, digital record vulnerabilities, or dual relationships—participants gain insight into how ethical principles intersect with clinical realities.
 

The presentation emphasizes the importance of proactive planning, and developing routine procedures, detailed documentation, and self awareness in minimizing risk and protecting both clients and clinicians. Special attention is given to telehealth practices, financial agreements, staff training, and informed consent. Attendees are taught strategies for ethical decision-making, and are encouraged to maintain humility and consult regularly to get input. They are reminded that ethical success in private practice depends on intentional structure, cultural attunement, and ongoing education.

This course will satisfy your ethics requirement.

This comprehensive webinar explores the ethical and risk management challenges inherent in operating a mental health private practice, whether solo or group-based. Dr. Jeff Zimmerman, drawing on decades of experience and leadership in the field, guides attendees through practical applications of relevant parts of the APA Ethics Code, focusing on principles such as beneficence, fidelity, and respect for client rights. Through realistic scenarios—like those involving informed consent complexities, digital record vulnerabilities, or dual relationships—participants gain insight into how ethical principles intersect with clinical realities.
 

The presentation emphasizes the importance of proactive planning, and developing routine procedures, detailed documentation, and self awareness in minimizing risk and protecting both clients and clinicians. Special attention is given to telehealth practices, financial agreements, staff training, and informed consent. Attendees are taught strategies for ethical decision-making, and are encouraged to maintain humility and consult regularly to get input. They are reminded that ethical success in private practice depends on intentional structure, cultural attunement, and ongoing education.

Our world is changing faster than at any moment in history, and technologies advancements are literally changing what it means to be human. “Future Technologies” explores the profound and inevitable impact emerging technologies will have on humanity. We will delve into how Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, Brain-Computer Interface, Robotics, Gene Therapy, and Genetic Engineering, are set to advance in the next several decades – even sooner. Each tech technology’s potential benefits, such as AI’s improved healthcare diagnostics and AR/VR’s enhanced educational tools, are highlighted alongside associated risks, including job displacement and privacy concerns. A key theme is the transformative impact these technologies can, and likely will, have on human identity and social norms. Therapists can and should play a critical role in this technological evolution. They can help individuals adapt to changes, advocate for ethical standards, and support mental health through technological integration. This talk underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure that technological advancements benefit the future of humanity while mitigating potential harms. Currently, it is the sex tech industry developing a vision of the future of intimacy. The time is now for mental health professionals to join this critical conversation.

Sex tech is advancing at breakneck speed, and our intimate relationships are entering uncharted territory. From AI-driven chatbots that comfort, and seduce, immersive sex toys that blur the lines between physical and digital pleasure, haptic technologies, VR porn, to sex dolls and robots, tech is becoming an ever-present partner in our intimate lives. Cross-cultural trends reveal that people are having less sex together, spending more time with their screens, and reporting higher levels of stress and loneliness—a perfect storm fueling the rise of intimacy with technology.  These technological advances are already here, and research demonstrates that our clients are already engaging them.  In this webinar we will explore the latest sex tech and the complex questions they herald: Can a chatbot meet our deepest emotional needs? What happens to human connection when digital intimacy is always just a click away? And importantly, are therapists ready to help clients navigate these new frontiers of love and lust?  Join us for this enlightening and critical discussion as we explore the inevitable future of intimacy. 

Sex tech is advancing at breakneck speed, and our intimate relationships are entering uncharted territory. From AI-driven chatbots that comfort, and seduce, immersive sex toys that blur the lines between physical and digital pleasure, haptic technologies, VR porn, to sex dolls and robots, tech is becoming an ever-present partner in our intimate lives. Cross-cultural trends reveal that people are having less sex together, spending more time with their screens, and reporting higher levels of stress and loneliness—a perfect storm fueling the rise of intimacy with technology.  These technological advances are already here, and research demonstrates that our clients are already engaging them.  In this webinar we will explore the latest sex tech and the complex questions they herald: Can a chatbot meet our deepest emotional needs? What happens to human connection when digital intimacy is always just a click away? And importantly, are therapists ready to help clients navigate these new frontiers of love and lust?  Join us for this enlightening and critical discussion as we explore the inevitable future of intimacy.