All Webinars

“Excellent presentation. Presenter was very knowledgeable and thorough. No improvements needed.”-Bruce G., Counselor, Illinois

The biology of reward has been well-studied and is linked to numerous mental health diagnoses. Researchers identified an anomaly in this reward cascade called Reward Deficiency Syndrome or RDS. This anomaly and its impact on psychotherapy are less evident in psychological literature, yet it provides useful knowledge in one of the most prevalent and challenging of all mental health disorders…addiction. This seminar will help you understand the cascade theory of reward and provide you with working knowledge of RDS. You will be able to talk about how RDS affects the brain, what research has found regarding the impact of RDS, as well as discuss a model of therapy that considers highly this biological aspect of mental illness. The focus of this seminar is biopsychological and psychopharmaocological in nature.

“Excellent presentation. Presenter was very knowledgeable and thorough. No improvements needed.”-Bruce G., Counselor, Illinois

The biology of reward has been well-studied and is linked to numerous mental health diagnoses. Researchers identified an anomaly in this reward cascade called Reward Deficiency Syndrome or RDS. This anomaly and its impact on psychotherapy are less evident in psychological literature, yet it provides useful knowledge in one of the most prevalent and challenging of all mental health disorders…addiction. This seminar will help you understand the cascade theory of reward and provide you with working knowledge of RDS. You will be able to talk about how RDS affects the brain, what research has found regarding the impact of RDS, as well as discuss a model of therapy that considers highly this biological aspect of mental illness. The focus of this seminar is biopsychological and psychopharmaocological in nature.

According to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, approxi­mately 10% of US adults fill one or more antidepressant prescriptions each year, with many of these prescriptions coming from non-psychiatrists. They are some of the most widely prescribed medications of our generation. As more and more patients are prescribed antidepressants and other psychotropic medications, an increased need and responsibility is raised for non-prescribing therapists to be knowledgeable enough to work more effectively with patients and their prescribers in this arena. The follow­ing webinar is intended to be an introductory course that offers general, yet comprehensive information about psy­chopharmacology, including understanding neurobiological underpinnings of how medications work, commonly pre­scribed drug categories, how to work more effectively with patients, and how to work more effectively with prescrib­ers. Unique to this webinar will be the inclusion of how to maximize treatment outcomes and effectively use collab­orative care strategies.

This course will satisfy your ethics requirement.

They say that Artificial Intelligence (AI) won’t replace you in the workplace, but someone who knows how to use AI will. This is particularly true for social workers, counselors, and psychologists because we were not trained in AI, but AI is transforming our work. It is becoming harder to avoid AI, yet it remains critical that we understand how AI works so that we can make informed, ethical decisions that protect both our clients and the public. We are mandated by our professional codes to do this. The widespread use of AI is recent, and it is not easy to learn all about AI and how it is being used in our professions. At the end of this course, you will understand how AI works, the different types of AI, and how it is being used in our work. You will better understand all the ethical considerations and current research findings about AI in the social work/counseling/psychology space, and walk away with frameworks on how to mitigate risk.

Traditional abstinence-only models have long dominated Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) treatment, yet emerging research demonstrates that harm reduction strategies—including moderate drinking—offer effective alternatives for many individuals, particularly those with less severe or early-stage alcohol issues. For clients whose alcohol use is creating problems, learning to drink more moderately and safely can represent both a realistic goal and a sustainable outcome. For others, managed drinking serves as a crucial stepping-stone toward temporary or permanent abstinence.
 

This harm reduction framework transforms treatment by lowering barriers to care and creating more inclusive options for individuals intimidated by abstinence-only approaches. The result is more flexible, personalized care that meets clients where they are in their recovery journey. 

Since office-based therapists are typically the first professionals contacted by individuals seeking help with alcohol concerns, all mental health practitioners—regardless of specialty—must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to competently address these issues. This comprehensive webinar provides a diverse clinical toolkit featuring practical strategies, integrated behavioral and pharmacological interventions, real-world case studies, and essential clinical considerations. Participants will gain valuable insights into addressing alcohol-related challenges with greater flexibility, empathy, and effectiveness, significantly expanding treatment possibilities for clients seeking help with alcohol use concerns.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly entering the therapy world and reshaping how treatments are delivered, therapists’ workflow, and the clients’ use of chatbots and digital companions. This training helps clinicians understand what is already possible, what remains aspirational, and how to use AI responsibly and effectively in their own practice.
 

Participants will learn practical strategies for using AI to improve documentation, psychoeducation, and clinical efficiency; evaluate how clients’ engagement with chatbots affects therapeutic dynamics; and apply ethical, cultural, and relational lenses to these emerging technologies. Through demonstrations, discussions, and guided exercises, therapists will leave with tools and frameworks for evaluating and integrating AI while maintaining human connection, equity, and professional ethics.

There are several types of digital platforms and devices that can optimize treatment and are easily added to our clinical toolbox. Many of these devices can be used as clinician extenders by expanding therapeutic reach and augmenting treatment outside the office. While some of these technologies have been available for decades, they are now easier to use and are also cost effective. The trend in health care is increasingly digitally based and data driven, being fed by advances in digital platforms and innovative devices. Video technology and internet capacity have reached the point where they are reliable and advanced enough to make tele-mental health quite accessible to utilize. While there are still many people who have only tenuous links with the digital world, even those in rural and underserved populations may have access to care not previously available using new tools. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health clinicians by necessity have begun using telehealth platforms to continue to provide much needed services. The use of teletherapy affords clinicians opportunities to effectively broaden their scope of practice and deliver high quality treatment while doing so. The provision of telehealth has both pros and cons that need to be considered when using this technology. Smartphone applications (Apps) that can track mood, anxiety, and sleep (and provide feedback to clinicians) are rapidly developing and are widely available. Devices that can directly address brain and emotional states such as Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback (HRV), Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES), and Neurofeedback (NFB) can be incorporated into one’s practice at a reasonable cost. Many of these devices can be used by patients between sessions to retrain their “brain states” by monitoring physiological arousal and increasing vagal tone to maximize treatment effect. This seminar provides you with an overview and introduction to technology-based aids to mental health practice.