All Webinars

This course qualifies as an ethics course.

“Very informative. Very engaging. I really enjoyed the presenter and his attention to questions throughout the presentation. Clarified existing knowledge about mandatory reporting laws.”-Jared B., Licensed Professional Counselor, Alabama

This course will help practitioners who are subject to reporting requirements associated with child abuse, elder abuse, spouse abuse, and duty to warn about violence. Increasingly these requirements ensnarl mental health professionals into difficult ethical dilemmas as they navigate the obligation to maintain confidentiality on the one hand, and meet the expectations of reporting laws on the other.  Several factors are considered, including the variable state laws governing the duty to report, the need to report in a timely fashion, the intricacies of the reporting process (e.g. to whom, containing what information, etc.), and the ongoing concern about adverse consequences to clients and others (including oneself). Given these complexities, this topic has become essential knowledge for practicing clinicians. This course uses legal case studies, and hypothetical situations to highlight the critical nuanced knowledge needed to manage mandatory reporting requirements.

Psychotropic medications are a routine part of mental health treatment, yet psychotherapists are often asked to navigate medication-related conversations without being prescribers themselves. Clients may have questions about how medications work, whether side effects are expected, how long a medication may take to work, or whether medication is helping. Therapists are also uniquely positioned to observe changes in symptoms, functioning, adherence, and behavior over time and to communicate these observations as part of collaborative care.

Psychopharmacology for Psychotherapists provides clinicians with an accessible, clinically relevant foundation in psychopharmacology while maintaining a clear distinction between the roles of prescribing and non-prescribing professionals. Participants will begin by examining the biopsychosocial model and the neurobiological foundations of psychiatric treatment, including neuron structure, neurotransmission, major neurotransmitter systems, and basic principles of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.

The webinar then translates this science into practical knowledge of commonly used psychotropic medications. Major medication categories—including antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, medications used in ADHD, sleep medications, and medications used in substance use treatment—will be reviewed with attention to mechanisms of action, common indications, side effects, safety considerations, and monitoring needs. Emerging and alternative approaches in mental health treatment will also be introduced.

Most importantly, the webinar focuses on what psychotherapists can do with this knowledge. Participants will explore medication adherence and ambivalence, culturally responsive medication conversations, recognition of clinical red flags, communication with prescribers, measurement-based care, and strategies for integrating psychotherapy with pharmacological treatment. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles will illustrate how therapists can help clients respond more flexibly to thoughts, emotions, stigma, and uncertainty surrounding medication while remaining within the psychotherapist's scope of practice.

The goal is not to teach psychotherapists to prescribe. Rather, it is to help clinicians become more informed members of the treatment team and more effective partners to clients navigating mental health treatment.

“This was a great webinar. The presenter shared content in an organized, yet interactive manner. The tools taught were very practical. Great presenter and would be awesome to teach future webinars.”-K.W., Social Worker, North Carolina

A high percentage of mental health clients have experienced some sort of trauma in their childhoods. That’s why it’s so important that we as clinicians use a treatment that is proven to work. This seminar will present an overview of child trauma and the evidence-based child treatment, Trauma Focused- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Attendees will gain an overview of child trauma, review the definition of child abuse and discuss the common affective, behavioral and cognitive reactions that children have to trauma. Then an overview of Trauma- Focused CBT will be given, including the specific components, real life examples of activities used and the evidence for why this approach works. At the end attendees will be provided with the next step to get certified in TF-CBT. Please note, this is an introduction overview course of a child focused treatment.