All Webinars

“The instructor clearly has a high level of expertise, presented the material in a well organized, comprehensive, and detailed manner, and maintained my interest throughout.”-Jay F., Psychologist, New Jersey

One in seven people over the age of 70 experiences dementia and another 22% demonstrate symptoms of cognitive decline that falls short of dementia. Those who escape the symptoms of dementia may spend a substantial portion of retirement years caring for a friend or family member with cognitive impairment. The rise of the baby boomer generation is expected bring unprecedented rates of cognitive syndromes like Alzheimer’s disease, yet most mental health professionals have no formal training to work with this vulnerable population. This workshop provides a clinical approach to understanding and assessing these syndromes.

High rates of adolescent depression and suicide present as a major international public health problem.  Suicidal adolescents are often a daunting population for clinicians to work with given their high-risk. Of the few effective treatments for this population, many are often multi-modal involving individual and group therapy, medication, etc.  An empirically supported family therapy for adolescents struggling with depression and suicide that requires only weekly sessions and which can be conducted on an outpatient, home-based, or inpatient basis is Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT).  ABFT emerges from interpersonal theories suggesting adolescent depression and suicide can be precipitated, exacerbated, or buffered against by the quality of interpersonal family relationships. It is a trust-based, emotion-focused psychotherapy model aiming to repair interpersonal ruptures and rebuild an emotionally protective, secure-based, parent-child relationship. The therapy is trauma-focused while also being brief and structured. Treatment is characterized by five treatment tasks: a) reframing the therapy to focus on interpersonal development, b) building alliance with the adolescent, c) building alliance with the parents, d) facilitation conversations to resolve attachment ruptures and e) promoting autonomy in the adolescent. 

In this workshop, Dr Levy will use lecture and case studies to provide an overview of the theoretical principles, research support, and clinical strategies forABFT. Dr. Levy will review how attachment theory,emotional regulation, and trauma resolution informthe delivery of this treatment approach.  She will review the goals and structureof the five treatment tasks that provide a roadmapfor delivering this interpersonally focused psychotherapy effectively and rapidly in community mental health.

High rates of adolescent depression and suicide present as a major international public health problem.  Suicidal adolescents are often a daunting population for clinicians to work with given their high-risk. Of the few effective treatments for this population, many are often multi-modal involving individual and group therapy, medication, etc.  An empirically supported family therapy for adolescents struggling with depression and suicide that requires only weekly sessions and which can be conducted on an outpatient, home-based, or inpatient basis is Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT).  ABFT emerges from interpersonal theories suggesting adolescent depression and suicide can be precipitated, exacerbated, or buffered against by the quality of interpersonal family relationships. It is a trust-based, emotion-focused psychotherapy model aiming to repair interpersonal ruptures and rebuild an emotionally protective, secure-based, parent-child relationship. The therapy is trauma-focused while also being brief and structured. Treatment is characterized by five treatment tasks: a) reframing the therapy to focus on interpersonal development, b) building alliance with the adolescent, c) building alliance with the parents, d) facilitation conversations to resolve attachment ruptures and e) promoting autonomy in the adolescent. 

In this workshop, Dr Levy will use lecture and case studies to provide an overview of the theoretical principles, research support, and clinical strategies forABFT. Dr. Levy will review how attachment theory,emotional regulation, and trauma resolution informthe delivery of this treatment approach.  She will review the goals and structureof the five treatment tasks that provide a roadmapfor delivering this interpersonally focused psychotherapy effectively and rapidly in community mental health.

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.

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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

Middle-aged and older adults experience the deaths of life partners, parents, siblings, friends, children, and beloved pets. Other losses can be related to poor health, moves, and loss of roles important to personal identity. Resiliency increases with age, and most bereaved individuals cope well. In addition to greater suicide risk for some subgroups, however, bereavement can lead to increased morbidity and mortality in middle-aged and older adults. Behavioral health clinicians report limited training in grief-related assessment and interventions and describe this as a high need area for professional development. This webinar features clinical strategies to support healthy grieving processes in midlife and beyond. Advances in the neuroscience of grief suggest that the grieving process is a form of learning that can be supported with the use of evidence-based screening tools and intervention strategies. This webinar will enhance clinicians’ confidence in differentiating among healthy grief reactions and prolonged grief disorder, clinical depression, and PTSD. Research-informed clinical strategies will be featured to help practitioners address the grief-related concerns of middle-aged and older adults, with case studies highlighting culturally congruent care across a range of clinical settings.

The science and practice of brain health is developing at a rapid pace; there are now many ways to promote cognitive health and functioning in your middle-aged and older clients. This 2-hour workshop features clinical strategies that are (a) responsive to normative age-related changes in cognitive functioning and that also (b) support daily living that is consistent with personal values and life goals. Whether in psychotherapy, integrated primary care, or case management, behavioral health providers can help middle aged and older adults understand cognitive aging, engage in brain-healthy habits, and support decision making related to completing a cognitive evaluation. The experience of cognitive aging is embedded within social contexts and environments. Thus, this workshop guides clinicians through recommended strategies that are responsive to the needs of culturally diverse aging clients, including within the context of telehealth.

Across behavioral health professions, there is a workforce shortage of psychotherapists trained to provide evidence-based mental health services to aging individuals. Cognitive-behavioral conceptualizations and therapy strategies have been effectively used with culturally diverse middle-aged and older adults. This webinar is aimed at psychotherapists who already have some knowledge of and experience providing CBT. You will develop an understanding of typical adjustments to CBT sessions with aging individuals, with CBT strategies for later life depression used as examples. The presentation will also include resources for clinical practice with middle-aged and older adults and recommendations for further professional development.