All Webinars

“This was the best seminar I've seen on TZK so far. The presenter was engaging, spoke at a nice cadence (not to fast or slow). Extremely knowledgeable with clear strategies to use with clients.”-Justine M., Psychologist, Idaho

Over 28% of adults will have a panic attack in their lifetime. Many will experience repeated attacks, which can lead to struggles to hold down a job, maintain friendships, or even carry out basic chores, like shopping for groceries. When we think of panic, we often think of panic disorder. However, individuals with PTSD, depression, social anxiety, substance use disorder, generalized anxiety, and specific phobias frequently grapple with both episodic and chronic panic attacks.

This training will delve into the problems of panic. What is it and why is it so important to treat? Then we’ll explore anxiety sensitivity theory, a compelling explanation for why some people develop panic attacks. Next, using the ironic process theory (Wegner, 1997), we’ll learn how attempts to suppress panic symptoms actually cause the very thing panic sufferers are desperately trying to avoid. We will then turn to understanding how mindfulness can break panic’s vicious cycle. After we study the fundamental elements of mindfulness and their connection to panic, we will delve into helping patients use mindfulness to ameliorate panic and start living life again.

“This was the best seminar I've seen on TZK so far. The presenter was engaging, spoke at a nice cadence (not to fast or slow). Extremely knowledgeable with clear strategies to use with clients.”-Justine M., Psychologist, Idaho

Over 28% of adults will have a panic attack in their lifetime. Many will experience repeated attacks, which can lead to struggles to hold down a job, maintain friendships, or even carry out basic chores, like shopping for groceries. When we think of panic, we often think of panic disorder. However, individuals with PTSD, depression, social anxiety, substance use disorder, generalized anxiety, and specific phobias frequently grapple with both episodic and chronic panic attacks.

This training will delve into the problems of panic. What is it and why is it so important to treat? Then we’ll explore anxiety sensitivity theory, a compelling explanation for why some people develop panic attacks. Next, using the ironic process theory (Wegner, 1997), we’ll learn how attempts to suppress panic symptoms actually cause the very thing panic sufferers are desperately trying to avoid. We will then turn to understanding how mindfulness can break panic’s vicious cycle. After we study the fundamental elements of mindfulness and their connection to panic, we will delve into helping patients use mindfulness to ameliorate panic and start living life again.

Multicultural guidelines and ethical standards dictate that White therapists examine their own racial identity, privilege, and fragility to better serve BIPOC clients. Dr. Fatter will review current trends in multicultural competency and discuss the clinical cost of the therapist being ‘colorblind’. This webinar will specifically focus on aspects of White supremacy culture, White privilege, White fragility, and Helms’ White racial identity model to help therapists self-assess their own White racial identity. Dr. Fatter will discuss clinical examples of ways ‘whiteness’ can show up relationally in clinical settings as well as skills needed to build racial stamina. In addition, Menakem’s H-I-P-P theory of how historical trauma is somatically held in the body will be presented to better understand the typical nervous system response in a White body and ways White therapists can work with their own somatic countertransference reactions when working with BIPOC clients. Dr. Fatter will also describe examples of specific types of microaggressions that can damage the therapeutic relationship. Dr. Fatter will also discuss practical ways to bring up racial identity with all clients and how to do a therapeutic repair when a relational rupture has occurred. 

“The instructor was excellent! She was compassionate, listened well and was attentive to questions. I got so much more out of this webinar than I have from the in person seminars I've attended! I will watch for her other seminars! I learned how to more effectively work with trauma. I used one of the techniques taught in the session I had immediately after the seminar.”-Eve S., Professional Counselor, Alabama

After clients are stable enough to begin delving into traumatic memories, many clinicians struggle with determining which method to use for trauma processing. This webinar will specifically focus on the second phase of trauma recovery, processing and integrating traumatic memories in trauma treatment. Dr. Fatter will review the nature of traumatic memory and how it differs from non-traumatic memory. The two “gold standards” evidence-based models for trauma exposure therapy will be presented: prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy. In addition, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and internal family systems, two research-supported models, will also be discussed. This webinar will describe how each model differs in its conceptualization of trauma and specific treatment approach in integrating traumatic memories. Clinical considerations including strategies to know your client is or is not ready for trauma processing will be presented in addition to ways to determine your client is “done” with the trauma processing stage of treatment. Cultural considerations and culturally adapted models will be reviewed. Common transference and counter-transference issues that arise in trauma treatment will be described. Vicarious trauma, clinician burn out and what clinicians need to watch out for in absorbing traumatic stress from their clients will be addressed.

“I really enjoyed this training. The speaker’s knowledge and passion for the subject matter were apparent, and kept me interested and enthusiastic about what I was learning. This was a very thorough overview of IFS, delivered in an organized way, and at a pace that helped me understand and retain the information.”-Maria H. Social Worker, Minnesota

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy has become an increasingly popular non-pathologizing approach to individual therapy. Developed by Richard Schwartz, Ph.D. over 30 years ago, IFS is now an evidenced-based practice for depression, phobia, panic and generalized anxiety disorder. IFS is considered a promising treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and complex trauma. In this webinar, Dr. Fatter will review the conceptual framework of IFS including basic assumptions of IFS, goals of the model, and research to date. Clinicians will learn a road map for steps in doing IFS therapy with specific interventions on how to get started applying IFS in clinical work. This webinar will include a guided experiential exercise for therapists to begin to identify their own parts to demonstrate the model experientially. Applications of IFS in clinical work and a case example using IFS for complex trauma will be discussed.

One of the biggest challenges in trauma recovery is managing both when clients get emotionally overwhelmed and when clients numb out and shut down. Learning how to pace therapy and navigate clients’ emotional window of tolerance are key foundations of successful trauma treatment. In this webinar, Dr. Fatter will review the impact of traumatic stress on the brain in tangible ways to help clinicians better conceptualize how trauma alters the body’s arousal system. Dr. Fatter will discuss in detail symptoms of hyperarousal, hypoarousal and calm states of our autonomic nervous system based on Polyvagal Theory. This will help clinicians know signs of what state clients are in and help clinicians be able to educate clients about their nervous system. We will address one of the most important aspects of the therapeutic relationship based on what we know about the traumatized brain. A phase-oriented treatment approach will be presented so clinicians learn an evidence-based structure for pacing the intensity of trauma treatment. In addition, we will explore four research-informed adjunctive therapies to help clients maintain stabilization and regulate arousal.

Motivational interviewing (MI), as a counseling style, has been shown to be effective with a wide variety of problem behaviors such as substance abuse, adopting healthy behaviors (eating, exercise),treatment adherence and compliance, and other psychological problems. Because of this MI in increasing in popularity. Many practitioners from diverse backgrounds are integrating MI into their clinical repertoire.

This webinar will build on the “Fundamentals of Motivational Interviewing” by introducing participants to the specific application of MI to clinical challenges encountered when clients are less ready to change. After a brief review of the foundational concepts, principles and processes of MI, participants will be introduced to MI consistent strategies to address these common clinical challenges. Each challenge will be briefly discussed followed by proposed MI consistent strategies. The webinar will conclude with a brief overview of the evidence base for MI. Participants are encouraged to have completed the Fundamentals of Motivational Interviewing webinar prior to this one.

“Excellent, the Professor is an expert in the field and answered my many questions. Could not be improved..”-Eric B., Licensed Professional Counselor, New York

It is estimated that roughly 80% of clients who enter treatment are ambivalent about changing their behavior. Motivational interviewing (MI) is an intentional, client centered approach for facilitating increases in motivation for behavior change by assisting clients in exploring and resolving ambivalence. MI, as a counseling style, has been shown to be effective with a wide variety of problem behaviors such as substance abuse, adopting healthy behaviors (eating, exercise), treatment adherence and compliance, and other psychological problems. Thus, mental health workers from various backgrounds practicing in a variety of settings are beginning to integrate MI into their clinical repertoire. 

This introduction to MI will acquaint the audience with basic concepts and methods of MI. As such participants will be exposed to the foundational concepts including the “spirit,” principles and processes of MI that can be integrated with one’s approach to counseling and psychotherapy. Building on this foundation the foundational philosophy and active principles will be discussed with emphasis on MI’s unique focus on increasing change talk and reducing talk maintaining the status quo. The webinar will conclude with a brief overview of the evidence base for MI. 

Motivational interviewing (MI), as a counseling style, has been shown to be effective with a wide variety of problem behaviors such as substance abuse, adopting healthy behaviors (eating, exercise), treatment adherence and compliance, and other psychological problems. Because of this MI in increasing in popularity. Many practitioners from diverse backgrounds are integrating MI into their clinical repertoire.

This webinar will build on the “Fundamentals of Motivational Interviewing” by introducing participants to the specific application of MI to clinical challenges encountered when clients lose momentum when trying to implement change. These challenges include making slow progress, lapses and relapses, overly ambitious change expectations. After a brief review of the foundational concepts of MI, participants will be introduced to MI consistent strategies to address these common clinical challenges. Each challenge will be briefly discussed followed by proposed MI consistent strategies. The webinar will conclude with a brief overview of the evidence base for MI. Participants will gain the most benefit by having completed the Fundamentals of Motivational Interviewing webinar prior to this one.

Most psychotherapists combine ideas and strategies from different theoretical sources in order to meet the needs of each individual client. However, most therapists do so in an informal or intuitive manner. The purpose of this seminar is to teach a practical method of unified treatment planning that allows psychotherapists and clients to make intentional choices together.
 

Unified treatment planning includes four distinct steps. The first step involves conducting a multidimensional survey of cognitions, emotions, and behaviors that contribute to distress. This survey includes the exploration of sources of this pattern. The source of a maladaptive patterns may include external influences (like family systems or cultural contexts) or internal influences (like intrapsychic conflicts or biological health). Second, a psychotherapist can work with clients to establish an interactive focus on two or three dimensions of functioning. Third, a multitheoretical conceptualization can be formulated using constructs from theories that correspond to focal dimensions. Fourth, based on this case conceptualization, intervention strategies can be chosen that promote change within the focal dimensions chosen.
 

The outcome of unified treatment planning is a comprehensive description of a client’s problem as well as a defined place to initiate change. This unified approach to treatment assumes that working interactively with cognition, emotion, and behavior is ideal for most clients. Understanding the contextual influences of current functioning will support the process of multidimensional change. This seminar is the final part of Level One of Training in Unified Psychotherapy (TUP) and will prepare participants to put this integrative model into practice.

Psychological functioning is shaped by experiences throughout the life span. The way each individual responds to life and internalizes these experiences represents their developmental trajectory. Incorporating a developmental perspective into treatment includes considering normal stages of development—as described by Erik Erikson—as well as disruptions such as adverse childhood events or traumatic experiences.
 

This seminar will teach both developmental conceptualization and intervention methods. Development can become the focus in psychotherapy in three different ways: (a) Life experiences impact current functioning; (b) Normal developmental challenges and transitions are the current focus; and (c) Developmental disruptions impact functioning.
 

In order to promote a unified approach to treatment, the seminar will highlight the way behaviors, cognitions, or emotions interact in the treatment of trauma and other developmental issues. Trauma and adverse childhood experiences can be described as disruptions to normal development. Trauma will be described on a continuum and a distinction will be made between shock trauma and stress trauma. Another distinction will be made between PTSD and complex trauma. Post-traumatic growth will be highlighted as a way of embracing adaptive thoughts, feeling, and actions after an adverse life event.
 

Psychotherapists cannot change the life experiences or developmental challenges that our clients have faced. However, psychotherapy can help clients respond to these events with more adaptive cognitions, emotions, and behaviors. Video demonstrations will show how a psychotherapist can explore the impact of a developmental disruption and foster more functional ways of thinking, feeling, and acting.
 

This seminar is part of Level One of Training in Unified Psychotherapy (TUP), focusing on working interactively with cognition, emotion, and behavior. An essential part of a unified approach to treatment is understanding the developmental origin of dysfunctional thoughts, feelings, and actions and fostering more adaptive responses.

Human functioning is rooted in action and other parts of the behavioral system. Ineffective actions are both the cause and effect of psychological problems. Psychotherapy is only effective if it can foster tangible changes in behavior. When we help our clients enact more effective behaviors, it is likely to improve their well-being as well as support more functional thoughts and adaptive emotions.
 

This seminar will teach both behavioral conceptualization and intervention methods. Reinforcement and exposure will be highlighted as common factors as well as more technical interventions. Distinct methods of behavioral formulation will be introduced that allow us to understand different parts of the behavioral system. Reinforcement and operant conditioning will be highlighted as the most accessible way to approach cognitive conceptualization. Diversity is addressed in this seminar by describing the way cultural contexts shape clients’ behavior.
 

Video demonstrations of foundational behavioral skills drawn from Behavioral Activation will be used to help participants prepare for practice. These skills will address three general processes: (1) Exploration and functional analysis of current patterns, (2) Guided discovery to uncover more adaptive functioning, and (3) Enacting adaptation outside of psychotherapy. More advanced behavioral interventions will be previewed as possibilities for future professional development.
 

Although behavior change is often an essential part of treatment, there are times when actions cannot be easily modified. In some situations, clients may prefer to approach risky behaviors using a harm reduction approach rather than eliminating certain behaviors completely. This seminar will prepare psychotherapists to discuss with clients when to emphasize harm reduction and when to promote behavior change.
 

This seminar is part of Level One of Training in Unified Psychotherapy (TUP), focusing on working interactively with cognition, emotion, and behavior. Instead of exclusively focusing on behavior as a lever of change, TUP encourages psychotherapists to develop a wide repertoire of skills that can be adapted to the individual needs of each client.