All Webinars

Adolescence is a time of social, cognitive, and emotional growth.  The rapid rise of technology presents a unique challenge to teenagers and those responsible for their care.  Electronics use (Online videos, texting, social media, video games, streaming TV shows/movies, etc.) creates an environment that can both enrich and hinder healthy development.  Participants in this webinar will be provided with a review of the current state of knowledge, as it relates to the impact of electronics use on adolescent wellness.  Topics addressed will include the relationship of electronics to academic performance, sleep, mental health, the developing brain, and safety.  Throughout the webinar, feedback will be provided on ways to keep adolescents connected in a way that promotes a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

“Knowledgeable presenter - current info, good examples. I liked the video that showed a real life example of treatment.”-Shannon T., Professional Counselor, Massachusetts

The fight or flight response is a normal biological process in which the body prepares itself to take on dangerous circumstances.  At times, however, the response is activated under situations that are not life threatening.  Individuals may experience these panic attacks in a variety of situations.  In the context of Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia, one’s fear of panic sensations and their consequences is a driving force for ongoing distress and life disruption.  Attendees will learn to distinguish panic attacks that occur in context of Panic Disorder with those that occur outside of Panic Disorder.  In addition, the webinar will address vulnerabilities and maintaining factors of Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia.  Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia will be conceptualized from the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) perspective.  Attendees will be educated about the appropriate treatment interventions, such as cognitive restructuring and exposure therapy.  Exposure therapy will be explained, incorporating visual examples and demonstrations by the presenter.

“Excellent; exceeded my expectations. The instructor (Scott Hannan) was very impressive. He clearly had a very deep knowledge of the topic and also knew how to answer broad questions very succinctly but thoroughly. I'm amazed he was able to talk for 6 hrs straight in an engaging way, while being very responsive to different questions throughout the seminar, while also sticking exactly to the expected time. Bravo!.”-Teresa A. Psychologist, Maryland

Obsessive compulsive disorder can be associated with extreme levels of distress and severe impairment in one’s life. Proper diagnosis and treatment formulation is essential in assisting those with this disabling condition. Although most people are familiar with typical symptoms including washing and checking, many may not have an understanding of other presentations of OCD, such as scrupulosity, harm obsessions, and sexual obsessions. Fortunately, the gold standard treatment exposure and response prevention can be utilized to treat the various presentations of OCD. In this seminar, Dr. Hannan will review the various presentations of OCD and train attendees in making an accurate diagnosis of OCD. In addition to learning about the various presentations of OCD, attendees will learn to assess the severity of OCD. Dr. Hannan will explain the rationale of using exposure and ritual prevention and discuss how to conceptualize cases of OCD, along with creating an exposure hierarchy. Exposure therapy will be introduced through both didactics and video demonstration. Special cases of OCD, including comorbid conditions and adaptations needed to treat children, will be addressed.

Premature termination is a significant problem in psychotherapy, with deleterious impacts on both clients and therapists. For example, research shows that clients who prematurely terminate show poorer treatment outcomes, are less likely to make lasting changes in their symptoms, and are more likely to over-utilize the health care system. Research also shows that when clients end treatment prematurely, their therapists often experience a sense of failure with the loss. Additionally, repeated dropout by clients can lead to experiences of demoralization and burnout in their providers. Current estimates indicate that approximately 1 in 5 clients will drop out of psychotherapy and/or counseling prematurely. Although these numbers may differ depending on the setting and client type, almost all therapists will experience premature termination at some point in their practice. 

The purpose of this workshop is provide strategies and approaches that therapists can use to reduce premature termination in their practice. This workshop will begin with a discussion of what premature termination is and why some clients choose to end treatment prematurely. It will then cover the latest research on the frequency of premature termination and client, therapist, treatment, and setting risk factors associated with its occurrence. In the second half of this workshop, eight evidence-based strategies for reducing premature termination will be presented. These strategies include: providing role induction, incorporating preferences into the treatment decision-making process, planning for appropriate termination, providing education about patterns of change in psychotherapy, strengthening hope, enhancing motivation for treatment, fostering the therapeutic alliance, and assessing and discussing treatment progress.

Premature termination is a significant problem in psychotherapy, with deleterious impacts on both clients and therapists. For example, research shows that clients who prematurely terminate show poorer treatment outcomes, are less likely to make lasting changes in their symptoms, and are more likely to over-utilize the health care system. Research also shows that when clients end treatment prematurely, their therapists often experience a sense of failure with the loss. Additionally, repeated dropout by clients can lead to experiences of demoralization and burnout in their providers. Current estimates indicate that approximately 1 in 5 clients will drop out of psychotherapy and/or counseling prematurely. Although these numbers may differ depending on the setting and client type, almost all therapists will experience premature termination at some point in their practice. 

The purpose of this workshop is provide strategies and approaches that therapists can use to reduce premature termination in their practice. This workshop will begin with a discussion of what premature termination is and why some clients choose to end treatment prematurely. It will then cover the latest research on the frequency of premature termination and client, therapist, treatment, and setting risk factors associated with its occurrence. In the second half of this workshop, eight evidence-based strategies for reducing premature termination will be presented. These strategies include: providing role induction, incorporating preferences into the treatment decision-making process, planning for appropriate termination, providing education about patterns of change in psychotherapy, strengthening hope, enhancing motivation for treatment, fostering the therapeutic alliance, and assessing and discussing treatment progress.

“I was very impressed. The presentation was clear, informative and definitely added to my knowledge base.”-Mary H., Psychologist, New Jersey

Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are considered to be among the most debilitating and distressing mental health conditions. Despite impacting approximately 3% of the population, many clinicians lack the training and resources to recognize and best work with this vulnerable group of people, leaving many with psychosis isolated, stigmatized, and without help. Nonetheless, growing evidence suggests that, with tailored early intervention, many people with psychosis can recover from illness and lead a life of their choosing in the community. This seminar will familiarize you with psychosis, emphasizing the early phases of illness. It will then demonstrate strategies for reducing stigma, increasing empathy, and facilitating early identification. I will share screening tools and briefly touch on treatment strategies, as well as provide clinical resources for comprehensive specialty care.

Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are considered to be among the most debilitating and distressing mental health conditions. Despite impacting approximately 3% of the population, many clinicians lack the training and resources to recognize and best work with this vulnerable group of people, leaving many with psychosis isolated, stigmatized, and without help. Nonetheless, growing evidence suggests that, with tailored early intervention, many people with psychosis can recover from illness and lead a life of their choosing in the community. This seminar will familiarize you with psychosis, emphasizing the early phases of illness. It will then demonstrate strategies for reducing stigma, increasing empathy, and facilitating early identification. I will share screening tools and briefly touch on treatment strategies, as well as provide clinical resources for comprehensive specialty care.

“I was very impressed. The presentation was clear, informative and definitely added to my knowledge base.”-Mary H., Psychologist, New Jersey

Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are considered to be among the most debilitating and distressing mental health conditions. Despite impacting approximately 3% of the population, many clinicians lack the training and resources to recognize and best work with this vulnerable group of people, leaving many with psychosis isolated, stigmatized, and without help. Nonetheless, growing evidence suggests that, with tailored early intervention, many people with psychosis can recover from illness and lead a life of their choosing in the community. This seminar will familiarize you with psychosis, emphasizing the early phases of illness. It will then demonstrate strategies for reducing stigma, increasing empathy, and facilitating early identification. I will share screening tools and briefly touch on treatment strategies, as well as provide clinical resources for comprehensive specialty care.

Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are considered to be among the most debilitating and distressing mental health conditions. Despite impacting approximately 3% of the population, many clinicians lack the training and resources to recognize and best work with this vulnerable group of people, leaving many with psychosis isolated, stigmatized, and without help. Nonetheless, growing evidence suggests that, with tailored early intervention, many people with psychosis can recover from illness and lead a life of their choosing in the community. This seminar will familiarize you with psychosis, emphasizing the early phases of illness. It will then demonstrate strategies for reducing stigma, increasing empathy, and facilitating early identification. I will share screening tools and briefly touch on treatment strategies, as well as provide clinical resources for comprehensive specialty care.

When we joined the ranks of helping professionals, one of the last things that probably crossed our minds was what, if any, risk we would face in our careers. Would our forensic patient who had killed their parents ever corner us in a room and try to assault us? Would our inpatient teenager ever cyber-stalk us online? Would our outpatient client ever try to kill us in our office? Daunting questions to think about; however, these are the very questions that we should be addressing while also helping our client population in need. This course looks back over the past decades to review where mental health treatment has come and what about those shifts may contribute to our vulnerability in our professions; it helps identify the vulnerabilities we should be addressing; and it offers suggestions of actions we can take to protect our work, our clients, our livelihood, and our lives. In addition to receiving the training and education we need to make us the best helping professionals we can be, we also need training such as this to help protect ourselves from any harm that could come in the course of our work.

Threats and violence in the workplace are an unfortunate reality that can occur at any moment- no workplace is immune. Be it the domestic violence offender that find his or her spouse at work, the disgruntled employee that is offended by being disciplined for violating a work policy, the supervisor that stalks his or her subordinate and lashes out when rebuffed, or the customer that believes he or she has been treated unfairly- these acts do take place. Those in leadership positions also have an obligation to provide safe work environments. In this course we will review some of the development of threat and workplace violence understanding and assessment, visit actual case examples, identify guidance to support the development of workplace violence prevention programs, learn what to assess in working to prevent workplace violence, and explore how to build your own workplace violence prevention program.

Threats and violence in the workplace are an unfortunate reality that can occur at any moment- no workplace is immune. Be it the domestic violence offender that find his or her spouse at work, the disgruntled employee that is offended by being disciplined for violating a work policy, the supervisor that stalks his or her subordinate and lashes out when rebuffed, or the customer that believes he or she has been treated unfairly- these acts do take place. Those in leadership positions also have an obligation to provide safe work environments. In this course we will review some of the development of threat and workplace violence understanding and assessment, visit actual case examples, identify guidance to support the development of workplace violence prevention programs, learn what to assess in working to prevent workplace violence, and explore how to build your own workplace violence prevention program.

“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.