All Webinars

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.

“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.

“This is a solid and well presented program Good detail on how high achieving people acquire and maintain those skills and level of performance.” -Phillip B., Professional Counselor, Maryland

Although psychiatrists and other mental health clinicians interested in sports practice already have the necessary general skills to help competitive athletes deal with adversity and the multitude of emotions that sports can elicit, most typically they lack the sports-specific knowledge necessary to truly help these patients and clients. This seminar will provide mental health providers interested in sports practice with the necessary tools to improve life balance and achieve peak performance in athletes and other high achievers.  Using the expanding evidence-base from neuroscience and sports medicine and case studies from all competitive levels, eight core competencies as well as important dimensions of sports culture, team structure and function, and the shifting intensity and pressure of competition will be covered.

“This is a solid and well presented program Good detail on how high achieving people acquire and maintain those skills and level of performance.” -Phillip B., Professional Counselor, Maryland

Although psychiatrists and other mental health clinicians interested in sports practice already have the necessary general skills to help competitive athletes deal with adversity and the multitude of emotions that sports can elicit, most typically they lack the sports-specific knowledge necessary to truly help these patients and clients. This seminar will provide mental health providers interested in sports practice with the necessary tools to improve life balance and achieve peak performance in athletes and other high achievers.  Using the expanding evidence-base from neuroscience and sports medicine and case studies from all competitive levels, eight core competencies as well as important dimensions of sports culture, team structure and function, and the shifting intensity and pressure of competition will be covered.

"I really enjoyed Dr. McDuff's presentation style and was impressed with the clarity of his explanations."-Larry D., Psychologist, New Mexico 

Substance abuse is one of the most common clinical problems of patients who present for treatment.  These patients struggle with a life threatening, clinically complex problem that is subject to a variety of physiological and psychological factors.  This webinar will focus on treating people plagued by complex additions issues.  You will learn about the risk and protective factors related to addiction.  There will also be useful suggestions for assessing and treating addicted patients.  Adolescent addiction will be discussed.  There will also be material on motivational interviewing and effective stress control.

"I really enjoyed Dr. McDuff's presentation style and was impressed with the clarity of his explanations."-Larry D., Psychologist, New Mexico 

Substance abuse is one of the most common clinical problems of patients who present for treatment.  These patients struggle with a life threatening, clinically complex problem that is subject to a variety of physiological and psychological factors.  This webinar will focus on treating people plagued by complex additions issues.  You will learn about the risk and protective factors related to addiction.  There will also be useful suggestions for assessing and treating addicted patients.  Adolescent addiction will be discussed.  There will also be material on motivational interviewing and effective stress control.

“This was an excellent course. I was captivated for the entire 3 hours. Material was very up to date and use of media and PowerPoint was very effective.” -Mary Kate H., :icensed Professional Counselor, Florida

Profiling Mentally Ill Mass Murderers is an introductory seminar to the problem of spree killers. The spree killer, whether or not impacted by mentally illness, is a considerable scourge upon society. Factors like easy access to guns by dangerous mentally ill, inadequate commitment laws,the inability to predict dangerous behavior, and media frenzy, contribute to an increasing death toll. This seminar uses case studies to highlight the role played by diagnostic assessment (suicide by cop, psychopathic behavior, PTSD, major mental disorders), inadequate prevention civil and gun policy strategies, and stigmatization of the mentally ill as dangerous.

“This was an excellent course. I was captivated for the entire 3 hours. Material was very up to date and use of media and PowerPoint was very effective.” -Mary Kate H., :icensed Professional Counselor, Florida

Profiling Mentally Ill Mass Murderers is an introductory seminar to the problem of spree killers. The spree killer, whether or not impacted by mentally illness, is a considerable scourge upon society. Factors like easy access to guns by dangerous mentally ill, inadequate commitment laws,the inability to predict dangerous behavior, and media frenzy, contribute to an increasing death toll. This seminar uses case studies to highlight the role played by diagnostic assessment (suicide by cop, psychopathic behavior, PTSD, major mental disorders), inadequate prevention civil and gun policy strategies, and stigmatization of the mentally ill as dangerous.

This webinar will satisfy your ethics requirement.

“Presenter was knowledgeable and engaging. Very informative and helpful webinar. I feel more confident in the decisions that I have been making in regard to self disclosure and I feel I can look at those areas that feel more challenging with less criticism.”-Gabrielle D., Psychologist, New York

“Therapist Self Disclosure” is an introductory ethics course for practitioners who seek to navigate how to utilize self-disclosure to achieve client engagement without boundary violations in treatment environments. With the mainstreaming of peer counseling, cognitive behavioral and humanistic treatments, therapist self-disclosure is encouraged as a means to improving patient rapport & communication. Therapists need to differentiate among the nuanced differences between self-disclosure, self-involving statements, deliberate & confrontative disclosures from disclosures amounting to harmful boundary violations to avoid becoming ensnarled in questionable ethical practices.

This webinar focuses on several factors like: (1) role played by self-disclosure in relationships, (2) the history of therapist self-disclosure, (3) what is therapist self-disclosure?, (4) how theoretical treatments and the type of client in treatment impact therapist self-disclosure, (5) when are therapists most often willing to self-disclose, (6) ethics of self-disclosure and boundary violations, (7) conclusions and practical clinical checklist to prevent inappropriate therapist self-disclosure. Given these complexities, knowledge about therapist self-disclosure is crucial.

This course will utilize “clinical” situations from film and television to highlight protective measures relating to therapist self-disclosure. Excerpts from TV shows and movies, such as, “Mindhunter,” “In Treatment,” “Ordinary People,” “Good Will Hunting,” “The Sopranos,” “The Breakfast Club,” and others will be utilized.

This webinar will satisfy your ethics requirement.

“Presenter was knowledgeable and engaging. Very informative and helpful webinar. I feel more confident in the decisions that I have been making in regard to self disclosure and I feel I can look at those areas that feel more challenging with less criticism.”-Gabrielle D., Psychologist, New York

“Therapist Self Disclosure” is an introductory ethics course for practitioners who seek to navigate how to utilize self-disclosure to achieve client engagement without boundary violations in treatment environments. With the mainstreaming of peer counseling, cognitive behavioral and humanistic treatments, therapist self-disclosure is encouraged as a means to improving patient rapport & communication. Therapists need to differentiate among the nuanced differences between self-disclosure, self-involving statements, deliberate & confrontative disclosures from disclosures amounting to harmful boundary violations to avoid becoming ensnarled in questionable ethical practices.

This webinar focuses on several factors like: (1) role played by self-disclosure in relationships, (2) the history of therapist self-disclosure, (3) what is therapist self-disclosure?, (4) how theoretical treatments and the type of client in treatment impact therapist self-disclosure, (5) when are therapists most often willing to self-disclose, (6) ethics of self-disclosure and boundary violations, (7) conclusions and practical clinical checklist to prevent inappropriate therapist self-disclosure. Given these complexities, knowledge about therapist self-disclosure is crucial.

This course will utilize “clinical” situations from film and television to highlight protective measures relating to therapist self-disclosure. Excerpts from TV shows and movies, such as, “Mindhunter,” “In Treatment,” “Ordinary People,” “Good Will Hunting,” “The Sopranos,” “The Breakfast Club,” and others will be utilized.

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.

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.