Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a serious mental health problem that typically creates chaos in an individual’s life, often leading to risky and impulsive behaviors, damaged relationship and careers, substance use problems, hospitalization, and even suicide. Because of the complexity of this disorder – the different episodes, variability of symptoms from person to person as well as from episode to episode within the same individual - Bipolar Disorder can be difficult for clinicians to recognize; improper diagnosis leads to improper treatment, which can cause worsening of symptoms for individuals. Once an accurate diagnosis has been made, however, it’s often equally as difficult to help our clients to accept and understand this diagnosis, which contributes to difficulties following prescribed treatment recommendations.
In this webinar you will learn about bipolar disorder, including the different diagnostic categories of BD and its causes. Participants will learn about the disorders that often co-occur with bipolar disorder and the difficulties people experience in living with this and the co-morbid disorders. In gaining a greater understanding yourself as a clinician of bipolar disorder, you will be in a more effective position to help your clients to understand and accept their mental health problems, which will typically lead to improved outcomes for clients.
“Very well explained and organized. Easy to follow and understand. I will use his plans to help me with creating effective behavior plans.”-Deborah S., Professional Counselor, New York
Child and
adolescent behavioral issues can cause significant disruption to family
life. In addition to the effects on family, it may impact academic and
social life. Although many parents understand the concepts of reward and
punishment, they may not understand the most effective ways to implement behavior
management techniques.In addition, many parents may be overly reliant on
punitive consequences for negative behavior rather than focusing on ways
increase positive,pro-social behaviors. Dr. Hannan’s seminar
Understanding and Implementing Parent Training in Clinical Practice will teach
clinicians how to instruct parents in behavior management. Parent
training is essential to positive outcomes in treatment for both externalizing
and internalizing disorders. This webinar will include instruction on
performing a functional behavioral assessment, case conceptualization, and
devising an appropriate behavior plan. Beyond positive reinforcement and
punishment,this webinar will present a variety of behavioral techniques
including shaping,extinction, and differential reinforcement of alternative
behavior. Clinicians will learn how to tailor treatment according to
developmental level and co-occurring psychiatric conditions, as well as how to
address problems within typical development. Research into the factors
associated with successful implementation of behavioral principles will be
discussed as well.
The concept of posttraumatic growth (PTG), that is, how people report personal transformations in the aftermath of traumatic events is an emerging area of research and clinical focus. These growth experiences are relatively common, but often ignored in standard trauma practice due to relatively few clinicians fully understanding the concept. In order to enhance trauma-focused clinical services, professionals should learn to integrate the PTG model into their trauma treatment strategies and practice. PTG is based on an integrative cognitive-existential-narrative theoretical foundation. The theoretical foundation of PTG also informs a highly effective intervention strategy that has been labeled “Expert Companionship”. Using the Expert Companionship clinical approach in treating trauma survivors facilitates personal development beyond the reduction of symptoms of trauma. In fact, trauma survivors are able to both reduce symptoms of PTSD and related conditions and learn to use their difficult life experiences as a means to live a more rewarding and fulfilling life. This is important considering the field of mental health recognizes that standard practice for PTSD has important limitations. This posttraumatic growth based approach shows promise for addressing these limitations.
Given the increasing diversity of clients seeking mental health care, there is a growing need to enhance the cultural sensitivity of therapeutic interventions with ethnoracial minority populations. One critical form of contemporary racism is the experience of microaggressions: brief, everyday exchanges, in the form of seemingly innocent and innocuous comments or behaviors that send denigrating messages to people of color. Microaggressions in mental health settings are a cause of poor therapeutic alliance and drop-out, representing a barrier to treatment. Repeated exposure to microaggressions can cause psychological unwellness and even trauma symptoms in victims. However, many clinicians are not aware of microaggressions, may commit them unknowingly against clients, and are unsure how to address them in treatment. Thus, increasing awareness of microaggressions is a critical target of clinical training and therapeutic intervention. Dr. Williams will also discuss how to recognize microaggressions, how to assess the impact of microaggressions in clients, and discuss how to address microaggressions when they occur in therapy or real-life.
This webinar will satisfy your ethics requirement.
Ever since 1976 with the landmark case of Tarasoff versus Regents of the University of California, there has been a dizzying array of cases dealing with various approaches to this topic. In some states, there is a Duty to Warn, in others a Duty to Protect Third Parties. In some states, the duty is mandatory and in others discretionary. Some states are also distinguished in terms of permissive or non-permissive duties. Small wonder that with all these variations, mental health professionals are often confused in terms of their obligations. Sometimes, the case law is inconsistent with the statutes within the same state. Research done regarding the knowledge of licensed men¬tal health professionals in 1988 showed that 93% of the sample surveyed did not fully understand the laws in their own states. Twenty years later, with continued exposure to the topic through continuing education, the number dropped to 76% who did not understand the laws in their own states. This webinar will attempt to reconcile these differences and provide the mental health professional with concrete steps to take in order to crystalize and under¬stand the laws and the ways to manage practices so as to minimize the risk of legal action.
"Enjoyed the presentation. Learned a lot. Very organized, easy to apply to practice. Understanding the difference between OCD and hoarding was very helpful"-Scott M. Psychologist, Washington
Hoarding behavior has received significant attention in recent years. Due to the potential harmful effects of hoarding behavior (risk of fire, personal injury, financial hardships, etc.), it has become an important topic of research. It has also drawn the attention of the media and local governments, which have to address the impact hoarding has on citizens. In this seminar, Dr. Hannan will review the current status of hoarding as its own diagnostic entity in DSM-V. Dr. Hannan will discuss the latest research findings on the psychopathology of hoarding disorder. Participants will learn how to assess clients for hoarding disorder and will learn how to devise and implement an appropriate treatment plan. Given the complicated nature of hoarding, he will discuss potential obstacles to treatment and ways to address these issues.
"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 course will satisfy your ethics requirement.
“I thought the
activity was very engaging, informative, and really organized. I learned a lot
about what can and cannot be done and also how to go about doing online
counseling ethically.”-Abbee T., Professional Counselor, Louisiana
A wide range of
technologies to include the Internet, e-mail, text messaging, social media,
Apps, and the like have altered how most individuals communicate with each
other, stay connected, and form and maintain relationships, to include in
mental health practice. This workshop will provide information about the
ethical, legal, and clinical issues relevant to integrating various
technologies into our practices. Additionally, common pitfalls and areas where
the use of various technologies, to include social media, is contraindicated
will be discussed. Research on how various technologies may be effectively
integrated into clinical practice to treat a wide range of presenting problems
and disorders is reviewed and their implications for our practices is
discussed. Guidance on decision-making for when and how to do this is provided
to include the provision of clinical services across distances and the use of
various technologies to enhance or augment in-person services. Clinical
examples are provided to illustrate some of the benefits and challenges of
utilizing these technological innovations in clinical practice.
This workshop will provide an overview of what life is like when one live in poverty or close to it. It will start with an opportunity to reflect on one’s socioeconomic upbringing and how this impacts one’s ability to work with lower socioeconomic individuals. The presenter will share information about the prevalence of poverty and populations most impacted by it. The presenter will also discuss the lasting impact of poverty on one’s educational, occupational, and physical health. Lastly, the presenter will discuss strategies to engage lower socioeconomic individuals in therapy.
It’s essential for clinicians to understand the impact of poverty, especially for those working with marginalized populations and those working in underserved areas. Many families are living below the poverty line or near it and it’s important to understand the accompanying stressors to better serve lower socioeconomic individuals. Without this knowledge, it can be challenging to effectively support individuals these individuals.
“The instructor was clearly knowledgeable and well-organized. I liked that she disclosed some of her weaker content/expertise (e.g. not good with metaphors). This was good modeling of the concepts she was teaching. I loved the developmental cube. I will look more into this model and will likely implement it.”-Phillip L., Licensed Professional Counselor, Texas
In this seminar, Dr. Saffer examines the purpose of clinical supervision, including the components and processes that are important for effective supervision. Participants are encouraged to consider different models and methods as they develop an approach to clinical supervision. In addition,strategies are discussed regarding effectively dealing with some of the challenges that are inherent in the supervisory process. This seminar is designed to provide participants with a thoughtful approach to the supervision process and to encourage the development of competence in this area of training.
“The explanation of the 12 STEP units was clear and interesting. Dr. Walker is a confident, relaxed speaker who was easy to listen to and ask questions if needed. Her PPT was helpful in following her ideas.”-Lynda B., Licensed Professional Counselor, Arizona
Survivors of domestic violence have many psychological effects similar to other trauma victim/survivors, particularly those who have experienced gender-based violence such as sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation, trafficking, and child sexual abuse. Although many different types of psychotherapy and other interventions have been described in the literature, the consensus is that trauma-specific treatment has the best efficacy in helping victims become survivors with new resilience. Using an evidence-based, trauma-specific treatment program, the Survivor Therapy Empowerment Program (STEP-2) helps move victims to a survivor status with a tripartite program. The three areas are psychoeducation to assist in the understanding of the various trauma responses, a period of discussion where the impact of these trauma responses are understood from an individual perspective, and a skill-building period where new skills are learned and old skills reinforced. The transparent intervention program has 12 units that can be broken down into smaller sessions if necessary. Goals are negotiated with the clients as part of modeling the empowerment process necessary to heal from trauma. Rebuilding lost resilience is included as a part of healing from PTSD.
Topics include safety planning, relaxation training, cognitive restructuring faulty cognitions, boundaries and assertiveness, cycle of violence, trauma and PTSD, numbing behaviors and substance abuse, attachment and emotional re-regulation, impact of domestic violence on children, dealing with legal issues, grieving and letting go of old relationships, and building wellness and resilience. Each STEP can be used in a group or individually, in sequence or using each unit as its own stand alone section.
Although the commercial sexual exploitation of youth has
occurred in the United States, it has only recently begun to get attention.
Given the newness of the topic, many providers struggle to engage youth
involved in the commercial sex industry. The Stages of Change model has been
identified as a best practice for working with the population. This 3-hour
training will equip you with a better understanding of the Stages of Change
model and engagement skills you can utilize when working with youth who are
commercially sexually exploited. Without a model to engage youth, providers may
place undue pressure on youth, unintentionally cause harm, and develop unrealistic
expectations for themselves. The training will discuss the stages in a
practical manner. Participants will follow a youth through each stage and learn
strategies to engage them and help them move to the next stage.