Live Webinar

“This may have been the best training overall I have seen in the 30 years of my professional life. If not the best, then clearly in the top five. Dr. Hannan maintained the pace and energy and held my attention for six hours, no mean feat whatsoever. Hats off to him!.”-James B. Counselor, Armed Forces

In this webinar, Keith Hannan, Ph.D will talk about the diagnosis and treatment of disruptive behavior disorder.  He will help you distinguish between benign mischievousness and malignant antisocial behavior.  He will explore the literature on delinquency in girls.  There will be a review of risk assessment.  Information will also be presented on the cognitive style and deficits of delinquent youth.  He will present a model for effective psychotherapeutic intervention.

“Very good presenter.  Very well-organized.  Very personable in responding to questions from participants.  Adept at integrating Power Point slides with his verbal presentation. Clearly knowledgeable in this field - both theoretically and clinically.  Gracious with his time in being willing to stay online afterward to answer questions.”-Shirley R., Professional Counselor and Psychotherapist, Alabama

Non-prescribing therapists are crucial to the effective and safe use of psychiatric medications by their clients.  In contrast to clinicians who focus primarily on medications, therapists generally spend more time with their clients and are more familiar with their history and current situation. They also tend to develop a greater rapport. And  considering that most clients diagnosed with depression, anxiety, psychosis, posttraumatic stress disorder, and virtually every other psychiatric disorder receive pharmacological interventions, the non-prescribing therapist needs to understand how psychiatric medications work, their limitations and side effects, and how to help their clients maximize gains through increasing medication compliance.   This course is designed to present the non-prescribing mental health practitioner with a review of basic concepts in clinical psychopharmacology and the effective use of common psychiatric medications in the treatment of mental health conditions.  Effective medication strategies for treating depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, psychosis, sleep disorders, and other common psychiatric conditions are covered in detail. Basic general pharmacological concepts such as pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics are reviewed as are more specific concepts such as drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination.  You will also become aware of common medication treatment errors to avoid and learn tips for helping your clients become more educated about the medications they take as well as help them manage their side effects.

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.

Group therapy is a treatment modality in which unrelated people meet together with a therapist, in contrast to individual therapy or conjoint family therapy. Groups are not a second-rate approach to helping people change. In fact, groups are often the treatment of choice - especially when a client’s problem has an interpersonal component (which is usually the case). Groups offer a natural laboratory in which people can experiment with new ways of being and receive feedback from numerous others. There is great power in groups: members actually experience their interpersonal dynamics playing out in the group. A group therapist can implement techniques from other modalities in a group format. However, there are dynamics, processes, and stages of groups that are not shared with individual approaches and which offer distinctive benefits. Because so many of the problems that people seek mental
health services for involve dysfunctional interactions between people, having group members actually interact with others in the group affords an opportunity for deep, experiential learning and development that is not possible in individual therapy. This seminar will emphasize how to facilitate such “here and now” interactions and processes in group work.

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.

“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.

We are a part of a massive social experiment. Sex, gender, and relationship dynamics are changing faster than at any time in recorded history, all within a backdrop of exploding artificial intelligence (AI). Younger generations are increasingly comfortable with technology interfacing all aspects of their lives. The potential risks inherent in human:human sex have been highlighted by COVID-19.  Enter virtual reality porn and yes, sex robots. Experts predict that within 20-50 years, robots that move and interact in humanoid ways will be affordable for many. It is highly conceivable that an infant born today can have their first sexual experience with a robot. Mental health professionals will better serve their clients if they understand the increasingly powerful impact new developments in sex tech and AI have on sex and intimacy. The time is now for us to being this critical discussion.

“I was extremely impressed with the presentation from start to finish. I liked the inclusion of videos/visuals to enhance the presentation. Finally, I was extremely appreciative of the follow-up resources as well. I learned a great deal and all of the techniques would arguably enhance anyone's therapy practice in some way.”-Kristin K., Professional Counselor, Massachusetts

Although the field of clinical psychology has traditionally aimed to “fix what’s wrong,” the newer sub-field of positive psychology instead helps us to “build what’s strong.” In this seminar, attendees will learn about the nature of happiness, and discover research-backed methods from positive psychology to help lastingly increase happiness both in ourselves and in our clients. We’ll explore what it means to be happy, why happiness is so important, and why it can often feel so hard to come by. We’ll then discuss 7 research-based principles for lasting well-being, drawing from positive psychology, mindfulness-based approaches, and cutting-edge neuroscience. In addition, we will introduce and put into practice dozens of evidence-based tools and techniques that can easily be implemented into clinical practice. Through lecture, clinical vignettes, and hands-on practice, you’ll learn skills that can transform your clinical work.

“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.

In this presentation Dr. Levant will explain why some men are emotionally inexpressive because of their childhood socialization. In addition, he will discuss scales for assessing alexithymia in men and treatment manuals for helping these men became more emotionally self-aware. Clinicians will come away from this presentation with a clear sense for how to treat alexithymia in the early sessions of psychotherapy and thereby improve treatment uptake and outcomes.

“This was my favorite webinar. I learned the most about myself as a therapist and a great deal about the borderline elicitation of counter transference. This webinar was a revival of things I learned in graduate school and that I needed a refresher course in.”-Jane K., Social Worker, New York

Recent research suggests that the therapeutic alliance and the ability to heal ruptures in the therapeutic relationship are key elements of successful treatment for individuals with personality disorders.  Yet, these patients tend to stimulate strong countertransference reactions that can derail the treatment.  This seminar elucidates common countertransference reactions to each of the personality disorders.  There is also discussion about how to manage these reactions and to use them to better understand the patient and thus, provide better care.

Chronic disease affects far more than just the body—it takes a toll on one’s mental health, emotional well-being, and daily functioning. As a mental health professional, you play a crucial role in helping patients navigate these challenges, yet traditional medical care often overlooks psychological and behavioral factors. This training equips you with the skills to recognize and address the emotional, psychological, behavioral, and even some of the physical barriers that impact chronic disease management. Learn to utilize a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment, integrating physical, emotional, social, and environmental factors to develop more effective, patient-centered care plans.
 

Through this interactive session, you’ll discover at least three evidence-based interventions that improve coping, adherence, and quality of life. Gain practical tools to motivate patients in following prescribed treatment regimens and make sustainable lifestyle changes. Plus, familiarize yourself with the SBAR method for effective interdisciplinary communication, ensuring seamless collaboration between mental health and medical providers. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your expertise and improve patient outcomes!

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.

This course qualifies as an ethics course.

“The information was well organized and presented in a clear, interesting manner. It gave me a good opportunity to think about how many different ways I inevitably disclose information about myself to clients; it's not possible to avoid this but I must ensure what I disclose is beneficial to the client.”-Cynthia L., Social Worker, Arkansas

Boundaries and multiple relationships are common occurrences for mental health clinicians. Yet, they may at times be challenging, confusing, and even overwhelming for those who may not know how to effectively manage boundaries and how to determine which multiple relationships are acceptable or appropriate. Taking a rigid and avoidant approach typically can be just as harmful as an overly loose approach. Participants in this webinar will learn a rational, practical, and reality-based approach for addressing and managing boundaries and multiple relationships in clinical practice. The role of a decision-making process and consideration of multiple relevant issues will be addressed and their use in clinical practice will be demonstrated. Clinical examples will be presented and discussed to illustrate the points being made. Participants will learn specific skills and strategies to integrate into their clinical practices on a daily basis.

Do you know the possible effect in Court of expert testimony based on poorly validated procedures? People may be sentenced to death. In similar ways, mental health professionals may be found negligent for failure to see that someone fits the psychological profile of intended victims, despite the fact that there is no science behind psychological profiling. The use and similar misuses of expert testimony will be highlighted in the webinar, along with practical suggestions for avoiding these pitfalls and making sure one’s testimony is based on well-validated theories.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be challenging and debilitating, and many treatments fall short of achieving lasting and meaningful change for patients suffering from it. In this seminar, Dr. Jonah Paquette will help demystify PTSD and bring your knowledge and skills related to treating trauma to the next level. Attendees will gain understanding around the development and maintenance of trauma, as well as understanding the impact of social and cultural factors in the development of PTSD. In addition, participants will learn about well-established evidence-based treatments for trauma (such as CPT, PE, and EMDR), along with promising emerging treatments that are gaining traction in the field (including MDMA assisted therapy and IFS). Best of all, attendees will learn practical and tangible tools that they can begin using with their patients immediately.

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.

Over 75% of mental illnesses described in the DSM are related to emotion dysregulation – the inability to manage emotions effectively. Given that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was initially created to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), of which emotion dysregulation is a primary problem, it only makes sense that DBT would be effective in treating other disorders, and research in recent years is supporting this.

This seminar will provide an overview of the DBT Interpersonal Effectiveness skills. Participants will learn about these skills, looking at the three possible goals in interpersonal situations and how to pair these with assertiveness skills to increase the likelihood of reaching one’s goals; how to think dialectically to improve communication and balance in relationships; the role of mindfulness and behavior theory in improving healthy relationships; and ways to increase relationship satisfaction in clients’ lives.

This workshop will provide an overview of gun violence in the inner city. The presenter will discuss current statistics and look at how the topic disproportionately impacts certain groups of people. The training will then look at contributing factors to gun violence and how it impacts youth. The training will close with looking at strategies to support youth impacted by gun violence.

“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.

Personality disordered individuals are often considered to be some of the most difficult consumers of mental health services for psychologists and others mental health clinicians to treat effectively. Clearing the fog surrounding the different conditions and getting to the core of each individual client makeup is vital to successful treatment outcome. Drawing from the most recent literature, outcome trials, case studies and 20 years of clinical experience, Jeff Riggenbach, PhD will describe the latest evidence based treatment options and show you how to avoid common pitfalls and therapeutic traps of these individuals who often leave clinicians feeling frustrated, stuck, and disheartened. In this full day virtual training, Jeff will describe each of the DSM-5 personality disorders and give you simple but effective engagement, management, and treatment techniques for each. Empirically supported strategies from DBT, CBT, and Schema Therapy will be incorporated into an integrated treatment approach that will transform the way your work with this challenging population. You will leave this conference feeling revitalized - equipped with a new, comprehensive, empowering approach to assess, conceptualize, and treat this difficult population in a way that offers hope for patients and reinvigoration for providers.

“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. 

“I found this seminar fascinating. I have taken some of Dr Shapiro's other seminars and will seek him out for others, I enjoy his approach. His real world examples are invaluable.”-Dawn Z., Social Worker, New York

This webinar is designed for those clinicians moving into forensic assessment from more traditional clinical settings. It will consider the important similarities and differences between clinical and forensic work, including critical legal and ethical issues regarding the concept of informed consent in different kinds of evaluations. The focus will then shift to what are called functional legal capacities, and cover in depth the way different assessment instruments may be reconceptualized in order to use them in forensic settings. Special consideration will be given to the development of instruments for assessment of trauma and malingering.

“Outstanding. This was the best seminar I've taken (from any source, not just TZK) in the last several years. It was a great combination of teaching the content, including research on the topic, providing examples, and inviting and using participant feedback to enhance learning. Exact right amount of solid content and examples that reinforced learning - WONDERFUL!”-Nancy C., Psychologist, Kentucky

What do you feel when you gaze up at the Milky Way, see a beautiful rainbow, or stand before a mountain that seems impossibly high? This feeling – often complete with goosebumps and a shiver down our spine – is known as awe. And as it turns out, this underappreciated and often misunderstood emotion just might hold the key to a happy, meaningful, and healthy life.

Recent research has shown that awe can improve our physical health, strengthen our social bonds, and become lastingly happier. Experiences of awe strengthen our immune system, improve our psychological well-being, and even change our brain in unique ways. In this seminar, participants will explore the nature and benefits of awe, and how learning to become more awestruck can improve our psychological, physical, and social well-being. Through lecture, vignettes, and hands-on practice, you’ll learn to harness these breakthrough findings and transform your clinical practice.

Anxiety Disorders are the most common form of mental illness, with roughly one-third of all people living in the United States suffering from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Moreover, untreated anxiety disorders come at a tremendous cost both individually and societally, and can adversely impact a person’s health, social relationships, job performance, and much more. Thankfully, effective treatments are available that can alleviate a person’s suffering in powerful ways.
 

But with a wide range of treatments available, clinicians can often feel overwhelmed knowing when and how to incorporate approaches like cognitive restructuring, exposure based
strategies, breathing retraining, and more. In this seminar, join Dr. Jonah Paquette for a practical overview of how we can effectively treat a range of anxiety disorders Attendees will gain tangible skills that they can begin using in their clinical work starting today.

The incidence of youth suicide requires that schools and communities collaborate and increase suicide prevention efforts and that they be prepared to respond if a suicide occurs in order to reduce suicide contagion.  This presentation will help school and community mental health personnel increase their understanding of the most common factors in youth suicide.  Participants will learn effective strategies to prevent youth suicide and lessons from the aftermath of numerous suicides.

“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.

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. 

“Great presentation! Very useful information for practitioners in a variety of settings. Highly recommended. I learned the CBT is NOT just “change your thoughts and change your life.”-Kellie H., Social Worker, Iowa

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.

This course qualifies as an ethics course.

“The information presented in this course will be very helpful with my documentation of psychotherapy and enlightened me about potential risk and legal issues. The presentation was clear and he gave real life examples to illustrate what he was saying. I learned the difference between a supoena and a court order, and specifically what goes into effective documentation of psychotherapy notes."-Claire H., Social Worker, Vermont

This webinar explains the goals and potential benefits of effective clinical documentation as well as the ethical and legal requirements for doing so. Documentation is addressed from a clinical and risk management perspective. Specific recommendations are made for how to document the clinical services provided in a competent and effective manner. Additionally, common pitfalls to avoid are addressed. How to store and maintain records is addressed for both paper and electronic records. Precautions to take to protect and preserve records are described in detail along with how and when to dispose of them. Guidance is provided for following HIPAA and other laws and regulations relevant to documentation and record keeping. Participants in this webinar will receive practical guidance that can be integrated into daily practice to document more effectively, to better achieve the goals of thoughtfully created treatment records, and to meet and exceed professional standards and practice guidelines relevant to documentation and record keeping.

The practice of psychotherapy places significant demands on the practitioner. Clinical work requires advanced education and rests on a foundation of knowledge of the fundamental and advanced domains of clinical science and psychotherapeutics. Knowledge acquisition is a continual journey to advance one’s therapeutic effectiveness. Much attention is paid to traditional modes of knowledge acquisition for developing expertise and seeking mastery through structured and self-guided learning experiences, less guidance is available for other aspects of therapeutic development. While there is abundant research on the efficacy of various approaches to psychotherapy, there is some evidence to suggest that the therapist accounts for a significant degree of the variance that determines therapeutic results. The top therapists get better results and an estimated up to 40% do harm. Clinical expertise is greater than technical knowledge, as it requires advanced decision making and judgement. It is our belief that consistently positive results and the gratification that ensues is what can inoculate practitioners from burnout. In this seminar participants will explore their journey of self-development and ways of viewing the world based on a balance between the lenses of science and art. You will be guided by an early career and late career psychotherapist.

Mental health and healthcare professionals are faced with the often misunderstood and misdiagnosed symptoms of normative and prolonged grief. Formal education rarely, if ever, provides extensive enough training to accurately identify and treat those who are grieving. Unfortunately, grieving clients are diagnosed incorrectly because symptoms can mimic normative or prolonged grief. The grieving process is often pathologized, or misdiagnosed, resulting in potential exacerbation of the presenting issues because inappropriate interventions are utilized. As a result, those who are grieving are often inadvertently disenfranchised by providers, which can make the professional support they sought to reconstruct their previously shattered identities and worldviews ineffective, and even, at time, exacerbate other mental health difficulties. It is essential to be versed in identifying grief related constructs that may underlie, or even cause, mental health and behavior associated problems.
 

This presentation aims to provide current, research based information on the grieving process, clarify misconceptions of outdated theories, and differentiate between normative and prolonged grief. It also examines the changes in conceptualization, differential diagnosing, and effective, clinically proven interventions that may be utilized with grieving individuals and families. Attendees will leave with an improved clinical skill set they can immediately apply to identify and treat their clients.

Therapy with adults or couples with children frequently presents opportunities to help parents understand and improve parent-child dynamics. Parenting reveals implicit and unconscious expectations about raising children that are often culturally determined, and based on each parent’s own childhood experiences. This seminar draws on theories from systems, object relations and the parenting literature to show how unconscious factors get played out in the parent-child relationship. Therapists can help parents identify ways that their own childhood experiences, and aspects of the marital relationship, are played out in the parenting process. Through presentation of theory, and case examples, participants will be able to understand how to raise and explore parenting dynamics in the therapy session, and help parents find new ways of relating to their children and each other. This is particularly import in work with highly conflicted couples, even those who have divorced but have difficulty co-parenting.

“The presentation was exceptionally useful in the provision of practical suggestions grounded in dynamic conceptualization. The instructor seemed seasoned in real world experience and this enhanced the context in which she provided research and conceptual information. This presentation will allow me to enhance the specificity and utility of recommendations I make for managing self-harm in high risk and incarcerated children and adolescents.”-Lara H., Psychologist, Texas

Nonsuicidal self-injury is more common than we think. Almost every mental health clinician has come across some form of nonsuicidal self-injury in their careers, and the behavior is on the rise among adolescents and young adults. Yet, rarely do education programs cover anything about nonsuicidal self-injury within their programs, even though it is important for mental health clinicians to be aware of what this behavior is, how to assess it, how it is related yet different from suicidal behavior, and how to intervene and work with clients who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury. This seminar will help you understand what nonsuicidal self-injury is, factors to consider when assessing and working with clients, ethical considerations in treatment and breaching confidentiality, and methods of treatment that have been shown to be effective.

Clinical supervision often comes with challenges. These challenges may include supporting supervisees as they build their clinical competencies, providing constructive feedback that helps your supervisee grow and progress in their development as a clinician, navigating potentially challenging relationship dynamics, as well as discussion of ethical issues in the supervision process. This webinar is designed to provide supervisors with the skills to effectively navigate the challenges as they occur. Scenarios will be integrated to encourage the application of the information discussed throughout the webinar.

“Dr. Hannan was extremely informative, knowledgeable, and easy to listen to. His clinical examples enhanced the learning experience. Great presentation. I learned techniques on how to effectively engage in a therapeutic relationship with a BPD patient.-Shayna S., Professional Counselor, Illinois

This seminar will talk about the All-or-None Phenomenon in Borderline Personality (BPD), looking at it from both a psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral perspective.  The talk will define the All-or-None Phenomenon, as well as providing clinical examples.  It will also look at the reactions this elicits in treating professionals.  You will leave this webinar will techniques that are useful in helping patients who suffer from BPD.

Cognitive-behavioural therapy is widely considered the gold standard treatment of psychotherapy. However some clients don’t respond to standard protocols, and a number of approaches, still considered under the CBT “umbrella” have been adapted to meet the specific needs of different populations. Schema therapy is one such treatment that continues to show promise for what used to be considered “treatment-resistant” patients. Individuals struggling with personality disorders, addictions, and other impulsive and destructive
behaviours are amongst those considered to be the most challenging to reach, and many practitioners often feel ill equipped to deal with them.
 

Attend this full day workshop with internationally recognized personality disorders expert Dr. Jeff Riggenbach as he presents an integrated schema focused cognitive model for dealing with your most challenging cases. This unique, chock-full training will teach you practical strategies to implement with individuals struggling with BPD, addictions, Impulse control problems, and other emotionally dysregulated or Cluster B presentations. Leave this engaging workshop with a plethora of new tools in your toolbox that you can implement tomorrow to help you get unstuck and facilitate meaningful change that lasts. Moreover, leave with a renewed hope that you are now more equipped to deal with even the most clients that walk through your door.

This course will satisfy your ethics requirement.

“I found it extremely insightful and helpful in my day to day professional life. I wasn't aware of the origins of informed consent and I learned a great deal about case law that formed it.”-Gina F., Social Worker, New York

Informed consent is an essential aspect of all professional services provided by mental health professionals and helps to set the tone for the relationship to follow. While it is a requirement, it also plays a very important role in the treatment relationship and process. Yet, many questions exist about how to appropriately provide informed consent, the details of what should or shouldn’t be included, who should provide informed consent, and how diversity factors may necessitate modifying how we provide informed consent. This webinar will address each of these issues and provide practical guidance on how to meet ethics and legal requirements, and client needs, and how to utilize informed consent to promote a good working relationship with clients, as well as how to utilize it to promote the goals of treatment for our clients. Common pitfalls and dilemmas, practical suggestions and recommendations, and relevant options to consider will each be addressed. Clinical examples will be provided to illustrate key issues to include informed consent with minors, with couples and families, third-party requests for services, and the use of informed consent for the wide range of professional relationships mental health professionals may have.

Diminished desire and difficulty orgasming with a partner are the two most prevalent concerns women bring to health-care providers. Additionally, evidence indicates that many women struggle with these concerns, yet only reveal this to clinicians upon being directly asked. Unfortunately, however, too few clinicians have any training in assessing or dealing with these common sexual concerns, even though empirically supported treatments for both exist. This seminar will help you understand the cultural reasons for the high prevalence of these sexual problems among women. You will also become well-versed in the myriad medical, individual, and relational causes underlying both concerns. Most importantly, evidence-based treatments for both diminished desire and orgasm issues will be presented. You will leave this seminar able to assess and intervene with these two common sexual concerns. 

“Fantastic webinar. Dr. Paquette was very knowledgeable, very personable, and open with comments and questions. He maintained my interest, and had great examples for explanation.”-Marilyn H., Counselor, Mississippi

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy, a gold standard treatment that can be applied to a wide range of psychological disorders. With hundreds of randomize controls trials to demonstrate its impact, cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be one of the most efficacious and well-validated forms of treatment within the mental health community. However, many clinicians struggle to effectively implement it a powerful way with their clients. Join clinical psychologist, author, and international speaker Jonah Paquette for an exciting hands-on workshop aimed to help bring your knowledge and skills related to CBT to the next level. Complete with over 50 techniques aimed towards changing thoughts and behaviors, this workshop can transform your practice.

This seminar will provide you with a deeper understanding of how CBT can be applied to a wide range of problems, and will help you master the core competencies of CBT treatment. In addition, attendees will be provided with powerful, practical, and easy-to-use tools that you can use in your clinical practice starting right away. Through didactic presentation, hands-on practice, and opportunities for reflection, you’ll learn how to expertly apply these approaches into your life and your clinical work. You’ll leave equipped to improve your clinical skills and achieve better therapeutic outcomes with even your most challenging clients.

“I really enjoyed the expertise of the presenter. He had so much useful knowledge to share. The case studies really went deeper into my personal knowledge and helped me to process and analyze situations differently.”-Kristie C., Social Worker, New York

It is essential that that schools and communities know the incidence of school violence and be up to date on the best safety and prevention practices. This presentation will review numerous state and national initiatives that have focused on school safety and the recommendations from a variety of foundations started by parents who lost their in tragic school shootings. Many school shooters died by suicide and this presentation will outline the major theory of murder suicide. The presenter has a wealth of practical experience responding to school crises and participants, whether they are parents, school personnel or community members will learn many lessons from school tragedies and practical strategies to prevent future school violence.

“Outstanding. This was the best seminar I've taken (from any source, not just TZK) in the last several years. It was a great combination of teaching the content, including research on the topic, providing examples, and inviting and using participant feedback to enhance learning. Exact right amount of solid content and examples that reinforced learning - WONDERFUL!”-Nancy C., Psychologist, Kentucky

What do you feel when you gaze up at the Milky Way, see a beautiful rainbow, or stand before a mountain that seems impossibly high? This feeling – often complete with goosebumps and a shiver down our spine – is known as awe. And as it turns out, this underappreciated and often misunderstood emotion just might hold the key to a happy, meaningful, and healthy life.

Recent research has shown that awe can improve our physical health, strengthen our social bonds, and become lastingly happier. Experiences of awe strengthen our immune system, improve our psychological well-being, and even change our brain in unique ways. In this seminar, participants will explore the nature and benefits of awe, and how learning to become more awestruck can improve our psychological, physical, and social well-being. Through lecture, vignettes, and hands-on practice, you’ll learn to harness these breakthrough findings and transform your clinical practice.

“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.

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.

This webinar will satisfy your ethics requirement.

“Wonderful and very well-organized presentation/webinar. Dr. Barnett was amazingly knowledgeable, professional, and nice.”-Maria F., Counselor, West Virginia

Mental health clinicians live and practice in challenging times, providing services in a wide range of settings with a wide range of clients. Numerous legal issues, ethics requirements, ethical dilemmas, stressors, and a litigious environment may make ethical practice seem to be a daunting proposition. This workshop focuses on positive ethics and risk management strategies for practicing mental health professionals, taking a positive approach to ethical practice that helps minimize risks to the clinician. Fundamental issues for ethical practice by mental health professionals will be addressed along a review of basic risk management strategies, and a process for ethical decision-making when faced with ethical dilemmas and challenges. Common dilemmas and challenges will be reviewed and specific recommendations for ethical and effective practice will be provided.

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.

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.

“Instructor was knowledgeable, easy to relate to and made the content interesting and easy to follow along with. Great reflective exercises!”-LisaA., Social Worker, New York

We all know that professional burnout is a problem, but what do we do about it? In this interactive seminar, Dr. Hartman-Hall provides information from the research literature and her clinical experience about the causes and consequences of clinician burnout. Recognizing that wellness is not a “one size fits all” concept, we will explore a variety of approaches for considering clinicians’ risk factors for occupational stress, improving our own self-care, and adjusting our approach to our work. Brief exercises to practice relaxation, mindfulness, and self-awareness will be utilized throughout the talk to provide participants the opportunity to practice concepts being discussed.

According to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, approxi­mately 10% of US adults fill one or more antidepressant prescriptions each year, with many of these prescriptions coming from non-psychiatrists. They are some of the most widely prescribed medications of our generation. As more and more patients are prescribed antidepressants and other psychotropic medications, an increased need and responsibility is raised for non-prescribing therapists to be knowledgeable enough to work more effectively with patients and their prescribers in this arena. The follow­ing webinar is intended to be an introductory course that offers general, yet comprehensive information about psy­chopharmacology, including understanding neurobiological underpinnings of how medications work, commonly pre­scribed drug categories, how to work more effectively with patients, and how to work more effectively with prescrib­ers. Unique to this webinar will be the inclusion of how to maximize treatment outcomes and effectively use collab­orative care strategies.

“This may have been the best training overall I have seen in the 30 years of my professional life. If not the best, then clearly in the top five. Dr. Hannan maintained the pace and energy and held my attention for six hours, no mean feat whatsoever. Hats off to him!.”-James B. Counselor, Armed Forces

In this webinar, Keith Hannan, Ph.D will talk about the diagnosis and treatment of disruptive behavior disorder.  He will help you distinguish between benign mischievousness and malignant antisocial behavior.  He will explore the literature on delinquency in girls.  There will be a review of risk assessment.  Information will also be presented on the cognitive style and deficits of delinquent youth.  He will present a model for effective psychotherapeutic intervention.

This course will satisfy your ethics requirement.

Religion and spirituality are important dimensions of most individuals’ lives. Yet, many mental health clinicians do not receive education and training focused on how to address these issues, when appropriate, with their clients. This webinar provides information on the roles of spirituality and religion in many clients’ lives, how to address our own biases about them and how our own beliefs may impact how we view and address them, how to appropriately assess each client’s treatment needs to include religious and spiritual issues and concerns, and how to tap into clients’ beliefs, practices, and faith communities as sources of strength that may enhance the professional services we provide. Ethics issues, challenges, and dilemmas are addressed, and an ethical decision-making model is shared and clinical examples are provided and discussed to illustrate its application. Recommendations for ethical and clinically effective practice are provided. 

“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.

“I was extremely impressed with the presentation from start to finish. I liked the inclusion of videos/visuals to enhance the presentation. Finally, I was extremely appreciative of the follow-up resources as well. I learned a great deal and all of the techniques would arguably enhance anyone's therapy practice in some way.”-Kristin K., Professional Counselor, Massachusetts

Although the field of clinical psychology has traditionally aimed to “fix what’s wrong,” the newer sub-field of positive psychology instead helps us to “build what’s strong.” In this seminar, attendees will learn about the nature of happiness, and discover research-backed methods from positive psychology to help lastingly increase happiness both in ourselves and in our clients. We’ll explore what it means to be happy, why happiness is so important, and why it can often feel so hard to come by. We’ll then discuss 7 research-based principles for lasting well-being, drawing from positive psychology, mindfulness-based approaches, and cutting-edge neuroscience. In addition, we will introduce and put into practice dozens of evidence-based tools and techniques that can easily be implemented into clinical practice. Through lecture, clinical vignettes, and hands-on practice, you’ll learn skills that can transform your clinical work.

The manner in which mental illness has been dealt with in the criminal justice system especially regarding capital punishment has been described as “the shame of the states. “However the death penalty is not the only area in which we see misuse of psychological theories and research. We see this frequently in such areas as competency to stand trial, the insanity defense, involuntary medication, and failure to recognize the impacts of traumatic brain injury on cognitive functioning.Many of these areas are totally ignored in the law due to two forces: sanism and pretextuality.Sanism represents a bias against mentally ill individuals much like racial or gender bias.  Pretextualism refers to performing some forensic function in a careless or slipshod manner, but presenting it to the court in a manner suggesting that it is scientifically valid.

At the heart of existential and person-centered therapy lies the profound quest for meaning and fulfillment. Addressing life’s existential questions, such as “What is the meaning of life?” or “How can we cultivate healthier, more meaningful relationships?”, these therapeutic approaches offer powerful frameworks for helping clients navigate both existential and neurotic anxieties. Rooted in philosophy, phenomenology, and the pioneering work of Carl Rogers, existential and person-centered therapies emphasize the importance of choice, authenticity, and personal agency in fostering psychological well-being.
 

This seminar will provide an in-depth exploration of humanistic theory, focusing on the existential foundations of meaning-making and the core principles of person-centered therapy. Through didactic presentation and experiential exercises, participants will learn how to integrate mindfulness, present-centered awareness, and body awareness into clinical practice. Attendees will gain valuable insights into how these therapeutic approaches can be effectively applied to address a variety of client concerns, including those related to social justice, ultimately enhancing therapeutic outcomes and client engagement.

 “Dr. Ray presented a great deal of information in a very organized manner and was gracious in answering questions. I look forward to attending more seminars with her! I learned more about the prescriptions used to treat addictions, such as naltrexone.”-Linnea T., Colorado

In this program I will review the conceptualization of addiction, including the biological bases for how alcohol and drugs alter the brain. I will then discuss evidence-based treatments for addiction, including pharmacological and psychosocial treatment options. I will review their evidence-based as well as provide practice advice on their implementation. Then, I will discuss the latest developments in substance use disorders, including vaping, cannabis use legalization, and the opioid epidemic. I will conclude by reviewing a host of free resources for evidence-based practices in addiction, primarily those offered by the National Institutes of Health. I will conduct this seminar by combining lecturing, question & answer periods, videos, and polling tools to engage the audience.

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.

We are a part of a massive social experiment. Sex, gender, and relationship dynamics are changing faster than at any time in recorded history, all within a backdrop of exploding artificial intelligence (AI). Younger generations are increasingly comfortable with technology interfacing all aspects of their lives. The potential risks inherent in human:human sex have been highlighted by COVID-19.  Enter virtual reality porn and yes, sex robots. Experts predict that within 20-50 years, robots that move and interact in humanoid ways will be affordable for many. It is highly conceivable that an infant born today can have their first sexual experience with a robot. Mental health professionals will better serve their clients if they understand the increasingly powerful impact new developments in sex tech and AI have on sex and intimacy. The time is now for us to being this critical discussion.

“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.

“This was my favorite webinar. I learned the most about myself as a therapist and a great deal about the borderline elicitation of counter transference. This webinar was a revival of things I learned in graduate school and that I needed a refresher course in.”-Jane K., Social Worker, New York

Recent research suggests that the therapeutic alliance and the ability to heal ruptures in the therapeutic relationship are key elements of successful treatment for individuals with personality disorders.  Yet, these patients tend to stimulate strong countertransference reactions that can derail the treatment.  This seminar elucidates common countertransference reactions to each of the personality disorders.  There is also discussion about how to manage these reactions and to use them to better understand the patient and thus, provide better care.

The term trauma is used to describe the challenging emotional consequences experienced by someone who has lived through a distressing event. These consequences can involve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which has been identified as a global health issue, with prevalence rates ranging from 1.3% to 37.4% (and even higher in clinical populations). But what happens when the trauma occurs early in life, and/or involves on-going or repetitive exposure to traumatic events? In these cases, individuals will often experience Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), and/or dissociative disorders such as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).
 

As our understanding of trauma continues to evolve, so does our understanding of how to treat it. In this webinar, Sheri Van Dijk will teach some essential perspectives and skills to help you and your clients get unstuck in treatment. In this webinar you will learn leading edge, evidence-based principles in the treatment of clients experiencing the sequelae of trauma, including the difference between PTSD and C-PTSD; theories to inform treatment of clients with complex trauma histories; and skills to help clients ground and regulate emotions.

This webinar will satisfy your ethics requirement.

Mental health professionals are affected by the fact that we live in an age of litigation; if  clients are dissatisfied with the outcome of an evaluation or treatment , they may file an ethics complaint or a law suit with increased frequency compared to  the past. Malpractice insurance premiums have increased by more than a factor of 10 over the past few decades.  As a result, many practitioners are “running scared”, fearful of complaints.  In point of fact, very few of these legal actions are successful; while going through them is unpleasant, if a mental health practitioner adheres to a few basic principles of risk management, the likelihood of a successful suit is vastly diminished.  This webinar will present these basic principles within a framework of the fundamental legal concepts involved,and how these concepts may be easily incorporated into practice guidelines.  Special attention will be paid to confidentiality and privilege, the nature of malpractice claims,informed consent, documentation, consultation,the most frequent areas of litigation, and concrete steps to take to minimize the risk of litigation.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be challenging and debilitating, and many treatments fall short of achieving lasting and meaningful change for patients suffering from it. In this seminar, Dr. Jonah Paquette will help demystify PTSD and bring your knowledge and skills related to treating trauma to the next level. Attendees will gain understanding around the development and maintenance of trauma, as well as understanding the impact of social and cultural factors in the development of PTSD. In addition, participants will learn about well-established evidence-based treatments for trauma (such as CPT, PE, and EMDR), along with promising emerging treatments that are gaining traction in the field (including MDMA assisted therapy and IFS). Best of all, attendees will learn practical and tangible tools that they can begin using with their patients immediately.

“Dr. Hannan was extremely informative, knowledgeable, and easy to listen to. His clinical examples enhanced the learning experience. Great presentation. I learned techniques on how to effectively engage in a therapeutic relationship with a BPD patient.-Shayna S., Professional Counselor, Illinois

This seminar will talk about the All-or-None Phenomenon in Borderline Personality (BPD), looking at it from both a psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral perspective.  The talk will define the All-or-None Phenomenon, as well as providing clinical examples.  It will also look at the reactions this elicits in treating professionals.  You will leave this webinar will techniques that are useful in helping patients who suffer from BPD.

"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.

“Strong and knowledgeable instructor. Highly responsive to questions. Explained each component clearly and was great at putting it all together especially tying in the theories with clinical implications. This webinar inspired me to learn more about DBT, and use it with my clients.”-Liat Z., Professional Counselor, New York

Over 75% of mental illnesses described in the DSM are related to emotion dysregulation – the inability to manage emotions effectively. Given that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was initially created to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), of which emotion dysregulation is a primary problem, it only makes sense that DBT would be effective in treating other disorders, and research in recent years is supporting this.

This seminar will provide an introduction to DBT, including the origins of the therapy, and the Biosocial Theory of how emotion dysregulation develops. You will learn about some of the research demonstrating that DBT is effective in treating disorders other than BPD. Finally, you will learn about Dialectics, and the importance of balancing validation with change with the dysregulated client; and how to effectively use validation to help clients re-regulate in session, as well as how to teach them to practice this skill on their own.

Most therapists recognize the power of the past as it is revealed in the way partners respond to each other. The therapist can be baffled by emotionally intense reactions that seem way out of proportion to the moment.  Repeated conflict themes also suggest that the ways partners interpret each other’s behavior can only be understood by exploring their individual lived experience. This seminar presents an overview of an object relations approach to working with couples, and describes dynamics that are unique to this clinical approach. You will understand how unfinished business from the past and each partner’s relational past can unfold in patterns and postures that work against intimacy. You will also be able to understand how extreme emotional reactions and black & white thinking create instability and specific relationship problems. The seminar will explain a range of techniques that can help couples acquire new ways of responding to each other and strengthening intimacy. You will also understand how the therapist’s intuition and reaction to partners is an important source of information that allows insight into the core themes and facilitates the partners ability to heal past wounds while forging deeper intimacy.

Anxiety Disorders are the most common form of mental illness, with roughly one-third of all people living in the United States suffering from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Moreover, untreated anxiety disorders come at a tremendous cost both individually and societally, and can adversely impact a person’s health, social relationships, job performance, and much more. Thankfully, effective treatments are available that can alleviate a person’s suffering in powerful ways.
 

But with a wide range of treatments available, clinicians can often feel overwhelmed knowing when and how to incorporate approaches like cognitive restructuring, exposure based
strategies, breathing retraining, and more. In this seminar, join Dr. Jonah Paquette for a practical overview of how we can effectively treat a range of anxiety disorders Attendees will gain tangible skills that they can begin using in their clinical work starting today.

Accurate diagnosis is critical for treatment planning and documentation of medical necessity. Misdiagnosis is common. Therapists can think more deliberately by using critical thinking and being aware of ways to reduce the likelihood of cognitive biases. You will have a practical, systematic way of making diagnoses using the DSM-5-TR and being aware of questionnaires that can facilitate the gathering of necessary information. Cultural factors will also be considered within the context of the DSM-5-TR. There will be a focus on differential diagnoses in exploring major depressive disorder and PTSD.

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.

“Outstanding. This was the best seminar I've taken (from any source, not just TZK) in the last several years. It was a great combination of teaching the content, including research on the topic, providing examples, and inviting and using participant feedback to enhance learning. Exact right amount of solid content and examples that reinforced learning - WONDERFUL!”-Nancy C., Psychologist, Kentucky

What do you feel when you gaze up at the Milky Way, see a beautiful rainbow, or stand before a mountain that seems impossibly high? This feeling – often complete with goosebumps and a shiver down our spine – is known as awe. And as it turns out, this underappreciated and often misunderstood emotion just might hold the key to a happy, meaningful, and healthy life.

Recent research has shown that awe can improve our physical health, strengthen our social bonds, and become lastingly happier. Experiences of awe strengthen our immune system, improve our psychological well-being, and even change our brain in unique ways. In this seminar, participants will explore the nature and benefits of awe, and how learning to become more awestruck can improve our psychological, physical, and social well-being. Through lecture, vignettes, and hands-on practice, you’ll learn to harness these breakthrough findings and transform your clinical practice.

“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.

“The presentation was exceptionally useful in the provision of practical suggestions grounded in dynamic conceptualization. The instructor seemed seasoned in real world experience and this enhanced the context in which she provided research and conceptual information. This presentation will allow me to enhance the specificity and utility of recommendations I make for managing self-harm in high risk and incarcerated children and adolescents.”-Lara H., Psychologist, Texas

Nonsuicidal self-injury is more common than we think. Almost every mental health clinician has come across some form of nonsuicidal self-injury in their careers, and the behavior is on the rise among adolescents and young adults. Yet, rarely do education programs cover anything about nonsuicidal self-injury within their programs, even though it is important for mental health clinicians to be aware of what this behavior is, how to assess it, how it is related yet different from suicidal behavior, and how to intervene and work with clients who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury. This seminar will help you understand what nonsuicidal self-injury is, factors to consider when assessing and working with clients, ethical considerations in treatment and breaching confidentiality, and methods of treatment that have been shown to be effective.

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.

“This may have been the best training overall I have seen in the 30 years of my professional life. If not the best, then clearly in the top five. Dr. Hannan maintained the pace and energy and held my attention for six hours, no mean feat whatsoever. Hats off to him!.”-James B. Counselor, Armed Forces

In this webinar, Keith Hannan, Ph.D will talk about the diagnosis and treatment of disruptive behavior disorder.  He will help you distinguish between benign mischievousness and malignant antisocial behavior.  He will explore the literature on delinquency in girls.  There will be a review of risk assessment.  Information will also be presented on the cognitive style and deficits of delinquent youth.  He will present a model for effective psychotherapeutic intervention.

“Great presentation! Very useful information for practitioners in a variety of settings. Highly recommended. I learned the CBT is NOT just “change your thoughts and change your life.”-Kellie H., Social Worker, Iowa

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.

“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.

“Instructor was knowledgeable, easy to relate to and made the content interesting and easy to follow along with. Great reflective exercises!”-LisaA., Social Worker, New York

We all know that professional burnout is a problem, but what do we do about it? In this interactive seminar, Dr. Hartman-Hall provides information from the research literature and her clinical experience about the causes and consequences of clinician burnout. Recognizing that wellness is not a “one size fits all” concept, we will explore a variety of approaches for considering clinicians’ risk factors for occupational stress, improving our own self-care, and adjusting our approach to our work. Brief exercises to practice relaxation, mindfulness, and self-awareness will be utilized throughout the talk to provide participants the opportunity to practice concepts being discussed.

“Fantastic webinar. Dr. Paquette was very knowledgeable, very personable, and open with comments and questions. He maintained my interest, and had great examples for explanation.”-Marilyn H., Counselor, Mississippi

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy, a gold standard treatment that can be applied to a wide range of psychological disorders. With hundreds of randomize controls trials to demonstrate its impact, cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be one of the most efficacious and well-validated forms of treatment within the mental health community. However, many clinicians struggle to effectively implement it a powerful way with their clients. Join clinical psychologist, author, and international speaker Jonah Paquette for an exciting hands-on workshop aimed to help bring your knowledge and skills related to CBT to the next level. Complete with over 50 techniques aimed towards changing thoughts and behaviors, this workshop can transform your practice.

This seminar will provide you with a deeper understanding of how CBT can be applied to a wide range of problems, and will help you master the core competencies of CBT treatment. In addition, attendees will be provided with powerful, practical, and easy-to-use tools that you can use in your clinical practice starting right away. Through didactic presentation, hands-on practice, and opportunities for reflection, you’ll learn how to expertly apply these approaches into your life and your clinical work. You’ll leave equipped to improve your clinical skills and achieve better therapeutic outcomes with even your most challenging clients.

Group therapy is a treatment modality in which unrelated people meet together with a therapist, in contrast to individual therapy or conjoint family therapy. Groups are not a second-rate approach to helping people change. In fact, groups are often the treatment of choice - especially when a client’s problem has an interpersonal component (which is usually the case). Groups offer a natural laboratory in which people can experiment with new ways of being and receive feedback from numerous others. There is great power in groups: members actually experience their interpersonal dynamics playing out in the group. A group therapist can implement techniques from other modalities in a group format. However, there are dynamics, processes, and stages of groups that are not shared with individual approaches and which offer distinctive benefits. Because so many of the problems that people seek mental
health services for involve dysfunctional interactions between people, having group members actually interact with others in the group affords an opportunity for deep, experiential learning and development that is not possible in individual therapy. This seminar will emphasize how to facilitate such “here and now” interactions and processes in group work.

In this program I will teach clinicians about the foundations of Cognitive behavioral therapy for alcohol use disorder. I will then teach how these principles are applied to session by following an established (and publicly available) CBT manual for alcohol use disorder. I will review the treatment goals and techniques required to implement the CBT protocol with the highest fidelity. I will discuss each of the seven core sessions (including handouts) in the CBT program:
 

Session 1: Introduction to Coping Skills Training
Session 2: Coping with Cravings & Urges to Drink
Session 3: Managing Thoughts About Alcohol & Drinking
Session 4: Problem Solving
Session 5: Drink Refusal Skills
Session 6: Planning for Emergencies & Coping With a Lapse
Session 7: Seemingly Irrelevant Decisions
 

I will then review the optional sessions and I will conclude by reviewing a host of free resources for evidence-based practices in addiction, primarily those offered by the National Institutes of Health. I will conduct this seminar by combining lecturing, question & answer periods, videos, and polling tools to engage the audience.

“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.

In this presentation Dr. Levant will explain why some men are emotionally inexpressive because of their childhood socialization. In addition, he will discuss scales for assessing alexithymia in men and treatment manuals for helping these men became more emotionally self-aware. Clinicians will come away from this presentation with a clear sense for how to treat alexithymia in the early sessions of psychotherapy and thereby improve treatment uptake and outcomes.

The relationship between trauma and addiction is becoming increasingly well established in the literature. This is no surprise, as clinicians working “in the trenches” know all too well that people with unresolved trauma and emotional wounds often turn to substances as a way to “numb out,” forget, or otherwise self-medicate to regulate their emotions. Conversely, people with addictive behavior disorders may drive while impaired, gravitate towards toxic relationships, go to dangerous places to get their substance of choice, or engage in many other behaviours that increase their risk of being traumatized and their vulnerability factors for developing PTSD or other trauma and stress related disorders.  It is also known that when cooccurrence is involved, this presents clinicians with a more complicated course of treatment and less favorable treatment outcomes that when clients present with only one or the other.
 

The good news is, there is hope! While neuroscience has taught us much about this phenomenon in recent years, evidence-based Cognitively based treatments are still being shown to  be at least as effective as many “newer” approaches, and in some circles seem to have almost gotten lost in the shuffle. 

Recent protocols have attempted to incorporate PE (prolonged exposure) and other cognitive behavioral treatments with substance use disorder treatments. While further research is needed in this area, the mandate for integration of treatments when dealing with this population seems integral to obtain more favorable outcomes for individuals with these complex conceptualizations.
 

Leave this full-day online training let by international CBT expert Jeff Riggenbach, PhD, with an improved understanding of the neuroscience of trauma, a integrated approach to treating PTSD and addictions, and armed with a plethora of evidence-based, yet practical new tools to equip and empower this group to find levels of recovery that have previously been eluding them!

“Very good presenter.  Very well-organized.  Very personable in responding to questions from participants.  Adept at integrating Power Point slides with his verbal presentation. Clearly knowledgeable in this field - both theoretically and clinically.  Gracious with his time in being willing to stay online afterward to answer questions.”-Shirley R., Professional Counselor and Psychotherapist, Alabama

Non-prescribing therapists are crucial to the effective and safe use of psychiatric medications by their clients.  In contrast to clinicians who focus primarily on medications, therapists generally spend more time with their clients and are more familiar with their history and current situation. They also tend to develop a greater rapport. And  considering that most clients diagnosed with depression, anxiety, psychosis, posttraumatic stress disorder, and virtually every other psychiatric disorder receive pharmacological interventions, the non-prescribing therapist needs to understand how psychiatric medications work, their limitations and side effects, and how to help their clients maximize gains through increasing medication compliance.   This course is designed to present the non-prescribing mental health practitioner with a review of basic concepts in clinical psychopharmacology and the effective use of common psychiatric medications in the treatment of mental health conditions.  Effective medication strategies for treating depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, psychosis, sleep disorders, and other common psychiatric conditions are covered in detail. Basic general pharmacological concepts such as pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics are reviewed as are more specific concepts such as drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination.  You will also become aware of common medication treatment errors to avoid and learn tips for helping your clients become more educated about the medications they take as well as help them manage their side effects.

This course will satisfy your ethics requirement.

"I loved that self-care was partnered with ethics! Great topic and the presentation was interesting, well-paced, unhurried yet didn't belabor points. Clearly the instructor is very comfortable with the topic and presents well."-Barbara B., Professional Counselor, Washington

Working as a mental health professional can be challenging, demanding and stressful. With some clients, it can be traumatizing to the clinician. Self-care, the promotion of wellness, and the prevention of burnout are essential for every mental health professional in order to maintain our competence and clinical effectiveness. The ethical obligation to do so is addressed, ways to assess our own individual self-care needs and effectiveness, and specific strategies for the effective practice of self-care are presented. Important issues such as personal and professional challenges, vulnerabilities, and blind spots are addressed. The limitations of self-monitoring and self-assessment are reviewed and recommendations for proactively and effectively addressing these challenges are presented. A realistic approach to ongoing self-care and the promotion of wellness is presented that each mental health clinician can integrate into their daily lives, for their own benefit, and for the benefit of their clients.

"Excellent content - very knowledgeable and experienced presenter Greater understanding of instruments - research on just how limited our ability to predict violence is, and the ethical/scientific issues with sex violent predator laws/dynamics."-Kevin D., Psychologist, California

The ability to predict  future violent behavior has long been an issue for mental health professionals.  Initially it was merely assumed that we could make such predictions accurately based on our clinical skills alone.  Many decisions in the judicial system hinge on an accurate assessment of violence, such as  bond, probation, and parole decisions, committment to and release from psychiatric facilities, and even whether or not a defendant should be sentenced to death.

Recent research has demonstrated however that such predictions are not as accurate as once assumed and that the methodology used was sadly lacking in  validity.   A tremendous amount of research has gone into risk assessment for future  violence ; still,,  the accuracy remains in question even to this day; nevertheless, judicial decisions are continually made which ignore our limited ability to assess violent behavior.

This webinar will explore  the factors necessary to do competent work in this area and demonstrate the ways that risk assessment can become more precise.

“I was extremely impressed with the presentation from start to finish. I liked the inclusion of videos/visuals to enhance the presentation. Finally, I was extremely appreciative of the follow-up resources as well. I learned a great deal and all of the techniques would arguably enhance anyone's therapy practice in some way.”-Kristin K., Professional Counselor, Massachusetts

Although the field of clinical psychology has traditionally aimed to “fix what’s wrong,” the newer sub-field of positive psychology instead helps us to “build what’s strong.” In this seminar, attendees will learn about the nature of happiness, and discover research-backed methods from positive psychology to help lastingly increase happiness both in ourselves and in our clients. We’ll explore what it means to be happy, why happiness is so important, and why it can often feel so hard to come by. We’ll then discuss 7 research-based principles for lasting well-being, drawing from positive psychology, mindfulness-based approaches, and cutting-edge neuroscience. In addition, we will introduce and put into practice dozens of evidence-based tools and techniques that can easily be implemented into clinical practice. Through lecture, clinical vignettes, and hands-on practice, you’ll learn skills that can transform your clinical work.

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.

“The instructor was very likable, which increased my enjoyment. Obviously very experienced and used those experiences to bring the content alive.”-Susan B., Psychologist, Delaware

In recent decades, researchers have been learning that Mindfulness not only helps us live healthier lives, but reduces emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, and anger; helps with sleep difficulties; improves concentration, memory, and immune system function; and generates changes in our brain that helps to counteract the problems in thinking we start to experience as we age. 

This experiential seminar will provide an introduction to mindfulness. Participants will learn about the different ways mindfulness is helpful for both physical and mental health. They will be introduced to some different ways of practicing mindfulness, and will learn some tips to help them teach these skills to clients, as well as problems clients often encounter when first learning about mindfulness. 

“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 my favorite webinar. I learned the most about myself as a therapist and a great deal about the borderline elicitation of counter transference. This webinar was a revival of things I learned in graduate school and that I needed a refresher course in.”-Jane K., Social Worker, New York

Recent research suggests that the therapeutic alliance and the ability to heal ruptures in the therapeutic relationship are key elements of successful treatment for individuals with personality disorders.  Yet, these patients tend to stimulate strong countertransference reactions that can derail the treatment.  This seminar elucidates common countertransference reactions to each of the personality disorders.  There is also discussion about how to manage these reactions and to use them to better understand the patient and thus, provide better care.

Clinical supervision often comes with challenges. These challenges may include supporting supervisees as they build their clinical competencies, providing constructive feedback that helps your supervisee grow and progress in their development as a clinician, navigating potentially challenging relationship dynamics, as well as discussion of ethical issues in the supervision process. This webinar is designed to provide supervisors with the skills to effectively navigate the challenges as they occur. Scenarios will be integrated to encourage the application of the information discussed throughout the webinar.

Mental health and healthcare professionals are faced with the often misunderstood and misdiagnosed symptoms of normative and prolonged grief. Formal education rarely, if ever, provides extensive enough training to accurately identify and treat those who are grieving. Unfortunately, grieving clients are diagnosed incorrectly because symptoms can mimic normative or prolonged grief. The grieving process is often pathologized, or misdiagnosed, resulting in potential exacerbation of the presenting issues because inappropriate interventions are utilized. As a result, those who are grieving are often inadvertently disenfranchised by providers, which can make the professional support they sought to reconstruct their previously shattered identities and worldviews ineffective, and even, at time, exacerbate other mental health difficulties. It is essential to be versed in identifying grief related constructs that may underlie, or even cause, mental health and behavior associated problems.
 

This presentation aims to provide current, research based information on the grieving process, clarify misconceptions of outdated theories, and differentiate between normative and prolonged grief. It also examines the changes in conceptualization, differential diagnosing, and effective, clinically proven interventions that may be utilized with grieving individuals and families. Attendees will leave with an improved clinical skill set they can immediately apply to identify and treat their clients.

This course will satisfy your ethics requirement.

"Jeff Barnett gave the best Supervision course I have ever taken. It was so comprehensive and concise that a supervision plan could be developed from start to finish from his course. He was calm and organized and linear in his approach. I listened to every word."-Martha H., Social Worker, Arkansas

Clinical supervision is central to the training of every mental health clinician. Ensuring it is conducted in an ethical and effective manner is of great importance for our professions and for the public we serve. This webinar is designed for all health professionals engaged in clinical supervision of trainees in clinical settings. The focus of this webinar is on ethics, legal, and practical aspects of clinical supervision. Important issues to be addressed include the supervision contract between supervisor and supervisee; and the supervisor’s responsibilities to the supervisee, to the supervisee’s clients, to the public at large, and to the profession. A developmental perspective on supervision will be presented that focuses on the supervisory process in the face of the supervisee’s evolving training needs. How to balance the at times competing obligations of the role of supervisor (supportive teacher vs evaluator and gatekeeper for the profession) will be addressed. Specific ethical dilemmas and challenges that frequently arise in clinical supervision and legal issues relevant to all supervisors and their supervisees will be discussed. Clinical examples will be presented to stimulate discussion and to help illustrate options for addressing these situations. Strategies for effective clinical supervision will be discussed that can be utilized by all supervisors.

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.

“Dr. Gibson is very knowledgeable and experienced on this topic. She also has a very pleasant, engaging method of teaching. Excellent session!”-Jeffrey T., Social Worker, New York

During a time of unprecedented crisis in the face of a global pandemic, many individuals across the globe are unfortunately impacted by another stressor detrimental to their health: racial trauma. Those who experience racial trauma have feelings of distress that lead them to seek counseling for symptom relief. Psychotherapists are charged with creating safe spaces to help clients heal from such dreadful life occurrences through the use of therapy services. 

The current webinar led by Dr. Lillian Gibson will provide mental health professionals with a practical framework to assess and treat racial trauma. The importance of recognizing both the likenesses and dissimilarities of clients’ and clinicians’ worldviews within the context of treatment will be explained. Participants will learn how to apply culturally-specific approaches when exploring trauma experiences and implement client-centered interventions. 

The on-line training will use a case vignette to guide the presentation and uncover mistakes that can be made when cultural considerations are not utilized. 

Participants will leave the webinar with a clear understanding of racial trauma, an awareness of racial trauma assessment options, the biopsychosocial impacts of trauma, symptom tracking measures, clinical pitfalls to avoid, steps to strengthen a therapeutic alliance, and a list of treatments that may be useful to decrease the effects of racial trauma (when appropriately applied).

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.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be challenging and debilitating, and many treatments fall short of achieving lasting and meaningful change for patients suffering from it. In this seminar, Dr. Jonah Paquette will help demystify PTSD and bring your knowledge and skills related to treating trauma to the next level. Attendees will gain understanding around the development and maintenance of trauma, as well as understanding the impact of social and cultural factors in the development of PTSD. In addition, participants will learn about well-established evidence-based treatments for trauma (such as CPT, PE, and EMDR), along with promising emerging treatments that are gaining traction in the field (including MDMA assisted therapy and IFS). Best of all, attendees will learn practical and tangible tools that they can begin using with their patients immediately.

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.

“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.

We are a part of a massive social experiment. Sex, gender, and relationship dynamics are changing faster than at any time in recorded history, all within a backdrop of exploding artificial intelligence (AI). Younger generations are increasingly comfortable with technology interfacing all aspects of their lives. The potential risks inherent in human:human sex have been highlighted by COVID-19.  Enter virtual reality porn and yes, sex robots. Experts predict that within 20-50 years, robots that move and interact in humanoid ways will be affordable for many. It is highly conceivable that an infant born today can have their first sexual experience with a robot. Mental health professionals will better serve their clients if they understand the increasingly powerful impact new developments in sex tech and AI have on sex and intimacy. The time is now for us to being this critical discussion.

Therapy with adults or couples with children frequently presents opportunities to help parents understand and improve parent-child dynamics. Parenting reveals implicit and unconscious expectations about raising children that are often culturally determined, and based on each parent’s own childhood experiences. This seminar draws on theories from systems, object relations and the parenting literature to show how unconscious factors get played out in the parent-child relationship. Therapists can help parents identify ways that their own childhood experiences, and aspects of the marital relationship, are played out in the parenting process. Through presentation of theory, and case examples, participants will be able to understand how to raise and explore parenting dynamics in the therapy session, and help parents find new ways of relating to their children and each other. This is particularly import in work with highly conflicted couples, even those who have divorced but have difficulty co-parenting.

“Sheri did a great job of keeping my attention. Time flew all the while I felt I was learning something of use.  I've been teaching clients mindfulness for years but there are those clients that are still difficult and haven't been responsive. This seminar gave me brand new tools/approaches and hope for helping some of my existing clients.”-Laura D., Social Worker, Arkansas

Over 75% of mental illnesses described in the DSM are related to emotion dysregulation – the inability to manage emotions effectively. Given that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was initially created to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), of which emotion dysregulation is a primary problem, it only makes sense that DBT would be effective in treating other disorders, and research in recent years is supporting this.

This seminar will provide an overview of the DBT Core Mindfulness skills. Participants will learn about these skills, including an introduction to mindfulness, the States of Mind, and the “What” and “How” skills. Discussion will be around how to use these skills ourselves in both professional and personal lives, and how to teach these skills to clients struggling with mental illness.

“Dr. Hannan was extremely informative, knowledgeable, and easy to listen to. His clinical examples enhanced the learning experience. Great presentation. I learned techniques on how to effectively engage in a therapeutic relationship with a BPD patient.-Shayna S., Professional Counselor, Illinois

This seminar will talk about the All-or-None Phenomenon in Borderline Personality (BPD), looking at it from both a psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral perspective.  The talk will define the All-or-None Phenomenon, as well as providing clinical examples.  It will also look at the reactions this elicits in treating professionals.  You will leave this webinar will techniques that are useful in helping patients who suffer from BPD.

The incidence of youth suicide requires that schools and communities collaborate and increase suicide prevention efforts and that they be prepared to respond if a suicide occurs in order to reduce suicide contagion.  This presentation will help school and community mental health personnel increase their understanding of the most common factors in youth suicide.  Participants will learn effective strategies to prevent youth suicide and lessons from the aftermath of numerous suicides.

“Really good, well organized, great pace, easy to follow with good examples - I learned a lot and feel energized and ready/equipped to put what I learned into practice.”-Vicki T., Social Worker, Maine

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness are two methods on the cutting-edge of evidence-based psychotherapy today. Together these techniques are highly-effective in the treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders. Even disorders found to be often resistant to treatment, such as substance abuse and personality disorders, are responding to this unique integration of therapeutic skills.

By attending this webinar you will learn not only to the basic techniques in CBT and Mindfulness, but also the application of more advanced methods. This approach is designed both to inform those who are new to this field as well as provide more advanced clinical options to those already familiar with the basics. The seminar will include PowerPoint slides, case examples and experiential learning.

Chronic disease affects far more than just the body—it takes a toll on one’s mental health, emotional well-being, and daily functioning. As a mental health professional, you play a crucial role in helping patients navigate these challenges, yet traditional medical care often overlooks psychological and behavioral factors. This training equips you with the skills to recognize and address the emotional, psychological, behavioral, and even some of the physical barriers that impact chronic disease management. Learn to utilize a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment, integrating physical, emotional, social, and environmental factors to develop more effective, patient-centered care plans.
 

Through this interactive session, you’ll discover at least three evidence-based interventions that improve coping, adherence, and quality of life. Gain practical tools to motivate patients in following prescribed treatment regimens and make sustainable lifestyle changes. Plus, familiarize yourself with the SBAR method for effective interdisciplinary communication, ensuring seamless collaboration between mental health and medical providers. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your expertise and improve patient outcomes!

“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.

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.

Anxiety Disorders are the most common form of mental illness, with roughly one-third of all people living in the United States suffering from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Moreover, untreated anxiety disorders come at a tremendous cost both individually and societally, and can adversely impact a person’s health, social relationships, job performance, and much more. Thankfully, effective treatments are available that can alleviate a person’s suffering in powerful ways.
 

But with a wide range of treatments available, clinicians can often feel overwhelmed knowing when and how to incorporate approaches like cognitive restructuring, exposure based
strategies, breathing retraining, and more. In this seminar, join Dr. Jonah Paquette for a practical overview of how we can effectively treat a range of anxiety disorders Attendees will gain tangible skills that they can begin using in their clinical work starting today.

Over 75% of mental illnesses described in the DSM are related to emotion dysregulation – the inability to manage emotions effectively. Given that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was initially created to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), of which emotion dysregulation is a primary problem, it only makes sense that DBT would be effective in treating other disorders, and research in recent years is supporting this. 

This seminar will provide an overview of the DBT Emotion Regulation skills. Participants will learn about these skills, including briefly reviewing the biosocial theory and how this contributes to problems managing emotions. Many of the emotion regulation skills will be introduced and participants, and there will be discussion regarding how to use these skills with clients with a variety of diagnoses.

Over 75% of mental illnesses described in the DSM are related to emotion dysregulation – the inability to manage emotions effectively. Given that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was initially created to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), of which emotion dysregulation is a primary problem, it only makes sense that DBT would be effective in treating other disorders, and research in recent years is supporting this. 

This seminar will provide an overview of the DBT Distress Tolerance skills. Participants will learn about these skills, including the Reality Acceptance Skills and the Crisis Survival Skills, and how to help clients with a variety of diagnoses and problems use these skills appropriately and in healthy ways.

“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. 

“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.

Diminished desire and difficulty orgasming with a partner are the two most prevalent concerns women bring to health-care providers. Additionally, evidence indicates that many women struggle with these concerns, yet only reveal this to clinicians upon being directly asked. Unfortunately, however, too few clinicians have any training in assessing or dealing with these common sexual concerns, even though empirically supported treatments for both exist. This seminar will help you understand the cultural reasons for the high prevalence of these sexual problems among women. You will also become well-versed in the myriad medical, individual, and relational causes underlying both concerns. Most importantly, evidence-based treatments for both diminished desire and orgasm issues will be presented. You will leave this seminar able to assess and intervene with these two common sexual concerns. 

Who we are as sexual beings carries profound personal and interpersonal meaning for each of us. Research consistently demonstrates that for most people, sexual satisfaction is a critical component of relationship and life satisfaction. Yet as important as sex can be, sexual concerns are strikingly common, even among non-clinical populations. Most therapists feel they’ve been inadequately trained to address sexual issues with their clients. This talk offers actionable advice for general therapists treating sexual dysfunction in men and women, with a focus on heterosexual relationship dynamics.

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.

We are a part of a massive social experiment. Sex, gender, and relationship dynamics are changing faster than at any time in recorded history, all within a backdrop of exploding artificial intelligence (AI). Younger generations are increasingly comfortable with technology interfacing all aspects of their lives. The potential risks inherent in human:human sex have been highlighted by COVID-19.  Enter virtual reality porn and yes, sex robots. Experts predict that within 20-50 years, robots that move and interact in humanoid ways will be affordable for many. It is highly conceivable that an infant born today can have their first sexual experience with a robot. Mental health professionals will better serve their clients if they understand the increasingly powerful impact new developments in sex tech and AI have on sex and intimacy. The time is now for us to being this critical discussion.

“Fantastic webinar. Dr. Paquette was very knowledgeable, very personable, and open with comments and questions. He maintained my interest, and had great examples for explanation.”-Marilyn H., Counselor, Mississippi

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy, a gold standard treatment that can be applied to a wide range of psychological disorders. With hundreds of randomize controls trials to demonstrate its impact, cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be one of the most efficacious and well-validated forms of treatment within the mental health community. However, many clinicians struggle to effectively implement it a powerful way with their clients. Join clinical psychologist, author, and international speaker Jonah Paquette for an exciting hands-on workshop aimed to help bring your knowledge and skills related to CBT to the next level. Complete with over 50 techniques aimed towards changing thoughts and behaviors, this workshop can transform your practice.

This seminar will provide you with a deeper understanding of how CBT can be applied to a wide range of problems, and will help you master the core competencies of CBT treatment. In addition, attendees will be provided with powerful, practical, and easy-to-use tools that you can use in your clinical practice starting right away. Through didactic presentation, hands-on practice, and opportunities for reflection, you’ll learn how to expertly apply these approaches into your life and your clinical work. You’ll leave equipped to improve your clinical skills and achieve better therapeutic outcomes with even your most challenging clients.

“I really enjoyed the expertise of the presenter. He had so much useful knowledge to share. The case studies really went deeper into my personal knowledge and helped me to process and analyze situations differently.”-Kristie C., Social Worker, New York

It is essential that that schools and communities know the incidence of school violence and be up to date on the best safety and prevention practices. This presentation will review numerous state and national initiatives that have focused on school safety and the recommendations from a variety of foundations started by parents who lost their in tragic school shootings. Many school shooters died by suicide and this presentation will outline the major theory of murder suicide. The presenter has a wealth of practical experience responding to school crises and participants, whether they are parents, school personnel or community members will learn many lessons from school tragedies and practical strategies to prevent future school violence.

This course qualifies as an ethics course.

“The information was well organized and presented in a clear, interesting manner. It gave me a good opportunity to think about how many different ways I inevitably disclose information about myself to clients; it's not possible to avoid this but I must ensure what I disclose is beneficial to the client.”-Cynthia L., Social Worker, Arkansas

Boundaries and multiple relationships are common occurrences for mental health clinicians. Yet, they may at times be challenging, confusing, and even overwhelming for those who may not know how to effectively manage boundaries and how to determine which multiple relationships are acceptable or appropriate. Taking a rigid and avoidant approach typically can be just as harmful as an overly loose approach. Participants in this webinar will learn a rational, practical, and reality-based approach for addressing and managing boundaries and multiple relationships in clinical practice. The role of a decision-making process and consideration of multiple relevant issues will be addressed and their use in clinical practice will be demonstrated. Clinical examples will be presented and discussed to illustrate the points being made. Participants will learn specific skills and strategies to integrate into their clinical practices on a daily basis.

Personality disordered individuals are often considered to be some of the most difficult consumers of mental health services for psychologists and others mental health clinicians to treat effectively. Clearing the fog surrounding the different conditions and getting to the core of each individual client makeup is vital to successful treatment outcome. Drawing from the most recent literature, outcome trials, case studies and 20 years of clinical experience, Jeff Riggenbach, PhD will describe the latest evidence based treatment options and show you how to avoid common pitfalls and therapeutic traps of these individuals who often leave clinicians feeling frustrated, stuck, and disheartened. In this full day virtual training, Jeff will describe each of the DSM-5 personality disorders and give you simple but effective engagement, management, and treatment techniques for each. Empirically supported strategies from DBT, CBT, and Schema Therapy will be incorporated into an integrated treatment approach that will transform the way your work with this challenging population. You will leave this conference feeling revitalized - equipped with a new, comprehensive, empowering approach to assess, conceptualize, and treat this difficult population in a way that offers hope for patients and reinvigoration for providers.

This course qualifies as an ethics course.

“The information presented in this course will be very helpful with my documentation of psychotherapy and enlightened me about potential risk and legal issues. The presentation was clear and he gave real life examples to illustrate what he was saying. I learned the difference between a supoena and a court order, and specifically what goes into effective documentation of psychotherapy notes."-Claire H., Social Worker, Vermont

This webinar explains the goals and potential benefits of effective clinical documentation as well as the ethical and legal requirements for doing so. Documentation is addressed from a clinical and risk management perspective. Specific recommendations are made for how to document the clinical services provided in a competent and effective manner. Additionally, common pitfalls to avoid are addressed. How to store and maintain records is addressed for both paper and electronic records. Precautions to take to protect and preserve records are described in detail along with how and when to dispose of them. Guidance is provided for following HIPAA and other laws and regulations relevant to documentation and record keeping. Participants in this webinar will receive practical guidance that can be integrated into daily practice to document more effectively, to better achieve the goals of thoughtfully created treatment records, and to meet and exceed professional standards and practice guidelines relevant to documentation and record keeping.

Over 75% of mental illnesses described in the DSM are related to emotion dysregulation – the inability to manage emotions effectively. Given that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was initially created to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), of which emotion dysregulation is a primary problem, it only makes sense that DBT would be effective in treating other disorders, and research in recent years is supporting this.

This seminar will provide an overview of the DBT Interpersonal Effectiveness skills. Participants will learn about these skills, looking at the three possible goals in interpersonal situations and how to pair these with assertiveness skills to increase the likelihood of reaching one’s goals; how to think dialectically to improve communication and balance in relationships; the role of mindfulness and behavior theory in improving healthy relationships; and ways to increase relationship satisfaction in clients’ lives.

“The information presented was very helpful and I feel I have a better understanding of the role of forensic psychologist and how this role differs from the psychotherapist role."-Meg R. Professional Counselor, South Carolina

This webinar will satisfy your ethics requirement.

All mental health professionals are familiar with, and should rely on, the Codes of Ethics applicable to their professionals. Some have, in addition, specialty guidelines that apply to certain areas of practice. This webinar will consist of a detailed analysis of the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology, viewing the similarities to and differences from the generic ethics codes. More specifically, we will look at the definitions of forensic psychology practice, issues of impartiality, conflicts of interest, competence, Informed Consent, and conflicts with legal authorities.

At the heart of existential and person-centered therapy lies the profound quest for meaning and fulfillment. Addressing life’s existential questions, such as “What is the meaning of life?” or “How can we cultivate healthier, more meaningful relationships?”, these therapeutic approaches offer powerful frameworks for helping clients navigate both existential and neurotic anxieties. Rooted in philosophy, phenomenology, and the pioneering work of Carl Rogers, existential and person-centered therapies emphasize the importance of choice, authenticity, and personal agency in fostering psychological well-being.
 

This seminar will provide an in-depth exploration of humanistic theory, focusing on the existential foundations of meaning-making and the core principles of person-centered therapy. Through didactic presentation and experiential exercises, participants will learn how to integrate mindfulness, present-centered awareness, and body awareness into clinical practice. Attendees will gain valuable insights into how these therapeutic approaches can be effectively applied to address a variety of client concerns, including those related to social justice, ultimately enhancing therapeutic outcomes and client engagement.

“I was extremely impressed with the presentation from start to finish. I liked the inclusion of videos/visuals to enhance the presentation. Finally, I was extremely appreciative of the follow-up resources as well. I learned a great deal and all of the techniques would arguably enhance anyone's therapy practice in some way.”-Kristin K., Professional Counselor, Massachusetts

Although the field of clinical psychology has traditionally aimed to “fix what’s wrong,” the newer sub-field of positive psychology instead helps us to “build what’s strong.” In this seminar, attendees will learn about the nature of happiness, and discover research-backed methods from positive psychology to help lastingly increase happiness both in ourselves and in our clients. We’ll explore what it means to be happy, why happiness is so important, and why it can often feel so hard to come by. We’ll then discuss 7 research-based principles for lasting well-being, drawing from positive psychology, mindfulness-based approaches, and cutting-edge neuroscience. In addition, we will introduce and put into practice dozens of evidence-based tools and techniques that can easily be implemented into clinical practice. Through lecture, clinical vignettes, and hands-on practice, you’ll learn skills that can transform your clinical work.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be challenging and debilitating, and many treatments fall short of achieving lasting and meaningful change for patients suffering from it. In this seminar, Dr. Jonah Paquette will help demystify PTSD and bring your knowledge and skills related to treating trauma to the next level. Attendees will gain understanding around the development and maintenance of trauma, as well as understanding the impact of social and cultural factors in the development of PTSD. In addition, participants will learn about well-established evidence-based treatments for trauma (such as CPT, PE, and EMDR), along with promising emerging treatments that are gaining traction in the field (including MDMA assisted therapy and IFS). Best of all, attendees will learn practical and tangible tools that they can begin using with their patients immediately.

According to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, approxi­mately 10% of US adults fill one or more antidepressant prescriptions each year, with many of these prescriptions coming from non-psychiatrists. They are some of the most widely prescribed medications of our generation. As more and more patients are prescribed antidepressants and other psychotropic medications, an increased need and responsibility is raised for non-prescribing therapists to be knowledgeable enough to work more effectively with patients and their prescribers in this arena. The follow­ing webinar is intended to be an introductory course that offers general, yet comprehensive information about psy­chopharmacology, including understanding neurobiological underpinnings of how medications work, commonly pre­scribed drug categories, how to work more effectively with patients, and how to work more effectively with prescrib­ers. Unique to this webinar will be the inclusion of how to maximize treatment outcomes and effectively use collab­orative care strategies.

 “Dr. Ray presented a great deal of information in a very organized manner and was gracious in answering questions. I look forward to attending more seminars with her! I learned more about the prescriptions used to treat addictions, such as naltrexone.”-Linnea T., Colorado

In this program I will review the conceptualization of addiction, including the biological bases for how alcohol and drugs alter the brain. I will then discuss evidence-based treatments for addiction, including pharmacological and psychosocial treatment options. I will review their evidence-based as well as provide practice advice on their implementation. Then, I will discuss the latest developments in substance use disorders, including vaping, cannabis use legalization, and the opioid epidemic. I will conclude by reviewing a host of free resources for evidence-based practices in addiction, primarily those offered by the National Institutes of Health. I will conduct this seminar by combining lecturing, question & answer periods, videos, and polling tools to engage the audience.

This course will satisfy your ethics requirement.

“I found it extremely insightful and helpful in my day to day professional life. I wasn't aware of the origins of informed consent and I learned a great deal about case law that formed it.”-Gina F., Social Worker, New York

Informed consent is an essential aspect of all professional services provided by mental health professionals and helps to set the tone for the relationship to follow. While it is a requirement, it also plays a very important role in the treatment relationship and process. Yet, many questions exist about how to appropriately provide informed consent, the details of what should or shouldn’t be included, who should provide informed consent, and how diversity factors may necessitate modifying how we provide informed consent. This webinar will address each of these issues and provide practical guidance on how to meet ethics and legal requirements, and client needs, and how to utilize informed consent to promote a good working relationship with clients, as well as how to utilize it to promote the goals of treatment for our clients. Common pitfalls and dilemmas, practical suggestions and recommendations, and relevant options to consider will each be addressed. Clinical examples will be provided to illustrate key issues to include informed consent with minors, with couples and families, third-party requests for services, and the use of informed consent for the wide range of professional relationships mental health professionals may have.

Do you know the possible effect in Court of expert testimony based on poorly validated procedures? People may be sentenced to death. In similar ways, mental health professionals may be found negligent for failure to see that someone fits the psychological profile of intended victims, despite the fact that there is no science behind psychological profiling. The use and similar misuses of expert testimony will be highlighted in the webinar, along with practical suggestions for avoiding these pitfalls and making sure one’s testimony is based on well-validated theories.

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.

“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.

“This was my favorite webinar. I learned the most about myself as a therapist and a great deal about the borderline elicitation of counter transference. This webinar was a revival of things I learned in graduate school and that I needed a refresher course in.”-Jane K., Social Worker, New York

Recent research suggests that the therapeutic alliance and the ability to heal ruptures in the therapeutic relationship are key elements of successful treatment for individuals with personality disorders.  Yet, these patients tend to stimulate strong countertransference reactions that can derail the treatment.  This seminar elucidates common countertransference reactions to each of the personality disorders.  There is also discussion about how to manage these reactions and to use them to better understand the patient and thus, provide better care.

For many bereaved individuals, faith, religion, and spirituality can prove to be a supportive and comforting resource following the loss of anyone or anything that leaves a sense of deprivation and yearning. However, for some who are grieving, the relationship to their higher power or spiritual community is painfully wounded, leading to the secondary loss of his/her/their spiritual resources, connections, and spiritual crisis.
 

The painful religious and spiritual losses are referred to as complicated spiritual grief (CSG). CSG has been shown to exacerbate the bereavement experience for some religious and spiritually inclined grievers. Clinicians are confronted with religious and spiritual topics in psychotherapy, especially when working with bereft clients. Therefore, knowing how to identify the impact of CSG in the grieving process is imperative. Clinicians will be able to recognize the impact of CSG on the bereaved’s grieving process, increasing skills in conducting a comprehensive clinical assessment and development of effective treatment plans. As a result, grief therapy will more effectively identify and treat all domains of the client’s functioning following or anticipating a loss.

"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 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.

“Outstanding. This was the best seminar I've taken (from any source, not just TZK) in the last several years. It was a great combination of teaching the content, including research on the topic, providing examples, and inviting and using participant feedback to enhance learning. Exact right amount of solid content and examples that reinforced learning - WONDERFUL!”-Nancy C., Psychologist, Kentucky

What do you feel when you gaze up at the Milky Way, see a beautiful rainbow, or stand before a mountain that seems impossibly high? This feeling – often complete with goosebumps and a shiver down our spine – is known as awe. And as it turns out, this underappreciated and often misunderstood emotion just might hold the key to a happy, meaningful, and healthy life.

Recent research has shown that awe can improve our physical health, strengthen our social bonds, and become lastingly happier. Experiences of awe strengthen our immune system, improve our psychological well-being, and even change our brain in unique ways. In this seminar, participants will explore the nature and benefits of awe, and how learning to become more awestruck can improve our psychological, physical, and social well-being. Through lecture, vignettes, and hands-on practice, you’ll learn to harness these breakthrough findings and transform your clinical practice.

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.

Anxiety Disorders are the most common form of mental illness, with roughly one-third of all people living in the United States suffering from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Moreover, untreated anxiety disorders come at a tremendous cost both individually and societally, and can adversely impact a person’s health, social relationships, job performance, and much more. Thankfully, effective treatments are available that can alleviate a person’s suffering in powerful ways.
 

But with a wide range of treatments available, clinicians can often feel overwhelmed knowing when and how to incorporate approaches like cognitive restructuring, exposure based
strategies, breathing retraining, and more. In this seminar, join Dr. Jonah Paquette for a practical overview of how we can effectively treat a range of anxiety disorders Attendees will gain tangible skills that they can begin using in their clinical work starting today.

Most therapists recognize the power of the past as it is revealed in the way partners respond to each other. The therapist can be baffled by emotionally intense reactions that seem way out of proportion to the moment.  Repeated conflict themes also suggest that the ways partners interpret each other’s behavior can only be understood by exploring their individual lived experience. This seminar presents an overview of an object relations approach to working with couples, and describes dynamics that are unique to this clinical approach. You will understand how unfinished business from the past and each partner’s relational past can unfold in patterns and postures that work against intimacy. You will also be able to understand how extreme emotional reactions and black & white thinking create instability and specific relationship problems. The seminar will explain a range of techniques that can help couples acquire new ways of responding to each other and strengthening intimacy. You will also understand how the therapist’s intuition and reaction to partners is an important source of information that allows insight into the core themes and facilitates the partners ability to heal past wounds while forging deeper intimacy.

“Very much enjoyed the seminar and look forward to using ACT it in my practice. I am relatively new to ACT so the entire seminar was useful.”-Kristen W., Professional Counselor, Texas

Incorporating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into your treatment approach will have a significant impact on your clinical effectiveness and the well-being of your clients.  ACT is a rich, integrative approach, and has been shown to be effective for many clinically-relevant concerns. Because ACT takes a different perspective on psychotherapy, some clinicians wonder how to blend the applications into their own therapy approach. Other clinicians who have embraced the ACT concepts still have questions about certain aspects of the therapy. This webinar will explain ACT in a very clear, concise, user-friendly manner.

This webinar will satisfy your ethics requirement.

“Wonderful and very well-organized presentation/webinar. Dr. Barnett was amazingly knowledgeable, professional, and nice.”-Maria F., Counselor, West Virginia

Mental health clinicians live and practice in challenging times, providing services in a wide range of settings with a wide range of clients. Numerous legal issues, ethics requirements, ethical dilemmas, stressors, and a litigious environment may make ethical practice seem to be a daunting proposition. This workshop focuses on positive ethics and risk management strategies for practicing mental health professionals, taking a positive approach to ethical practice that helps minimize risks to the clinician. Fundamental issues for ethical practice by mental health professionals will be addressed along a review of basic risk management strategies, and a process for ethical decision-making when faced with ethical dilemmas and challenges. Common dilemmas and challenges will be reviewed and specific recommendations for ethical and effective practice will be provided.

Accurate diagnosis is critical for treatment planning and documentation of medical necessity. Misdiagnosis is common. Therapists can think more deliberately by using critical thinking and being aware of ways to reduce the likelihood of cognitive biases. You will have a practical, systematic way of making diagnoses using the DSM-5-TR and being aware of questionnaires that can facilitate the gathering of necessary information. Cultural factors will also be considered within the context of the DSM-5-TR. There will be a focus on differential diagnoses in exploring major depressive disorder and PTSD.

We are a part of a massive social experiment. Sex, gender, and relationship dynamics are changing faster than at any time in recorded history, all within a backdrop of exploding artificial intelligence (AI). Younger generations are increasingly comfortable with technology interfacing all aspects of their lives. The potential risks inherent in human:human sex have been highlighted by COVID-19.  Enter virtual reality porn and yes, sex robots. Experts predict that within 20-50 years, robots that move and interact in humanoid ways will be affordable for many. It is highly conceivable that an infant born today can have their first sexual experience with a robot. Mental health professionals will better serve their clients if they understand the increasingly powerful impact new developments in sex tech and AI have on sex and intimacy. The time is now for us to being this critical discussion.

“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.

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.

The incidence of youth suicide requires that schools and communities collaborate and increase suicide prevention efforts and that they be prepared to respond if a suicide occurs in order to reduce suicide contagion.  This presentation will help school and community mental health personnel increase their understanding of the most common factors in youth suicide.  Participants will learn effective strategies to prevent youth suicide and lessons from the aftermath of numerous suicides.

This course will satisfy your ethics requirement.

Religion and spirituality are important dimensions of most individuals’ lives. Yet, many mental health clinicians do not receive education and training focused on how to address these issues, when appropriate, with their clients. This webinar provides information on the roles of spirituality and religion in many clients’ lives, how to address our own biases about them and how our own beliefs may impact how we view and address them, how to appropriately assess each client’s treatment needs to include religious and spiritual issues and concerns, and how to tap into clients’ beliefs, practices, and faith communities as sources of strength that may enhance the professional services we provide. Ethics issues, challenges, and dilemmas are addressed, and an ethical decision-making model is shared and clinical examples are provided and discussed to illustrate its application. Recommendations for ethical and clinically effective practice are provided. 

This course will satisfy your ethics requirement.

"I loved that self-care was partnered with ethics! Great topic and the presentation was interesting, well-paced, unhurried yet didn't belabor points. Clearly the instructor is very comfortable with the topic and presents well."-Barbara B., Professional Counselor, Washington

Working as a mental health professional can be challenging, demanding and stressful. With some clients, it can be traumatizing to the clinician. Self-care, the promotion of wellness, and the prevention of burnout are essential for every mental health professional in order to maintain our competence and clinical effectiveness. The ethical obligation to do so is addressed, ways to assess our own individual self-care needs and effectiveness, and specific strategies for the effective practice of self-care are presented. Important issues such as personal and professional challenges, vulnerabilities, and blind spots are addressed. The limitations of self-monitoring and self-assessment are reviewed and recommendations for proactively and effectively addressing these challenges are presented. A realistic approach to ongoing self-care and the promotion of wellness is presented that each mental health clinician can integrate into their daily lives, for their own benefit, and for the benefit of their clients.

“Very good presenter.  Very well-organized.  Very personable in responding to questions from participants.  Adept at integrating Power Point slides with his verbal presentation. Clearly knowledgeable in this field - both theoretically and clinically.  Gracious with his time in being willing to stay online afterward to answer questions.”-Shirley R., Professional Counselor and Psychotherapist, Alabama

Non-prescribing therapists are crucial to the effective and safe use of psychiatric medications by their clients.  In contrast to clinicians who focus primarily on medications, therapists generally spend more time with their clients and are more familiar with their history and current situation. They also tend to develop a greater rapport. And  considering that most clients diagnosed with depression, anxiety, psychosis, posttraumatic stress disorder, and virtually every other psychiatric disorder receive pharmacological interventions, the non-prescribing therapist needs to understand how psychiatric medications work, their limitations and side effects, and how to help their clients maximize gains through increasing medication compliance.   This course is designed to present the non-prescribing mental health practitioner with a review of basic concepts in clinical psychopharmacology and the effective use of common psychiatric medications in the treatment of mental health conditions.  Effective medication strategies for treating depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, psychosis, sleep disorders, and other common psychiatric conditions are covered in detail. Basic general pharmacological concepts such as pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics are reviewed as are more specific concepts such as drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination.  You will also become aware of common medication treatment errors to avoid and learn tips for helping your clients become more educated about the medications they take as well as help them manage their side effects.

Group therapy is a treatment modality in which unrelated people meet together with a therapist, in contrast to individual therapy or conjoint family therapy. Groups are not a second-rate approach to helping people change. In fact, groups are often the treatment of choice - especially when a client’s problem has an interpersonal component (which is usually the case). Groups offer a natural laboratory in which people can experiment with new ways of being and receive feedback from numerous others. There is great power in groups: members actually experience their interpersonal dynamics playing out in the group. A group therapist can implement techniques from other modalities in a group format. However, there are dynamics, processes, and stages of groups that are not shared with individual approaches and which offer distinctive benefits. Because so many of the problems that people seek mental
health services for involve dysfunctional interactions between people, having group members actually interact with others in the group affords an opportunity for deep, experiential learning and development that is not possible in individual therapy. This seminar will emphasize how to facilitate such “here and now” interactions and processes in group work.

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.

Self-harm, or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is most common among adolescents and young adults. Although NSSI typically decreases in late adolescence, this behavior is one of the strongest antecedents of suicide in youth; and those who engage in repetitive NSSI seem to be at high risk for continuing to use dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies, even after discontinuing NSSI. People engage in NSSI for a wide array of reasons (including a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD), but usually this involves an inability to manage emotions in some way, making Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) an ideal treatment for this population.

While most mental health clinicians will encounter NSSI at some point, there is still a paucity of research about this behaviour and why it happens; and education programs rarely teach about this behaviour and how to work with clients who are engaging in it. This workshop will help you understand NSSI, factors to consider when assessing and working with clients, and will take a DBT approach to helping clients eliminate this behaviour.

Therapy with adults or couples with children frequently presents opportunities to help parents understand and improve parent-child dynamics. Parenting reveals implicit and unconscious expectations about raising children that are often culturally determined, and based on each parent’s own childhood experiences. This seminar draws on theories from systems, object relations and the parenting literature to show how unconscious factors get played out in the parent-child relationship. Therapists can help parents identify ways that their own childhood experiences, and aspects of the marital relationship, are played out in the parenting process. Through presentation of theory, and case examples, participants will be able to understand how to raise and explore parenting dynamics in the therapy session, and help parents find new ways of relating to their children and each other. This is particularly import in work with highly conflicted couples, even those who have divorced but have difficulty co-parenting.

“This may have been the best training overall I have seen in the 30 years of my professional life. If not the best, then clearly in the top five. Dr. Hannan maintained the pace and energy and held my attention for six hours, no mean feat whatsoever. Hats off to him!.”-James B. Counselor, Armed Forces

In this webinar, Keith Hannan, Ph.D will talk about the diagnosis and treatment of disruptive behavior disorder.  He will help you distinguish between benign mischievousness and malignant antisocial behavior.  He will explore the literature on delinquency in girls.  There will be a review of risk assessment.  Information will also be presented on the cognitive style and deficits of delinquent youth.  He will present a model for effective psychotherapeutic intervention.

In this presentation Dr. Levant will explain why some men are emotionally inexpressive because of their childhood socialization. In addition, he will discuss scales for assessing alexithymia in men and treatment manuals for helping these men became more emotionally self-aware. Clinicians will come away from this presentation with a clear sense for how to treat alexithymia in the early sessions of psychotherapy and thereby improve treatment uptake and outcomes.

Chronic disease affects far more than just the body—it takes a toll on one’s mental health, emotional well-being, and daily functioning. As a mental health professional, you play a crucial role in helping patients navigate these challenges, yet traditional medical care often overlooks psychological and behavioral factors. This training equips you with the skills to recognize and address the emotional, psychological, behavioral, and even some of the physical barriers that impact chronic disease management. Learn to utilize a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment, integrating physical, emotional, social, and environmental factors to develop more effective, patient-centered care plans.
 

Through this interactive session, you’ll discover at least three evidence-based interventions that improve coping, adherence, and quality of life. Gain practical tools to motivate patients in following prescribed treatment regimens and make sustainable lifestyle changes. Plus, familiarize yourself with the SBAR method for effective interdisciplinary communication, ensuring seamless collaboration between mental health and medical providers. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your expertise and improve patient outcomes!

Cognitive-behavioural therapy is widely considered the gold standard treatment of psychotherapy. However some clients don’t respond to standard protocols, and a number of approaches, still considered under the CBT “umbrella” have been adapted to meet the specific needs of different populations. Schema therapy is one such treatment that continues to show promise for what used to be considered “treatment-resistant” patients. Individuals struggling with personality disorders, addictions, and other impulsive and destructive
behaviours are amongst those considered to be the most challenging to reach, and many practitioners often feel ill equipped to deal with them.
 

Attend this full day workshop with internationally recognized personality disorders expert Dr. Jeff Riggenbach as he presents an integrated schema focused cognitive model for dealing with your most challenging cases. This unique, chock-full training will teach you practical strategies to implement with individuals struggling with BPD, addictions, Impulse control problems, and other emotionally dysregulated or Cluster B presentations. Leave this engaging workshop with a plethora of new tools in your toolbox that you can implement tomorrow to help you get unstuck and facilitate meaningful change that lasts. Moreover, leave with a renewed hope that you are now more equipped to deal with even the most clients that walk through your door.

“Outstanding. This was the best seminar I've taken (from any source, not just TZK) in the last several years. It was a great combination of teaching the content, including research on the topic, providing examples, and inviting and using participant feedback to enhance learning. Exact right amount of solid content and examples that reinforced learning - WONDERFUL!”-Nancy C., Psychologist, Kentucky

What do you feel when you gaze up at the Milky Way, see a beautiful rainbow, or stand before a mountain that seems impossibly high? This feeling – often complete with goosebumps and a shiver down our spine – is known as awe. And as it turns out, this underappreciated and often misunderstood emotion just might hold the key to a happy, meaningful, and healthy life.

Recent research has shown that awe can improve our physical health, strengthen our social bonds, and become lastingly happier. Experiences of awe strengthen our immune system, improve our psychological well-being, and even change our brain in unique ways. In this seminar, participants will explore the nature and benefits of awe, and how learning to become more awestruck can improve our psychological, physical, and social well-being. Through lecture, vignettes, and hands-on practice, you’ll learn to harness these breakthrough findings and transform your clinical practice.

“Fantastic webinar. Dr. Paquette was very knowledgeable, very personable, and open with comments and questions. He maintained my interest, and had great examples for explanation.”-Marilyn H., Counselor, Mississippi

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy, a gold standard treatment that can be applied to a wide range of psychological disorders. With hundreds of randomize controls trials to demonstrate its impact, cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be one of the most efficacious and well-validated forms of treatment within the mental health community. However, many clinicians struggle to effectively implement it a powerful way with their clients. Join clinical psychologist, author, and international speaker Jonah Paquette for an exciting hands-on workshop aimed to help bring your knowledge and skills related to CBT to the next level. Complete with over 50 techniques aimed towards changing thoughts and behaviors, this workshop can transform your practice.

This seminar will provide you with a deeper understanding of how CBT can be applied to a wide range of problems, and will help you master the core competencies of CBT treatment. In addition, attendees will be provided with powerful, practical, and easy-to-use tools that you can use in your clinical practice starting right away. Through didactic presentation, hands-on practice, and opportunities for reflection, you’ll learn how to expertly apply these approaches into your life and your clinical work. You’ll leave equipped to improve your clinical skills and achieve better therapeutic outcomes with even your most challenging clients.

“Fantastic webinar. Dr. Paquette was very knowledgeable, very personable, and open with comments and questions. He maintained my interest, and had great examples for explanation.”-Marilyn H., Counselor, Mississippi

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy, a gold standard treatment that can be applied to a wide range of psychological disorders. With hundreds of randomize controls trials to demonstrate its impact, cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be one of the most efficacious and well-validated forms of treatment within the mental health community. However, many clinicians struggle to effectively implement it a powerful way with their clients. Join clinical psychologist, author, and international speaker Jonah Paquette for an exciting hands-on workshop aimed to help bring your knowledge and skills related to CBT to the next level. Complete with over 50 techniques aimed towards changing thoughts and behaviors, this workshop can transform your practice.

This seminar will provide you with a deeper understanding of how CBT can be applied to a wide range of problems, and will help you master the core competencies of CBT treatment. In addition, attendees will be provided with powerful, practical, and easy-to-use tools that you can use in your clinical practice starting right away. Through didactic presentation, hands-on practice, and opportunities for reflection, you’ll learn how to expertly apply these approaches into your life and your clinical work. You’ll leave equipped to improve your clinical skills and achieve better therapeutic outcomes with even your most challenging clients.

“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.

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.

The term trauma is used to describe the challenging emotional consequences experienced by someone who has lived through a distressing event. These consequences can involve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which has been identified as a global health issue, with prevalence rates ranging from 1.3% to 37.4% (and even higher in clinical populations). But what happens when the trauma occurs early in life, and/or involves on-going or repetitive exposure to traumatic events? In these cases, individuals will often experience Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), and/or dissociative disorders such as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).
 

As our understanding of trauma continues to evolve, so does our understanding of how to treat it. In this webinar, Sheri Van Dijk will teach some essential perspectives and skills to help you and your clients get unstuck in treatment. In this webinar you will learn leading edge, evidence-based principles in the treatment of clients experiencing the sequelae of trauma, including the difference between PTSD and C-PTSD; theories to inform treatment of clients with complex trauma histories; and skills to help clients ground and regulate emotions.

Clinical supervision often comes with challenges. These challenges may include supporting supervisees as they build their clinical competencies, providing constructive feedback that helps your supervisee grow and progress in their development as a clinician, navigating potentially challenging relationship dynamics, as well as discussion of ethical issues in the supervision process. This webinar is designed to provide supervisors with the skills to effectively navigate the challenges as they occur. Scenarios will be integrated to encourage the application of the information discussed throughout the webinar.

“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.

“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.

“This was my favorite webinar. I learned the most about myself as a therapist and a great deal about the borderline elicitation of counter transference. This webinar was a revival of things I learned in graduate school and that I needed a refresher course in.”-Jane K., Social Worker, New York

Recent research suggests that the therapeutic alliance and the ability to heal ruptures in the therapeutic relationship are key elements of successful treatment for individuals with personality disorders.  Yet, these patients tend to stimulate strong countertransference reactions that can derail the treatment.  This seminar elucidates common countertransference reactions to each of the personality disorders.  There is also discussion about how to manage these reactions and to use them to better understand the patient and thus, provide better care.

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. 

“Great presentation! Very useful information for practitioners in a variety of settings. Highly recommended. I learned the CBT is NOT just “change your thoughts and change your life.”-Kellie H., Social Worker, Iowa

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.

In this program I will teach clinicians about the foundations of Cognitive behavioral therapy for alcohol use disorder. I will then teach how these principles are applied to session by following an established (and publicly available) CBT manual for alcohol use disorder. I will review the treatment goals and techniques required to implement the CBT protocol with the highest fidelity. I will discuss each of the seven core sessions (including handouts) in the CBT program:
 

Session 1: Introduction to Coping Skills Training
Session 2: Coping with Cravings & Urges to Drink
Session 3: Managing Thoughts About Alcohol & Drinking
Session 4: Problem Solving
Session 5: Drink Refusal Skills
Session 6: Planning for Emergencies & Coping With a Lapse
Session 7: Seemingly Irrelevant Decisions
 

I will then review the optional sessions and I will conclude by reviewing a host of free resources for evidence-based practices in addiction, primarily those offered by the National Institutes of Health. I will conduct this seminar by combining lecturing, question & answer periods, videos, and polling tools to engage the audience.

“I found this seminar fascinating. I have taken some of Dr Shapiro's other seminars and will seek him out for others, I enjoy his approach. His real world examples are invaluable.”-Dawn Z., Social Worker, New York

This webinar is designed for those clinicians moving into forensic assessment from more traditional clinical settings. It will consider the important similarities and differences between clinical and forensic work, including critical legal and ethical issues regarding the concept of informed consent in different kinds of evaluations. The focus will then shift to what are called functional legal capacities, and cover in depth the way different assessment instruments may be reconceptualized in order to use them in forensic settings. Special consideration will be given to the development of instruments for assessment of trauma and malingering.

“I was extremely impressed with the presentation from start to finish. I liked the inclusion of videos/visuals to enhance the presentation. Finally, I was extremely appreciative of the follow-up resources as well. I learned a great deal and all of the techniques would arguably enhance anyone's therapy practice in some way.”-Kristin K., Professional Counselor, Massachusetts

Although the field of clinical psychology has traditionally aimed to “fix what’s wrong,” the newer sub-field of positive psychology instead helps us to “build what’s strong.” In this seminar, attendees will learn about the nature of happiness, and discover research-backed methods from positive psychology to help lastingly increase happiness both in ourselves and in our clients. We’ll explore what it means to be happy, why happiness is so important, and why it can often feel so hard to come by. We’ll then discuss 7 research-based principles for lasting well-being, drawing from positive psychology, mindfulness-based approaches, and cutting-edge neuroscience. In addition, we will introduce and put into practice dozens of evidence-based tools and techniques that can easily be implemented into clinical practice. Through lecture, clinical vignettes, and hands-on practice, you’ll learn skills that can transform your clinical work.

“Instructor was knowledgeable, easy to relate to and made the content interesting and easy to follow along with. Great reflective exercises!”-LisaA., Social Worker, New York

We all know that professional burnout is a problem, but what do we do about it? In this interactive seminar, Dr. Hartman-Hall provides information from the research literature and her clinical experience about the causes and consequences of clinician burnout. Recognizing that wellness is not a “one size fits all” concept, we will explore a variety of approaches for considering clinicians’ risk factors for occupational stress, improving our own self-care, and adjusting our approach to our work. Brief exercises to practice relaxation, mindfulness, and self-awareness will be utilized throughout the talk to provide participants the opportunity to practice concepts being discussed.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be challenging and debilitating, and many treatments fall short of achieving lasting and meaningful change for patients suffering from it. In this seminar, Dr. Jonah Paquette will help demystify PTSD and bring your knowledge and skills related to treating trauma to the next level. Attendees will gain understanding around the development and maintenance of trauma, as well as understanding the impact of social and cultural factors in the development of PTSD. In addition, participants will learn about well-established evidence-based treatments for trauma (such as CPT, PE, and EMDR), along with promising emerging treatments that are gaining traction in the field (including MDMA assisted therapy and IFS). Best of all, attendees will learn practical and tangible tools that they can begin using with their patients immediately.

“Dr. Hannan was extremely informative, knowledgeable, and easy to listen to. His clinical examples enhanced the learning experience. Great presentation. I learned techniques on how to effectively engage in a therapeutic relationship with a BPD patient.-Shayna S., Professional Counselor, Illinois

This seminar will talk about the All-or-None Phenomenon in Borderline Personality (BPD), looking at it from both a psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral perspective.  The talk will define the All-or-None Phenomenon, as well as providing clinical examples.  It will also look at the reactions this elicits in treating professionals.  You will leave this webinar will techniques that are useful in helping patients who suffer from BPD.

“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.

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.

Anxiety Disorders are the most common form of mental illness, with roughly one-third of all people living in the United States suffering from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Moreover, untreated anxiety disorders come at a tremendous cost both individually and societally, and can adversely impact a person’s health, social relationships, job performance, and much more. Thankfully, effective treatments are available that can alleviate a person’s suffering in powerful ways.
 

But with a wide range of treatments available, clinicians can often feel overwhelmed knowing when and how to incorporate approaches like cognitive restructuring, exposure based
strategies, breathing retraining, and more. In this seminar, join Dr. Jonah Paquette for a practical overview of how we can effectively treat a range of anxiety disorders Attendees will gain tangible skills that they can begin using in their clinical work starting today.

The manner in which mental illness has been dealt with in the criminal justice system especially regarding capital punishment has been described as “the shame of the states. “However the death penalty is not the only area in which we see misuse of psychological theories and research. We see this frequently in such areas as competency to stand trial, the insanity defense, involuntary medication, and failure to recognize the impacts of traumatic brain injury on cognitive functioning.Many of these areas are totally ignored in the law due to two forces: sanism and pretextuality.Sanism represents a bias against mentally ill individuals much like racial or gender bias.  Pretextualism refers to performing some forensic function in a careless or slipshod manner, but presenting it to the court in a manner suggesting that it is scientifically valid.