Course Instructor: Karen Robinson, MSW, ACSW, LCSW, CCTP-II

Target Audience
•Counselors
•Substance Use Disorder Professionals
•Social Workers
•Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists

Educational Goal
The educational goal of this course is to increase understanding of how to be a trauma-informed clinician.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Compare and contrast trauma-informed care and trauma-competent care.

• Explain the importance of healing within the community.

• Identify the 6 Pillars of Trauma healing and describe one practical takeaway for each pillar.

Course Description
This continuing education course will guide session participants through Karen Robinson’s “6 Pillars of Holistic Trauma Healing”. This program will explore comprehensive strategies for healing, focusing on mental, physical, emotional, energetic, and spiritual wellness. Karen has been trained in all evidenced-based trauma modalities and uses an eclectic approach with her clients based on where each individual client is at in their healing journey. Karen will share insights from her 25 years of experience on the differences between trauma-informed care and trauma-competent care; and how the latter is really what is needed for comprehensive healing. Karen will share the benefits of trauma competencies.

Instructor: Michael Wayne Allison, MBA

Target Audience
• Counselors
• Substance Use Disorder Professionals
• Social Workers
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists

Educational Goal
The educational goal of this course is to increase knowledge about mental well-being. 

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the societal stigma surrounding mental health and describe 3 or more ways to overcome it.

• Describe 3 or more effects of vulnerability and honest conversation about mental health.

• Identify 2 actionable strategies or tools that can be used to prioritize mental health both personally and professionally.

• List 2 or more ways to create a supportive and empathetic environment for mental health discussions.

Course Description
Mental health is a critical component of overall well-being, yet it remains shrouded in stigma and misunderstanding. This presentation, “Breaking the Stigma: Unveiling the Power of Mental Health Wellness,” addresses the pervasive societal stigma surrounding mental health and provides strategies for overcoming it. By exploring the detrimental effects of stigma, we aim to highlight the importance of education, open dialogue, and supportive policies. We emphasize the transformative power of vulnerability and honest conversations in fostering trust, reducing isolation, and encouraging help-seeking behavior. Additionally, the presentation offers actionable strategies and tools for prioritizing mental health both personally and professionally, such as mindfulness practices and the implementation of mental health days. Finally, we discuss ways to create a supportive and empathetic environment that facilitates mental health discussions, including training, peer support programs, and inclusive communication practices. Through these efforts, we can promote a culture of understanding and acceptance, ultimately enhancing mental health wellness for all.

Instructor: Carrie Ann Carr, MA, LCPC, LPC-S, LPC-MHSP

Target Audience:
•Counselors
•Substance Use Disorder Professionals
•Social Workers
•Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists

Educational Goal
The educational goal of this course is to increase understanding of healthy leadership skills to grow mental health practices and impact the team and community.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify and describe 3 or more foundations of healthy leadership in the mental health field.

• Explain the impact of healthy leadership in the growth of a mental health practice.

• Describe 2 strategies to enhance leadership for individuals and teams working in mental health.

Course Description
In mental health, we are taught how to be great clinicians and administrators but not how to be impactful leaders and grow our businesses. In this continuing education course, participants will learn the foundations of healthy leadership in the mental health field and determine the various layers of the organization or practice impacted by purposeful leadership. Participants will learn strategies to enhance their own personal leadership skills as well as glean leadership opportunities in their staff.

Course Instructor: Nidhi Gupta, MD

Target Audience
•Counselors
•Substance Use Disorder Professionals
•Social Workers
•Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists

Educational Goal
The educational goal of this course is to provide participants with a practical toolbox that can be used to empower mental health providers in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating digital addiction in all ages.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain Digital Addiction, including its causes and the role of dopamine and serotonin.

• Identify and describe 3 or more signs and symptoms of digital addiction.

• Explain how to utilize assessment tools and questionnaires to assess digital addiction.

• Identify 2 ways digital addiction impacts physical and 2 ways digital addiction impacts mental health.

• Describe at least 3 evidence-based treatment approaches for treating digital addiction.

Course Description
Digital addiction has impacted the human brain in unimaginable ways. A plethora of research indicates clear links between digital addiction and mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression. The United States is dealing with a looming epidemic of loneliness, and unfortunately, the relationship with digital devices has a vital role to play. 

This continuing education course is a practical toolbox to help mental health providers nurture their clients’ digital well-being as well as their own. It will be valuable for those wishing to develop or improve the skills vital to thriving in the digital age. Etiology, signs and symptoms, consequences, assessment tools, and treatment modalities for digital addiction will be reviewed. Key concepts in the process are broken down and simplified.

Course Instructor: Erica Trocino, ​​MC, LPC-S, CEDS-C

Target Audience
•Counselors
•Substance Use Disorder Professionals
•Social Workers
•Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists

Educational Goal
The educational goal of this course is to increase awareness of eating disorders, their warning signs, and treatment.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify and describe 3 or more types of eating disorders.

• Describe 3 warning signs indicative of an eating disorder.

• Identify 2 common co-occurring disorders for eating disorders.

• Identify and explain 2 or more interventions for communicating eating disorder concerns with clients and their families.

• List at least 2 resources providers can use with students to encourage body positivity and diversity.

Course Description
Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes. This continuing education course provides an overview of the various types of eating disorders and their warning signs. We will discuss compassionate interventions that can be used when working with youth struggling with food or body image. Participants will learn about resources for body diversity and how to radiate body positivity with youth.

Course Instructor: Francisca Mix, LPC, BC-DMT, ACS

Target Audience
•Counselors
•Substance Use Disorder Professionals
•Social Workers
•Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists

Educational Goal
The educational goal of this course is to enhance clinical supervision skills when supporting a trainee through their imposter syndrome/self-doubt.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define Imposter Syndrome.

• Identify 3 common fears of trainees.

• Explain the roles and responsibilities, competencies, and management of Clinical Supervision.

• Describe 2 strategies to support trainees in overcoming imposter syndrome.

Course Description
The purpose of this continuing education course is to enhance the skill set of clinical supervisors and provide a clear path in supporting trainees as they develop clarity, competence, and confidence as therapists. Since imposter syndrome is a common experience of a trainee, it behooves the clinical supervisor to learn and understand how to identify and work with the trainee’s self-doubt. This course will review several models that will provide a clear game plan for how to support a trainee when dealing with self-doubt. 

Course Instructor: Tiffany M. Jenkins, EdD, LPC, LCPC, LCADC, ACS, CCTP-II, SAE, SAP

Target Audience
•Counselors
•Substance Use Disorder Professionals
•Social Workers
•Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists

Educational Goal
The educational goal of this course is to empower clinicians to be more effective leaders by helping them create meaningful spaces for growth and development.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify 3 or more harmful supervision practices.

• Define developmental supervision.

• Explain how to implement a developmental supervision approach in personal practice.

Course Description
This continuing education course is designed to assist clinical supervisors in creating meaningful spaces for growth and development. Most clinical supervision experiences are characterized by case review and clock watching, neither of which contribute significantly to the development of the next generation of leaders in our field. Research (Jenkins, 2021) shows that time alone is not an accurate indicator of clinician development. What matters most is the development of key skills associated with a strong clinical focus.

This course will draw upon experiential learning theory (Dewey, 1938), which posits that (1) all genuine education comes about through experience, (2) students must interact with their environment to learn, and (3) all experiences are not created equal. Participants will learn to apply Dewey’s theory to create more meaningful clinical supervision experiences for their supervisees.

Instructor: Natasha D'Arcangelo, QS, LMHC, NCC, CCTP, CCFP

Target Audience
•Counselors
•Substance Use Disorder Professionals
•Social Workers
•Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists

Educational Goal
The educational goal of this course is to increase understanding of practices that can assist clinicians with being sustainable in the mental health field with a higher quality of life.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define compassion fatigue.

• Explain the impact of COVID-19 on mental health professionals.

• Identify 3 or more symptoms of compassion fatigue.

• Describe how to measure the severity of compassion fatigue symptoms.

• Create a sustainability plan to manage symptoms of compassion fatigue and improve quality of life.

Course Description
This continuing education course is for clinicians who feel overwhelmed with current events and burned out by their work. This course will go deeper than discussing self-care and provide practical tools for handling your stress levels. Attendees can immediately implement skills learned to improve their clinical practice and overall well-being. This course will also address concerns related to BIPOC clinicians dealing with microaggressions and systemic racism, which also contribute to compassion fatigue. 

Instructor: Angela R. Clack, PSY.D., LPC

Target Audience
•Counselors
•Substance Use Disorder Professionals
•Social Workers
•Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists

Educational Goal
The educational goal of this course is for therapists/helpers to recognize and embrace the truth that they are not perfect beings.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify and explain three key roles that unfinished business plays in therapy and the therapeutic process.

• Explain the importance of self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-care for the helper/therapist.

• List and explain four or more ethical considerations relevant to helping professionals (e.g., confidentiality, informed consent, boundaries, competence).

• Identify 3 or more strategies for creating a safe and supportive environment for clients.

• Share 2 strategies for ongoing professional development and supervision to support personal growth as a helper.

Course Description
Have you ever given a client/patient feedback and think to yourself, “Wow, that was pretty profound! Maybe I should take my own advice.” We all have. Certainly we are not perfect humans yet many of our clients think we are. But what happens when we aren’t well? The therapeutic relationship forms the foundation of effective psychotherapy, and the therapist’s use of self plays a crucial role in facilitating positive therapeutic outcomes.

As mental health professionals, it is ethically and critically important we examine our use of self, encompassing genuine engagement, empathy, and ability to establish a safe and trusting environment. As therapists we must recognize and manage our own biases, countertransference, and personal reactions to ensure that our responses align with the client’s needs, rather than being driven by our own unresolved issues. By embracing vulnerability and sharing appropriate aspects of our own lived experiences, therapists can validate and normalize our clients’ emotions, fostering a sense of connection and reducing feelings of isolation.

 This workshop will use lecture, discussion, and experiential and didactic exercises to explore the significance of the therapist’s authentic presence and self-awareness, emphasizing their impact on the therapeutic alliance and the client’s overall well-being by owning their own process of healing. We will highlight the importance of therapists prioritizing their mental well-being to enhance their ability to provide competent and compassionate care.

In addition, our work in the larger group will delve into the impact of the therapist’s mental well-being on the therapeutic process. I intend to highlight the necessity for therapists to prioritize self-care, seek supervision, and engage in ongoing personal growth to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue. By taking responsibility for our own mental health, therapists can cultivate resilience, maintain professional boundaries, and sustain a high level of clinical competence.

 Emphasis will be placed on the recognition that the therapist’s use of self in the therapeutic relationship is a dynamic and multifaceted process that significantly influences therapeutic outcomes. By harnessing their authenticity, self-awareness, and self-care practices, therapists can establish strong therapeutic alliances and enhance their clients’ overall well-being.

Finally, this workshop will push for continued exploration and integration of these essential aspects into therapeutic training and practice, recognizing their potential to positively transform the field of psychotherapy.

Course Instructor: Erica Trocino, ​​MC, LPC-S, CEDS-C

Target Audience
•Counselors
•Substance Use Disorder Professionals
•Social Workers
•Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists

Educational Goal
The educational goal of this course is to increase understanding of eating disorders in all forms and genders while promoting compassion for the personal biases we carry about food, body, and weight.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Compare and contrast disordered eating and eating disorders.

• Identify 3 common biases providers have when working with a client with an eating disorder diagnosis.

• Describe 2 commonly overlooked eating disorders.

• Utilize case conceptualizations to identify mistakes within therapeutic interaction that can damage rapport.

• Identify personal biases related to food, body and weight to begin addressing prior to/while working with clients struggling with an eating disorder.

Course Description
In the realm of eating disorder recovery, the landscape is fraught with challenges stemming from outdated perspectives and unaddressed biases among professionals. Despite strides in understanding, many clients continue to suffer silently, their struggles exacerbated by societal stigmas surrounding food, body image, and weight. This presentation delves into the pervasive issue of professionals practicing from antiquated viewpoints, shedding light on the detrimental consequences for clients and providers alike. By exploring prevalent biases, overlooked disorders, and therapeutic pitfalls, this presentation offers an opportunity for introspection by removing the veils of ignorance and offering an empathetic approach to eating disorder treatment.