Past CE Webinars

Overview: Join Karina Van Brunt, LMSW for an in-depth look at the effects of Vicarious Trauma (VT). Whether serving clients in helping professions known to be susceptible to Vicarious Trauma or noting the challenges of individuals living with the repercussions of Vicarious Trauma, we'll engage strategies to help process and mitigate Vicarious Trauma symptoms.

Overview: Join CE You moderator, therapist, and founder of "Therapy Connection", Andrea Brognano, LMHC as we explore the ethics of professional boundaries. Participants will examine practitioners' ethical obligation to maintain appropriate professional boundaries and why these boundaries are important, defining and recognizing the potential dangers of dual relationships, as well as identifying circumstances that could impair objectivity and professional judgment. This webinar can also be used for fulfilling the New York State "Professional Boundaries" continuing education requirement for Social Workers.

Overview: Curious to know what Freud might say? Explore the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mental health with Jodi Geis-Crowder! Participants will define Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it is being used in Chatbots and phone apps as a primary therapist, discuss the ethical considerations that apply to the use of AI as a behavioral health care option, noting they are not regulated by licensing boards codes of ethics, but rather an AI Value Platform Policy Statement. We'll also examine the importance of mandatory disclosure regarding clients seeking services while utilizing adjunct AI, and the importance of working with a clinical supervisor/ clinical consultant and an information technology expert to navigate the clinical waters and to protect professional liability will also be discussed.

Overview: Rev. Karen E. Herrick, PhD., LCSW, LMSW, CADC explains the characteristics and other factors of Near Death Experiences (NDEs), helping practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of the populations that experience NDEs and other types of Spiritually Transforming Experiences (STEs). With 15 million adult experiencers in the United States alone, (12% representing cardiac arrest patients), participants will explore different aspects of Mental Health professionals' responses to clients reporting a NDEs, and the impact of validating these experiences. From those working in healthcare settings, to those working through loss, bereavement and complex grief with families, we invite you to enjoy learning with us as Rev. Dr. Herrick shares her experiences and insights surrounding her groundbreaking work in this rapidly expanding field.

Overview: Victor Hugo is quoted as saying: "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words, and that which cannot remain silent." We invite you to enjoy an evening discovering the evidence-based therapeutic value of music with Shoshana Averbach, LMSW, MA, MT-BC, LCAT, CCM, CDP, CECP! Through theory and demonstration, Shoshana is our guide as we conceptualize music's effect on emotions and mood, examine the strong associative properties of music and its impact on experiences and recollections, as well as consider the contribution of music as a means of expression, and its application therapeutically for clients facing emotional, mental and physical challenges. Prepare to take your music appreciation to a whole new level!

Overview: Modern research suggests approximately 25%-35% of humans are born with a more sensitive nervous system. Picking up on more information from the external environment may enhance the ability to empathize, experience intuition, be detail-oriented, and notice subtle changes. However, Western culture often promotes a need to be tougher, less emotional, remaining ever-able to handle high levels of stress without breaking a sweat. This landscape may leave Highly Sensitive individuals depleted, anxious, and stuck in "survival mode". Join sensitivity-focused educator and life coach, Karina Antonopoulos, as we review contemporary research and assessment surrounding Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) and the supportive measures and strategies that may aid clients in navigating daily functions with a deeper understanding around the implications of being Highly Sensitive, as well as living with Highly Sensitive loved ones.

Overview: Explore and reflect on your own views of race and racial bias with Dr. Monique Swift, PsyD, LMHC, LPC! Participants will also learn how our brains have a natural proclivity toward bias, as well as gain strategies for developing anti-bias clinical practice from a place of cultural humility.

Overview: This webinar, led by Lisa DeLuca, LCSW, explores the transformative power of bottom-up interventions like Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. Rather than relying solely on cognitive processing, participants will learn to access the "body's scorecard" - the unconscious procedural patterns that store traumatic memory. Case studies will depict how shifting the client's focus to mindful awareness of physical sensations not only keeps clients in their window of tolerance but can also help clients move forward. See how to help clients reframe their troubling symptoms as adaptive wisdom and use the body as a primary resource for healing.

Overview: Do you ever feel like some clients are presenting a puzzle with missing pieces? Traditional approaches might not be enough for those struggling with intense emotions, flashbacks, or avoidance behaviors. This could be a sign of underlying trauma. Led by professional counselor and clinical supervisor Jodi Geis-Crowder , this webinar is designed for busy mental health professionals seeking to elevate their practice skills and become leaders in trauma-informed care. We'll review recognition of trauma as well as delve deeper to enhance assessment techniques which help to identify the often-subtle presentations of trauma in clients. We'll discover how cultural beliefs profoundly influence responses to trauma, and discuss effective treatment modalities. Macro practice will also be addressed, exploring ways to become change agents within our systems, identifying and advocating against retraumatizing policies, fostering collaboration with colleagues to build a robust support network for clients and communities. We will also focus on solutions and envisioning a life absent of trauma responses.

Overview: This essential course equips social workers and mental health professionals with the tools to create truly inclusive and affirming services. With therapist Katie Bingner, MS, LCPC as our guide, we’ll delve into recognizing diverse cultural values, beliefs, and practices within the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. Learn culturally sensitive communication and intervention strategies to ensure effective service delivery for all your clients. But inclusion goes deeper. We’ll explore how to identify and dismantle systemic barriers that create inequities for clients. You’ll gain the skills to advocate for policies and practices that promote social justice and dismantle discriminatory structures within systems and the broader community. We’ll also critically analyze the concepts of power, privilege, and oppression. Understanding how these factors impact your clients and how your own practice empowers you to be a more effective advocate and champion for positive change. Join us and build a practice that is truly inclusive and helps all clients to thrive!

Overview: In this webinar, Dr. Tim Victorella equips participants with a comprehensive framework for suicide prevention by bridging systemic data with individual care. Attendees will learn to analyze the intersection of public health trends and clinical warning signs to facilitate earlier and more effective intervention. The session provides practical strategies to execute trauma-informed risk assessments and professional protocols for managing immediate crisis workflows. Attendees will also learn to evaluate individual protective factors which help co-create collaborative and strengths-based long-term safety plans that foster lasting resilience.

Overview: Therapy meets technology! Andrea Brognano, LMHC guides participants through the multidimensional aspects of cyberspace as a therapeutic setting. Gain enhanced insight surrounding the origin and background of online therapy and applied technology platforms, contexts and circumstances to be examined in determining appropriateness of online therapy for different client populations, as well as challenges and safeguards for maintaining client privacy and the ethical responsibilities of clinicians providing services online.

Overview: In this essential webinar, Deborah Levinson, LCSW will equip you to better empower your clients to navigate the complexities and uncertainties of the modern healthcare landscape. We will focus on strategies you can teach clients to find and rely on trustworthy health information, learn practical methods to help clients strengthen their patient-provider relationships and effectively advocate for quality care within today's fragmented, time-restricted managed care system, and discuss resource gaps in coverage for mental health and geriatric care, as well as disparities and barriers facing vulnerable populations, in effort to better help all clients secure the best care possible.

Overview: This course offers theory and tools for working effectively with youth. We will cover areas encompassing the challenges young people face including systems of oppression, seeing and bolstering their strengths, building relationships with young people based in connection, trust and respect, self-awareness as a practitioner, supporting young people to engage in social change and more.

Overview: This dynamic webinar lead by Lea Boriskin, LCSW, is designed to empower every therapist to effectively engage with families. It will first explore why mastering family therapy methods is essential for comprehensive clinical practice, even in a variety of specialties. Participants will gain a practical understanding of various core methods and techniques used in family therapy, providing actionable tools for immediate application. We will also focus on building clinical confidence, offering strategies and insights to help therapists feel comfortable and competent when shifting from individual to family sessions. This course will also offer a review of foundational knowledge to help facilitate change within the family unit.

Overview: Unleash a profound shift in your therapeutic practice with Shoshana Averbach LMSW, MA. This course moves beyond the conventional understanding of countertransference, viewing it not as an obstacle, but as a gateway to deeper insight and mutual growth. You'll learn to define its impact while simultaneously exploring the spiritual and metaphysical dimension of the client-therapist bond, turning emotional echoes into a catalyst for holistic healing. We'll equip you with new perspectives for navigating interactions with challenging clients and provide clarity on how your own attachment style shapes these dynamics. Finally, you'll master core operating principles to evaluate crucial moments of connection and disconnection, enabling you to integrate the subtle, spiritual dimensions of healing into every session. Transform from simply managing Countertransference to actively facilitating Counterhealing.

Overview: Delve into the meaning and application of shared experience as we explore the unique benefits of group work with therapist and life coach, Shira Sameroff, LCSW! Participants will identify ways to foster safety, mutual support and empowerment of participants in a group, as well as draw upon clinical-based exercises to integrate a deeper comprehension of group dynamics, tools, and purposeful activities for effective facilitation. Awareness and skill in addressing the dynamics of oppression (racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.) that may present in interactions among participants and with the facilitator will also be studied. Concrete facilitation and group leadership skills will be explored, along with thoughtful discussion around how and why groups are so meaningful for practitioners and participants alike.

Overview: Journaling can serve as a powerful release valve for the internalized pressure and stresses of everyday life. In this live webinar you will delve into the transformative journey of the journal. Participants will enjoy an overview of journaling techniques and their corresponding therapeutic properties, and learn how this can help clients to become more joyful and connected to themselves and others. This webinar will also explore the primary physical and psychological benefits of the "process journal" for improving and maintaining mental health. Participants will learn how to maintain motivation for a journaling practice, as well as actionable techniques for fostering permanent habits of self-care for clients between sessions and after termination. Much like adding memory to an overloaded computer, this evidence-based therapeutic program offers fast and effective relief from mental and emotional overwhelm by enhancing the "processing power" of the mind and consciousness.

Overview: Feeling sentimental? Join Simple Spaces founder, and Certified Professional Organizer Katie Tracy as we discuss some of the emotions behind many common ways contemporary American families are impacted by clutter. Participants will gain insight surrounding emotional attachment to "stuff", decision making processes, as well as strategies for addressing the different and varied manifestations of emotional attachment that make "letting go" so difficult. Enjoy this class on its own, or as a wonderful supplement building upon Katie's other course, House Full of Stuff. You're sure to gain insight and inspiration to help clients identify and understand both physical and emotional clutter, and its impact on daily life.

Overview: Please join us for a learning experience that will increase your knowledge of empowering clients challenged by behavioral healthcare issues with Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) interventions and skills. Discover how this powerful approach will assist you to confidently approach clients with an approach that focuses on solutions and assists them to meet treatment goals effectively and efficiently. In addition to the powerful tools you will gain, the training includes tools that empower you with assessments tools, a Safety Action Plan, a Mandatory Disclosure Check List, an Action Plan for Prevention and Recovery (APPA), and a bibliography of helpful reading material. Please don't miss this opportunity to transform your clinical skills and confidence to empower clients to focus on solutions.

Overview: Join practicing therapist, Lisa C. DeLuca, LCSW for a closer look at the myths and realities of assertiveness. Participants will examine correlations between assertiveness and client healing, gain deeper comprehension of definitions along with myths and misconceptions concerning assertiveness as well as the Ethical concepts surrounding assertiveness in the therapeutic setting, hindrances to assertiveness, and the impact of transference and countertransference in relation to assertiveness. Learn how to model assertive communication with clients, and teach your clients assertive communication skills so they may effectively advocate for themselves in relationships and in the world.

Overview: Alexa Donnelly, LCSW discusses the complexities of leadership. Participants will explore some of the common expectations surrounding leadership, methods and traits associated with positive leadership, and ethics-based tools when confronting difficult conversations and situations with authenticity.

Overview: While the detrimental consequences of social isolation have always been acknowledged, the emergence of COVID-19 placed a spotlight on the suffering associated with this kind of isolation. Dr. NaKaisha Tolbert-Banks, DSW, LCSW, LCAC reflects on the lasting impact of social isolation through the lens of the pandemic and beyond. Dr. NaKaisha will guide participants through the definitions of social isolation, identifying the role of empathy in how we respond to social isolation among individuals and communities, as well as applying interventions to support those experiencing social isolation in a variety of contexts.

Overview: Ever wonder how mental health professionals end up on the wrong side of the law (or social media)? If so, this is the webinar for you! Of course it isn't just about the dry stuff (though we'll cover the important ethical codes, too). We'll dive into real-life, headline-grabbing cases where ethical lines got crossed, and dissect what went wrong in a way that's informative. Learn how to avoid becoming the next cautionary tale by identifying the ethical pitfalls that tripped up professionals before you. We'll explore the essentials of good client care, keeping you on the right side of both the law and your clients' well-being. Plus, we'll equip you with some important tools to help navigate when to seek out legal consultation. So, buckle up and get ready to traverse the ethical landscape of social work and mental health practice with confidence. (And enjoy some lively discussions along the way!)

Overview: Join Joseph Wilner, LCP, BCC, for a comprehensive exploration of Mindfulness-Based Therapy (MBT). Participants will gain a solid comprehension of MBT's theoretical underpinnings, including its key concepts and principles. Practical applications will be demonstrated, showcasing how mindfulness techniques can be effectively integrated into therapeutic sessions to address various mental health challenges. Additionally, we'll delve into the essential role of the therapist's mindful presence, emphasizing the importance of cultivating a calm, centered, and compassionate therapeutic stance. By the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be equipped with more knowledge and skills to help incorporate mindfulness-based interventions into their practice, enhancing their ability to support clients in achieving optimal mental health and well-being.

Overview: Explore and reflect on your own views of race and racial bias with Dr. Monique Swift, PsyD, LMHC, LPC! Participants will also learn how our brains have a natural proclivity toward bias, as well as gain strategies for developing anti-bias clinical practice from a place of cultural humility.