Register for the

48th Annual
46th Annual

Psychotherapy networker symposium

March 20-23, 2025
The World's Premier Psychotherapy Conference!
Live Online and Available Fully On-Demand

Esther Perel

World-renowned Relationship Expert, NYT bestselling author

Esther Perel has devoted her entire professional life to helping people build thriving relationships. She believes that the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives. Since arriving as a graduate student in the United States, Perel has examined the concept from myriad angles: the nature of cultural and religious identity, the negotiation between tradition and modernity, the ebb and flow between individualism and collectivism. She observed interracial and interreligious couples; the cultural forces that affect gender roles; practices of childrearing; and ultimately, the tensions, obstacles, and anxieties that arise when our quest for love and security conflicts with our pursuit of adventure and freedom.

Today, Perel is best known as the host of the wildly popular podcast Where Should We Begin? This fascinating, inside look at Perel’s sessions with real-life couples has unlocked a deep-seated cultural interest in hashing these issues out openly in order to live better lives. However, it has also unlocked within Perel the understanding that her years of study and practice go beyond the romantic, and that the lessons she has learned can be applied to relationships of all kinds, in all environments. The same principles used to create an open, balanced relationship with one’s significant other can be applied to our co-workers, our bosses, and our world at large.

New York Times best-selling author Esther Perel is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern relationships. As a psychotherapist, Perel has helmed a therapy practice in New York City for more than 35 years. In parallel, she serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Fluent in nine languages, Perel’s celebrated TED talks have garnered more than 40 million views and her best-selling books have been translated into 31 languages. Perel is an executive producer and host of the award-winning podcast Where Should We Begin? Her new podcast How’s Work? focuses on workplace dynamics and can be enjoyed on Spotify or other podcast providers.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Esther Perel maintains a private practice. She has employment relationships with Columbia University, Ackerman Institute for the Family, Norwegian Institute for the Expressive Arts Therapies, The Minuchin center for the Family, and 92nd Street Y. She receives royalties as a published author. Esther Perel receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Esther Perel is a member of the American Family Therapy Academy, The Society for Sex Therapy and Research, and the American Association for Sex Educators, Counsellors and Therapists.

Esther Perel

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Pioneering Innovator in Mindfulness for Clinical Practice

Featured in Bill Moyer's PBS Special, "Healing and the Mind", Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., is executive director at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He is the founder and former director of the UMMC Stress Reduction Clinic and an associate professor of medicine in the division of preventive and behavioral medicine. Using mindfulness meditation, Kabat-Zinn works to help people reduce stress and deal with chronic pain, and a variety of illnesses, particularly breast cancer. He was a trainer for the 1984 U.S. Men's Olympic Rowing Team and is especially interested in reducing the stress-related problems in the inner city and in prison populations.

Kabat-Zinn's books include: Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness (1991); Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (1994) and Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting (1997), which was co-authored with his wife, Myla.

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Ramani Durvasula

Dr. Ramani Durvasula is a licensed clinical psychologist, Professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles, and the Founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training & Consulting, a company that offers a range of programs focused on educating survivors, clinicians, coaches and businesses on the impacts of narcissism on health, wellness and functioning. She’s the author of Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility, Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With A Narcissist. Dr. Ramani also has a popular YouTube channel that focuses on narcissism and difficult relationships, mental health, and societal expectations. Her work has been featured at SxSW, TEDx and on a wide range of media platforms including, Red Table Talk, the Today Show, Oxygen, Investigation Discovery and Bravo. She is also a featured expert on the digital media mental health platform MedCircle. Dr. Durvasula’s research on personality disorders has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and she is a Consulting Editor of the scientific journal Behavioral Medicine. Dr. Durvasula is a brutally honest voice on the struggles raised by narcissism in the US and globally.  

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Ramani Durvasula is the founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training, and Consulting. She maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with the California State University Los Angeles and the University of Johannesburg. Ramani Durvasula receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Ramani Durvasula is an associate editor for Behavioral Medicine and a consulting editor for Psychology of Women Quarterly and Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Mental Health. She is an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, AIDS and Behavior, and Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. Ramani Durvasula is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science Society for Behavioral Medicine, and the International Association of Applied Psychology.

Ramani Durvasula

Daniel J. Siegel

Interpersonal Neurobiology Expert, Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute

Daniel J. Siegel, MD, is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and completed his postgraduate medical education at UCLA with training in pediatrics and child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. He is currently a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, founding co-director of UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center, founding co-investigator at the UCLA Center for Culture, Brain and Development, and executive director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational center devoted to promoting insight, compassion, and empathy in individuals, families, institutions, and communities.

Dr. Siegel's psychotherapy practice spans thirty years, and he has published extensively for the professional audience. He serves as the Founding Editor for the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology which includes over 70 textbooks. Dr. Siegel's books include his five New York Times bestsellers: Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence; Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human, and two books with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D, The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline. His other books include:The Power of Showing Up also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D., The Developing Mind, The Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology, Mindsight, The Mindful Brain, The Mindful Therapist, Parenting from the Inside Out (with Mary Hartzell, M.Ed.), and The Yes Brain (also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D). He has been invited to lecture for the King of Thailand, Pope John Paul II, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Google University, and TEDx.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Daniel Siegel is the clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine, the medical director of Lifespan Learning Institute, the executive director of Center for Human Development and Mindsight Institute, and the founding editor of Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology. He receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Daniel Siegel receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Daniel Siegel serves on the advisory board for Gloo and Convergence in Washington, D.C.

Daniel J. Siegel

Frank Anderson

Renowned Harvard-trained psychiatrist, IFS Lead Trainer, Author Transcending Trauma

Frank Anderson, MD, completed his residency and was a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is both a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation and is passionate about teaching brain-based psychotherapy and integrating current neuroscience knowledge with the IFS model of therapy.

Dr. Anderson is a lead trainer at the IFS Institute with Richard Schwartz and maintains a long affiliation with, and trains for, Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Center. He serves as an advisor to the International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP) and was the former chair and director of the Foundation for Self-Leadership.

Dr. Anderson has lectured extensively on the Neurobiology of PTSD and Dissociation and wrote the chapter “Who’s Taking What” Connecting Neuroscience, Psychopharmacology and Internal Family Systems for Trauma in Internal Family Systems Therapy – New Dimensions. He co-authored a chapter on What IFS Brings to Trauma Treatment in Innovations and Elaborations in Internal Family Systems Therapy, and recently co-authored Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual.

His most recent book, entitled Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems was released on May 19, 2021.

His memoir, To Be Loved, released on May 7, 2024.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Frank Anderson maintains a private practice. He is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Self Leadership and has employment relationships with The Trauma Center and The Center for Self Leadership. Dr. Anderson receives royalties as a published author. He receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Frank Anderson is a member of the New England Society Studying Trauma and Dissociation and the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.

Frank Anderson

Kenneth V. Hardy

Kenneth V. Hardy, PhD, is a Clinical and Organizational Consultant at the Eikenberg Institute for Relationships in New York, NY where he also serves a director.  

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Kenneth Hardy has employment relationships with Eikenberg Institute for Relationships and Eikenberg Academy for Social Justice . He receives royalties as a published author. Kenneth Hardy receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Kenneth Hardy has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Kenneth V. Hardy

Janina Fisher

Janina Fisher, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and former instructor at The Trauma Center, a research and treatment center founded by Bessel van der Kolk. Known as an expert on the treatment of trauma, Dr. Fisher has also been treating individuals, couples, and families since 1980.

She is past president of the New England Society for the Treatment of Trauma and Dissociation, an EMDR International Association Credit Provider, Assistant Educational Director of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute, and a former Instructor, at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Fisher lectures and teaches nationally and internationally on topics related to the integration of the neurobiological research and newer trauma treatment paradigms into traditional therapeutic modalities.

She is co-author with Pat Ogden of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Attachment and Trauma (2015) and author of Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Internal Self-Alienation (2017) and the forthcoming book, Working with the Neurobiological Legacy of Trauma (in press).

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Janina Fisher has an employment relationship with the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. She is a consultant for Khiron House Clinics and the Massachusetts Department of MH Restraint and Seclusion Initiative. Dr. Fisher receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. Dr. Fisher has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Janina Fisher is on the advisory board for the Trauma Research Foundation. She is a patron of the Bowlby Center.

Janina Fisher

David Kessler

David Kessler is one of the world’s foremost experts on grief and loss. His decades of experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a happy and fulfilled life, even after life’s tragedies. He is the author of six books, including his latest bestselling book, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. He coauthored two books with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. His new online model of grief support, Tender Hearts, offers over twenty-five groups. Additionally, David leads one of the most respected Grief Educator Certification programs. He is the founder of Grief.com.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: David Kessler is the is the co-founder and President Emeritus of Project Angel Food. He is a published author and receives royalties. David Kessler receives a speaking honorarium and recording and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: David Kessler is a board member for the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. He is a team member of the Health Care Executives of Southern California, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Red Cross.

David Kessler

Diana Fosha

Diana Fosha, PhD, is the developer of AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy), a healing-based, transformation-oriented model of psychotherapeutic treatment and she is founder and director of the AEDP Institute. For the last 20 years, Diana has been active in promoting a scientific basis for a healing-oriented, attachment-emotion-transformation focused trauma treatment model. Fosha’s work focuses on integrating positive neuroplasticity, recognition science and developmental dyadic research into experiential and transformational clinical work with patients. Her most recent work focuses on promoting flourishing as a seamless part of AEDP’s therapeutic process of transforming emotional suffering. Drawing on affective neuroscience, attachment theory, mother-infant developmental research, and research documenting the undreamed-of plasticity in the adult brain, AEDP has developed an experiential clinical practice, which reflects the integration of science, research and practice in psychotherapy.

Based in New York City, where she lives and practices, Fosha has been on the faculties of the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology of NYU and St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Medical Centers (now Mount Sinai) in NYC, and of the doctoral programs in clinical psychology at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University and at The City University of New York.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Diana Fosha is the Director and Founder of the AEDP Institute and maintains a private practice. She receives royalties as a published author. Diana Fosha receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Diana Fosha is on the advisory board of GAINS and the Society for Constructivism in the Human Science. She is on the Planning Committee and Advisory Board of by the Lifespan Learning Institute and is a member of the American Psychological Association.

Diana Fosha

Lisa Ferentz

Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA, is a recognized expert in the strengths-based, de-pathologized treatment of trauma and has been in private practice for over 35 years. She presents workshops and keynote addresses nationally and internationally, and is a clinical consultant to practitioners and mental health agencies in the United States, Canada, the UK and Ireland.

She has been an adjunct faculty member at several Universities, and is the Founder of “The Ferentz Institute,” now in its 11th year of providing continuing education to mental health professionals and graduating over 1,200 clinicians from her two certificate programs in Advanced Trauma Treatment.

In 2009, she was voted the “Social Worker of Year” by the Maryland Society for Clinical Social Work. Lisa is the author of Treating Self-Destructive Behaviors in Trauma Survivors: A Clinician’s Guide, 2nd Edition (Routledge, 2014), Letting Go of Self-Destructive Behaviors: A Workbook of Hope and Healing (Routledge, 2014), and Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons From the Therapist’s Couch (PESI, 2017). Lisa also hosted a weekly radio talk show, writes blogs and articles for websites on self-harm and self-care, and teaches on many webinars.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lisa Ferentz maintains a private practice and is the Founder and President of the Ferentz Institute. She receives royalties as a published author and is a consultant for Northwest Hospital. Lisa Ferentz receives a speaking honorarium and product royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lisa Ferentz is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the American Psychotherapy Association.

Lisa Ferentz
Plus, Linda Thai, Claudia Black, Ellyn Bader, Ed Tronick, Tammy Nelson, Arielle Schwartz, Matthias Barker and 65 more of the field's leading experts!

Limited-time Early Bird Discounts are Now Available!

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For 48 years, the Networker Symposium has been a gathering of connection, creativity, and rejuvenation for therapists dedicated to creating meaningful change for clients, communities, and themselves.

Featuring dozens of the field's leading innovators, and a community of over 5,000 of your devoted colleagues, this is the place to access the latest advances in the field and discover a range of possibilities to bring fresh ideas and inspiration to your practice. Plus, you’ll have the most fun you’ll ever have at a professional conference!

2025 Psychotherapy Networker Symposium

March 20-23, 2025
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Learn from leading therapy innovators, including...

Ellyn Bader, Couples Institute Co-Founder
Deb Dana, Leading Polyvagal Informed Therapy Innovator
Claudia Black, Expert in Adult Children of Addiction
Diana Fosha, developer fo Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) 
Vienna Pharaon, “The Mindful MFT” and The Origins of You author 
Janina Fisher, renowned trauma expert and author
David Kessler, Grief Expert
Abi Blakeslee, Somatic Therapy Trainer
Ramani Durvasula, Narcissism expert
Harville Hendrix & Helen LaKelly Hunt, Developers of IMAGO Therapy
Arielle Schwartz, author of The Complex PTSD Treatment Manual

Deran Young, Founder of Black Therapists Rock
Tammy Nelson, founder of The Integrative Sex Therapy Institute
Stan Tatkin, developer of PACT and author Wired for Love
Alexia Rothman, renowned IFS practitioner
Matthias Barker, psychotherapy educator
Elliott Connie, developer of Solution Focused Brief Therapy
Martha Kauppi, author Polyamory: A Clinical Toolkit
David Grand, developer of Brainspotting
Peter Fraenkel, author Last Chance Couple Therapy
Lisa Ferentz, Founder of the Ferentz Institute
James Gordon, Founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine
Hilary Waller, Post-partum expert

Schedule at a Glance

Click on the days below to see times of each event
*All times are listed in Eastern Time
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Thursday, March 20

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM ~ Creativity Day - Full Day Intensive Deep-Dive Workshops
(Opportunities for Ethics CE, Cultural CE, and certification workshops!)
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM ~ Main Stage: Special Symposium Opening Keynote Address
3:00 PM - 6:00 PM ~ Grand Opening of the Symposium Exhibit Hall & Conference Bookstore!

Thursday
Afternoon Keynote: 3:30 – 4:30 pm ET
Jean Twenge, PhD

iGen

Guiding the Smartphone Generation

Psychologist Jean Twenge is one of the foremost researchers exploring the lives of kids and teens today. Her up-to-the-minute studies tying the rise of mental health issues in teens to the explosion of smartphones have widely influenced key cultural figures and educational policy from coast to coast. A professor at San Diego State University and popular speaker, her talks and seminars about generational differences are based on an impressive dataset of over 40 million people, which keeps her in the center of both the intellectual debates and cultural maelstrom surrounding technology and teens. Among her 180 scientific publications and seven books are Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future and Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. A frequent network news media guest, she writes the Generation Tech substack.  

In this talk, Twenge will delve into the latest findings about how being the first generation to spend their adolescence with smartphones is affecting today’s teens. Has it really made them more likely to experience unhappiness, anxiety, and depression? And if so, what can therapists do to help? 

Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA

Trauma Expert and Founder of The Ferentz Institute
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET

101 - Creative & Expressive Approaches to Treating Depression

Working with Hypoarousal & Affective Disorders

For clients who’ve long struggled with major depression, looking at their diagnosis through the lens of hypo-arousal provides a framework for understanding and treating their cognitive, emotional, somatic, and behavioral symptoms. Adding a psychosocial lens helps them process intrapsychic, interpersonal, and environmental triggers. In the face of these triggers, it’s important to help clients understand the current research around the adverse, long-term effects of “medical marijuana” when used to treat depression—and to offer them a host of creative, non-pharmacological tools so they can get effective relief for their debilitating symptoms. In this workshop, we’ll explore the myriad approaches that can help clients feel more empowered to manage their affective disorders and decrease the negative thoughts, feelings, and uncomfortable somatic experiences that can overwhelm them. You’ll learn: 

  • Simple interventions to add to your clinical toolbox for treating major depression that positively connect body and mind 
  • Cognitive reframing through writing and art prompts, visualization, guided imagery solution-focused strategies, parts work, and self-talk  
  • Somatic resourcing techniques that offer clients gentle body-based tools that can bring quick relief for symptoms of depression 
  • How to feel more empowered about the management and treatment of affective disorders 

 

Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA, is a recognized expert in the strengths-based, de-pathologized treatment of trauma and has been in private practice for over 35 years. She presents workshops and keynote addresses nationally and internationally, and is a clinical consultant to practitioners and mental health agencies in the United States, Canada, the UK and Ireland.

She has been an adjunct faculty member at several Universities, and is the Founder of “The Ferentz Institute,” now in its 11th year of providing continuing education to mental health professionals and graduating over 1,200 clinicians from her two certificate programs in Advanced Trauma Treatment.

In 2009, she was voted the “Social Worker of Year” by the Maryland Society for Clinical Social Work. Lisa is the author of Treating Self-Destructive Behaviors in Trauma Survivors: A Clinician’s Guide, 2nd Edition (Routledge, 2014), Letting Go of Self-Destructive Behaviors: A Workbook of Hope and Healing (Routledge, 2014), and Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons From the Therapist’s Couch (PESI, 2017). Lisa also hosted a weekly radio talk show, writes blogs and articles for websites on self-harm and self-care, and teaches on many webinars.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lisa Ferentz maintains a private practice and is the Founder and President of the Ferentz Institute. She receives royalties as a published author and is a consultant for Northwest Hospital. Lisa Ferentz receives a speaking honorarium and product royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lisa Ferentz is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the American Psychotherapy Association.

Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET


101 - Creative & Expressive Approaches to Treating Depression

Working with Hypoarousal & Affective Disorders
More Details

Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA

Trauma Expert and Founder of The Ferentz Institute
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET

101 - Creative & Expressive Approaches to Treating Depression

Working with Hypoarousal & Affective Disorders

For clients who’ve long struggled with major depression, looking at their diagnosis through the lens of hypo-arousal provides a framework for understanding and treating their cognitive, emotional, somatic, and behavioral symptoms. Adding a psychosocial lens helps them process intrapsychic, interpersonal, and environmental triggers. In the face of these triggers, it’s important to help clients understand the current research around the adverse, long-term effects of “medical marijuana” when used to treat depression—and to offer them a host of creative, non-pharmacological tools so they can get effective relief for their debilitating symptoms. In this workshop, we’ll explore the myriad approaches that can help clients feel more empowered to manage their affective disorders and decrease the negative thoughts, feelings, and uncomfortable somatic experiences that can overwhelm them. You’ll learn: 

  • Simple interventions to add to your clinical toolbox for treating major depression that positively connect body and mind 
  • Cognitive reframing through writing and art prompts, visualization, guided imagery solution-focused strategies, parts work, and self-talk  
  • Somatic resourcing techniques that offer clients gentle body-based tools that can bring quick relief for symptoms of depression 
  • How to feel more empowered about the management and treatment of affective disorders 

 

Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA, is a recognized expert in the strengths-based, de-pathologized treatment of trauma and has been in private practice for over 35 years. She presents workshops and keynote addresses nationally and internationally, and is a clinical consultant to practitioners and mental health agencies in the United States, Canada, the UK and Ireland.

She has been an adjunct faculty member at several Universities, and is the Founder of “The Ferentz Institute,” now in its 11th year of providing continuing education to mental health professionals and graduating over 1,200 clinicians from her two certificate programs in Advanced Trauma Treatment.

In 2009, she was voted the “Social Worker of Year” by the Maryland Society for Clinical Social Work. Lisa is the author of Treating Self-Destructive Behaviors in Trauma Survivors: A Clinician’s Guide, 2nd Edition (Routledge, 2014), Letting Go of Self-Destructive Behaviors: A Workbook of Hope and Healing (Routledge, 2014), and Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons From the Therapist’s Couch (PESI, 2017). Lisa also hosted a weekly radio talk show, writes blogs and articles for websites on self-harm and self-care, and teaches on many webinars.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lisa Ferentz maintains a private practice and is the Founder and President of the Ferentz Institute. She receives royalties as a published author and is a consultant for Northwest Hospital. Lisa Ferentz receives a speaking honorarium and product royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lisa Ferentz is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the American Psychotherapy Association.

George Faller, LMFT

Founder of the New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm EST

102 - The High-Conflict Couple

Moving from Blame to Vulnerability

Working with highly escalated couples and families can be scary and exhausting. Often, our best attempts at creating positive change fall flat. Sometimes, us trying to guide sessions into a safe zone even leads to more entrenched silence or further criticism. When negative cycles take over, and we find ourselves faced with shut-down withdrawers and hostile pursuers, how do we shift them out of reactivity and into responsiveness? This workshop draws on proven interventions from Emotionally Focused Therapy and the neuroscience of human attachment to help you navigate the recurring blocks and common triggers therapists encounter in couples and family work. You’ll walk away with new tools that will empower you to shift the reactivity and mis-attunement that so often derails work with highly escalated partners and families. You’ll discover how to: 

  • Help clients shift from blaming their partner to sharing their vulnerability  
  • Transform negative cycles of interaction into positive cycles of responsiveness 
  • Help partners to recognize and put words to their inner experiences  
  • Immediately incorporate powerful techniques to reduce client reactivity and begin the process of healing 

Prior to a career in the field of mental health, George Faller, LMFT spent 20 years as a NYC Firefighter and NYC Police Officer. His experience as a FDNY Peer Counselor, particularly following the events of 9/11, sparked his passion to help those impacted by trauma.

He is a certified trainer/supervisor/therapist in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and founder of the New York Center for Emotionally Focused therapy where he serves as president. He is a supervisor with the American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy (AAMFT) and teaches classes at the Ackerman Institute for the Family in Manhattan. He is a licensed marriage & family therapist currently practicing in Connecticut and New York. George is the director of training at the Greenwich Center for Hope & Renewal in Connecticut and is on board of the Porter Cason Institute at Tulane University in New Orleans.

George brings a unique and varied experience to his practice. Whether he is providing marriage therapy to Wall Street executives, leading a conference for the United States Military or equipping therapists from around the globe, his ability to inspire is far-reaching. George is also committed to bringing EFT to underprivileged populations and pushing the leading edge of effective therapy.

George is the coauthor of the books True Connection, Sacred Stress, and Emotionally Focused Family Therapy and cohost of podcast Foreplay Radio. For more information go to www.georgefaller.com and checkout www.successinvulnerability.com


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: George Faller is the Director of Training for the Center For Hope & Renewal, and the President of the New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy. He is the co-host of the ForePlay Radio Podcast, leader of Success in Vulnerability, and adjunct professor at the Ackerman Institute for the Family. George receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: George Faller has no relevant non-financial relationships.

George Faller, LMFT
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm EST


102 - The High-Conflict Couple

Moving from Blame to Vulnerability
More Details

George Faller, LMFT

Founder of the New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm EST

102 - The High-Conflict Couple

Moving from Blame to Vulnerability

Working with highly escalated couples and families can be scary and exhausting. Often, our best attempts at creating positive change fall flat. Sometimes, us trying to guide sessions into a safe zone even leads to more entrenched silence or further criticism. When negative cycles take over, and we find ourselves faced with shut-down withdrawers and hostile pursuers, how do we shift them out of reactivity and into responsiveness? This workshop draws on proven interventions from Emotionally Focused Therapy and the neuroscience of human attachment to help you navigate the recurring blocks and common triggers therapists encounter in couples and family work. You’ll walk away with new tools that will empower you to shift the reactivity and mis-attunement that so often derails work with highly escalated partners and families. You’ll discover how to: 

  • Help clients shift from blaming their partner to sharing their vulnerability  
  • Transform negative cycles of interaction into positive cycles of responsiveness 
  • Help partners to recognize and put words to their inner experiences  
  • Immediately incorporate powerful techniques to reduce client reactivity and begin the process of healing 

Prior to a career in the field of mental health, George Faller, LMFT spent 20 years as a NYC Firefighter and NYC Police Officer. His experience as a FDNY Peer Counselor, particularly following the events of 9/11, sparked his passion to help those impacted by trauma.

He is a certified trainer/supervisor/therapist in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and founder of the New York Center for Emotionally Focused therapy where he serves as president. He is a supervisor with the American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy (AAMFT) and teaches classes at the Ackerman Institute for the Family in Manhattan. He is a licensed marriage & family therapist currently practicing in Connecticut and New York. George is the director of training at the Greenwich Center for Hope & Renewal in Connecticut and is on board of the Porter Cason Institute at Tulane University in New Orleans.

George brings a unique and varied experience to his practice. Whether he is providing marriage therapy to Wall Street executives, leading a conference for the United States Military or equipping therapists from around the globe, his ability to inspire is far-reaching. George is also committed to bringing EFT to underprivileged populations and pushing the leading edge of effective therapy.

George is the coauthor of the books True Connection, Sacred Stress, and Emotionally Focused Family Therapy and cohost of podcast Foreplay Radio. For more information go to www.georgefaller.com and checkout www.successinvulnerability.com


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: George Faller is the Director of Training for the Center For Hope & Renewal, and the President of the New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy. He is the co-host of the ForePlay Radio Podcast, leader of Success in Vulnerability, and adjunct professor at the Ackerman Institute for the Family. George receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: George Faller has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Connor Beaton & Duey Freeman, LPC

Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

103 - Getting Results with Male Clients

A Developmental & Attachment-Based Approach

When it comes to working with male clients, what strategies and practices work best? How do you work with a man who’s stuck in his head, constantly over-rationalizing, or caught in a cycle of self-sabotage? What do you do if he struggles to connect to his emotions, can’t (or won’t) address hidden trauma or pain, or is deeply avoidant? In this workshop, you’ll learn, step by step, a proven framework rooted in attachment and developmental principles that helps even the most tough-to-crack male clients get out of their heads, into their bodies, and feeling a fuller, more satisfying sense of self. You’ll also learn: 

  • The latest approaches rooted in attachment and developmental science, and how they can be specifically adapted for men 
  • Prompts and exercises proven to help men articulate their emotions in a more visceral way 
  • Tools for working with “resistance” and avoidance 
  • How to respond when male clients respond to therapy with intensity or shut down 

Connor Beaton is the founder of ManTalks, an international organization focused on improving the lives, relationships, and mental health of men. He’s also an international speaker, author of the bestselling book Men’s Work: A Practical Guide to Face Your Darkness, End Self-Sabotage, and Find Freedom, and host of the podcast ManTalks. He’s also a TEDx speaker and has been featured in Forbes, The Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, and National Post. 

Duey Freeman, LPC, is a licensed therapist and attachment specialist. Having developed his own attachment and development model, 90,000+ hours of direct client hours, and years spent training thousands of therapists, he brings a depth of wisdom and mastery that is hard to match. He also co-founded the Gestalt Equine Institute and the Gestalt Institute of the Rockies in Colorado where he lives with his partner Kimberly. 

Connor Beaton & Duey Freeman, LPC
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET


103 - Getting Results with Male Clients

A Developmental & Attachment-Based Approach
More Details

Connor Beaton & Duey Freeman, LPC

Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

103 - Getting Results with Male Clients

A Developmental & Attachment-Based Approach

When it comes to working with male clients, what strategies and practices work best? How do you work with a man who’s stuck in his head, constantly over-rationalizing, or caught in a cycle of self-sabotage? What do you do if he struggles to connect to his emotions, can’t (or won’t) address hidden trauma or pain, or is deeply avoidant? In this workshop, you’ll learn, step by step, a proven framework rooted in attachment and developmental principles that helps even the most tough-to-crack male clients get out of their heads, into their bodies, and feeling a fuller, more satisfying sense of self. You’ll also learn: 

  • The latest approaches rooted in attachment and developmental science, and how they can be specifically adapted for men 
  • Prompts and exercises proven to help men articulate their emotions in a more visceral way 
  • Tools for working with “resistance” and avoidance 
  • How to respond when male clients respond to therapy with intensity or shut down 

Connor Beaton is the founder of ManTalks, an international organization focused on improving the lives, relationships, and mental health of men. He’s also an international speaker, author of the bestselling book Men’s Work: A Practical Guide to Face Your Darkness, End Self-Sabotage, and Find Freedom, and host of the podcast ManTalks. He’s also a TEDx speaker and has been featured in Forbes, The Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, and National Post. 

Duey Freeman, LPC, is a licensed therapist and attachment specialist. Having developed his own attachment and development model, 90,000+ hours of direct client hours, and years spent training thousands of therapists, he brings a depth of wisdom and mastery that is hard to match. He also co-founded the Gestalt Equine Institute and the Gestalt Institute of the Rockies in Colorado where he lives with his partner Kimberly. 

Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP

Executive Director of EnergyPsycho.org
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

104 - EFT for Emotional Regulation & Trauma Processing  

An Energy Psychology Approach

What if you could give clients immobilized by trauma fast relief, without having to worry about retraumatizing them by rehashing what happened to them? Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) are some of the preeminent bottom-up energy psychology approaches for rapidly calming the body and restoring balance after trauma-induced stress and anxiety. These techniques are easy to learn, backed by over 200 research studies, and have been used to treat everything from test anxiety to PTSD in veterans to survivors of genocide in Rwanda. In this workshop, we’ll explore how and why EFT works, as well as its many applications for any client population. You’ll learn:

  • The two phases of EFT: first, using it to aid in emotional regulation, and then using it to treat traumatic memories  
  • How to integrate EFT’s different techniques into trauma treatment  
  • Why EFT goes beyond “tapping,” integrating aspects of multiple approaches from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Erickonian Hypnosis 

Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP, is a licensed psychologist and master therapist and trainer who has been practicing for over 30 years. He is the Executive Director of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (energypsych.org). He has been teaching trauma treatment as well as energy psychology approaches for over 20 years. He has presented workshops internationally on trauma, Ericksonian hypnosis, brief therapy and energy psychology.

He is the author of Tools for Transforming Trauma, and PTSD: A Clinician’s Guide, as well as a book on couples work We’re No Fun Anymore and numerous articles and videos. Dr. Schwarz has organized over 20 conferences on treating trauma, Energy Psychology, Ericksonian Hypnosis and brief therapy training over 15,000 therapists. He is a clinical member of AAMFT, an approved consultant in Hypnosis, and a diplomat in Comprehensive Energy Psychology. He is known for his ability to provide specific clinical skills within an integrative model. Participants consistently comment that his workshops are engaging and entertaining, full of humor as well as deeply moving demonstrations.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Robert Schwarz maintains a private practice and is the executive director of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology. He is a published author and receives royalties. Dr. Schwarz receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Robert Schwarz has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET


104 - EFT for Emotional Regulation & Trauma Processing  

An Energy Psychology Approach
More Details

Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP

Executive Director of EnergyPsycho.org
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

104 - EFT for Emotional Regulation & Trauma Processing  

An Energy Psychology Approach

What if you could give clients immobilized by trauma fast relief, without having to worry about retraumatizing them by rehashing what happened to them? Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) are some of the preeminent bottom-up energy psychology approaches for rapidly calming the body and restoring balance after trauma-induced stress and anxiety. These techniques are easy to learn, backed by over 200 research studies, and have been used to treat everything from test anxiety to PTSD in veterans to survivors of genocide in Rwanda. In this workshop, we’ll explore how and why EFT works, as well as its many applications for any client population. You’ll learn:

  • The two phases of EFT: first, using it to aid in emotional regulation, and then using it to treat traumatic memories  
  • How to integrate EFT’s different techniques into trauma treatment  
  • Why EFT goes beyond “tapping,” integrating aspects of multiple approaches from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Erickonian Hypnosis 

Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP, is a licensed psychologist and master therapist and trainer who has been practicing for over 30 years. He is the Executive Director of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (energypsych.org). He has been teaching trauma treatment as well as energy psychology approaches for over 20 years. He has presented workshops internationally on trauma, Ericksonian hypnosis, brief therapy and energy psychology.

He is the author of Tools for Transforming Trauma, and PTSD: A Clinician’s Guide, as well as a book on couples work We’re No Fun Anymore and numerous articles and videos. Dr. Schwarz has organized over 20 conferences on treating trauma, Energy Psychology, Ericksonian Hypnosis and brief therapy training over 15,000 therapists. He is a clinical member of AAMFT, an approved consultant in Hypnosis, and a diplomat in Comprehensive Energy Psychology. He is known for his ability to provide specific clinical skills within an integrative model. Participants consistently comment that his workshops are engaging and entertaining, full of humor as well as deeply moving demonstrations.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Robert Schwarz maintains a private practice and is the executive director of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology. He is a published author and receives royalties. Dr. Schwarz receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Robert Schwarz has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Christine Mark-Griffin, LCSW

EMDR Therapy for Children Expert and Award-Winning Author
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

105 - Playing Outside of the Box

Creative & Adaptable Interventions for Kids

In today’s fast-paced world, the rise in screen time and structured activities is dramatically reducing opportunities for imaginative and physical play—critical for children's cognitive, social, and emotional development. Recent findings reveal that cultural factors and technology greatly impact play and trauma treatment. While technology can enrich play, its integration poses challenges. In this highly interactive workshop, you'll explore creative and practical interventions to help reignite children's imaginations and build their emotional resilience. You’ll gain: 

  • Innovative strategies for integrating imaginative and physical play into trauma treatment 
  • Practical tools to personalize interventions, tailoring them to meet each child's unique needs 
  • Techniques to adapt play therapy methods in response to the challenges posed by modern technology 
  • Insights on fostering emotional resilience and creativity in children through dynamic, hands-on activities 
  • Creative attachment-focused interventions to engage and involve parents/caregivers in family sessions 

Christine Mark-Griffin, LCSW,RYT is an internationally acclaimed expert in EMDR therapy for children and award-winning author. Christine is passionate about playfully combining her love of yoga, music, movement & fitness with clinical practice to help others learn, grow and heal. She is the owner of Spark All Wellness, a small group practice located in San Francisco, California specializing in EMDR and trauma-informed yoga therapy with women and children. She is also the founder of EMDR for Kids, where her mission is to empower therapists, parents, and children of all ages with resources, tools, and advanced training to overcome trauma & adversities. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Christine Mark-Griffin is the owner of Spark All Wellness. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Christine Mark-Griffin is a member of National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)."

Christine Mark-Griffin, LCSW
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET


105 - Playing Outside of the Box

Creative & Adaptable Interventions for Kids
More Details

Christine Mark-Griffin, LCSW

EMDR Therapy for Children Expert and Award-Winning Author
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

105 - Playing Outside of the Box

Creative & Adaptable Interventions for Kids

In today’s fast-paced world, the rise in screen time and structured activities is dramatically reducing opportunities for imaginative and physical play—critical for children's cognitive, social, and emotional development. Recent findings reveal that cultural factors and technology greatly impact play and trauma treatment. While technology can enrich play, its integration poses challenges. In this highly interactive workshop, you'll explore creative and practical interventions to help reignite children's imaginations and build their emotional resilience. You’ll gain: 

  • Innovative strategies for integrating imaginative and physical play into trauma treatment 
  • Practical tools to personalize interventions, tailoring them to meet each child's unique needs 
  • Techniques to adapt play therapy methods in response to the challenges posed by modern technology 
  • Insights on fostering emotional resilience and creativity in children through dynamic, hands-on activities 
  • Creative attachment-focused interventions to engage and involve parents/caregivers in family sessions 

Christine Mark-Griffin, LCSW,RYT is an internationally acclaimed expert in EMDR therapy for children and award-winning author. Christine is passionate about playfully combining her love of yoga, music, movement & fitness with clinical practice to help others learn, grow and heal. She is the owner of Spark All Wellness, a small group practice located in San Francisco, California specializing in EMDR and trauma-informed yoga therapy with women and children. She is also the founder of EMDR for Kids, where her mission is to empower therapists, parents, and children of all ages with resources, tools, and advanced training to overcome trauma & adversities. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Christine Mark-Griffin is the owner of Spark All Wellness. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Christine Mark-Griffin is a member of National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)."

Friday, March 21

7:30 AM ~ Morning Yoga and Movement Sessions
9:00 AM - 10:45 AM ~ Welcome & Morning Keynote
11:00 AM - 1 PM ~ Morning Clinical Workshops
1:15 PM - 2:45 PM ~ Luncheon Keynote
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM ~ Afternoon Clinical Workshops
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM ~ Evening of Comedy Event
9:00 PM ~ Symposium Dance Party

Friday
Morning Keynote: 9:00 am – 10:45 am EST
Esther Perel, MA, LMFT

Bridging Divides: Exploring Polarization in Therapy and Society

How can we repair relationships in a world torn apart by polarization, conflict, and misunderstanding? In this dynamic conversation, three experts come together to offer their unique perspectives on rebuilding connection amidst division. Esther Perel, celebrated for her transformative work on intimacy and relational repair in her bestselling books, courses, and the podcast Where Should We Begin?, delves into how we can restore trust, nuance, and complexity in intimate relationships. Mónica Guzmán, author of I Never Thought of It That Way and a pioneer in bridging political divides through curiosity, shares insights on fostering empathy and understanding across seemingly irreconcilable differences, drawing from her experience navigating family dynamics with opposing political views. Bill Doherty, author of Becoming a Citizen Therapist: Integrating Community Problem-Solving Into Your Work as a Healer and Take Back Your Marriage, brings his expertise in helping couples and communities resolve conflicts through dialogue and shared purpose. 

Together, they will explore the messy, powerful work of repair, recognizing that true connection doesn’t mean eliminating differences, but learning to hold space for them. In a world where we often mistake our stories for truth, these experts argue that real understanding goes beyond living alongside those who think like us. Instead, it lies in our ability to coexist respectfully and empathetically with those whose stories and perceptions may deeply challenge our own. The goal is not to erase the divide, but to ensure it does not define our relationships by default—acknowledging that even in profound disagreement, there is a shared humanity that compels us to care for one another when it matters most. 

 

Friday
Luncheon Address: 1:15 – 2:45 pm ET
Daniel J. Siegel, MD

How Attachment Trauma Shapes Our Personality

Early Experience & The Formation of The Self

These days, if the modern human mind could have a personal translator, PR agent, and cheerleader, that person would be Dan Siegel. Beyond his impressive CV—he’s a clinical professor of psychiatry, founder and co-investigator at numerous research centers, founding editor of the Norton professional series on interpersonal neurobiology, and executive director of the Mindsight Institute—Siegel’s bestselling books have found their way into the hands of millions of everyday people seeking advice on developing awareness, regulating emotions, and raising whole-brain children. Having worked as a therapist and mind researcher for over 30 years, Siegel gets people and their patterns—on both a human and neurobiological level. More than any other psychiatrist alive today, he’s changed the way we live, communicate, parent, and think about thinking.

In this keynote, we’ll explore how persistent patterns of emotion, thinking, and behavior—known as “personality”—may have formed, and how to enable those potential prisons to transform into platforms of possibility that serve as playgrounds in life. Using research from the trans-disciplinary field of Interpersonal Neurobiology, we will explore the Patterns of Developmental Pathways (PDPs). Join us, and have your mind blown by our field’s beloved mind expert.

*Seats are limited.  Advanced registration is required and an additional fee will apply.

 

Janina Fisher, PhD

World-Renowned Trauma Trainer and Expert
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

201 - Overcoming The Most Common Barriers in Trauma Treatment

The Art of Tackling Avoidance & Intellectualization

As children, many of our adult clients experienced abuses they were helpless to escape or prevent. Perhaps it wasn’t safe for them to cry, look frightened, or voice emotional needs for fear of punishment. Because they had no choice other than to appear “fine,” their brains and bodies instinctively developed habits that prevented them from showing emotion. Although these strategies are adaptive in an unsafe environment, when clients come to therapy years later, their phobia of emotion and vulnerability poses obstacles in their lives—and can also pose significant challenges for us as therapists. Fortunately, modern trauma treatment affords us many ways to help survivors, including those who can’t “go there.” In this workshop, you’ll explore how to: 

  • Help clients resolve trauma without reliving it 
  • Better manage your own need as a therapist for clients to be vulnerable 
  • Use body- and parts-centered approaches to validate avoidance as trauma-related fear 
  • Develop a strong therapeutic alliance with intellectualized and avoidant clients 

Janina Fisher, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, a former instructor at Harvard Medical School, and an executive board member of the Trauma Research Foundation. She's the author of Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Self-Alienation, Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma: a Workbook for Survivors and Therapists, and The Living Legacy Instructional Flip Chart. Her treatment model, Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), is taught around the world. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Janina Fisher has an employment relationship with the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. She is a consultant for Khiron House Clinics and the Massachusetts Department of MH Restraint and Seclusion Initiative. Dr. Fisher receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. Dr. Fisher has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Janina Fisher is on the advisory board for the Trauma Research Foundation. She is a patron of the Bowlby Center.

Janina Fisher, PhD
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

201 - Overcoming The Most Common Barriers in Trauma Treatment

The Art of Tackling Avoidance & Intellectualization
More Details

Janina Fisher, PhD

World-Renowned Trauma Trainer and Expert
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

201 - Overcoming The Most Common Barriers in Trauma Treatment

The Art of Tackling Avoidance & Intellectualization

As children, many of our adult clients experienced abuses they were helpless to escape or prevent. Perhaps it wasn’t safe for them to cry, look frightened, or voice emotional needs for fear of punishment. Because they had no choice other than to appear “fine,” their brains and bodies instinctively developed habits that prevented them from showing emotion. Although these strategies are adaptive in an unsafe environment, when clients come to therapy years later, their phobia of emotion and vulnerability poses obstacles in their lives—and can also pose significant challenges for us as therapists. Fortunately, modern trauma treatment affords us many ways to help survivors, including those who can’t “go there.” In this workshop, you’ll explore how to: 

  • Help clients resolve trauma without reliving it 
  • Better manage your own need as a therapist for clients to be vulnerable 
  • Use body- and parts-centered approaches to validate avoidance as trauma-related fear 
  • Develop a strong therapeutic alliance with intellectualized and avoidant clients 

Janina Fisher, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, a former instructor at Harvard Medical School, and an executive board member of the Trauma Research Foundation. She's the author of Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Self-Alienation, Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma: a Workbook for Survivors and Therapists, and The Living Legacy Instructional Flip Chart. Her treatment model, Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), is taught around the world. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Janina Fisher has an employment relationship with the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. She is a consultant for Khiron House Clinics and the Massachusetts Department of MH Restraint and Seclusion Initiative. Dr. Fisher receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. Dr. Fisher has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Janina Fisher is on the advisory board for the Trauma Research Foundation. She is a patron of the Bowlby Center.

Jean Twenge, PhD & Lynn Lyons, LICSW

Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

202 - Phones, Teens, and Plunging Mental Health

Getting Clear on How to Help Your Young Clients & Their Families

Today’s adolescents and teens barely drink or smoke, get into fewer fights, and have less sex. By many measures, they’re healthier and safer than they’ve ever been. And yet, in the last couple of decades, suicide rates have doubled among 12–14-year-olds, and there’s been a major increase in depression among teens in general. What gives?  

In this workshop, a teen anxiety expert and a popular research psychologist will help you help your clients:  

  • Connect the dots between smartphones entering the market and our stunning drop-off in teen wellness 
  • Go beyond the headlines and into the research about what developing a healthy relationship to technology looks like 
  • Tease apart the reasons socializing online may not be a replacement for in-person time 
  • Understand the good and bad of already anxious teens connecting through technology 

Lynn Lyons, LICSW, is a speaker, trainer, and practicing clinician specializing in the treatment of anxious families. She’s the coauthor of Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents and the co-host of the podcast Flusterclux. Her latest book for adults is The Anxiety Audit.  

Jean M Twenge, PhD, is a professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, and the author of more than 180 scientific publications and seven books, including Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future, and Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. She writes the Generation Tech substack. 

Jean Twenge, PhD & Lynn Lyons, LICSW
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

202 - Phones, Teens, and Plunging Mental Health

Getting Clear on How to Help Your Young Clients & Their Families
More Details

Jean Twenge, PhD & Lynn Lyons, LICSW

Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

202 - Phones, Teens, and Plunging Mental Health

Getting Clear on How to Help Your Young Clients & Their Families

Today’s adolescents and teens barely drink or smoke, get into fewer fights, and have less sex. By many measures, they’re healthier and safer than they’ve ever been. And yet, in the last couple of decades, suicide rates have doubled among 12–14-year-olds, and there’s been a major increase in depression among teens in general. What gives?  

In this workshop, a teen anxiety expert and a popular research psychologist will help you help your clients:  

  • Connect the dots between smartphones entering the market and our stunning drop-off in teen wellness 
  • Go beyond the headlines and into the research about what developing a healthy relationship to technology looks like 
  • Tease apart the reasons socializing online may not be a replacement for in-person time 
  • Understand the good and bad of already anxious teens connecting through technology 

Lynn Lyons, LICSW, is a speaker, trainer, and practicing clinician specializing in the treatment of anxious families. She’s the coauthor of Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents and the co-host of the podcast Flusterclux. Her latest book for adults is The Anxiety Audit.  

Jean M Twenge, PhD, is a professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, and the author of more than 180 scientific publications and seven books, including Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future, and Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. She writes the Generation Tech substack. 

Arielle Schwartz, PhD

Master Complex Trauma Trainer and Therapist
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

203 - Neuroplasticity in Trauma Recovery

Mind-Body Tools to Foster Resilience & Awaken to Potential

More so than ever, being trauma-informed means understanding the ways that neuroplasticity allows clients to flourish after traumatic experiences. If we can help them change the way their traumatic memories are stored and take responsibility for the narratives that define their lives, we can foster post-traumatic growth. As clients feel stronger, more self-accepting, and have an increased sense of purpose and belonging, their symptoms will decrease, their relationships will deepen, and they can access greater joy, appreciation, and connection. This interactive workshop will empower you with practical tools—such as the six pillars of resilience—to facilitate a strength-based approach to trauma recovery. You’ll learn to: 

  • Guide clients in revising their trauma narratives in a way that supports growth 
  • Help clients attend to the impact of traumatic events on the body so they can build vagal tone and vagal efficiency—an embodied experience of safety and receptivity 
  • Harness client’s inherent resilience by building on protective factors that help prevent PTSD 
  • Help clients integrate new movement resources and release traumatic activation 

Arielle Schwartz, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, internationally sought-out teacher, therapeutic yoga instructor, and leading voice in the healing of PTSD and complex trauma. She is the author of six books based upon her integrative, mind-body approach to trauma recovery: The Complex PTSD Workbook; The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook; A Practical Guide to Complex PTSD; EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology; The Complex PTSD Treatment Manual, and Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery. Her unique blend of spirituality and science can be found in her writings, guided trauma recovery programs, and applied Polyvagal Theory in yoga for trauma recovery.

Dr. Schwartz is an accomplished teacher who guides therapists in the application of EMDR, somatic psychology, parts work therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of trauma and complex trauma. She has a succinct way of speaking about very complex topics. She is a longtime meditation and yoga practitioner with a passion for the outdoors; all of which she incorporates into her work as founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy in Boulder, Colorado where she maintains a private practice providing psychotherapy, supervision, and consultation. Dr. Schwartz believes that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart. Discover more at drarielleschwartz.com.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Arielle Schwartz maintains a private practice and is a trainer with Advanced EMDR Therapy Trainings. She receives royalties as a published author and receives compensation as an international presenter and a yoga instructor. Dr. Schwartz is a paid consultant for Evergreen Certifications. She receives speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Arielle Schwartz is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Yoga Alliance.

Arielle Schwartz, PhD
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

203 - Neuroplasticity in Trauma Recovery

Mind-Body Tools to Foster Resilience & Awaken to Potential
More Details

Arielle Schwartz, PhD

Master Complex Trauma Trainer and Therapist
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

203 - Neuroplasticity in Trauma Recovery

Mind-Body Tools to Foster Resilience & Awaken to Potential

More so than ever, being trauma-informed means understanding the ways that neuroplasticity allows clients to flourish after traumatic experiences. If we can help them change the way their traumatic memories are stored and take responsibility for the narratives that define their lives, we can foster post-traumatic growth. As clients feel stronger, more self-accepting, and have an increased sense of purpose and belonging, their symptoms will decrease, their relationships will deepen, and they can access greater joy, appreciation, and connection. This interactive workshop will empower you with practical tools—such as the six pillars of resilience—to facilitate a strength-based approach to trauma recovery. You’ll learn to: 

  • Guide clients in revising their trauma narratives in a way that supports growth 
  • Help clients attend to the impact of traumatic events on the body so they can build vagal tone and vagal efficiency—an embodied experience of safety and receptivity 
  • Harness client’s inherent resilience by building on protective factors that help prevent PTSD 
  • Help clients integrate new movement resources and release traumatic activation 

Arielle Schwartz, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, internationally sought-out teacher, therapeutic yoga instructor, and leading voice in the healing of PTSD and complex trauma. She is the author of six books based upon her integrative, mind-body approach to trauma recovery: The Complex PTSD Workbook; The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook; A Practical Guide to Complex PTSD; EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology; The Complex PTSD Treatment Manual, and Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery. Her unique blend of spirituality and science can be found in her writings, guided trauma recovery programs, and applied Polyvagal Theory in yoga for trauma recovery.

Dr. Schwartz is an accomplished teacher who guides therapists in the application of EMDR, somatic psychology, parts work therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of trauma and complex trauma. She has a succinct way of speaking about very complex topics. She is a longtime meditation and yoga practitioner with a passion for the outdoors; all of which she incorporates into her work as founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy in Boulder, Colorado where she maintains a private practice providing psychotherapy, supervision, and consultation. Dr. Schwartz believes that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart. Discover more at drarielleschwartz.com.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Arielle Schwartz maintains a private practice and is a trainer with Advanced EMDR Therapy Trainings. She receives royalties as a published author and receives compensation as an international presenter and a yoga instructor. Dr. Schwartz is a paid consultant for Evergreen Certifications. She receives speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Arielle Schwartz is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Yoga Alliance.

William Doherty, PhD

Director of the MN Couples on the Brink Project and Cofounder of Braver Angels
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

204 - Therapists in a Divided World

Clinical Skills for Polarized People

Our nation is more divided now than at any time since the Civil War. Polarization enters the therapy room through emotional triggers, relationship distress, and worries for the future. How can we work with that? Many people demonize and hold contempt for the political “other,” even when the “other” is in their families. Therapists are not immune to this toxic political culture, and it can affect how we work with clients facing political stress and divisions in their lives. At a broader level, how can we apply a larger therapeutic perspective to societal problems instead of just taking a side in the contempt and outrage wars? Explore clinical tools and a larger vision for our role as citizen therapists. You’ll discover how to: 

  • Develop an understanding of the political "other” inside and outside of therapy 
  • Identify the connection between your current clinical work and societal polarization 
  • Practice skills in bridging gaps between individuals and groups who see themselves as politically polarized 
  • Connect with initiatives where you can use your knowledge and skills for the public good 

William Doherty, PhD, is a professor and director of the Minnesota Couples on the Brink Project at the University of Minnesota. He’s cofounder of Braver Angels, a nonprofit working to depolarize America. His new book (with Tai Mendenhall) is Becoming a Citizen Therapist: Integrating Community Problem-Solving into Your Work as a Healer. .


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. William Doherty receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. William Doherty is a member of the National Council on Family Relations, the International Council of the Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide in Jerusalem, and the American Psychological Association. He serves on several editorial boards, for a complete list contact PESI, Inc.

William Doherty, PhD
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

204 - Therapists in a Divided World

Clinical Skills for Polarized People
More Details

William Doherty, PhD

Director of the MN Couples on the Brink Project and Cofounder of Braver Angels
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

204 - Therapists in a Divided World

Clinical Skills for Polarized People

Our nation is more divided now than at any time since the Civil War. Polarization enters the therapy room through emotional triggers, relationship distress, and worries for the future. How can we work with that? Many people demonize and hold contempt for the political “other,” even when the “other” is in their families. Therapists are not immune to this toxic political culture, and it can affect how we work with clients facing political stress and divisions in their lives. At a broader level, how can we apply a larger therapeutic perspective to societal problems instead of just taking a side in the contempt and outrage wars? Explore clinical tools and a larger vision for our role as citizen therapists. You’ll discover how to: 

  • Develop an understanding of the political "other” inside and outside of therapy 
  • Identify the connection between your current clinical work and societal polarization 
  • Practice skills in bridging gaps between individuals and groups who see themselves as politically polarized 
  • Connect with initiatives where you can use your knowledge and skills for the public good 

William Doherty, PhD, is a professor and director of the Minnesota Couples on the Brink Project at the University of Minnesota. He’s cofounder of Braver Angels, a nonprofit working to depolarize America. His new book (with Tai Mendenhall) is Becoming a Citizen Therapist: Integrating Community Problem-Solving into Your Work as a Healer. .


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. William Doherty receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. William Doherty is a member of the National Council on Family Relations, the International Council of the Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide in Jerusalem, and the American Psychological Association. He serves on several editorial boards, for a complete list contact PESI, Inc.

Steve Shapiro, PhD

Expert on treating severe mental illness, AEDP Institute Founding Member
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

205 - Effective Tools for Working with Serious Mental Illness

Using Techniques from ISTDP and AEDP

 It’s unfortunate, but severely mentally ill clients are the ones we frequently feel least able to help. Instead, they often find themselves marginalized within our field, medicated for chronic mental health symptoms without therapy. In this workshop, you’ll be introduced to powerful ways you can help fragile clients with serious trauma histories—or those who experience psychoses—to develop a more mature emotional infrastructure. Whether you’re an experienced practitioner or new to experiential dynamic therapies like ISTDP or AEDP, you’ll come away with new tools and interventions and a better understanding of how to help clients suffering from PTSD, personality disturbance, and severe and persistent mental illness. We’ll also touch on related issues such as splitting and projection, paranoia, hallucinations, disassociation, mind and body phenomena, suicide, therapeutic confrontation, and management of psychiatric emergencies. You’ll learn to:  

  • Use defense restructuring and anxiety regulating methods to meet clients where they are 
  • Do deeper work with clients through the development of increased emotional capacity and relatedness 
  • Help clients tolerate difficult and previously forbidden emotional conflicts
  • Help clients recognize the implicit emotional schemas keeping them stuck 

Steve Shapiro, PhD, is a psychologist, certified IEDTA teacher, trainer, and supervisor, and a founding member of the AEDP institute with over 20 years of clinical and teaching experience. His work as the director of an emergency psychiatric hospital for over 16 years has informed his approach to challenging patients with a history of trauma, a high degree of resistance, or excessive anxiety and dysregulation. He trains clinicians internationally. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Steven Shapiro maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) Institute, MCP Hahnemann University, He receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Steven Shapiro is a fellow with the Pennsylvania Psychological Association and a member of the International Center for Clinical Excellence."

Steve Shapiro, PhD
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

205 - Effective Tools for Working with Serious Mental Illness

Using Techniques from ISTDP and AEDP
More Details

Steve Shapiro, PhD

Expert on treating severe mental illness, AEDP Institute Founding Member
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

205 - Effective Tools for Working with Serious Mental Illness

Using Techniques from ISTDP and AEDP

 It’s unfortunate, but severely mentally ill clients are the ones we frequently feel least able to help. Instead, they often find themselves marginalized within our field, medicated for chronic mental health symptoms without therapy. In this workshop, you’ll be introduced to powerful ways you can help fragile clients with serious trauma histories—or those who experience psychoses—to develop a more mature emotional infrastructure. Whether you’re an experienced practitioner or new to experiential dynamic therapies like ISTDP or AEDP, you’ll come away with new tools and interventions and a better understanding of how to help clients suffering from PTSD, personality disturbance, and severe and persistent mental illness. We’ll also touch on related issues such as splitting and projection, paranoia, hallucinations, disassociation, mind and body phenomena, suicide, therapeutic confrontation, and management of psychiatric emergencies. You’ll learn to:  

  • Use defense restructuring and anxiety regulating methods to meet clients where they are 
  • Do deeper work with clients through the development of increased emotional capacity and relatedness 
  • Help clients tolerate difficult and previously forbidden emotional conflicts
  • Help clients recognize the implicit emotional schemas keeping them stuck 

Steve Shapiro, PhD, is a psychologist, certified IEDTA teacher, trainer, and supervisor, and a founding member of the AEDP institute with over 20 years of clinical and teaching experience. His work as the director of an emergency psychiatric hospital for over 16 years has informed his approach to challenging patients with a history of trauma, a high degree of resistance, or excessive anxiety and dysregulation. He trains clinicians internationally. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Steven Shapiro maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) Institute, MCP Hahnemann University, He receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Steven Shapiro is a fellow with the Pennsylvania Psychological Association and a member of the International Center for Clinical Excellence."

1 2 3
Saturday, March 22

7:30 AM ~ Morning Yoga and Movement Sessions
9:00 AM - 10:45 AM ~ Welcome & Morning Keynote
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM ~ Morning Clinical Workshops
1:15 PM - 2:45 PM ~ Luncheon Keynote
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM ~ Afternoon Clinical Workshops
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM ~ Storytelling Event

Saturday
Morning Keynote: 9:00 - 10:45 am ET
Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD

The Liberative Nature of Mindfulness

Coming to Terms with Things as They Are

Having developed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), an approach that changed many western medical practices, Jon Kabat-Zinn has been dubbed the “Godfather of Modern Mindfulness.” But for those who’ve followed his work over the last 50+ years, he’s been something else: their greatest teacher. Humble, practical, and full of spiritual
wisdom and humor.

A Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School—where he founded the MBSR clinic in 1979 and years later, the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine—Kabat-Zinn is the author of 15 books, including the time-honored bestseller Wherever You Go, There You Are and the recently released Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief. Used to treat everything from anxiety to trauma to immune response, with everyone from hospital patients to combat veterans, his teachings have produced a community of global healers, with more than 1,000 MBSR instructors and over 740 MBSR programs in hospitals, clinics, and health centers worldwide.

In this can’t-miss keynote, he’ll explore why mindfulness is so foundational to psychotherapy and how it can continue to provide all of us—clients and therapists—with a refuge for healing, acceptance, and radical acts of love during tumultuous times. The message of mindfulness, Kabat-Zinn once told the Networker, “Is an invitation to everybody to wake up to the true dimensionality of who we are.” Join us and open yourself to an unforgettable experience of being in the here and now.

Saturday
Luncheon Address: 1:15 – 2:45 pm ET
Linda Thai, LMSW, ERYT-200, CLYL

The Missing Piece of Attachment Theory

Restoring Safety & Belonging for Our Clients & Ourselves

Born in Vietnam, forcibly displaced as a child to Australia, and now living in rural Alaska, Linda Thai has dedicated her life to unraveling the mysteries of how trauma impacts the human mind and body, both personally and collectively. Her relentless focus on expanding our understanding of trauma, driven by her personal experience as a former child refugee, has led to her becoming a highly sought-after international teacher and trainer for therapists around the globe. A colleague of internationally renowned psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, she’s assisted with his small-group psychotherapy workshops aimed at healing attachment trauma. Her teaching is infused with empathy, storytelling, humor, research, practical tools, applied knowledge, and experiential wisdom.

In this keynote address, she’ll elucidate a new view of attachment theory that better encompasses our needs as whole humans, engages the full web of relationships anchoring our lives, and helps break the cycle of historical and intergenerational trauma at the individual and community levels.

*Seats are limited.  Advanced registration is required and an additional fee will apply.

 

Daniel J. Siegel, MD

Interpersonal Neurobiology Expert, Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

401 - A New Model of Personality

Nine Pathways to Reunite & Reignite

Are we born with a certain temperament? Change it be changed? How does personality shape our lives? Recent research has revealed an exciting new view of the ways we interact with the world, focus our attention, experience and express emotion, and think. In this workshop, we’ll explore an “Enneagram of Personality” system drawn from interpersonal neurobiology that sheds light on the human quest for wholeness and meaning. By discerning the innate temperament we’re born with and the learned mechanisms of adaptation, you can empower clients to transform personality patterns from the prisons they may have become into playgrounds of possibility. You’ll explore: 

  • Nine patterns of personality and how these emerge from early temperament and are intensified by nonsecure attachment experiences
  • How to use Patterns of Developmental Pathways (PDP) to illuminate a client’s distinct growth-edges
  • How to help clients use their own PDP as a powerful tool to understand their risk for burnout and stress.

Daniel J. Siegel, MD, is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and completed his postgraduate medical education at UCLA with training in pediatrics and child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. He is currently a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, founding co-director of UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center, founding co-investigator at the UCLA Center for Culture, Brain and Development, and executive director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational center devoted to promoting insight, compassion, and empathy in individuals, families, institutions, and communities.

Dr. Siegel's psychotherapy practice spans thirty years, and he has published extensively for the professional audience. He serves as the Founding Editor for the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology which includes over 70 textbooks. Dr. Siegel's books include his five New York Times bestsellers: Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence; Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human, and two books with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D, The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline. His other books include:The Power of Showing Up also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D., The Developing Mind, The Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology, Mindsight, The Mindful Brain, The Mindful Therapist, Parenting from the Inside Out (with Mary Hartzell, M.Ed.), and The Yes Brain (also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D). He has been invited to lecture for the King of Thailand, Pope John Paul II, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Google University, and TEDx.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Daniel Siegel is the clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine, the medical director of Lifespan Learning Institute, the executive director of Center for Human Development and Mindsight Institute, and the founding editor of Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology. He receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Daniel Siegel receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Daniel Siegel serves on the advisory board for Gloo and Convergence in Washington, D.C.

Daniel J. Siegel, MD
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

401 - A New Model of Personality

Nine Pathways to Reunite & Reignite
More Details

Daniel J. Siegel, MD

Interpersonal Neurobiology Expert, Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

401 - A New Model of Personality

Nine Pathways to Reunite & Reignite

Are we born with a certain temperament? Change it be changed? How does personality shape our lives? Recent research has revealed an exciting new view of the ways we interact with the world, focus our attention, experience and express emotion, and think. In this workshop, we’ll explore an “Enneagram of Personality” system drawn from interpersonal neurobiology that sheds light on the human quest for wholeness and meaning. By discerning the innate temperament we’re born with and the learned mechanisms of adaptation, you can empower clients to transform personality patterns from the prisons they may have become into playgrounds of possibility. You’ll explore: 

  • Nine patterns of personality and how these emerge from early temperament and are intensified by nonsecure attachment experiences
  • How to use Patterns of Developmental Pathways (PDP) to illuminate a client’s distinct growth-edges
  • How to help clients use their own PDP as a powerful tool to understand their risk for burnout and stress.

Daniel J. Siegel, MD, is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and completed his postgraduate medical education at UCLA with training in pediatrics and child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. He is currently a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, founding co-director of UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center, founding co-investigator at the UCLA Center for Culture, Brain and Development, and executive director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational center devoted to promoting insight, compassion, and empathy in individuals, families, institutions, and communities.

Dr. Siegel's psychotherapy practice spans thirty years, and he has published extensively for the professional audience. He serves as the Founding Editor for the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology which includes over 70 textbooks. Dr. Siegel's books include his five New York Times bestsellers: Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence; Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human, and two books with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D, The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline. His other books include:The Power of Showing Up also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D., The Developing Mind, The Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology, Mindsight, The Mindful Brain, The Mindful Therapist, Parenting from the Inside Out (with Mary Hartzell, M.Ed.), and The Yes Brain (also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D). He has been invited to lecture for the King of Thailand, Pope John Paul II, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Google University, and TEDx.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Daniel Siegel is the clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine, the medical director of Lifespan Learning Institute, the executive director of Center for Human Development and Mindsight Institute, and the founding editor of Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology. He receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Daniel Siegel receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Daniel Siegel serves on the advisory board for Gloo and Convergence in Washington, D.C.

Diana Fosha, PhD & Ed Tronick, PhD

Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

402 - Going Deeper with Clients

The Power of Dyadic Affect in Both Infancy & Experiential Therapy

Diana Fosha, PhD, is the developer of AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy), a healing-based, transformation-oriented model of psychotherapeutic treatment and she is founder and director of the AEDP Institute. For the last 20 years, Diana has been active in promoting a scientific basis for a healing-oriented, attachment-emotion-transformation focused trauma treatment model. Fosha’s work focuses on integrating positive neuroplasticity, recognition science and developmental dyadic research into experiential and transformational clinical work with patients. Her most recent work focuses on promoting flourishing as a seamless part of AEDP’s therapeutic process of transforming emotional suffering. Drawing on affective neuroscience, attachment theory, mother-infant developmental research, and research documenting the undreamed-of plasticity in the adult brain, AEDP has developed an experiential clinical practice, which reflects the integration of science, research and practice in psychotherapy.

Based in New York City, where she lives and practices, Fosha has been on the faculties of the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology of NYU and St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Medical Centers (now Mount Sinai) in NYC, and of the doctoral programs in clinical psychology at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University and at The City University of New York.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Diana Fosha is the Director and Founder of the AEDP Institute and maintains a private practice. She receives royalties as a published author. Diana Fosha receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Diana Fosha is on the advisory board of GAINS and the Society for Constructivism in the Human Science. She is on the Planning Committee and Advisory Board of by the Lifespan Learning Institute and is a member of the American Psychological Association.

Edward Tronick, PhD, is a developmental and clinical psychologist and is recognized internationally as a researcher on infants, children, and parenting. He developed the Face-to-Face Still-Face Paradigm and videotaped micro-analytic studies of infant en face interactions, pioneered studies of the effects of maternal depression on infants, and carried out numerous cross-cultural studies of infant and child development. His Mutual Regulation Model and Dyadic Expansion of Consciousness hypothesis are widely accepted accounts of social interactions and therapeutic processes. Dr. Tronick is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, is director of the Child Development Unit, a research associate in Newborn Medicine, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School, an associate professor at both the Graduate School of Education and the School of Public Health at Harvard.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Edward Tronick has employment relationships with Sapienza University, University of Massachusetts, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham &Women's Hospital, and UMass Chan Medical School. He receives royalties as a published author. He receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Edward Tronick is a member of the scientific review board Neo-Aqua Project on NICU Environment and a member of the ECD Science Council of EMPOWER. He serves on several advisory boards, please contact PESI, Inc for a complete list.

Diana Fosha, PhD & Ed Tronick, PhD
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

402 - Going Deeper with Clients

The Power of Dyadic Affect in Both Infancy & Experiential Therapy
More Details

Diana Fosha, PhD & Ed Tronick, PhD

Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

402 - Going Deeper with Clients

The Power of Dyadic Affect in Both Infancy & Experiential Therapy

Diana Fosha, PhD, is the developer of AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy), a healing-based, transformation-oriented model of psychotherapeutic treatment and she is founder and director of the AEDP Institute. For the last 20 years, Diana has been active in promoting a scientific basis for a healing-oriented, attachment-emotion-transformation focused trauma treatment model. Fosha’s work focuses on integrating positive neuroplasticity, recognition science and developmental dyadic research into experiential and transformational clinical work with patients. Her most recent work focuses on promoting flourishing as a seamless part of AEDP’s therapeutic process of transforming emotional suffering. Drawing on affective neuroscience, attachment theory, mother-infant developmental research, and research documenting the undreamed-of plasticity in the adult brain, AEDP has developed an experiential clinical practice, which reflects the integration of science, research and practice in psychotherapy.

Based in New York City, where she lives and practices, Fosha has been on the faculties of the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology of NYU and St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Medical Centers (now Mount Sinai) in NYC, and of the doctoral programs in clinical psychology at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University and at The City University of New York.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Diana Fosha is the Director and Founder of the AEDP Institute and maintains a private practice. She receives royalties as a published author. Diana Fosha receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Diana Fosha is on the advisory board of GAINS and the Society for Constructivism in the Human Science. She is on the Planning Committee and Advisory Board of by the Lifespan Learning Institute and is a member of the American Psychological Association.

Edward Tronick, PhD, is a developmental and clinical psychologist and is recognized internationally as a researcher on infants, children, and parenting. He developed the Face-to-Face Still-Face Paradigm and videotaped micro-analytic studies of infant en face interactions, pioneered studies of the effects of maternal depression on infants, and carried out numerous cross-cultural studies of infant and child development. His Mutual Regulation Model and Dyadic Expansion of Consciousness hypothesis are widely accepted accounts of social interactions and therapeutic processes. Dr. Tronick is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, is director of the Child Development Unit, a research associate in Newborn Medicine, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School, an associate professor at both the Graduate School of Education and the School of Public Health at Harvard.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Edward Tronick has employment relationships with Sapienza University, University of Massachusetts, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham &Women's Hospital, and UMass Chan Medical School. He receives royalties as a published author. He receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Edward Tronick is a member of the scientific review board Neo-Aqua Project on NICU Environment and a member of the ECD Science Council of EMPOWER. He serves on several advisory boards, please contact PESI, Inc for a complete list.

Terry Casey, PhD

Expert on Legal and Ethical Issues
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

403 - Opportunities in Cross-State Practice

Unpacking the Legal & Ethical Guidelines

Seeing clients in multiple states and across state lines, either physically or via telehealth, is becoming more common and has the potential to dramatically change the professional landscape for therapists. However, understanding and navigating the relevant federal and state laws, licensing rules, and codes of ethics is not necessarily intuitive, and there are a variety of misunderstandings and myths about what is legal and ethical. This workshop is designed for various licensed mental health professionals and will provide the initial guidance and resources that therapists need for practicing across state lines and avoiding common ethical and legal pitfalls. We’ll explore:

  • The most common myths about interjurisdictional practice
  • The truth around interstate compacts and how they work for counselors, social workers, and psychologists.
  • The six foundations of interjurisdictional practices for providing services in multiple states via telehealth across state lines
  • The five specific legal provisions for legal practice of psychotherapy across state lines

Terry Casey, PhD,  is a Licensed Psychologist, HSP. He’s a frequent speaker for ethics-related continuing education events across the country and for many years has also taught ethical, legal, and professional issues at the graduate level. He’s a private practice through which he provides consultations to mental health professionals and organizations. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Terry Casey maintains a private practice and is a faculty member of Lipscomb University. He is a published author and receives royalties. Dr. Casey receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Terry Casey is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Tennessee Psychological Association, the Tennessee Licensed Professional Counselor Association, and others. For a complete list, please contact info@pesi.com.

Terry Casey, PhD
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

403 - Opportunities in Cross-State Practice

Unpacking the Legal & Ethical Guidelines
More Details

Terry Casey, PhD

Expert on Legal and Ethical Issues
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

403 - Opportunities in Cross-State Practice

Unpacking the Legal & Ethical Guidelines

Seeing clients in multiple states and across state lines, either physically or via telehealth, is becoming more common and has the potential to dramatically change the professional landscape for therapists. However, understanding and navigating the relevant federal and state laws, licensing rules, and codes of ethics is not necessarily intuitive, and there are a variety of misunderstandings and myths about what is legal and ethical. This workshop is designed for various licensed mental health professionals and will provide the initial guidance and resources that therapists need for practicing across state lines and avoiding common ethical and legal pitfalls. We’ll explore:

  • The most common myths about interjurisdictional practice
  • The truth around interstate compacts and how they work for counselors, social workers, and psychologists.
  • The six foundations of interjurisdictional practices for providing services in multiple states via telehealth across state lines
  • The five specific legal provisions for legal practice of psychotherapy across state lines

Terry Casey, PhD,  is a Licensed Psychologist, HSP. He’s a frequent speaker for ethics-related continuing education events across the country and for many years has also taught ethical, legal, and professional issues at the graduate level. He’s a private practice through which he provides consultations to mental health professionals and organizations. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Terry Casey maintains a private practice and is a faculty member of Lipscomb University. He is a published author and receives royalties. Dr. Casey receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Terry Casey is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Tennessee Psychological Association, the Tennessee Licensed Professional Counselor Association, and others. For a complete list, please contact info@pesi.com.

Ingmar Gorman, PhD & Elizabeth Nielson, PhD

Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

404 - Integrating Psychedelics Into Your Practice

Tomorrow’s Therapy Today

Imagine a therapy session where your client brings up an interest in using psychedelics as part of their healing journey; after all, the options are getting plenty of mainstream attention. Are you prepared to guide them through the maze of information, potential benefits, and risks? This workshop addresses the increasing curiosity about psychedelic-assisted therapy and equips you with the knowledge and tools to respond effectively. You’ll review cutting-edge research of psychedelic compounds like MDMA and psilocybin, illustrating how these substances are reshaping treatment approaches for addiction and trauma. You’ll also explore practical ways to translate groundbreaking research into meaningful clinical practice, ensuring your clients receive informed, balanced, and ethical guidance. You’ll discover:

  • An overview of the therapeutic potential of psychedelic compounds
  • The latest developments in clinical trials and their implications for the future of psychotherapeutic treatment.
  • Specific techniques for integrating psychedelic experiences into clinical practice, from assessment considerations to obtaining licenses and approvals.
  • How to have balanced, informed discussions with clients about their interest or experiences with psychedelics, fostering a safe and supportive therapeutic environment.
  • Up-to-date information on training, ethical issues, and valuable resources to support your clients effectively

Dr. Ingmar Gorman is a co-founder of Fluence, a psychedelic education company training mental health providers in psychedelic treatments. As a psychologist, he shares his expertise in empirically supported psychedelic treatments with his clients and trainees alike. Dr. Gorman received his clinical training in New York City at the New School for Social Research, Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, Columbia University, and Bellevue Hospital. He completed his NIH postdoctoral fellowship at New York University. He simultaneously served as site co-principal investigator on an FDA approved Phase 3 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and is currently a study therapist and supervisor on the same study. He is co-author on a Nature Medicine paper reporting the results of the first Phase 3 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. Dr. Gorman has also published on the topics of classic psychedelics, ketamine, and Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration.

 Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Ingmar Gorman is the co-founder and CEO of Fluence International Inc., the lead scientific advisor for Journey Clinical, and receives grants from Beckley Psytech . He receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Gorman receives a speaking honorarium from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc.
Non-financial: Dr. Ingmar Gorman has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Dr. Elizabeth Nielson, PhD, is a co-founder of Fluence and a psychologist with a focus on developing psychedelic medicines as empirically supported treatments for PTSD, substance use problems, and mood disorders. Dr. Nielson is a Site Co-Principal Investigator and therapist for an FDA approved Phase 3 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and has served as a therapist on FDA approved clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder, psilocybin-assisted treatment of treatment resistant depression, and earlier phase 2 and 3 trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Through Fluence, she provides continuing education and training programs for therapists who wish to engage in integration of psychedelic experiences in clinical settings. Her research includes qualitative and mixed-methods projects designed to further understand the phenomenology and mechanisms of change in psychedelic-assisted therapy, including the experiences of trial participants and of the therapists themselves. Having completed an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at NYU, she has published and presented on topics of psychedelic therapist training, therapists’ personal experience with psychedelics, and including psychedelic integration in group and individual psychotherapy.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Elizabeth Nielson is the co-founder of Fluence and has employment relationships with Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and MAPS NY Private Practice Research Site. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Elizabeth Nielson is the founding member and an advisory board member of the Psychedelic Medicine Association. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and the International Society for Research on Psychedelics.

Ingmar Gorman, PhD & Elizabeth Nielson, PhD
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

404 - Integrating Psychedelics Into Your Practice

Tomorrow’s Therapy Today
More Details

Ingmar Gorman, PhD & Elizabeth Nielson, PhD

Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

404 - Integrating Psychedelics Into Your Practice

Tomorrow’s Therapy Today

Imagine a therapy session where your client brings up an interest in using psychedelics as part of their healing journey; after all, the options are getting plenty of mainstream attention. Are you prepared to guide them through the maze of information, potential benefits, and risks? This workshop addresses the increasing curiosity about psychedelic-assisted therapy and equips you with the knowledge and tools to respond effectively. You’ll review cutting-edge research of psychedelic compounds like MDMA and psilocybin, illustrating how these substances are reshaping treatment approaches for addiction and trauma. You’ll also explore practical ways to translate groundbreaking research into meaningful clinical practice, ensuring your clients receive informed, balanced, and ethical guidance. You’ll discover:

  • An overview of the therapeutic potential of psychedelic compounds
  • The latest developments in clinical trials and their implications for the future of psychotherapeutic treatment.
  • Specific techniques for integrating psychedelic experiences into clinical practice, from assessment considerations to obtaining licenses and approvals.
  • How to have balanced, informed discussions with clients about their interest or experiences with psychedelics, fostering a safe and supportive therapeutic environment.
  • Up-to-date information on training, ethical issues, and valuable resources to support your clients effectively

Dr. Ingmar Gorman is a co-founder of Fluence, a psychedelic education company training mental health providers in psychedelic treatments. As a psychologist, he shares his expertise in empirically supported psychedelic treatments with his clients and trainees alike. Dr. Gorman received his clinical training in New York City at the New School for Social Research, Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, Columbia University, and Bellevue Hospital. He completed his NIH postdoctoral fellowship at New York University. He simultaneously served as site co-principal investigator on an FDA approved Phase 3 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and is currently a study therapist and supervisor on the same study. He is co-author on a Nature Medicine paper reporting the results of the first Phase 3 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. Dr. Gorman has also published on the topics of classic psychedelics, ketamine, and Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration.

 Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Ingmar Gorman is the co-founder and CEO of Fluence International Inc., the lead scientific advisor for Journey Clinical, and receives grants from Beckley Psytech . He receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Gorman receives a speaking honorarium from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc.
Non-financial: Dr. Ingmar Gorman has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Dr. Elizabeth Nielson, PhD, is a co-founder of Fluence and a psychologist with a focus on developing psychedelic medicines as empirically supported treatments for PTSD, substance use problems, and mood disorders. Dr. Nielson is a Site Co-Principal Investigator and therapist for an FDA approved Phase 3 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and has served as a therapist on FDA approved clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder, psilocybin-assisted treatment of treatment resistant depression, and earlier phase 2 and 3 trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Through Fluence, she provides continuing education and training programs for therapists who wish to engage in integration of psychedelic experiences in clinical settings. Her research includes qualitative and mixed-methods projects designed to further understand the phenomenology and mechanisms of change in psychedelic-assisted therapy, including the experiences of trial participants and of the therapists themselves. Having completed an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at NYU, she has published and presented on topics of psychedelic therapist training, therapists’ personal experience with psychedelics, and including psychedelic integration in group and individual psychotherapy.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Elizabeth Nielson is the co-founder of Fluence and has employment relationships with Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and MAPS NY Private Practice Research Site. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Elizabeth Nielson is the founding member and an advisory board member of the Psychedelic Medicine Association. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and the International Society for Research on Psychedelics.

Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP & Wendy Behary, MSW, LCSW

Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

405 - Demystifying Narcissism

Common Myths and What’s Really Possible in Therapy

How to treat people with narcissism, and even whether you can make meaningful progress, is one of the hottest and most misunderstood topics in the field today. It’s also part of a burgeoning conversation about the importance of providing effective treatment for the partners, family members, and even colleagues of narcissistic individuals, who are often experiencing significant clinical distress because of the dynamics and behaviors of these relationships. In this workshop, two of the world’s leading clinical specialists on narcissism team up for the first time to help us understand this often-misunderstood personality style. You’ll unpack:

  • How to sort through the myths and misunderstandings around narcissism from a clinical point of view
  • The current debates and most important new findings about narcissism and narcissistic abuse
  • The most effective ways to approach narcissism and narcissistic abuse

Dr. Ramani Durvasula is a licensed clinical psychologist, Professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles, and the Founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training & Consulting, a company that offers a range of programs focused on educating survivors, clinicians, coaches and businesses on the impacts of narcissism on health, wellness and functioning. She’s the author of Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility, Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With A Narcissist. Dr. Ramani also has a popular YouTube channel that focuses on narcissism and difficult relationships, mental health, and societal expectations. Her work has been featured at SxSW, TEDx and on a wide range of media platforms including, Red Table Talk, the Today Show, Oxygen, Investigation Discovery and Bravo. She is also a featured expert on the digital media mental health platform MedCircle. Dr. Durvasula’s research on personality disorders has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and she is a Consulting Editor of the scientific journal Behavioral Medicine. Dr. Durvasula is a brutally honest voice on the struggles raised by narcissism in the US and globally.  

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Ramani Durvasula is the founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training, and Consulting. She maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with the California State University Los Angeles and the University of Johannesburg. Ramani Durvasula receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Ramani Durvasula is an associate editor for Behavioral Medicine and a consulting editor for Psychology of Women Quarterly and Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Mental Health. She is an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, AIDS and Behavior, and Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. Ramani Durvasula is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science Society for Behavioral Medicine, and the International Association of Applied Psychology.

With 25 + years of professional experience and advanced level certifications, Wendy Behary is the founder and director of The Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey and the Schema Therapy Institutes of NJ-NYC-DC. She has been treating clients, training professionals and supervising psychotherapists for more than 20 years. Wendy was on the faculty of the Cognitive Therapy Center and Schema Therapy Institute of New York (until the Institutes merged in 2012), where she trained and worked with Dr. Jeffrey Young since 1989.

She is a founding fellow and consulting supervisor for The Academy of Cognitive Therapy (Aaron T. Beck’s Institute). Wendy served as the President of the Executive Board of the International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST) from 2010-2014 and served as the Training and Certification Coordinator for the ISST Executive Board from 2008-2010. She is currently the chair of the Schema Therapy Development Programs Sub-Committee for the ISST.

Wendy Behary has co-authored several chapters and articles on Schema Therapy and Cognitive Therapy. She is the author of an international bestselling book, Disarming the Narcissist: Surviving and Thriving with the Self-Absorbed, translated in 15 languages. The Third Edition was released on October 1, 2021. Wendy has a specialty in treating narcissists and the people who live with and deal with them. As an author and an expert on the subject of narcissism, she is a contributing chapter author of several chapters on schema therapy for narcissism for professional readers. She lectures both nationally and internationally to professional and general audiences on schema therapy, narcissism, interpersonal relationships, anger, and dealing with difficult people. She receives consistent high praise for her clear and articulate teaching style and her ability to bring the therapy to life through dramatic demonstrations of client interactions in the treatment room.

Her work industry business speaking engagements focus on interpersonal conflict resolution. Her private practice is primarily devoted to treating narcissists, partners/people dealing with them, and couples experiencing relationship problems.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Wendy Behary is the co-founder, Clinical Director, and Director of Training for The Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey and The Schema Therapy Institute of NJ-NYC-DC. She is a published author and receives royalties. Wendy Behary receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Wendy Behary serves on the advisory board of the International Society for Schema Therapy and is a member of the NJ Association of Cognitive-Behavior Therapists, and the International Association of Cognitive-Behavior Therapists.

Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP & Wendy Behary, MSW, LCSW
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

405 - Demystifying Narcissism

Common Myths and What’s Really Possible in Therapy
More Details

Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP & Wendy Behary, MSW, LCSW

Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

405 - Demystifying Narcissism

Common Myths and What’s Really Possible in Therapy

How to treat people with narcissism, and even whether you can make meaningful progress, is one of the hottest and most misunderstood topics in the field today. It’s also part of a burgeoning conversation about the importance of providing effective treatment for the partners, family members, and even colleagues of narcissistic individuals, who are often experiencing significant clinical distress because of the dynamics and behaviors of these relationships. In this workshop, two of the world’s leading clinical specialists on narcissism team up for the first time to help us understand this often-misunderstood personality style. You’ll unpack:

  • How to sort through the myths and misunderstandings around narcissism from a clinical point of view
  • The current debates and most important new findings about narcissism and narcissistic abuse
  • The most effective ways to approach narcissism and narcissistic abuse

Dr. Ramani Durvasula is a licensed clinical psychologist, Professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles, and the Founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training & Consulting, a company that offers a range of programs focused on educating survivors, clinicians, coaches and businesses on the impacts of narcissism on health, wellness and functioning. She’s the author of Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility, Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With A Narcissist. Dr. Ramani also has a popular YouTube channel that focuses on narcissism and difficult relationships, mental health, and societal expectations. Her work has been featured at SxSW, TEDx and on a wide range of media platforms including, Red Table Talk, the Today Show, Oxygen, Investigation Discovery and Bravo. She is also a featured expert on the digital media mental health platform MedCircle. Dr. Durvasula’s research on personality disorders has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and she is a Consulting Editor of the scientific journal Behavioral Medicine. Dr. Durvasula is a brutally honest voice on the struggles raised by narcissism in the US and globally.  

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Ramani Durvasula is the founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training, and Consulting. She maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with the California State University Los Angeles and the University of Johannesburg. Ramani Durvasula receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Ramani Durvasula is an associate editor for Behavioral Medicine and a consulting editor for Psychology of Women Quarterly and Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Mental Health. She is an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, AIDS and Behavior, and Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. Ramani Durvasula is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science Society for Behavioral Medicine, and the International Association of Applied Psychology.

With 25 + years of professional experience and advanced level certifications, Wendy Behary is the founder and director of The Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey and the Schema Therapy Institutes of NJ-NYC-DC. She has been treating clients, training professionals and supervising psychotherapists for more than 20 years. Wendy was on the faculty of the Cognitive Therapy Center and Schema Therapy Institute of New York (until the Institutes merged in 2012), where she trained and worked with Dr. Jeffrey Young since 1989.

She is a founding fellow and consulting supervisor for The Academy of Cognitive Therapy (Aaron T. Beck’s Institute). Wendy served as the President of the Executive Board of the International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST) from 2010-2014 and served as the Training and Certification Coordinator for the ISST Executive Board from 2008-2010. She is currently the chair of the Schema Therapy Development Programs Sub-Committee for the ISST.

Wendy Behary has co-authored several chapters and articles on Schema Therapy and Cognitive Therapy. She is the author of an international bestselling book, Disarming the Narcissist: Surviving and Thriving with the Self-Absorbed, translated in 15 languages. The Third Edition was released on October 1, 2021. Wendy has a specialty in treating narcissists and the people who live with and deal with them. As an author and an expert on the subject of narcissism, she is a contributing chapter author of several chapters on schema therapy for narcissism for professional readers. She lectures both nationally and internationally to professional and general audiences on schema therapy, narcissism, interpersonal relationships, anger, and dealing with difficult people. She receives consistent high praise for her clear and articulate teaching style and her ability to bring the therapy to life through dramatic demonstrations of client interactions in the treatment room.

Her work industry business speaking engagements focus on interpersonal conflict resolution. Her private practice is primarily devoted to treating narcissists, partners/people dealing with them, and couples experiencing relationship problems.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Wendy Behary is the co-founder, Clinical Director, and Director of Training for The Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey and The Schema Therapy Institute of NJ-NYC-DC. She is a published author and receives royalties. Wendy Behary receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Wendy Behary serves on the advisory board of the International Society for Schema Therapy and is a member of the NJ Association of Cognitive-Behavior Therapists, and the International Association of Cognitive-Behavior Therapists.

1 2 3
Sunday, March 23

8:30 AM - 9:45 AM ~ Welcome & Morning Keynote
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM ~ Clinical Workshops

Sunday
Morning Keynote: 9:00 - 10:45 pm ET
Tricia Hersey

Rest as Freedom Dreaming

A Revolutionary Tool for Dismantling Oppression

Multidisciplinary artist, writer, theologian, and community organizer, Tricia Hersey has radically changed the way we think about rest. After an epiphany about her own mental and physical exhaustion and its connection to the legacy of forced labor endured by her ancestors, she founded The Nap Ministry, a hugely popular community-based organization, and began advocating for revolutionary rest. But resting isn’t just about giving our minds and bodies a break from the daily grind—though that’s a part of it. In her bestselling books, Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto” and We Will Rest! The Art of Escape, Hersey invites us to re-envision rest as a social justice issue. Refusing to overfunction and run ourselves ragged in the name of productivity helps free us from the destructive mental, physical, and spiritual impact of oppressive systems like capitalism and white supremacy.  

In this keynote, Hersey will guide us in a collective experience of immersive daydreaming. She’ll introduce us to rest as a powerful way of practicing love, liberation, and communitycare. By giving ourselves permission to freedom-dream, we can access the liberating forces inherent in rest, and reconnect with it as a divine human right. 

Linda Thai, LMSW, ERYT-200, CLYL

Expert on Collective, Historical and Cultural Trauma
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

601 - Healing Attachment with Psychodrama

A Dynamic Approach to Address Childhood Wounds

Pesso-Boyden System Psychomotor (PBSP) is a transformative modality that leads participants through a small-group experience that allows them to reconstruct and re-experience the dynamics of their childhood family-of-origin in three-dimensional space. By creating new, deeply satisfying memories, facilitated in collaboration with the group, it allows clients to address complex trauma and grief—and it can yield profound results in a short time. PBSP is ideal for those dealing with the aftermath of childhood abuse, emotional neglect, or trauma. In this workshop, get a unique opportunity to explore how to:

  • Recreate disrupted attachment patterns using a method that can heal deep-seated family issues
  • Help clients create new and satisfying early memories
  • Facilitate small groups that can hold space for reconstructing childhood dynamics

Linda Thai, LMSW ERYT-200, is a therapist and educator who specializes in brain and body-based modalities that address complex developmental trauma. She works with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, in his private small group psychotherapy workshops aimed at healing attachment trauma.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Linda Thai maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with ND Systems. She receives compensation as a presenter, and she receives a speaking honorarium from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Linda Thai is the co-founder of Yoga & Twelve-Step Recovery (Y12SR). She is a board member for Asian mental health Collective.

Linda Thai, LMSW, ERYT-200, CLYL
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

601 - Healing Attachment with Psychodrama

A Dynamic Approach to Address Childhood Wounds
More Details

Linda Thai, LMSW, ERYT-200, CLYL

Expert on Collective, Historical and Cultural Trauma
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

601 - Healing Attachment with Psychodrama

A Dynamic Approach to Address Childhood Wounds

Pesso-Boyden System Psychomotor (PBSP) is a transformative modality that leads participants through a small-group experience that allows them to reconstruct and re-experience the dynamics of their childhood family-of-origin in three-dimensional space. By creating new, deeply satisfying memories, facilitated in collaboration with the group, it allows clients to address complex trauma and grief—and it can yield profound results in a short time. PBSP is ideal for those dealing with the aftermath of childhood abuse, emotional neglect, or trauma. In this workshop, get a unique opportunity to explore how to:

  • Recreate disrupted attachment patterns using a method that can heal deep-seated family issues
  • Help clients create new and satisfying early memories
  • Facilitate small groups that can hold space for reconstructing childhood dynamics

Linda Thai, LMSW ERYT-200, is a therapist and educator who specializes in brain and body-based modalities that address complex developmental trauma. She works with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, in his private small group psychotherapy workshops aimed at healing attachment trauma.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Linda Thai maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with ND Systems. She receives compensation as a presenter, and she receives a speaking honorarium from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Linda Thai is the co-founder of Yoga & Twelve-Step Recovery (Y12SR). She is a board member for Asian mental health Collective.

Sue Marriott & Ann Kelley

Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

602 - Rethinking Attachment

Integrating Context and Relational Neuroscience in the Therapy Room

Attachment theory has evolved considerably over time and this workshop will help you stay up to date. Contemporary research shows attachment to be multidimensional and looks at how neurobiology, life-long relational experiences, and broader systemic forces all shape our clients’ attachment patterns, including what we’ve historically called “insecurity.” So, what can you do with this new understanding in the therapy room? In this workshop, you’ll discover:

  • A spectrum of attachment activation and how to address it with clients
  • Practical strategies integrating neurobiology into therapeutic interventions to enhance attachment security
  • How attachment and attachment insecurity manifest in diverse clients and varied contexts
  • How society’s cultural norms and socioeconomic differences can perpetuate attachment insecurity
  • How focusing on states of secure relating can help in the journey of building more secure connections and eventually, the development of more secure attachment

Sue Marriott is a clinical social worker, educator, and podcaster who has worked with individuals and groups in private practice in Austin, TX for over 30 years. Her passion boils down to bridging the life-changing relational sciences to those who would otherwise not have access to it. In that spirit, she co-authored Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World (HarperCollins April 2024) and co-created an independently produced podcast, Therapist Uncensored (which maintains an Apple top 10 ranking in social sciences with >9 million downloads in >200 countries). These were both created with her co-conspirator wife and rebel-rouser, Dr. Ann Kelley.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sue Marriott maintains a private practice and is the co-host of Therapist Uncensored Podcast. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Sue Marriott has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Sue Marriott & Ann Kelley
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

602 - Rethinking Attachment

Integrating Context and Relational Neuroscience in the Therapy Room
More Details

Sue Marriott & Ann Kelley

Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

602 - Rethinking Attachment

Integrating Context and Relational Neuroscience in the Therapy Room

Attachment theory has evolved considerably over time and this workshop will help you stay up to date. Contemporary research shows attachment to be multidimensional and looks at how neurobiology, life-long relational experiences, and broader systemic forces all shape our clients’ attachment patterns, including what we’ve historically called “insecurity.” So, what can you do with this new understanding in the therapy room? In this workshop, you’ll discover:

  • A spectrum of attachment activation and how to address it with clients
  • Practical strategies integrating neurobiology into therapeutic interventions to enhance attachment security
  • How attachment and attachment insecurity manifest in diverse clients and varied contexts
  • How society’s cultural norms and socioeconomic differences can perpetuate attachment insecurity
  • How focusing on states of secure relating can help in the journey of building more secure connections and eventually, the development of more secure attachment

Sue Marriott is a clinical social worker, educator, and podcaster who has worked with individuals and groups in private practice in Austin, TX for over 30 years. Her passion boils down to bridging the life-changing relational sciences to those who would otherwise not have access to it. In that spirit, she co-authored Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World (HarperCollins April 2024) and co-created an independently produced podcast, Therapist Uncensored (which maintains an Apple top 10 ranking in social sciences with >9 million downloads in >200 countries). These were both created with her co-conspirator wife and rebel-rouser, Dr. Ann Kelley.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sue Marriott maintains a private practice and is the co-host of Therapist Uncensored Podcast. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Sue Marriott has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Catherine Pittman, PhD, HSPP

Neuroscience and anxiety expert
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

603 - A Neurologically-Informed Treatment of OCD

Breaking Free from Obsessions, Worry, and Avoidance

What are we trying to accomplish when treating OCD? Reducing anxiety? Preventing compulsions? Putting a person in control of their life? These intentions can keep us from being truly helpful. To break the stranglehold of avoidance and obsession, and combat the paralyzing effects of compulsions, clients need to learn the central roles of the amygdala and cortex pathways to empower them to confront their OCD, rather than let it direct their lives.  You will learn and practice strategies to explain brain-based techniques that give clients effective methods to retrain the OCD brain. You’ll explore how to:

  • Help clients see the functioning of the amygdala in their physical symptoms and avoidance, and how they can effectively calm the amygdala
  • Provide Exposure with Response Prevention as the best method of teaching the amygdala new responses to triggers
  • Use the most current knowledge on cortex areas that contribute to OCD to teach clients to resist circular processes that block their goals

Catherine M. Pittman, PhD, HSPP, is a licensed clinical psychologist, and psychology professor at Saint Mary’s College. A practicing clinical psychologist treating anxiety for over 30 years, she’s experienced in neuropsychological rehabilitation with individuals who have experienced brain injuries or strokes. She practices neurologically informed CBT, and has conducted research in both fear conditioning and neuropsychology. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Catherine Pittman maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with Saint Mary's College. She receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Pittman receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Catherine Pittman is a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Catherine Pittman, PhD, HSPP
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

603 - A Neurologically-Informed Treatment of OCD

Breaking Free from Obsessions, Worry, and Avoidance
More Details

Catherine Pittman, PhD, HSPP

Neuroscience and anxiety expert
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

603 - A Neurologically-Informed Treatment of OCD

Breaking Free from Obsessions, Worry, and Avoidance

What are we trying to accomplish when treating OCD? Reducing anxiety? Preventing compulsions? Putting a person in control of their life? These intentions can keep us from being truly helpful. To break the stranglehold of avoidance and obsession, and combat the paralyzing effects of compulsions, clients need to learn the central roles of the amygdala and cortex pathways to empower them to confront their OCD, rather than let it direct their lives.  You will learn and practice strategies to explain brain-based techniques that give clients effective methods to retrain the OCD brain. You’ll explore how to:

  • Help clients see the functioning of the amygdala in their physical symptoms and avoidance, and how they can effectively calm the amygdala
  • Provide Exposure with Response Prevention as the best method of teaching the amygdala new responses to triggers
  • Use the most current knowledge on cortex areas that contribute to OCD to teach clients to resist circular processes that block their goals

Catherine M. Pittman, PhD, HSPP, is a licensed clinical psychologist, and psychology professor at Saint Mary’s College. A practicing clinical psychologist treating anxiety for over 30 years, she’s experienced in neuropsychological rehabilitation with individuals who have experienced brain injuries or strokes. She practices neurologically informed CBT, and has conducted research in both fear conditioning and neuropsychology. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Catherine Pittman maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with Saint Mary's College. She receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Pittman receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Catherine Pittman is a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Nancy L. Johnston, MS, LPC, LSATP

Author and Expert on Toxic Codependency
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

604 - Understanding & Treating Codependency

When Clients Over-function for Others

We frequently see clients who lose themselves in others. Often, their sense of self seems to depend on people, situations, and outcomes they’re unable to realistically control. They’re overly focused on helping, solving, rescuing, saving, and mitigating others’ pain. When this pattern of other-centeredness interferes with a client’s goals, or fuels anxiety and depressive symptoms, what’s a clinician to do? In this workshop, you’ll be introduced to the clinical importance of sensitively helping clients become aware of their tendency toward other centeredness at the expense of the self. By connecting with the self and responding to it, clients can get better at toggling between self and others to create more balance in their lives and ultimately foster a healthier relationship with themselves. You’ll learn to:

  • Help clients recognize codependent patterns in non-pathologizing ways
  • Support clients in developing an internal focus
  • Foster experiences of self in therapy
  • Empower clients to spot codependent patterns fueling anxiety and depression

Nancy Johnston, MS, LPC, LSATP, has been a therapist for over 40 years and is an expert in the field of codependent relationships. The author of Disentangle: When You’ve Lost Your Self in Someone Else (2020). Nancy has helped thousands of clients extricate themselves from toxic codependency, connect with self, and live with more peace and confidence.

Nancy is Master Addiction Counselor and an AMHCA Diplomate in Substance Abuse & Co-Occurring Disorders. She has also authored two other books My Life as a Border Collie: Freedom from Codependency (2012) and Your Healthy Self: Skills for Working with Codependent Behaviors (2015).

In addition to working with individuals, couples, and families, she offers online workshops on "Self-Recovery" and designs and facilitates a Codependence Camp twice a year. Over the past 15 years, Nancy has presented at numerous conferences including the Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders, the Carolinas Conference for Addiction and Recovery, Addiction: Focus on Women, the Virginia Summer Institute for Addiction Studies, the American Mental Health Counselors Association’s Annual Conference, the Virginia Counselors Association’s Annual Conference, and Specialty Docket Training for the Virginia Supreme Court. More information about Nancy and her work is available at her website: nancyljohnston.com.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Nancy Johnston maintains a private practice and is an independent contractor with Dr. Kuley and Associates. She receives royalties as a published author. Nancy Johnston receives a speaking honorarium from Virginia Summer Institute for Addiction Studies. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Nancy Johnston is a member of the American Mental Health Counselors' Association, the Virginia Counselors' Association, the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, and the Virginia Association of Addiction Professionals.

Nancy L. Johnston, MS, LPC, LSATP
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

604 - Understanding & Treating Codependency

When Clients Over-function for Others
More Details

Nancy L. Johnston, MS, LPC, LSATP

Author and Expert on Toxic Codependency
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

604 - Understanding & Treating Codependency

When Clients Over-function for Others

We frequently see clients who lose themselves in others. Often, their sense of self seems to depend on people, situations, and outcomes they’re unable to realistically control. They’re overly focused on helping, solving, rescuing, saving, and mitigating others’ pain. When this pattern of other-centeredness interferes with a client’s goals, or fuels anxiety and depressive symptoms, what’s a clinician to do? In this workshop, you’ll be introduced to the clinical importance of sensitively helping clients become aware of their tendency toward other centeredness at the expense of the self. By connecting with the self and responding to it, clients can get better at toggling between self and others to create more balance in their lives and ultimately foster a healthier relationship with themselves. You’ll learn to:

  • Help clients recognize codependent patterns in non-pathologizing ways
  • Support clients in developing an internal focus
  • Foster experiences of self in therapy
  • Empower clients to spot codependent patterns fueling anxiety and depression

Nancy Johnston, MS, LPC, LSATP, has been a therapist for over 40 years and is an expert in the field of codependent relationships. The author of Disentangle: When You’ve Lost Your Self in Someone Else (2020). Nancy has helped thousands of clients extricate themselves from toxic codependency, connect with self, and live with more peace and confidence.

Nancy is Master Addiction Counselor and an AMHCA Diplomate in Substance Abuse & Co-Occurring Disorders. She has also authored two other books My Life as a Border Collie: Freedom from Codependency (2012) and Your Healthy Self: Skills for Working with Codependent Behaviors (2015).

In addition to working with individuals, couples, and families, she offers online workshops on "Self-Recovery" and designs and facilitates a Codependence Camp twice a year. Over the past 15 years, Nancy has presented at numerous conferences including the Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders, the Carolinas Conference for Addiction and Recovery, Addiction: Focus on Women, the Virginia Summer Institute for Addiction Studies, the American Mental Health Counselors Association’s Annual Conference, the Virginia Counselors Association’s Annual Conference, and Specialty Docket Training for the Virginia Supreme Court. More information about Nancy and her work is available at her website: nancyljohnston.com.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Nancy Johnston maintains a private practice and is an independent contractor with Dr. Kuley and Associates. She receives royalties as a published author. Nancy Johnston receives a speaking honorarium from Virginia Summer Institute for Addiction Studies. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Nancy Johnston is a member of the American Mental Health Counselors' Association, the Virginia Counselors' Association, the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, and the Virginia Association of Addiction Professionals.

Margaret Nichols, PhD

Executive Director of the Institute for Personal Growth
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

605 - Gender-Affirming Mental Health Care

What Helps and What Harms

If you’re confused about how to best work with trans and nonbinary clients these days, you’re not alone. In the U.S., more than one percent of adults and around two percent of teenagers openly identify as transgender, but gender-affirming mental health care is under attack, and most clinicians receive little or no training in working with this population. With 550 anti-trans bills currently in state legislatures, and 23 states with active bans against gender-affirming care, affirming therapy is desperately needed. In this workshop, you’ll explore the critical elements of gender-affirming care and the arguments for and against certain interventions.  You’ll explore:

  • How gender dysphoria manifests differently in children, adolescents, and adults, and what types of young people are likely to persist in a trans identity over time
  • The difference between those who identify as transgender and those who are nonbinary
  • What types of mental health and medical interventions are appropriate at different ages
  • How to parse the arguments against gender-affirming care, including Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria and detransitioners

Margaret Nichols, PhD, is a psychologist, AASECT certified sex therapy supervisor and founder and first Executive Director of the Institute for Personal Growth, a psychotherapy organization in New Jersey specializing in clinical work with the sex, relationship and gender diverse community. She is the author of The Modern Clinician’s Guide to Working with LGBTQ+ Clients: The Inclusive Psychotherapist. Dr. Nichols is an international speaker and author of many articles on LGBTQ sexuality, transgender youth, kink, and consensual nonmonogamy, as well as co-director of Modern Sex Therapy Institutes Transgender Mental Health certification program.  

Speaker Disclosures
Financial: Dr. Margaret Nichols maintains a private practice and receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Margaret Nichols has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Margaret Nichols, PhD
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

605 - Gender-Affirming Mental Health Care

What Helps and What Harms
More Details

Margaret Nichols, PhD

Executive Director of the Institute for Personal Growth
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

605 - Gender-Affirming Mental Health Care

What Helps and What Harms

If you’re confused about how to best work with trans and nonbinary clients these days, you’re not alone. In the U.S., more than one percent of adults and around two percent of teenagers openly identify as transgender, but gender-affirming mental health care is under attack, and most clinicians receive little or no training in working with this population. With 550 anti-trans bills currently in state legislatures, and 23 states with active bans against gender-affirming care, affirming therapy is desperately needed. In this workshop, you’ll explore the critical elements of gender-affirming care and the arguments for and against certain interventions.  You’ll explore:

  • How gender dysphoria manifests differently in children, adolescents, and adults, and what types of young people are likely to persist in a trans identity over time
  • The difference between those who identify as transgender and those who are nonbinary
  • What types of mental health and medical interventions are appropriate at different ages
  • How to parse the arguments against gender-affirming care, including Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria and detransitioners

Margaret Nichols, PhD, is a psychologist, AASECT certified sex therapy supervisor and founder and first Executive Director of the Institute for Personal Growth, a psychotherapy organization in New Jersey specializing in clinical work with the sex, relationship and gender diverse community. She is the author of The Modern Clinician’s Guide to Working with LGBTQ+ Clients: The Inclusive Psychotherapist. Dr. Nichols is an international speaker and author of many articles on LGBTQ sexuality, transgender youth, kink, and consensual nonmonogamy, as well as co-director of Modern Sex Therapy Institutes Transgender Mental Health certification program.  

Speaker Disclosures
Financial: Dr. Margaret Nichols maintains a private practice and receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Margaret Nichols has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Where Theory Meets Practice

The Sessions You Need.

The Symposium is dedicated to addressing the genuine needs of therapists like yourself.

Unlike any other conference, it offers an unparalleled array of practical workshops led by globally recognized clinical experts. These workshops have the potential to revolutionize the outcomes you achieve with your clients, providing you with valuable tools and strategies that can make a profound difference in your practice.

The latest insights from

  • Internal Family Systems
  • EMDR Updates
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapies
  • Guided Imagery Interventions
  • Polyvagal-Informed Therapies
  • AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy)
  • Somatic & Body-Based Interventions
  • Psychopharmacology for Therapists
  • Expressive Arts & Creative Therapies
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy
  • Exposure Therapies
  • Energy Psychology (EFT, Tapping)
  • Neuroscience-Based Interventions
  • Integrative Sex Therapy
  • Positive Psychology
  • Imago Therapy
  • Attachment-based Therapies
  • Hypnotherapy
  • Harm Reduction Therapy
  • Brainspotting
  • and much more!

On the issues that matter most

  • Traumatic Stress
  • Anxiety & Panic
  • Grief & Grieving
  • Autism
  • Narcissism & Gaslighting
  • Couples Therapy
  • Ethics & Cultural Competency
  • Addictions
  • Attachment Wounds
  • Boundaries
  • Spirituality in Psychotherapy
  • Collective, History, and Cultural Trauma
  • Teen Mental Health
  • Racialized Stress & Trauma
  • Gender, Sex & Sexuality
  • Suicidality
  • Dissociation
  • Emotional Immaturity
  • Child Development
  • Psychopharmacology

Unite with thousands of colleagues and unlock the solutions to your current challenges. Discover the approaches that truly work!

Register Now

2025 EXPERT FACULTY

Esther Perel, MA, LMFT

World-renowned Relationship Expert, NYT bestselling author

Esther Perel has devoted her entire professional life to helping people build thriving relationships. She believes that the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives. Since arriving as a graduate student in the United States, Perel has examined the concept from myriad angles: the nature of cultural and religious identity, the negotiation between tradition and modernity, the ebb and flow between individualism and collectivism. She observed interracial and interreligious couples; the cultural forces that affect gender roles; practices of childrearing; and ultimately, the tensions, obstacles, and anxieties that arise when our quest for love and security conflicts with our pursuit of adventure and freedom.

Today, Perel is best known as the host of the wildly popular podcast Where Should We Begin? This fascinating, inside look at Perel’s sessions with real-life couples has unlocked a deep-seated cultural interest in hashing these issues out openly in order to live better lives. However, it has also unlocked within Perel the understanding that her years of study and practice go beyond the romantic, and that the lessons she has learned can be applied to relationships of all kinds, in all environments. The same principles used to create an open, balanced relationship with one’s significant other can be applied to our co-workers, our bosses, and our world at large.

New York Times best-selling author Esther Perel is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern relationships. As a psychotherapist, Perel has helmed a therapy practice in New York City for more than 35 years. In parallel, she serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Fluent in nine languages, Perel’s celebrated TED talks have garnered more than 40 million views and her best-selling books have been translated into 31 languages. Perel is an executive producer and host of the award-winning podcast Where Should We Begin? Her new podcast How’s Work? focuses on workplace dynamics and can be enjoyed on Spotify or other podcast providers.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Esther Perel maintains a private practice. She has employment relationships with Columbia University, Ackerman Institute for the Family, Norwegian Institute for the Expressive Arts Therapies, The Minuchin center for the Family, and 92nd Street Y. She receives royalties as a published author. Esther Perel receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Esther Perel is a member of the American Family Therapy Academy, The Society for Sex Therapy and Research, and the American Association for Sex Educators, Counsellors and Therapists.

Esther Perel, MA, LMFT

World-renowned Relationship Expert, NYT bestselling author
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Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD

Pioneering Innovator in Mindfulness for Clinical Practice

Featured in Bill Moyer's PBS Special, "Healing and the Mind", Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., is executive director at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He is the founder and former director of the UMMC Stress Reduction Clinic and an associate professor of medicine in the division of preventive and behavioral medicine. Using mindfulness meditation, Kabat-Zinn works to help people reduce stress and deal with chronic pain, and a variety of illnesses, particularly breast cancer. He was a trainer for the 1984 U.S. Men's Olympic Rowing Team and is especially interested in reducing the stress-related problems in the inner city and in prison populations.

Kabat-Zinn's books include: Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness (1991); Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (1994) and Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting (1997), which was co-authored with his wife, Myla.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD

Pioneering Innovator in Mindfulness for Clinical Practice
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Janina Fisher, PhD

World-Renowned Trauma Trainer and Expert

Janina Fisher, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, a former instructor at Harvard Medical School, and an executive board member of the Trauma Research Foundation. She's the author of Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Self-Alienation, Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma: a Workbook for Survivors and Therapists, and The Living Legacy Instructional Flip Chart. Her treatment model, Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), is taught around the world. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Janina Fisher has an employment relationship with the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. She is a consultant for Khiron House Clinics and the Massachusetts Department of MH Restraint and Seclusion Initiative. Dr. Fisher receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. Dr. Fisher has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Janina Fisher is on the advisory board for the Trauma Research Foundation. She is a patron of the Bowlby Center.

Janina Fisher, PhD

World-Renowned Trauma Trainer and Expert
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Ramani Durvasula

Internationally Renowned Narcissism Expert

Dr. Ramani Durvasula is a licensed clinical psychologist, Professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles, and the Founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training & Consulting, a company that offers a range of programs focused on educating survivors, clinicians, coaches and businesses on the impacts of narcissism on health, wellness and functioning. She’s the author of Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility, Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With A Narcissist. Dr. Ramani also has a popular YouTube channel that focuses on narcissism and difficult relationships, mental health, and societal expectations. Her work has been featured at SxSW, TEDx and on a wide range of media platforms including, Red Table Talk, the Today Show, Oxygen, Investigation Discovery and Bravo. She is also a featured expert on the digital media mental health platform MedCircle. Dr. Durvasula’s research on personality disorders has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and she is a Consulting Editor of the scientific journal Behavioral Medicine. Dr. Durvasula is a brutally honest voice on the struggles raised by narcissism in the US and globally.  

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Ramani Durvasula is the founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training, and Consulting. She maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with the California State University Los Angeles and the University of Johannesburg. Ramani Durvasula receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Ramani Durvasula is an associate editor for Behavioral Medicine and a consulting editor for Psychology of Women Quarterly and Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Mental Health. She is an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, AIDS and Behavior, and Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. Ramani Durvasula is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science Society for Behavioral Medicine, and the International Association of Applied Psychology.

Ramani Durvasula

Internationally Renowned Narcissism Expert
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David Kessler, MA, RN, FACHE

World-Renowned Grief Expert

David Kessler is one of the world’s foremost experts on grief and loss. His decades of experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a happy and fulfilled life, even after life’s tragedies. He is the author of six books, including his latest bestselling book, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. He coauthored two books with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. His new online model of grief support, Tender Hearts, offers over twenty-five groups. Additionally, David leads one of the most respected Grief Educator Certification programs. He is the founder of Grief.com.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: David Kessler is the is the co-founder and President Emeritus of Project Angel Food. He is a published author and receives royalties. David Kessler receives a speaking honorarium and recording and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: David Kessler is a board member for the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. He is a team member of the Health Care Executives of Southern California, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Red Cross.

David Kessler, MA, RN, FACHE

World-Renowned Grief Expert
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Daniel J. Siegel, MD

Interpersonal Neurobiology Expert, Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute

Daniel J. Siegel, MD, is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and completed his postgraduate medical education at UCLA with training in pediatrics and child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. He is currently a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, founding co-director of UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center, founding co-investigator at the UCLA Center for Culture, Brain and Development, and executive director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational center devoted to promoting insight, compassion, and empathy in individuals, families, institutions, and communities.

Dr. Siegel's psychotherapy practice spans thirty years, and he has published extensively for the professional audience. He serves as the Founding Editor for the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology which includes over 70 textbooks. Dr. Siegel's books include his five New York Times bestsellers: Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence; Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human, and two books with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D, The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline. His other books include:The Power of Showing Up also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D., The Developing Mind, The Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology, Mindsight, The Mindful Brain, The Mindful Therapist, Parenting from the Inside Out (with Mary Hartzell, M.Ed.), and The Yes Brain (also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D). He has been invited to lecture for the King of Thailand, Pope John Paul II, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Google University, and TEDx.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Daniel Siegel is the clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine, the medical director of Lifespan Learning Institute, the executive director of Center for Human Development and Mindsight Institute, and the founding editor of Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology. He receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Daniel Siegel receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Daniel Siegel serves on the advisory board for Gloo and Convergence in Washington, D.C.

Daniel J. Siegel, MD

Interpersonal Neurobiology Expert, Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute
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Ed Tronick, PhD

Child Attachment Researcher, Developer of Still-Face Paradigm

Ed Tronick, PhD, is a developmental and clinical psychologist, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, and author or coauthor of over 300 articles and seven books. He’s currently working on developing norms for the neurobehavior of clinically healthy newborns and the effects of maternal depression, other affective disorders, and drug exposure on infant and child social emotional development.  

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Edward Tronick has employment relationships with Sapienza University, University of Massachusetts, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham &Women's Hospital, and UMass Chan Medical School. He receives royalties as a published author. He receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Edward Tronick is a member of the scientific review board Neo-Aqua Project on NICU Environment and a member of the ECD Science Council of EMPOWER. He serves on several advisory boards, please contact PESI, Inc for a complete list.

Ed Tronick, PhD

Child Attachment Researcher, Developer of Still-Face Paradigm
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Frank Anderson, MD

Renowned Harvard-trained psychiatrist, IFS Lead Trainer, Author Transcending Trauma

Frank Anderson, MD, completed his residency and was a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is both a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation and is passionate about teaching brain-based psychotherapy and integrating current neuroscience knowledge with the IFS model of therapy.

Dr. Anderson is a lead trainer at the IFS Institute with Richard Schwartz and maintains a long affiliation with, and trains for, Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Center. He serves as an advisor to the International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP) and was the former chair and director of the Foundation for Self-Leadership.

Dr. Anderson has lectured extensively on the Neurobiology of PTSD and Dissociation and wrote the chapter “Who’s Taking What” Connecting Neuroscience, Psychopharmacology and Internal Family Systems for Trauma in Internal Family Systems Therapy – New Dimensions. He co-authored a chapter on What IFS Brings to Trauma Treatment in Innovations and Elaborations in Internal Family Systems Therapy, and recently co-authored Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual.

His most recent book, entitled Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems was released on May 19, 2021.

His memoir, To Be Loved, released on May 7, 2024.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Frank Anderson maintains a private practice. He is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Self Leadership and has employment relationships with The Trauma Center and The Center for Self Leadership. Dr. Anderson receives royalties as a published author. He receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Frank Anderson is a member of the New England Society Studying Trauma and Dissociation and the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.

Frank Anderson, MD

Renowned Harvard-trained psychiatrist, IFS Lead Trainer, Author Transcending Trauma
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Kenneth V. Hardy, PhD

President of the Eikenberg Academy for Social Justice

Kenneth V. Hardy, PhD, is an organizational and clinical consultant and the director of the Eikenberg Institute for Relationships.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Kenneth Hardy has employment relationships with Eikenberg Institute for Relationships and Eikenberg Academy for Social Justice . He receives royalties as a published author. Kenneth Hardy receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Kenneth Hardy has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Kenneth V. Hardy, PhD

President of the Eikenberg Academy for Social Justice
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Laurel Parnell, PhD

Director of the Parnell Institute for Attachment-Focused EMDR

Laurel Parnell, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and director of the Parnell Institute for Attachment-Focused EMDR. One of the world's leading experts on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), she is the originator of the EMDR-related therapies Attachment-Focused EMDR and Resource Tapping. Dr. Parnell has served on the faculty of the California Institute for Integral Studies and John F. Kennedy University. She is the author of several books and videos on EMDR, including, Attachment-Focused EMDR: Healing Relational Trauma, Rewiring the Addicted Brain with EMDR-Based Treatment, A Therapist's Guide to EMDR and Tapping In. Dr. Parnell keynotes conferences, trains clinicians in EMDR, and teaches workshops internationally on Attachment-Focused EMDR, Rewiring the Addicted Brain and Resource Tapping. Learn more about Dr. Parnell at www.parnellemdr.com.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Laurel Parnell maintains a private practice and is the director of the Parnell Institute, LLC. She receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Parnell receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Laurel Parnell has no relevant non-financial relationships."

Laurel Parnell, PhD

Director of the Parnell Institute for Attachment-Focused EMDR
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Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA

Trauma Expert and Founder of The Ferentz Institute

Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA, is a recognized expert in the strengths-based, de-pathologized treatment of trauma and has been in private practice for over 35 years. She presents workshops and keynote addresses nationally and internationally, and is a clinical consultant to practitioners and mental health agencies in the United States, Canada, the UK and Ireland.

She has been an adjunct faculty member at several Universities, and is the Founder of “The Ferentz Institute,” now in its 11th year of providing continuing education to mental health professionals and graduating over 1,200 clinicians from her two certificate programs in Advanced Trauma Treatment.

In 2009, she was voted the “Social Worker of Year” by the Maryland Society for Clinical Social Work. Lisa is the author of Treating Self-Destructive Behaviors in Trauma Survivors: A Clinician’s Guide, 2nd Edition (Routledge, 2014), Letting Go of Self-Destructive Behaviors: A Workbook of Hope and Healing (Routledge, 2014), and Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons From the Therapist’s Couch (PESI, 2017). Lisa also hosted a weekly radio talk show, writes blogs and articles for websites on self-harm and self-care, and teaches on many webinars.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lisa Ferentz maintains a private practice and is the Founder and President of the Ferentz Institute. She receives royalties as a published author and is a consultant for Northwest Hospital. Lisa Ferentz receives a speaking honorarium and product royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lisa Ferentz is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the American Psychotherapy Association.

Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA

Trauma Expert and Founder of The Ferentz Institute
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Claudia Black, PhD

Renowned Author, Trainer, and Expert on Treating Addictions

Claudia Black, PhD, is a renowned addictions and codependency expert, author and trainer internationally recognized for her pioneering and contemporary work with family systems and addictive disorders. Since the 1970s, Dr. Black's work has encompassed the impact of addiction on young and adult children. She has offered models of intervention and treatment related to family violence, multi-addictions, relapse, anger, depression and women's issues. Dr. Black designs and presents training workshops and seminars to professional audiences in the field of family service, mental health, addiction and correctional services. She is the Sr. Editorial Advisor for Central Recovery Press and serves as Senior Clinical and Family Services Provider for Las Vegas Recovery Center. She serves on the Advisory Board for the National Association of Children of Alcoholic, and the Advisory Council of the Moyer Foundation.

Dr. Black is the recipient of numerous national awards, including the 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Washington School of Social Work.

Dr. Black has been a keynote speaker on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada. Her workshops have been presented to an extraordinarily wide array of audiences, including military academies, prison systems, medical schools, and extensive mental health and addiction programs. Claudia has extensive multi-cultural experiences working with agencies and audiences in Japan, Brazil, Australia, Scotland, Iceland, Germany, England and Canada. Many of her books and videos have been translated and published abroad.

Claudia is the author of Depression StrategiesIt Will Never Happen To MeChanging CourseMy Dad Loves MeMy Dad Has A DiseaseRepeat After MeIt’s Never Too Late to Have A Happy ChildhoodRelapse ToolkitA Hole in the SidewalkStraight TalkThe Stamp GameFamily StrategiesAnger Strategies and her newest title Deceived: Facing Sexual Betrayal, Lies and Secrets. She has produced several audio CDs and over twenty DVDs. All of Claudia's materials are available from her website, www.claudiablack.com.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Claudia Black is the Clinical Architect of the Claudia Black Center for Young Adults, a Senior Fellow, and an Addiction and Trauma Program Specialist at The Meadows Treatment Center. She receives royalties as a published author. Claudia Black receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Claudia Black serves as an advisory board member for the National Association for Children of Addiction and serves on the advisory council for the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.

Claudia Black, PhD

Renowned Author, Trainer, and Expert on Treating Addictions
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Tricia Hersey

Founder of The Nap Ministry

Tricia Hersey has over 20 years of experience as a multidisciplinary artist, writer, theologian and community organizer. She is a Chicago native who has called Atlanta home for 12 years. Tricia is the visionary founder of The Nap Ministry, the originator of the ‘rest as resistance’ and ‘rest as reparations’ frameworks. The Ministry creates sacred spaces where the liberatory, restorative, and disruptive power of rest can take hold. Trica’s work is seeded within the soils of Black radical thought, somatics, Afrofuturism, womanism, and liberation theology, and is a guide for how to collectively deprogram, decolonize, and unravel ourselves from the wreckage of capitalism and white supremacy.  

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Her work has been seen at: MOCA Cleveland, School of the Art Institute Chicago, Speed Art Museum, Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport and organizations nationwide and internationally. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling book Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto (2022), The Nap Ministry’s Rest Deck: 50 Practices to Resist Grind Culture (2023), and We Will Rest! The Art of Escape (2024). You can learn more about her work at thenapministry.com  

Tricia Hersey

Founder of The Nap Ministry
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Ellyn Bader, PhD

Co-director of The Couples Institute

Ellyn Bader, PhD, is a psychologist, co-director of The Couples Institute in Menlo Park, California, and co-creator of The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy. She’s one of the early founders of couples therapy, as well as a recognized thought leader and trailblazer in relationship therapy. She coauthored the award-winning textbook In Quest of the Mythical Mate and Tell Me No Lies: How to Face the Truth and Build a Loving Marriage with her husband, Dr. Peter Pearson. She’s been featured on Nightline, Good Morning America, and NPR, as well as in O Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and the Wall Street Journal. 


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Ellyn Bader is the director of The Couples Institute and receives compensation as a consultant. She receives royalties as a published author. Ellyn Bader receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Ellyn Bader is a member of the American Psychological Association, the International Transactional Analysis Association, and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

Ellyn Bader, PhD

Co-director of The Couples Institute
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Jean Twenge, PhD

Author/Speaker on Generational Differences and Technology

Jean M. Twenge, PhD, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, is the author of more than 190 scientific publications and seven books, including Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future and iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. Dr. Twenge frequently gives talks and seminars on generational differences based on a dataset of 42 million people. Her audiences have included parents, military personnel, college faculty and staff, high school teachers, camp directors, and corporate executives. Her research has been covered in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, and The Washington Post, and she has been featured on Today, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Fox and Friends, NBC Nightly News, Real Time with Bill Maher, and National Public Radio. She holds a BA and MA from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She publishes her latest analyses and updates on the Generation Tech substack. 

Jean Twenge, PhD

Author/Speaker on Generational Differences and Technology
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Arielle Schwartz, PhD

Master Complex Trauma Trainer and Therapist

Arielle Schwartz, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, internationally sought-out teacher, therapeutic yoga instructor, and leading voice in the healing of PTSD and complex trauma. She is the author of six books based upon her integrative, mind-body approach to trauma recovery: The Complex PTSD Workbook; The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook; A Practical Guide to Complex PTSD; EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology; The Complex PTSD Treatment Manual, and Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery. Her unique blend of spirituality and science can be found in her writings, guided trauma recovery programs, and applied Polyvagal Theory in yoga for trauma recovery.

Dr. Schwartz is an accomplished teacher who guides therapists in the application of EMDR, somatic psychology, parts work therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of trauma and complex trauma. She has a succinct way of speaking about very complex topics. She is a longtime meditation and yoga practitioner with a passion for the outdoors; all of which she incorporates into her work as founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy in Boulder, Colorado where she maintains a private practice providing psychotherapy, supervision, and consultation. Dr. Schwartz believes that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart. Discover more at drarielleschwartz.com.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Arielle Schwartz maintains a private practice and is a trainer with Advanced EMDR Therapy Trainings. She receives royalties as a published author and receives compensation as an international presenter and a yoga instructor. Dr. Schwartz is a paid consultant for Evergreen Certifications. She receives speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Arielle Schwartz is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Yoga Alliance.

Arielle Schwartz, PhD

Master Complex Trauma Trainer and Therapist
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Tammy Nelson, PhD

Founder of The Integrative Sex Therapy Institute

Tammy Nelson, PhD, is an internationally acclaimed psychotherapist, Board Certified Sexologist, Certified Sex Therapist, and Certified Imago Relationship Therapist. She has been a therapist for almost 30 years and is the executive director of the Integrative Sex Therapy Institute. She started the institute to develop courses for psychotherapists as the need grew for certified, integrated postgraduate sex and couple’s therapists in a growing field of mental health consumers who need more complex interventions for their relationship needs.

Dr. Tammy is a TEDx speaker, Psychotherapy Networker Symposium speaker and the author of several books, including Getting the Sex You Want: Shed Your Inhibitions and Reach New Heights of Passion Together (Quiver, 2008) and the best-selling The New Monogamy: Redefining Your Relationship After Infidelity (New Harbinger, 2013), as well as When You’re the One Who Cheats: Ten Things You Need to Know (RL Publishing Corp., 2019) and the upcoming Integrative Sex and Couples Therapy (PESI, 2020).

She has been a featured expert in New York Times Magazine, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Rolling Stone magazine, TIME Magazine, Redbook, Glamour, The Sun, and The London Times. She is the host of a popular podcast on iTunes, “The Trouble with Sex”, and writes for the Huffington Post, YourTango, ThriveGlobal, and medium.com. Dr. Tammy can be followed on her blog, www.drtammynelson.com/blog.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Tammy Nelson maintains a private practice and is executive director and primary faculty at Integrated Sex Therapy Training Institute (ISTI) and has an employment relationship with Daybreak University. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc., and she additionally receives royalties from New Harbinger and Sounds True. She is a paid consultant for Evergreen Certifications. Dr. Nelson has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Tammy Nelson serves on the board of advisors for the World Association of Sex Coaches. She is a member of the American Art Therapy Association, American Association of Sex Educators, Sex Counselors, and Sex Therapists (AASECT), American Comprehensive Energy Psychology Association (ACEP), American Counseling Association, American Family Therapy Academy, American Family Therapy Association (AFTA), American Psychological, Association (APA), Connecticut Counselors, Imago Relationships International Association of Professional and Certified Therapists, International Board of Sexologists, International Institute for Sexuality and Human Development, Nonfiction Authors Association, Society Scientific Study Sexuality (SSSS), and the Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR).

Tammy Nelson, PhD

Founder of The Integrative Sex Therapy Institute
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David Grand, PhD

Founder of Brainspotting Therapy Model

David Grand, PhD, is a psychotherapist, writer, lecturer, performance coach, and humanitarian famous for the discovery and development of the internationally acclaimed Brainspotting method, which brings about life-changing breakthroughs at "Warp Speed." Dr. Grand is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a PhD from International University, and is renowned for his groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in the arenas of healing trauma and enhancing performance and creativity. His Brainspotting method and BioLateral Sound are now used by thousands of therapist on every continent seeking to break through the limitations of talk therapy. Dr. Grand is the author of Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. David Grand maintains a private practice and is a developer for BioLateral Sound Recordings. He is the developer of the Brainspotting method and receives compensation as a national lecturer. Dr. Grand receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. David Grand has no relevant non-financial relationship to disclose.

David Grand, PhD

Founder of Brainspotting Therapy Model
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Diana Fosha, PhD

Developer of AEDP and the Director of the AEDP Institute

Diana Fosha, PhD, is the developer of AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy), a healing-based, transformation-oriented model of psychotherapeutic treatment and she is founder and director of the AEDP Institute. For the last 20 years, Diana has been active in promoting a scientific basis for a healing-oriented, attachment-emotion-transformation focused trauma treatment model. Fosha’s work focuses on integrating positive neuroplasticity, recognition science and developmental dyadic research into experiential and transformational clinical work with patients. Her most recent work focuses on promoting flourishing as a seamless part of AEDP’s therapeutic process of transforming emotional suffering. Drawing on affective neuroscience, attachment theory, mother-infant developmental research, and research documenting the undreamed-of plasticity in the adult brain, AEDP has developed an experiential clinical practice, which reflects the integration of science, research and practice in psychotherapy.

Based in New York City, where she lives and practices, Fosha has been on the faculties of the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology of NYU and St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Medical Centers (now Mount Sinai) in NYC, and of the doctoral programs in clinical psychology at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University and at The City University of New York.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Diana Fosha is the Director and Founder of the AEDP Institute and maintains a private practice. She receives royalties as a published author. Diana Fosha receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Diana Fosha is on the advisory board of GAINS and the Society for Constructivism in the Human Science. She is on the Planning Committee and Advisory Board of by the Lifespan Learning Institute and is a member of the American Psychological Association.

Diana Fosha, PhD

Developer of AEDP and the Director of the AEDP Institute
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Matthias Barker, LMHC

Social Media and Therapy Educator, Content Creator

Matthias Barker is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Northwest University. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Matthias specializes in treating high-acuity sexual trauma, childhood trauma, and marital issues.

Matthias is a prolific educator and content creator, having self-published two mental health journals on a trauma-informed approach to motivation and gratitude. He has developed seven workshops on a variety of topics such as trauma, anxiety, and setting boundaries with parents as well as co-creating a comprehensive course on healing from trauma with Dr. Frank Anderson, a renowned trauma expert.

As a passionate advocate for mental health, Matthias is dedicated to making psychoeducation more accessible by bridging the gap between the academic realm and the everyday experiences of the general public. As a result, he has become a sought-after authority in both the mental health and social media fields. Through his social media platforms, Matthias reaches millions, sharing psychoeducational content and building a thriving community dedicated to mental health awareness and education. With over 3 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and his podcast, which once ranked #38 on the Spotify global health and fitness charts, his impact continues to grow.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Matthias Barker maintains a private practice. He receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Matthias Barker has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Matthias Barker, LMHC

Social Media and Therapy Educator, Content Creator
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Earn up to a year's worth of CE hours ($800 value - included!)
Complete download access to all handouts and resources from faculty to use in your clinical practice (included!)
User-friendly, all-in-one platform that can be accessed on desktop or mobile with speaker Q&A and live chat
100% risk-free registration with no cancellation fees, ever

Schedule at a Glance

Click on the days below to see times of each event
Please note the times are listed in PDT

Thursday, October 3

8:30 AM - Noon PDT
Workshops
Noon - 1:00 PM PDT
Break
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM PDT
Workshops Continued
3:00 PM – 6:30 PM PDT
Exhibit Hall Grand Opening

Jean Twenge, PhD

Author/Speaker on Generational Differences and Technology
Thursday
Afternoon Keynote: 3:30 – 4:30 pm ET
Keynote

iGen

Guiding the Smartphone Generation

Psychologist Jean Twenge is one of the foremost researchers exploring the lives of kids and teens today. Her up-to-the-minute studies tying the rise of mental health issues in teens to the explosion of smartphones have widely influenced key cultural figures and educational policy from coast to coast. A professor at San Diego State University and popular speaker, her talks and seminars about generational differences are based on an impressive dataset of over 40 million people, which keeps her in the center of both the intellectual debates and cultural maelstrom surrounding technology and teens. Among her 180 scientific publications and seven books are Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future and Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. A frequent network news media guest, she writes the Generation Tech substack.  

In this talk, Twenge will delve into the latest findings about how being the first generation to spend their adolescence with smartphones is affecting today’s teens. Has it really made them more likely to experience unhappiness, anxiety, and depression? And if so, what can therapists do to help? 

Janina Fisher, PhD

World-Renowned Trauma Trainer and Expert
Thursday

Janina Fisher, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, a former instructor at Harvard Medical School, and an executive board member of the Trauma Research Foundation. She's the author of Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Self-Alienation, Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma: a Workbook for Survivors and Therapists, and The Living Legacy Instructional Flip Chart. Her treatment model, Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), is taught around the world. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Janina Fisher has an employment relationship with the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. She is a consultant for Khiron House Clinics and the Massachusetts Department of MH Restraint and Seclusion Initiative. Dr. Fisher receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. Dr. Fisher has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Janina Fisher is on the advisory board for the Trauma Research Foundation. She is a patron of the Bowlby Center.

Janina Fisher, PhD

World-Renowned Trauma Trainer and Expert
Thursday

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Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA

Trauma Expert and Founder of The Ferentz Institute
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET

101 - Creative & Expressive Approaches to Treating Depression

Working with Hypoarousal & Affective Disorders

For clients who’ve long struggled with major depression, looking at their diagnosis through the lens of hypo-arousal provides a framework for understanding and treating their cognitive, emotional, somatic, and behavioral symptoms. Adding a psychosocial lens helps them process intrapsychic, interpersonal, and environmental triggers. In the face of these triggers, it’s important to help clients understand the current research around the adverse, long-term effects of “medical marijuana” when used to treat depression—and to offer them a host of creative, non-pharmacological tools so they can get effective relief for their debilitating symptoms. In this workshop, we’ll explore the myriad approaches that can help clients feel more empowered to manage their affective disorders and decrease the negative thoughts, feelings, and uncomfortable somatic experiences that can overwhelm them. You’ll learn: 

  • Simple interventions to add to your clinical toolbox for treating major depression that positively connect body and mind 
  • Cognitive reframing through writing and art prompts, visualization, guided imagery solution-focused strategies, parts work, and self-talk  
  • Somatic resourcing techniques that offer clients gentle body-based tools that can bring quick relief for symptoms of depression 
  • How to feel more empowered about the management and treatment of affective disorders 

 

Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA, is a recognized expert in the strengths-based, de-pathologized treatment of trauma and has been in private practice for over 35 years. She presents workshops and keynote addresses nationally and internationally, and is a clinical consultant to practitioners and mental health agencies in the United States, Canada, the UK and Ireland.

She has been an adjunct faculty member at several Universities, and is the Founder of “The Ferentz Institute,” now in its 11th year of providing continuing education to mental health professionals and graduating over 1,200 clinicians from her two certificate programs in Advanced Trauma Treatment.

In 2009, she was voted the “Social Worker of Year” by the Maryland Society for Clinical Social Work. Lisa is the author of Treating Self-Destructive Behaviors in Trauma Survivors: A Clinician’s Guide, 2nd Edition (Routledge, 2014), Letting Go of Self-Destructive Behaviors: A Workbook of Hope and Healing (Routledge, 2014), and Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons From the Therapist’s Couch (PESI, 2017). Lisa also hosted a weekly radio talk show, writes blogs and articles for websites on self-harm and self-care, and teaches on many webinars.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lisa Ferentz maintains a private practice and is the Founder and President of the Ferentz Institute. She receives royalties as a published author and is a consultant for Northwest Hospital. Lisa Ferentz receives a speaking honorarium and product royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lisa Ferentz is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the American Psychotherapy Association.

Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA

Trauma Expert and Founder of The Ferentz Institute
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET

101 - Creative & Expressive Approaches to Treating Depression

More Information

Sabrina N'Diaye, PhD, LCSW-C, MDiv

Therapist, Peacebuilder, and Healer
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

108 - Connecting with our Cultural & Ancestral Wisdom

Using Imagery & Writing to Deepen Therapy

Our wisdom is not solely rooted in our degrees and continuing education—it’s also inherited from the people who came before us. This workshop is an opportunity to embark on a journey of deepened self-awareness  that you can also use with a range of clients, including those who “live in their heads” or feel anxious and uncomfortable with stillness because they’re chronically busy or on guard. Through guided meditation, imagery, writing, and art, you’ll experience a range of creative, heart-centered approaches that can help therapists and their clients expand their sense of self and tap into their own personal, cultural, and ancestral wisdom. In this experiential workshop, you’ll learn how to: 

  • Help clients tap into psychotherapy as a spiritual process that’s also grounded in science  
  • Bring the physiological benefits of imagery and journaling to your clients—even those who proclaim they’re not creative 
  • Implement four practical techniques for accessing a client’s innate wisdom 
  • Guide clients in tapping into their imagination 

Sabrina N’Diaye, PhD, LCSW-C, MDiv, is an integrative psychotherapist, storyteller, and peacebuilder based in Baltimore, MD. She recently completed her first book, The Laugh of Love.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sabrina N'Diaye is the founder and clinical director of The Heart Nest Center for Peace and Healing. She has employment relationships with The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, The Ferentz Institute, Saybrook University, and the Maryland University of Integrative Health. Sabrina N'Diaye receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Sabrina N'Diaye has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Sabrina N'Diaye, PhD, LCSW-C, MDiv

Therapist, Peacebuilder, and Healer
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

108 - Connecting with our Cultural & Ancestral Wisdom

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George Faller, LMFT

Founder of the New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm EST

102 - The High-Conflict Couple

Moving from Blame to Vulnerability

Working with highly escalated couples and families can be scary and exhausting. Often, our best attempts at creating positive change fall flat. Sometimes, us trying to guide sessions into a safe zone even leads to more entrenched silence or further criticism. When negative cycles take over, and we find ourselves faced with shut-down withdrawers and hostile pursuers, how do we shift them out of reactivity and into responsiveness? This workshop draws on proven interventions from Emotionally Focused Therapy and the neuroscience of human attachment to help you navigate the recurring blocks and common triggers therapists encounter in couples and family work. You’ll walk away with new tools that will empower you to shift the reactivity and mis-attunement that so often derails work with highly escalated partners and families. You’ll discover how to: 

  • Help clients shift from blaming their partner to sharing their vulnerability  
  • Transform negative cycles of interaction into positive cycles of responsiveness 
  • Help partners to recognize and put words to their inner experiences  
  • Immediately incorporate powerful techniques to reduce client reactivity and begin the process of healing 

Prior to a career in the field of mental health, George Faller, LMFT spent 20 years as a NYC Firefighter and NYC Police Officer. His experience as a FDNY Peer Counselor, particularly following the events of 9/11, sparked his passion to help those impacted by trauma.

He is a certified trainer/supervisor/therapist in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and founder of the New York Center for Emotionally Focused therapy where he serves as president. He is a supervisor with the American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy (AAMFT) and teaches classes at the Ackerman Institute for the Family in Manhattan. He is a licensed marriage & family therapist currently practicing in Connecticut and New York. George is the director of training at the Greenwich Center for Hope & Renewal in Connecticut and is on board of the Porter Cason Institute at Tulane University in New Orleans.

George brings a unique and varied experience to his practice. Whether he is providing marriage therapy to Wall Street executives, leading a conference for the United States Military or equipping therapists from around the globe, his ability to inspire is far-reaching. George is also committed to bringing EFT to underprivileged populations and pushing the leading edge of effective therapy.

George is the coauthor of the books True Connection, Sacred Stress, and Emotionally Focused Family Therapy and cohost of podcast Foreplay Radio. For more information go to www.georgefaller.com and checkout www.successinvulnerability.com


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: George Faller is the Director of Training for the Center For Hope & Renewal, and the President of the New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy. He is the co-host of the ForePlay Radio Podcast, leader of Success in Vulnerability, and adjunct professor at the Ackerman Institute for the Family. George receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: George Faller has no relevant non-financial relationships.

George Faller, LMFT

Founder of the New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm EST

102 - The High-Conflict Couple

More Information

Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP

Executive Director of EnergyPsycho.org
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

104 - EFT for Emotional Regulation & Trauma Processing  

An Energy Psychology Approach

What if you could give clients immobilized by trauma fast relief, without having to worry about retraumatizing them by rehashing what happened to them? Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) are some of the preeminent bottom-up energy psychology approaches for rapidly calming the body and restoring balance after trauma-induced stress and anxiety. These techniques are easy to learn, backed by over 200 research studies, and have been used to treat everything from test anxiety to PTSD in veterans to survivors of genocide in Rwanda. In this workshop, we’ll explore how and why EFT works, as well as its many applications for any client population. You’ll learn:

  • The two phases of EFT: first, using it to aid in emotional regulation, and then using it to treat traumatic memories  
  • How to integrate EFT’s different techniques into trauma treatment  
  • Why EFT goes beyond “tapping,” integrating aspects of multiple approaches from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Erickonian Hypnosis 

Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP, is a licensed psychologist and master therapist and trainer who has been practicing for over 30 years. He is the Executive Director of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (energypsych.org). He has been teaching trauma treatment as well as energy psychology approaches for over 20 years. He has presented workshops internationally on trauma, Ericksonian hypnosis, brief therapy and energy psychology.

He is the author of Tools for Transforming Trauma, and PTSD: A Clinician’s Guide, as well as a book on couples work We’re No Fun Anymore and numerous articles and videos. Dr. Schwarz has organized over 20 conferences on treating trauma, Energy Psychology, Ericksonian Hypnosis and brief therapy training over 15,000 therapists. He is a clinical member of AAMFT, an approved consultant in Hypnosis, and a diplomat in Comprehensive Energy Psychology. He is known for his ability to provide specific clinical skills within an integrative model. Participants consistently comment that his workshops are engaging and entertaining, full of humor as well as deeply moving demonstrations.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Robert Schwarz maintains a private practice and is the executive director of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology. He is a published author and receives royalties. Dr. Schwarz receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Robert Schwarz has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP

Executive Director of EnergyPsycho.org
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

104 - EFT for Emotional Regulation & Trauma Processing  

More Information

Tova Rubin, PhD

Ethics in Therapy Expert Trainer
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

106 - Ethical Dilemmas with “A Little Help from Your Friends”

A Musical Clinical Experience

Ethics training can be dull. But this workshop, using the music of the Beatles as a framework, embodies the idea that when youre having fun, the learning is deeper. Through beloved songs that are loosely connected to real clinical issues, attendees will discuss tough ethical dilemmas that inevitably emerge in modern therapy settings. Small- and large-group discussions allow for sharing best practices and as many perspectives as are in the room. This process models how to approach ethical issues in the office: consult, consult, consult. Well discuss: 

  • Relevant ethical issues, such as the challenges of telehealth, cellphone use in the office, attraction from or to clients, sleepiness in sessions, and other real-life scenarios 
  • How to handle tough boundary settings, such as getting timely payment, addressing client tardiness or absence, and needing to refer a client 
  • How to develop an ethical decision-making model to guide you in gray areas not directly addressed in professional codes 

Tova Rubin, Ph.D., is in private practice in the DC area. She’s adjunct faculty at George Washington University and a hospice volunteer.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Tova Rubin maintains a private practice and receives royalties as a published author. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Tova Rubin is a contributing author with Psychotherapy Networker.

Tova Rubin, PhD

Ethics in Therapy Expert Trainer
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

106 - Ethical Dilemmas with “A Little Help from Your Friends”

More Information

Connor Beaton & Duey Freeman, LPC

Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

103 - Getting Results with Male Clients

A Developmental & Attachment-Based Approach

When it comes to working with male clients, what strategies and practices work best? How do you work with a man who’s stuck in his head, constantly over-rationalizing, or caught in a cycle of self-sabotage? What do you do if he struggles to connect to his emotions, can’t (or won’t) address hidden trauma or pain, or is deeply avoidant? In this workshop, you’ll learn, step by step, a proven framework rooted in attachment and developmental principles that helps even the most tough-to-crack male clients get out of their heads, into their bodies, and feeling a fuller, more satisfying sense of self. You’ll also learn: 

  • The latest approaches rooted in attachment and developmental science, and how they can be specifically adapted for men 
  • Prompts and exercises proven to help men articulate their emotions in a more visceral way 
  • Tools for working with “resistance” and avoidance 
  • How to respond when male clients respond to therapy with intensity or shut down 

Connor Beaton is the founder of ManTalks, an international organization focused on improving the lives, relationships, and mental health of men. He’s also an international speaker, author of the bestselling book Men’s Work: A Practical Guide to Face Your Darkness, End Self-Sabotage, and Find Freedom, and host of the podcast ManTalks. He’s also a TEDx speaker and has been featured in Forbes, The Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, and National Post. 

Duey Freeman, LPC, is a licensed therapist and attachment specialist. Having developed his own attachment and development model, 90,000+ hours of direct client hours, and years spent training thousands of therapists, he brings a depth of wisdom and mastery that is hard to match. He also co-founded the Gestalt Equine Institute and the Gestalt Institute of the Rockies in Colorado where he lives with his partner Kimberly. 

Connor Beaton & Duey Freeman, LPC

Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

103 - Getting Results with Male Clients

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Christine Mark-Griffin, LCSW

EMDR Therapy for Children Expert and Award-Winning Author
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

105 - Playing Outside of the Box

Creative & Adaptable Interventions for Kids

In today’s fast-paced world, the rise in screen time and structured activities is dramatically reducing opportunities for imaginative and physical play—critical for children's cognitive, social, and emotional development. Recent findings reveal that cultural factors and technology greatly impact play and trauma treatment. While technology can enrich play, its integration poses challenges. In this highly interactive workshop, you'll explore creative and practical interventions to help reignite children's imaginations and build their emotional resilience. You’ll gain: 

  • Innovative strategies for integrating imaginative and physical play into trauma treatment 
  • Practical tools to personalize interventions, tailoring them to meet each child's unique needs 
  • Techniques to adapt play therapy methods in response to the challenges posed by modern technology 
  • Insights on fostering emotional resilience and creativity in children through dynamic, hands-on activities 
  • Creative attachment-focused interventions to engage and involve parents/caregivers in family sessions 

Christine Mark-Griffin, LCSW,RYT is an internationally acclaimed expert in EMDR therapy for children and award-winning author. Christine is passionate about playfully combining her love of yoga, music, movement & fitness with clinical practice to help others learn, grow and heal. She is the owner of Spark All Wellness, a small group practice located in San Francisco, California specializing in EMDR and trauma-informed yoga therapy with women and children. She is also the founder of EMDR for Kids, where her mission is to empower therapists, parents, and children of all ages with resources, tools, and advanced training to overcome trauma & adversities. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Christine Mark-Griffin is the owner of Spark All Wellness. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Christine Mark-Griffin is a member of National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)."

Christine Mark-Griffin, LCSW

EMDR Therapy for Children Expert and Award-Winning Author
Thursday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm; 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

105 - Playing Outside of the Box

More Information

Friday, October 4

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM PDT
Morning Movement/Yoga
9:00 AM – 10:45 AM PDT
Welcome & Keynote Address
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM PDT
Morning Workshops
1:15 PM – 2:45 PM PDT
Luncheon Address & Exhibit Hall Happenings
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM PDT
Afternoon Workshops
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM PDT
Innovations Reception in the Exhibit Hall
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM PDT
Trauma Research Foundation Reception with Bessel van der Kolk
8:00 PM – 11:00 PM PDT
Innovations Dance Party

Esther Perel, MA, LMFT

World-renowned Relationship Expert, NYT bestselling author
Friday
Morning Keynote: 9:00 am – 10:45 am EST
Keynote

Bridging Divides: Exploring Polarization in Therapy and Society

How can we repair relationships in a world torn apart by polarization, conflict, and misunderstanding? In this dynamic conversation, three experts come together to offer their unique perspectives on rebuilding connection amidst division. Esther Perel, celebrated for her transformative work on intimacy and relational repair in her bestselling books, courses, and the podcast Where Should We Begin?, delves into how we can restore trust, nuance, and complexity in intimate relationships. Mónica Guzmán, author of I Never Thought of It That Way and a pioneer in bridging political divides through curiosity, shares insights on fostering empathy and understanding across seemingly irreconcilable differences, drawing from her experience navigating family dynamics with opposing political views. Bill Doherty, author of Becoming a Citizen Therapist: Integrating Community Problem-Solving Into Your Work as a Healer and Take Back Your Marriage, brings his expertise in helping couples and communities resolve conflicts through dialogue and shared purpose. 

Together, they will explore the messy, powerful work of repair, recognizing that true connection doesn’t mean eliminating differences, but learning to hold space for them. In a world where we often mistake our stories for truth, these experts argue that real understanding goes beyond living alongside those who think like us. Instead, it lies in our ability to coexist respectfully and empathetically with those whose stories and perceptions may deeply challenge our own. The goal is not to erase the divide, but to ensure it does not define our relationships by default—acknowledging that even in profound disagreement, there is a shared humanity that compels us to care for one another when it matters most. 

 

Daniel J. Siegel, MD

Interpersonal Neurobiology Expert, Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute
Friday
Luncheon Address: 1:15 – 2:45 pm ET
Keynote

How Attachment Trauma Shapes Our Personality

Early Experience & The Formation of The Self

These days, if the modern human mind could have a personal translator, PR agent, and cheerleader, that person would be Dan Siegel. Beyond his impressive CV—he’s a clinical professor of psychiatry, founder and co-investigator at numerous research centers, founding editor of the Norton professional series on interpersonal neurobiology, and executive director of the Mindsight Institute—Siegel’s bestselling books have found their way into the hands of millions of everyday people seeking advice on developing awareness, regulating emotions, and raising whole-brain children. Having worked as a therapist and mind researcher for over 30 years, Siegel gets people and their patterns—on both a human and neurobiological level. More than any other psychiatrist alive today, he’s changed the way we live, communicate, parent, and think about thinking.

In this keynote, we’ll explore how persistent patterns of emotion, thinking, and behavior—known as “personality”—may have formed, and how to enable those potential prisons to transform into platforms of possibility that serve as playgrounds in life. Using research from the trans-disciplinary field of Interpersonal Neurobiology, we will explore the Patterns of Developmental Pathways (PDPs). Join us, and have your mind blown by our field’s beloved mind expert.

*Seats are limited.  Advanced registration is required and an additional fee will apply.

 

Kellen Erskine & Elliott Connie

Friday
Evening Event: 7:00 - 9:00 pm ET
Keynote

An Evening of Comedy with Kellen Erskine & Elliott Connie

After a long day of honing your clinical skills, join your friends and colleagues for an evening of comedy thrills! Kick back and indulge while you experience an evening of stand-up comedy headlined by comedy sensation Kellen Erskine with our very own Symposium faculty, Elliott Connie.

Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, America’s Got Talent, Comedy Central, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. Known for his sharp, observational humor and engaging, relatable stories, Erskine was named one of TBS’s Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2017, and his comedy clips have garnered over 150 million views on the streaming channel Dry Bar Comedy.

Opening the night is long-time Symposium faculty member and developer of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Elliott Connie. When he’s not practicing and teaching, he’s traveling across the country honing his comedy chops and hosting shows for stars like Tiffany Haddish. With incisive, witty commentaries on everything from parenting to relationships, come see for yourself why Connie has dubbed his comedy calling “a new way to heal the world.” Let’s face it: therapy is hard work. And while the insurance companies may not recognize a bad case of comedy deficiency disorder, we sure do! So it’s okay to leave your notes, your DSM, and your inhibitions behind for tonight. We won’t tell.

*Join us for drinks, dessert, and an evening of much needed laughter.  Space is limited, and advanced registration is required. There is an additional fee to attend.

Ed Tronick, PhD

Child Attachment Researcher, Developer of Still-Face Paradigm
Friday
3:00 - 5:00 pm ET

308 - How Clients’ Early Parental Relationships Affect Therapy

And What to Do About It

The processes driving child development, primarily those embedded in the parent-child relationship, are the most striking mechanisms of human change. In fact, the parent-child relationship is so profound and its effects so long-lasting that it can help us to understand and predict how best to foster the client-therapist relationship so it can succeed in producing change. In this workshop, you’ll discover:  

  • The particularly important ways therapy relationships mirror clients’ family relationships  
  • Why kids’ meaning-making processes are so messy, and how that’s mirrored in therapy when they’re adults 
  • Ways to think about parent-child disruption and repair, and its lasting effects on your clients 
  • How to break down the ways a parent’s depression and stress haveinfluenced a person’s social-emotional development  

Ed Tronick, PhD, is a developmental and clinical psychologist, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, and author or coauthor of over 300 articles and seven books. He’s currently working on developing norms for the neurobehavior of clinically healthy newborns and the effects of maternal depression, other affective disorders, and drug exposure on infant and child social emotional development.  

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Edward Tronick has employment relationships with Sapienza University, University of Massachusetts, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham &Women's Hospital, and UMass Chan Medical School. He receives royalties as a published author. He receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Edward Tronick is a member of the scientific review board Neo-Aqua Project on NICU Environment and a member of the ECD Science Council of EMPOWER. He serves on several advisory boards, please contact PESI, Inc for a complete list.

Ed Tronick, PhD

Child Attachment Researcher, Developer of Still-Face Paradigm
Friday
3:00 - 5:00 pm ET

308 - How Clients’ Early Parental Relationships Affect Therapy

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Kenneth V. Hardy, PhD

President of the Eikenberg Academy for Social Justice
Friday
3:00 – 5:00 pm ET

301 - Regulating Racial Reactivity & Defensiveness

How to Set the Stage for Positive Interactions

Many cross-racial interactions, inside and outside the therapy room, lead to reactivity and defensiveness that manifest in a number of ways, such as explosiveness, distancing, disengagement, and self-righteousness. But no matter what form reactivity takes, it gets in the way of meaningful and constructive conversations. These kinds of toxic interactions can ruin a friendship, work relationship, and even therapeutic relationship, leaving both parties feeling disillusioned, frustrated, and hopeless about not just current but future cross-racial encounters. In this workshop, we’ll explore:  

  • The anatomy of racial reactivity in order to help enhance race-related conversations and avoid inflicting racial harm 
  • How racial defensiveness can affect cross-racial engagement in the short and long-term  
  • Strategies for addressing, overcoming, and regulating racial reactivity inside and outside of therapy 
  • Effective ways to work with defensiveness to achieve honest and productive interactions 

Kenneth V. Hardy, PhD, is an organizational and clinical consultant and the director of the Eikenberg Institute for Relationships.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Kenneth Hardy has employment relationships with Eikenberg Institute for Relationships and Eikenberg Academy for Social Justice . He receives royalties as a published author. Kenneth Hardy receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Kenneth Hardy has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Kenneth V. Hardy, PhD

President of the Eikenberg Academy for Social Justice
Friday
3:00 – 5:00 pm ET

301 - Regulating Racial Reactivity & Defensiveness

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Alexia Rothman, PhD

IFS Leading Practitioner and Trainer
Friday
3:00pm - 5:00pm ET

304 - Exploring the Heart of IFS Therapy

A Compassionate Approach to Healing

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a compassionate, nonpathologizing, evidence-based approach to helping clients change entrenched patterns of thinking and behavior, and heal deep, traumatic wounding. IFS honors the natural multiplicity of the mind through parts work. It takes into account the various contexts and systems within which we’re embedded that shape our psyches. This workshop invites participants to honor and befriend their own protective parts as they explore fundamental principles and assumptions of IFS theory. You’ll learn to:  

  • Understand your clients' symptoms through a non-pathologizing lens 
  • Introduce clients to core components of the psyche, including parts, burdens, and the Self 
  • Shift clients from the “story” to guided internal parts work 
  • Help clients develop trusting, connected relationships with their protective parts 

Alexia Rothman, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, international speaker and co-lead trainer for the Internal Family Systems model. She’s a former adjunct professor at Emory University and Agnes Scott College, and co-hosts the IFS-based podcasts, IFS Talks and Explorations in Psychotherapy. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Alexia Rothman maintains a private practice. She is co-hosts of the podcasts IFS Masters and Explorations in Psychotherapy. She is a paid trainer with the IFS Institute, and she receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. Dr. Rothman receives compensation as a consultant. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Alexia Rothman is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Georgia Psychological Association, and the National Register of Health Service Psychologists.

Alexia Rothman, PhD

IFS Leading Practitioner and Trainer
Friday
3:00pm - 5:00pm ET

304 - Exploring the Heart of IFS Therapy

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Ellyn Bader, PhD

Co-director of The Couples Institute
Friday
3:00 – 5:00 pm ET

302 - Confrontation without Defensiveness

A Gentle, Compassionate Approach

Like it or not, confrontation is a necessary part of all therapy. Maybe your client comes into therapy with grand pronouncements: “I’m all in—I'll do the work!” And for a little bit, it seems like they’ll follow through. But when you bring up, even gently, the ways in which they’re undermining their goals, they deny, diffuse, or become defensive, and the work stalls. In this workshop, you’ll discover the six skills that are proven to help clients take accountability without triggering defensiveness. Using video from actual client sessions—including moments of confrontation—we’ll break down the “confrontation cycle,” walking through techniques that move clients forward, instead of causing them to regress or feel attacked. You’ll learn how to: 

  • Prime clients for moments of confrontation  
  • Use confrontation in individual and couples sessions 
  • Recognize and process your own emotional reactions during confrontation of all sorts, including soft, empathetic, and indirect 
  • Help clients confront themselves 

Ellyn Bader, PhD, is a psychologist, co-director of The Couples Institute in Menlo Park, California, and co-creator of The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy. She’s one of the early founders of couples therapy, as well as a recognized thought leader and trailblazer in relationship therapy. She coauthored the award-winning textbook In Quest of the Mythical Mate and Tell Me No Lies: How to Face the Truth and Build a Loving Marriage with her husband, Dr. Peter Pearson. She’s been featured on Nightline, Good Morning America, and NPR, as well as in O Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and the Wall Street Journal. 


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Ellyn Bader is the director of The Couples Institute and receives compensation as a consultant. She receives royalties as a published author. Ellyn Bader receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Ellyn Bader is a member of the American Psychological Association, the International Transactional Analysis Association, and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

Ellyn Bader, PhD

Co-director of The Couples Institute
Friday
3:00 – 5:00 pm ET

302 - Confrontation without Defensiveness

More Information

Arielle Schwartz, PhD

Master Complex Trauma Trainer and Therapist
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

203 - Neuroplasticity in Trauma Recovery

Mind-Body Tools to Foster Resilience & Awaken to Potential

More so than ever, being trauma-informed means understanding the ways that neuroplasticity allows clients to flourish after traumatic experiences. If we can help them change the way their traumatic memories are stored and take responsibility for the narratives that define their lives, we can foster post-traumatic growth. As clients feel stronger, more self-accepting, and have an increased sense of purpose and belonging, their symptoms will decrease, their relationships will deepen, and they can access greater joy, appreciation, and connection. This interactive workshop will empower you with practical tools—such as the six pillars of resilience—to facilitate a strength-based approach to trauma recovery. You’ll learn to: 

  • Guide clients in revising their trauma narratives in a way that supports growth 
  • Help clients attend to the impact of traumatic events on the body so they can build vagal tone and vagal efficiency—an embodied experience of safety and receptivity 
  • Harness client’s inherent resilience by building on protective factors that help prevent PTSD 
  • Help clients integrate new movement resources and release traumatic activation 

Arielle Schwartz, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, internationally sought-out teacher, therapeutic yoga instructor, and leading voice in the healing of PTSD and complex trauma. She is the author of six books based upon her integrative, mind-body approach to trauma recovery: The Complex PTSD Workbook; The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook; A Practical Guide to Complex PTSD; EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology; The Complex PTSD Treatment Manual, and Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery. Her unique blend of spirituality and science can be found in her writings, guided trauma recovery programs, and applied Polyvagal Theory in yoga for trauma recovery.

Dr. Schwartz is an accomplished teacher who guides therapists in the application of EMDR, somatic psychology, parts work therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of trauma and complex trauma. She has a succinct way of speaking about very complex topics. She is a longtime meditation and yoga practitioner with a passion for the outdoors; all of which she incorporates into her work as founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy in Boulder, Colorado where she maintains a private practice providing psychotherapy, supervision, and consultation. Dr. Schwartz believes that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart. Discover more at drarielleschwartz.com.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Arielle Schwartz maintains a private practice and is a trainer with Advanced EMDR Therapy Trainings. She receives royalties as a published author and receives compensation as an international presenter and a yoga instructor. Dr. Schwartz is a paid consultant for Evergreen Certifications. She receives speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Arielle Schwartz is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Yoga Alliance.

Arielle Schwartz, PhD

Master Complex Trauma Trainer and Therapist
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

203 - Neuroplasticity in Trauma Recovery

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Kathleen M. Chard, PhD

Co-developer of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

211 - Treating PTSD from A to Z

The Latest Clinical Interventions from Ecstasy to Yoga

Research into treatments for PTSD is skyrocketing, and much of it hasn’t yet made it into the hands of psychotherapists, until now. In this workshop, we’ll uncover many of the most exciting developments in trauma and PTSD treatments that psychotherapists should not only know about, but also incorporate into their practices. You’ll learn: 

  • The most important research happening in trauma treatment that most therapists don’t yet know 
  • Common myths in trauma treatment and why these practices should probably be left behind 
  • Future developments we are likely to see in the next 2-5 years in psychotherapy for trauma and PTSD

Kathleen M. Chard, PhD, is a co-developer of CPT and director of the Trauma Recovery Center at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center. She’s the co-author of Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD: A Comprehensive Model and author of CPT for Sexual Abuse Treatment Manual. She’s trained over 6,000 clinicians throughout the United States on using CPT with veterans, active-duty personnel, and civilians. She’s co-chair of a 17-site study comparing CPT to Prolonged Exposure in US veterans. 

 Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Kathleen Chard has employment relationships with CPT Training Institute, the Cincinnati Veterans Administration Medical Center, the University of Cincinnati, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. She receives royalties as a published author. She has a research activity that is grant funded through Health Services Research and Development Service, PESI Foundation, IAA with USAMMDA and CVAMC. Kathleen Chard receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Kathleen Chard is an ad hoc reviewer for several peer review journals, for a complete list contact PESI, Inc. She is a member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Kathleen M. Chard, PhD

Co-developer of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Friday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

211 - Treating PTSD from A to Z

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Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD

Author of Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents
Friday
3:00 - 5:00 pm ET

311 - Treating the Impact of Emotionally Immature Parents

How to Work with Clients Who Have Been Emotionally Used

Chances are you’ve come across the type of client who constantly puts others first out of guilt and loyalty, holding themselves back from their own self-development. Would it surprise you to learn that many of these clients grew up with emotionally immature parents? These parents often acted like children themselves in terms of their coping styles, affective instability, and disregard for other people’s rights and feelings. Many times, this leaves their children feeling anxious and powerless—even into adulthood. You’ll discover:  

  • Common psychological impacts on children of emotionally immature (EI) parents 
  • How to spot emotional coercion and pressures of moral obligation 
  • How EI parents set up their children for relationship problems in adulthood 
  • Best therapeutic techniques to repurpose anxiety and strengthen self-confidence 

Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD, is a psychologist with over 30 years of clinical experience. She's the author of several books, including The New York Times bestseller Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents. A former adjunct assistant professor for the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, she specializes in helping adults attain new levels of personal growth, confidence, and emotional intimacy, as well as skills in dealing with emotionally immature family members.  

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Lindsay Gibson maintains a private practice. She is a published author and receives royalties. Dr. Gibson receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Lindsay Gibson has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD

Author of Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents
Friday
3:00 - 5:00 pm ET

311 - Treating the Impact of Emotionally Immature Parents

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Sara Nasserzadeh, PhD

Author and Speaker on Relationships and Intercultural Fluency
Friday
3:00 - 5:00 pm ET

312 - Exploring Sexual Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values

Clinical Uses of the Sexuality Attitude Reassessment (SAR)

Not everyone has had the opportunity to explore their thoughts and feelings about sex in a safe environment. Often, our understanding of our own sexuality and others operate beneath conscious awareness. In this workshop, you'll have a chance to get a glimpse into your sexual blueprint and find its relevance in both your personal and professional lives. Insights gained from this introductory Sexuality Attitude Reassessment (SAR) training can profoundly influence your professional practice by enhancing client outcomes, improving communication skills, and fostering inclusivity in addressing sexuality-related issues. Together you’ll discover how to:

  • Create a supportive environment to openly discuss sensitive topics about sexuality for clients
  • Raise awareness, challenge biases, and foster your understanding of diverse sexual behaviors and identities
  • Cover critical points about the way we communicate about psychosexual issues and understand how our choice of words can influence therapeutic outcomes
  • Unpack how cultural backgrounds and societal norms shape sexual attitudes. 

 

Sara Nasserzadeh, PhD, is a social psychologist, speaker and thinking partner specializing in sexuality, relationships, and intercultural fluency. She’s authored three books, including Love By Design: 6 Ingredients for a Lifetime of Love. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh is the co-founder of Relationship Panoramic and receives compensation as an advisor. She has a family member employed by Pfizer. She receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Nasserzadeh has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh is an author with Psychotherapy Networker.

Sara Nasserzadeh, PhD

Author and Speaker on Relationships and Intercultural Fluency
Friday
3:00 - 5:00 pm ET

312 - Exploring Sexual Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values

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Saturday, October 5

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM PDT
Morning Movement/Yoga
9:00 AM – 10:45 AM PDT
Welcome & Keynote Address
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM PDT
Morning Workshops
1:15 PM – 2:45 PM PDT
Luncheon Address & Exhibit Hall Happenings
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM PDT
Afternoon Workshops
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM PDT
Innovations Reception in the Exhibit Hall
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM PDT
Trauma Research Foundation Reception with Bessel van der Kolk

Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD

Pioneering Innovator in Mindfulness for Clinical Practice
Saturday
Morning Keynote: 9:00 - 10:45 am ET
Keynote

The Liberative Nature of Mindfulness

Coming to Terms with Things as They Are

Having developed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), an approach that changed many western medical practices, Jon Kabat-Zinn has been dubbed the “Godfather of Modern Mindfulness.” But for those who’ve followed his work over the last 50+ years, he’s been something else: their greatest teacher. Humble, practical, and full of spiritual
wisdom and humor.

A Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School—where he founded the MBSR clinic in 1979 and years later, the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine—Kabat-Zinn is the author of 15 books, including the time-honored bestseller Wherever You Go, There You Are and the recently released Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief. Used to treat everything from anxiety to trauma to immune response, with everyone from hospital patients to combat veterans, his teachings have produced a community of global healers, with more than 1,000 MBSR instructors and over 740 MBSR programs in hospitals, clinics, and health centers worldwide.

In this can’t-miss keynote, he’ll explore why mindfulness is so foundational to psychotherapy and how it can continue to provide all of us—clients and therapists—with a refuge for healing, acceptance, and radical acts of love during tumultuous times. The message of mindfulness, Kabat-Zinn once told the Networker, “Is an invitation to everybody to wake up to the true dimensionality of who we are.” Join us and open yourself to an unforgettable experience of being in the here and now.

Linda Thai, LMSW, ERYT-200, CLYL

Expert on Collective, Historical and Cultural Trauma
Saturday
Luncheon Address: 1:15 – 2:45 pm ET
Keynote

The Missing Piece of Attachment Theory

Restoring Safety & Belonging for Our Clients & Ourselves

Born in Vietnam, forcibly displaced as a child to Australia, and now living in rural Alaska, Linda Thai has dedicated her life to unraveling the mysteries of how trauma impacts the human mind and body, both personally and collectively. Her relentless focus on expanding our understanding of trauma, driven by her personal experience as a former child refugee, has led to her becoming a highly sought-after international teacher and trainer for therapists around the globe. A colleague of internationally renowned psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, she’s assisted with his small-group psychotherapy workshops aimed at healing attachment trauma. Her teaching is infused with empathy, storytelling, humor, research, practical tools, applied knowledge, and experiential wisdom.

In this keynote address, she’ll elucidate a new view of attachment theory that better encompasses our needs as whole humans, engages the full web of relationships anchoring our lives, and helps break the cycle of historical and intergenerational trauma at the individual and community levels.

*Seats are limited.  Advanced registration is required and an additional fee will apply.

 

Claudia Black, David Kessler & Paul Denniston

Saturday
Evening Event: 7:00 pm ET
Keynote

Storytelling Event

“The Client Who Changed Me”

This evening of candid storytelling about the intimate moments of therapeutic practice has become such a hit that we’re bringing it back! Each storyteller will reveal a tale from the heart about a session, a client, or a therapeutic moment that stands out from all others because it was… the most touching? Surprising? Humbling? Explosive? Hilarious? Come and find out – and leave with a deepened sense of what’s at the core of relationships.

*Seats are limited.  Advanced registration is required and an additional fee will apply.

Frank Anderson, MD & Matthias Barker, LMHC

Saturday
3:00 – 5:00 pm ET

507 - Becoming a Spirituality Competent Therapist

How to Bring Your and Your Client's Beliefs into Treatment

Although a recent national survey found that most clients have overwhelmingly positive attitudes about integrating their religion and spirituality into treatment, most therapists report feeling ill-equipped to meet these needs, especially if a sense of spiritual disconnection or lack of faith has led to personal struggles. In this workshop, you’ll explore what it means to be a spiritually competent therapist. You’ll walk away with practical guidance and interventions to incorporate spirituality into your practice, making sure you’re equipped to address religious and spiritual issues in a way that fosters meaningful and productive therapeutic outcomes. You’ll discover:

  • How to navigate clients’ spiritual crises, disconnection from faith, and existential struggles
  • The ethical implications of introducing spirituality in therapy
  • Practical interventions for integrating spirituality into treatment to enhance outcomes and empower clients

Frank Anderson, MD, completed his residency and was a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is both a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation and is passionate about teaching brain-based psychotherapy and integrating current neuroscience knowledge with the IFS model of therapy.

Dr. Anderson is a lead trainer at the IFS Institute with Richard Schwartz and maintains a long affiliation with, and trains for, Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Center. He serves as an advisor to the International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP) and was the former chair and director of the Foundation for Self-Leadership.

Dr. Anderson has lectured extensively on the Neurobiology of PTSD and Dissociation and wrote the chapter “Who’s Taking What” Connecting Neuroscience, Psychopharmacology and Internal Family Systems for Trauma in Internal Family Systems Therapy – New Dimensions. He co-authored a chapter on What IFS Brings to Trauma Treatment in Innovations and Elaborations in Internal Family Systems Therapy, and recently co-authored Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual.

His most recent book, entitled Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems was released on May 19, 2021.

His memoir, To Be Loved, released on May 7, 2024.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Frank Anderson maintains a private practice. He is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Self Leadership and has employment relationships with The Trauma Center and The Center for Self Leadership. Dr. Anderson receives royalties as a published author. He receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Frank Anderson is a member of the New England Society Studying Trauma and Dissociation and the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.
 
Matthias Barker, LMHC,
is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Northwest University. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Matthias specializes in treating high-acuity sexual trauma, childhood trauma, and marital issues.Matthias is a prolific educator and content creator, having self-published two mental health journals on a trauma-informed approach to motivation and gratitude. He has developed seven workshops on a variety of topics such as trauma, anxiety, and setting boundaries with parents as well as co-creating a comprehensive course on healing from trauma with Dr. Frank Anderson, a renowned trauma expert.As a passionate advocate for mental health, Matthias is dedicated to making psychoeducation more accessible by bridging the gap between the academic realm and the everyday experiences of the general public. As a result, he has become a sought-after authority in both the mental health and social media fields. Through his social media platforms, Matthias reaches millions, sharing psychoeducational content and building a thriving community dedicated to mental health awareness and education. With over 3 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and his podcast, which once ranked #38 on the Spotify global health and fitness charts, his impact continues to grow.Speaker Disclosures:Financial: Matthias Barker maintains a private practice. He receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant relationships with ineligible organizations.Non-financial: Matthias Barker has no relevant non-financial relationships. journals, for a complete list contact PESI, Inc.

Frank Anderson, MD & Matthias Barker, LMHC

Saturdy
3:00 – 5:00 pm ET

507 - Becoming a Spirituality Competent Therapist

More Information

Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD

Pioneering Innovator in Mindfulness for Clinical Practice
Saturday
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET

501 - Inviting Awareness to Become Your Default Mode

Deep Relationality Embodied in This Timeless Moment — and This One…

Come experience mindfulness with one of the world’s leading practitioners and learn how to truly implement these practices in your life to improve your present-moment awareness as a therapist and utilize these practices with your clients. In this session you'll discover:

  • How present moment awareness is actually developed in the brain, and why it’s critical for our health
  • Skills for diving deeply into what is going on at subtle levels of experience to unlock stuck places in our minds
  • How these practices enhance your connection to your work and your clients through the ability to deeply listen and engage in dialogue.

Featured in Bill Moyer's PBS Special, "Healing and the Mind", Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., is executive director at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He is the founder and former director of the UMMC Stress Reduction Clinic and an associate professor of medicine in the division of preventive and behavioral medicine. Using mindfulness meditation, Kabat-Zinn works to help people reduce stress and deal with chronic pain, and a variety of illnesses, particularly breast cancer. He was a trainer for the 1984 U.S. Men's Olympic Rowing Team and is especially interested in reducing the stress-related problems in the inner city and in prison populations.

Kabat-Zinn's books include: Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness (1991); Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (1994) and Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting (1997), which was co-authored with his wife, Myla.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD

Pioneering Innovator in Mindfulness for Clinical Practice
Saturdy
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET

501 - Inviting Awareness to Become Your Default Mode

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Daniel J. Siegel, MD

Interpersonal Neurobiology Expert, Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

401 - A New Model of Personality

Nine Pathways to Reunite & Reignite

Are we born with a certain temperament? Change it be changed? How does personality shape our lives? Recent research has revealed an exciting new view of the ways we interact with the world, focus our attention, experience and express emotion, and think. In this workshop, we’ll explore an “Enneagram of Personality” system drawn from interpersonal neurobiology that sheds light on the human quest for wholeness and meaning. By discerning the innate temperament we’re born with and the learned mechanisms of adaptation, you can empower clients to transform personality patterns from the prisons they may have become into playgrounds of possibility. You’ll explore: 

  • Nine patterns of personality and how these emerge from early temperament and are intensified by nonsecure attachment experiences
  • How to use Patterns of Developmental Pathways (PDP) to illuminate a client’s distinct growth-edges
  • How to help clients use their own PDP as a powerful tool to understand their risk for burnout and stress.

Daniel J. Siegel, MD, is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and completed his postgraduate medical education at UCLA with training in pediatrics and child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. He is currently a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, founding co-director of UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center, founding co-investigator at the UCLA Center for Culture, Brain and Development, and executive director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational center devoted to promoting insight, compassion, and empathy in individuals, families, institutions, and communities.

Dr. Siegel's psychotherapy practice spans thirty years, and he has published extensively for the professional audience. He serves as the Founding Editor for the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology which includes over 70 textbooks. Dr. Siegel's books include his five New York Times bestsellers: Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence; Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human, and two books with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D, The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline. His other books include:The Power of Showing Up also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D., The Developing Mind, The Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology, Mindsight, The Mindful Brain, The Mindful Therapist, Parenting from the Inside Out (with Mary Hartzell, M.Ed.), and The Yes Brain (also with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D). He has been invited to lecture for the King of Thailand, Pope John Paul II, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Google University, and TEDx.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Daniel Siegel is the clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine, the medical director of Lifespan Learning Institute, the executive director of Center for Human Development and Mindsight Institute, and the founding editor of Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology. He receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Daniel Siegel receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Daniel Siegel serves on the advisory board for Gloo and Convergence in Washington, D.C.

Daniel J. Siegel, MD

Interpersonal Neurobiology Expert, Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute
Saturdy
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

401 - A New Model of Personality

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Frank Anderson, MD

Renowned Harvard-trained psychiatrist, IFS Lead Trainer, Author Transcending Trauma
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

408 - Healing Relational Trauma & Complex PTSD

The Many Dimensions of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is often a triggering and complicated issue, particularly as it relates to relational trauma or complex PTSD. Some clients don’t want to forgive their abusers, even after they’ve severed all ties. Others hold onto anger and resentment but stay in unhealthy relationships. And some will forgive and struggle with not getting what they’d hoped for as a response. In this workshop, we’ll explore different dimensions of forgiveness: when it's premature and when it’s forced, when it's used to avoid feelings of pain and betrayal, whether it's necessary to fully heal from abuse, whether it serves the victim or the perpetrator, and when it leads to true acceptance and freedom. You'll discover how to help clients:

  • Release the wounds that another has caused, so they’re freed to no longer carry the trauma inside
  • Heal and name their internal wounds by learning to speak up for what they know to be true
  • Determine whether forgiveness may be helpful for them to fully heal from relational violations

Frank Anderson, MD, completed his residency and was a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is both a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation and is passionate about teaching brain-based psychotherapy and integrating current neuroscience knowledge with the IFS model of therapy.

Dr. Anderson is a lead trainer at the IFS Institute with Richard Schwartz and maintains a long affiliation with, and trains for, Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Center. He serves as an advisor to the International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP) and was the former chair and director of the Foundation for Self-Leadership.

Dr. Anderson has lectured extensively on the Neurobiology of PTSD and Dissociation and wrote the chapter “Who’s Taking What” Connecting Neuroscience, Psychopharmacology and Internal Family Systems for Trauma in Internal Family Systems Therapy – New Dimensions. He co-authored a chapter on What IFS Brings to Trauma Treatment in Innovations and Elaborations in Internal Family Systems Therapy, and recently co-authored Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual.

His most recent book, entitled Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems was released on May 19, 2021.

His memoir, To Be Loved, released on May 7, 2024.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Frank Anderson maintains a private practice. He is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Self Leadership and has employment relationships with The Trauma Center and The Center for Self Leadership. Dr. Anderson receives royalties as a published author. He receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Frank Anderson is a member of the New England Society Studying Trauma and Dissociation and the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.

Frank Anderson, MD

Renowned Harvard-trained psychiatrist, IFS Lead Trainer, Author Transcending Trauma
Saturdy
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

408 - Healing Relational Trauma & Complex PTSD

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Laurel Parnell, PhD

Director of the Parnell Institute for Attachment-Focused EMDR
Saturday
3:00 – 5:00 pm ET

503 - Introduction to Attachment-Focused EMDR

Client-Centered Therapy for Childhood Trauma and Neglect

Sometimes EMDR alone isn’t enough to heal entrenched traumas, particularly when clients struggle with early attachment issues. Attachment-Focused Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing (AF-EMDR) combines multiple approaches to support attachment-wounded clients through their trauma healing process. In this introductory workshop, you’ll learn about resourcing and developmental repair, including how to modify the EMDR protocol can be so that it flows more easily. You’ll be introduced to new ways of combining powerful protocols—EMDR, Resource Tapping, and talk therapy—with principles of attachment theory to provide a more client-centered, reparative treatment that support client safety, maintain the therapeutic connection, and enhance attunement. You’ll explore:

  • The benefits and basic principals of AF-EMDR and Resource Tapping for specific client issues
  • How to manage emotions and reduce stress by tapping in the 4 foundational resources of peaceful places, nurturing figures, protector figures, and wise figures
  • How to address developmental deficits by harnessing clients’ imagination along with bilateral stimulation

Laurel Parnell, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and director of the Parnell Institute for Attachment-Focused EMDR. One of the world's leading experts on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), she is the originator of the EMDR-related therapies Attachment-Focused EMDR and Resource Tapping. Dr. Parnell has served on the faculty of the California Institute for Integral Studies and John F. Kennedy University. She is the author of several books and videos on EMDR, including, Attachment-Focused EMDR: Healing Relational Trauma, Rewiring the Addicted Brain with EMDR-Based Treatment, A Therapist's Guide to EMDR and Tapping In. Dr. Parnell keynotes conferences, trains clinicians in EMDR, and teaches workshops internationally on Attachment-Focused EMDR, Rewiring the Addicted Brain and Resource Tapping. Learn more about Dr. Parnell at www.parnellemdr.com.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Laurel Parnell maintains a private practice and is the director of the Parnell Institute, LLC. She receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Parnell receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Laurel Parnell has no relevant non-financial relationships."

Laurel Parnell, PhD

Director of the Parnell Institute for Attachment-Focused EMDR
Saturdy
3:00 – 5:00 pm ET

503 - Introduction to Attachment-Focused EMDR

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Claudia Black, PhD

Renowned Author, Trainer, and Expert on Treating Addictions
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

410 - Understanding the Addicted Teen

How to Support Young Adults with Substance Use Disorders

There was a time when working with teens overusing drugs or alcohol meant focusing solely on their addictive behaviors. But today’s addicted young people often present with co-occurring struggles with anxiety, depression, suicidality, self-harm, and loneliness—which fuel the addictive behaviors and need to be addressed with a positive, strength-based approach. In this workshop, we’ll focus on how to unpack and address the dynamics that maintain young adults’ addictions, including trauma, smartphones, and shame-based defenses. You’ll discover:

  • How to help young clients grasp that life can be better without substances
  • Which six traumas are commonly associated with addiction in youth
  • How social media may influence youth addiction and co-occurring issues
  • Motivational techniques that help bring young clients into recovery
  • Ways to help parents of addicted youth embrace healthier parenting behaviors  

Claudia Black, PhD, is a renowned addictions and codependency expert, author and trainer internationally recognized for her pioneering and contemporary work with family systems and addictive disorders. Since the 1970s, Dr. Black's work has encompassed the impact of addiction on young and adult children. She has offered models of intervention and treatment related to family violence, multi-addictions, relapse, anger, depression and women's issues. Dr. Black designs and presents training workshops and seminars to professional audiences in the field of family service, mental health, addiction and correctional services. She is the Sr. Editorial Advisor for Central Recovery Press and serves as Senior Clinical and Family Services Provider for Las Vegas Recovery Center. She serves on the Advisory Board for the National Association of Children of Alcoholic, and the Advisory Council of the Moyer Foundation.

Dr. Black is the recipient of numerous national awards, including the 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Washington School of Social Work.

Dr. Black has been a keynote speaker on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada. Her workshops have been presented to an extraordinarily wide array of audiences, including military academies, prison systems, medical schools, and extensive mental health and addiction programs. Claudia has extensive multi-cultural experiences working with agencies and audiences in Japan, Brazil, Australia, Scotland, Iceland, Germany, England and Canada. Many of her books and videos have been translated and published abroad.

Claudia is the author of Depression StrategiesIt Will Never Happen To MeChanging CourseMy Dad Loves MeMy Dad Has A DiseaseRepeat After MeIt’s Never Too Late to Have A Happy ChildhoodRelapse ToolkitA Hole in the SidewalkStraight TalkThe Stamp GameFamily StrategiesAnger Strategies and her newest title Deceived: Facing Sexual Betrayal, Lies and Secrets. She has produced several audio CDs and over twenty DVDs. All of Claudia's materials are available from her website, www.claudiablack.com.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Claudia Black is the Clinical Architect of the Claudia Black Center for Young Adults, a Senior Fellow, and an Addiction and Trauma Program Specialist at The Meadows Treatment Center. She receives royalties as a published author. Claudia Black receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Claudia Black serves as an advisory board member for the National Association for Children of Addiction and serves on the advisory council for the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.

Claudia Black, PhD

Renowned Author, Trainer, and Expert on Treating Addictions
Saturdy
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

410 - Understanding the Addicted Teen

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Tammy Nelson, PhD

Founder of The Integrative Sex Therapy Institute
Saturday
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

407 - The New Sex Therapy Paradigm

An Integrative Approach for Couples and Individuals

Can you help clients unpack the latest buzzword phrases like desire discrepancy or erotic recovery? Do you feel flustered when you hear terms like kink and BDSM? Or maybe you feel a little in the dark about working with clients who are in open relationships or navigating the aftermath of an affair. Today, addressing sexual issues of any sort in therapy, whether with couples or individuals, requires a systemic, integrative approach, one that promotes insight, awareness and change. In this workshop, you’ll learn that approach as we break down the three stages of systemic, integrative sex therapy, including delving into the client’s narrative, managing moments of insight and grief, and helping the client craft a new, pleasurable vision of sexuality. You’ll also learn how to:

  • Help clients give an empowered voice to their sexuality
  • Work with sexual dynamics when sexual trauma has occurred
  • Avoid the victim, perpetrator, and rescuer trauma triangle
  • Avoid pathologizing language around sex and sexuality
  • Distinguish between a client becoming activated and triggered, and how to work with both

Tammy Nelson, PhD, is an internationally acclaimed psychotherapist, Board Certified Sexologist, Certified Sex Therapist, and Certified Imago Relationship Therapist. She has been a therapist for almost 30 years and is the executive director of the Integrative Sex Therapy Institute. She started the institute to develop courses for psychotherapists as the need grew for certified, integrated postgraduate sex and couple’s therapists in a growing field of mental health consumers who need more complex interventions for their relationship needs.

Dr. Tammy is a TEDx speaker, Psychotherapy Networker Symposium speaker and the author of several books, including Getting the Sex You Want: Shed Your Inhibitions and Reach New Heights of Passion Together (Quiver, 2008) and the best-selling The New Monogamy: Redefining Your Relationship After Infidelity (New Harbinger, 2013), as well as When You’re the One Who Cheats: Ten Things You Need to Know (RL Publishing Corp., 2019) and the upcoming Integrative Sex and Couples Therapy (PESI, 2020).

She has been a featured expert in New York Times Magazine, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Rolling Stone magazine, TIME Magazine, Redbook, Glamour, The Sun, and The London Times. She is the host of a popular podcast on iTunes, “The Trouble with Sex”, and writes for the Huffington Post, YourTango, ThriveGlobal, and medium.com. Dr. Tammy can be followed on her blog, www.drtammynelson.com/blog.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Tammy Nelson maintains a private practice and is executive director and primary faculty at Integrated Sex Therapy Training Institute (ISTI) and has an employment relationship with Daybreak University. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc., and she additionally receives royalties from New Harbinger and Sounds True. She is a paid consultant for Evergreen Certifications. Dr. Nelson has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Tammy Nelson serves on the board of advisors for the World Association of Sex Coaches. She is a member of the American Art Therapy Association, American Association of Sex Educators, Sex Counselors, and Sex Therapists (AASECT), American Comprehensive Energy Psychology Association (ACEP), American Counseling Association, American Family Therapy Academy, American Family Therapy Association (AFTA), American Psychological, Association (APA), Connecticut Counselors, Imago Relationships International Association of Professional and Certified Therapists, International Board of Sexologists, International Institute for Sexuality and Human Development, Nonfiction Authors Association, Society Scientific Study Sexuality (SSSS), and the Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR).

Tammy Nelson, PhD

Founder of The Integrative Sex Therapy Institute
Saturdy
11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

407 - The New Sex Therapy Paradigm

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Diana Fosha, PhD

Developer of AEDP and the Director of the AEDP Institute
Saturday
3:00 – 5:00 pm ET

506 - The Transformative Power of Therapist Affirmation

Healing Relational Trauma Relationally

In AEDP, a healing-oriented therapy that holds undoing aloneness as a sine qua non of trauma work, affirmation is not a mere nicety but a robust experiential clinical intervention, activating the brain’s intrinsic capacity for healing and self-repair. Through affirmation and AEDP's dyadic experiential work, people experience profound shifts in self-concept, attachment security, and overall quality of life. In this workshop, we’ll examine pioneering developmental work on recognition, emphasizing its role in fostering secure attachment bonds and healthy emotional development. You’ll discover:

  • New, neurobiologically informed ways to help traumatized clients feel deeply seen, understood, and valued from the first session
  • The key elements of attunement and moment-to-moment tracking to harness affirmation
  • How to use relationally attuned affirmation to work with defensive walls traumatized clients have built

Diana Fosha, PhD, is the developer of AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy), a healing-based, transformation-oriented model of psychotherapeutic treatment and she is founder and director of the AEDP Institute. For the last 20 years, Diana has been active in promoting a scientific basis for a healing-oriented, attachment-emotion-transformation focused trauma treatment model. Fosha’s work focuses on integrating positive neuroplasticity, recognition science and developmental dyadic research into experiential and transformational clinical work with patients. Her most recent work focuses on promoting flourishing as a seamless part of AEDP’s therapeutic process of transforming emotional suffering. Drawing on affective neuroscience, attachment theory, mother-infant developmental research, and research documenting the undreamed-of plasticity in the adult brain, AEDP has developed an experiential clinical practice, which reflects the integration of science, research and practice in psychotherapy.

Based in New York City, where she lives and practices, Fosha has been on the faculties of the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology of NYU and St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Medical Centers (now Mount Sinai) in NYC, and of the doctoral programs in clinical psychology at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University and at The City University of New York.


Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Diana Fosha is the Director and Founder of the AEDP Institute and maintains a private practice. She receives royalties as a published author. Diana Fosha receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Diana Fosha is on the advisory board of GAINS and the Society for Constructivism in the Human Science. She is on the Planning Committee and Advisory Board of by the Lifespan Learning Institute and is a member of the American Psychological Association.

Diana Fosha, PhD

Developer of AEDP and the Director of the AEDP Institute
Saturdy
3:00 – 5:00 pm ET

506 - The Transformative Power of Therapist Affirmation

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1 2 3 4

Sunday, October 6

8:30 AM – 9:45 AM PDT
Keynote Address
10:00 AM – Noon PDT
Final Workshops

Tricia Hersey

Founder of The Nap Ministry
Sunday
Morning Keynote: 9:00 - 10:45 pm ET
Keynote

Rest as Freedom Dreaming

A Revolutionary Tool for Dismantling Oppression

Multidisciplinary artist, writer, theologian, and community organizer, Tricia Hersey has radically changed the way we think about rest. After an epiphany about her own mental and physical exhaustion and its connection to the legacy of forced labor endured by her ancestors, she founded The Nap Ministry, a hugely popular community-based organization, and began advocating for revolutionary rest. But resting isn’t just about giving our minds and bodies a break from the daily grind—though that’s a part of it. In her bestselling books, Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto” and We Will Rest! The Art of Escape, Hersey invites us to re-envision rest as a social justice issue. Refusing to overfunction and run ourselves ragged in the name of productivity helps free us from the destructive mental, physical, and spiritual impact of oppressive systems like capitalism and white supremacy.  

In this keynote, Hersey will guide us in a collective experience of immersive daydreaming. She’ll introduce us to rest as a powerful way of practicing love, liberation, and communitycare. By giving ourselves permission to freedom-dream, we can access the liberating forces inherent in rest, and reconnect with it as a divine human right. 

Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP

World-Renowned Narcissism Expert
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

606 - Working with Clients Experiencing Narcissistic Abuse

An Antagonism-Informed Treatment Approach

When it comes to working with clients experiencing narcissistic abuse, traditional treatment approaches are not enough. You need a deep understanding of the nature of narcissistic abuse relationships and a specialized framework, specifically designed to navigate the unique challenges these clients face. In this workshop, we’ll begin by exploring the nature of narcissism and antagonism as a personality style and discover how it really shows up in relationships; the vulnerabilities people have to getting stuck in these relationships; and techniques for working with these clients suffering narcistic abuse. Then, Dr. Ramani will introduce you to her transtheoretical model for working with the fallout of narcissistic abuse. You'll learn an intuitive and actionable road map that you can use with clients in high-conflict divorces and workplace-abuse cases. You’ll discover:  

  • How to identify the characteristics of narcissistic abuse that are often misdiagnosed
  • Specific vulnerabilities to entering and getting stuck in relationships characterized by narcissistic abuse
  • An actionable treatment approach—applicable to any practice—that includes psychoeducation, assessment, fostering radical acceptance, and striving for growth
  • Ethical issues in working with clients experiencing narcissistic abuse

Dr. Ramani Durvasula is a licensed clinical psychologist, Professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles, and the Founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training & Consulting, a company that offers a range of programs focused on educating survivors, clinicians, coaches and businesses on the impacts of narcissism on health, wellness and functioning. She’s the author of Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility, Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With A Narcissist. Dr. Ramani also has a popular YouTube channel that focuses on narcissism and difficult relationships, mental health, and societal expectations. Her work has been featured at SxSW, TEDx and on a wide range of media platforms including, Red Table Talk, the Today Show, Oxygen, Investigation Discovery and Bravo. She is also a featured expert on the digital media mental health platform MedCircle. Dr. Durvasula’s research on personality disorders has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and she is a Consulting Editor of the scientific journal Behavioral Medicine. Dr. Durvasula is a brutally honest voice on the struggles raised by narcissism in the US and globally.  

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Ramani Durvasula is the founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training, and Consulting. She maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with the California State University Los Angeles and the University of Johannesburg. Ramani Durvasula receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Ramani Durvasula is an associate editor for Behavioral Medicine and a consulting editor for Psychology of Women Quarterly and Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Mental Health. She is an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, AIDS and Behavior, and Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. Ramani Durvasula is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science Society for Behavioral Medicine, and the International Association of Applied Psychology.

Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP

World-Renowned Narcissism Expert
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

606 - Working with Clients Experiencing Narcissistic Abuse

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David Grand, PhD

Founder of Brainspotting Therapy Model
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm EST

607 - Trauma Processing with Brainspotting

A Neuroexperiential Model for Healing

There’s no question that trauma lives in the body and brain. But even the most acclaimed trauma treatment approaches can be overly procedural, hard for clients to tolerate, and difficult for clinicians to master. Brainspotting, a research-backed treatment method based on finding somatic cues through the use of eye gaze for the treatment of stress and trauma, solves these problems. It helps clients access emotional energy trapped deep in the nonverbal, noncognitive areas of the brain both safely and quickly. In this workshop from the developer of Brainspotting, you’ll watch live demonstrations to learn how the method works, and rethink how you view the human condition and human suffering from a more developmental and neurological point of view—the neuroexperiential model. You’ll also discover:

  • How Brainspotting differs from other trauma processing therapies
  • How Brainspotting can be used to treat a multitude of symptoms, including anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, and substance abuse
  • How to integrate Brainspotting into ongoing treatment, especially with complex developmental trauma such as attachment issues and dissociation
  • How to be less directive in therapy and empower your clients in effective ways

David Grand, PhD, is a psychotherapist, writer, lecturer, performance coach, and humanitarian famous for the discovery and development of the internationally acclaimed Brainspotting method, which brings about life-changing breakthroughs at "Warp Speed." Dr. Grand is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a PhD from International University, and is renowned for his groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in the arenas of healing trauma and enhancing performance and creativity. His Brainspotting method and BioLateral Sound are now used by thousands of therapist on every continent seeking to break through the limitations of talk therapy. Dr. Grand is the author of Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. David Grand maintains a private practice and is a developer for BioLateral Sound Recordings. He is the developer of the Brainspotting method and receives compensation as a national lecturer. Dr. Grand receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. David Grand has no relevant non-financial relationship to disclose.

David Grand, PhD

Founder of Brainspotting Therapy Model
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm EST

607 - Trauma Processing with Brainspotting

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Linda Thai, LMSW, ERYT-200, CLYL

Expert on Collective, Historical and Cultural Trauma
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

601 - Healing Attachment with Psychodrama

A Dynamic Approach to Address Childhood Wounds

Pesso-Boyden System Psychomotor (PBSP) is a transformative modality that leads participants through a small-group experience that allows them to reconstruct and re-experience the dynamics of their childhood family-of-origin in three-dimensional space. By creating new, deeply satisfying memories, facilitated in collaboration with the group, it allows clients to address complex trauma and grief—and it can yield profound results in a short time. PBSP is ideal for those dealing with the aftermath of childhood abuse, emotional neglect, or trauma. In this workshop, get a unique opportunity to explore how to:

  • Recreate disrupted attachment patterns using a method that can heal deep-seated family issues
  • Help clients create new and satisfying early memories
  • Facilitate small groups that can hold space for reconstructing childhood dynamics

Linda Thai, LMSW ERYT-200, is a therapist and educator who specializes in brain and body-based modalities that address complex developmental trauma. She works with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, in his private small group psychotherapy workshops aimed at healing attachment trauma.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Linda Thai maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with ND Systems. She receives compensation as a presenter, and she receives a speaking honorarium from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Linda Thai is the co-founder of Yoga & Twelve-Step Recovery (Y12SR). She is a board member for Asian mental health Collective.

Linda Thai, LMSW, ERYT-200, CLYL

Expert on Collective, Historical and Cultural Trauma
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

601 - Healing Attachment with Psychodrama

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Christopher Willard, PhD

Mindfulness and Meditation Instructor
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

611 - Supporting Young Adults as They Launch

Practical Tools for Today’s Transition to Adulthood

Rates of teens and young adults struggling with mental health issues are at a record high. As these vulnerable clients prepare to launch, what can therapists do to ease and solidify their transition into adulthood? How can your guidance stand out in effectiveness against a torrent of social media influencers? This workshop offers practical tools from positive psychology, neuroscience, and mindfulness to help young people thrive during this challenging developmental time. You’ll discover:

  • Which neurological and societal factors contribute to the current teen and young adult mental health crisis
  • Practical ways to help students value and gain independence   
  • The best techniques for helping teens garner the support they need as they enter their next phase of life
  • The foundations of resilience and post-traumatic growth from a holistic, bio-psycho-social perspective
  • A range of practical resources suited for students with diverse needs and from diverse backgrounds

Christopher Willard, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist, author and consultant based in Massachusetts. He has spoken in over 31 countries and has presented at two TEDx events. He is the author of 20 books, including Alphabreaths (2019), Growing Up Mindful (2016). and Feelings are Like Farts (2024). His thoughts on mental health have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, mindful.org, cnn.com, and elsewhere. He teaches at Harvard Medical School.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Christopher Willard receives compensation as a consultant and has employment relationships with Harvard Medical School, Cambridge Health Alliance, and the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. He receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Willard receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Christopher Willard is the president and board member of the Mindfulness In Education Network. He is on the advisory boards of Mindfulness First and Peace in Schools. Dr. Willard is a member of Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy.

Christopher Willard, PhD

Mindfulness and Meditation Instructor
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

611 - Supporting Young Adults as They Launch

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Margaret Nichols, PhD

Executive Director of the Institute for Personal Growth
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

605 - Gender-Affirming Mental Health Care

What Helps and What Harms

If you’re confused about how to best work with trans and nonbinary clients these days, you’re not alone. In the U.S., more than one percent of adults and around two percent of teenagers openly identify as transgender, but gender-affirming mental health care is under attack, and most clinicians receive little or no training in working with this population. With 550 anti-trans bills currently in state legislatures, and 23 states with active bans against gender-affirming care, affirming therapy is desperately needed. In this workshop, you’ll explore the critical elements of gender-affirming care and the arguments for and against certain interventions.  You’ll explore:

  • How gender dysphoria manifests differently in children, adolescents, and adults, and what types of young people are likely to persist in a trans identity over time
  • The difference between those who identify as transgender and those who are nonbinary
  • What types of mental health and medical interventions are appropriate at different ages
  • How to parse the arguments against gender-affirming care, including Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria and detransitioners

Margaret Nichols, PhD, is a psychologist, AASECT certified sex therapy supervisor and founder and first Executive Director of the Institute for Personal Growth, a psychotherapy organization in New Jersey specializing in clinical work with the sex, relationship and gender diverse community. She is the author of The Modern Clinician’s Guide to Working with LGBTQ+ Clients: The Inclusive Psychotherapist. Dr. Nichols is an international speaker and author of many articles on LGBTQ sexuality, transgender youth, kink, and consensual nonmonogamy, as well as co-director of Modern Sex Therapy Institutes Transgender Mental Health certification program.  

Speaker Disclosures
Financial: Dr. Margaret Nichols maintains a private practice and receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Margaret Nichols has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Margaret Nichols, PhD

Executive Director of the Institute for Personal Growth
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

605 - Gender-Affirming Mental Health Care

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Nancy L. Johnston, MS, LPC, LSATP

Author and Expert on Toxic Codependency
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

604 - Understanding & Treating Codependency

When Clients Over-function for Others

We frequently see clients who lose themselves in others. Often, their sense of self seems to depend on people, situations, and outcomes they’re unable to realistically control. They’re overly focused on helping, solving, rescuing, saving, and mitigating others’ pain. When this pattern of other-centeredness interferes with a client’s goals, or fuels anxiety and depressive symptoms, what’s a clinician to do? In this workshop, you’ll be introduced to the clinical importance of sensitively helping clients become aware of their tendency toward other centeredness at the expense of the self. By connecting with the self and responding to it, clients can get better at toggling between self and others to create more balance in their lives and ultimately foster a healthier relationship with themselves. You’ll learn to:

  • Help clients recognize codependent patterns in non-pathologizing ways
  • Support clients in developing an internal focus
  • Foster experiences of self in therapy
  • Empower clients to spot codependent patterns fueling anxiety and depression

Nancy Johnston, MS, LPC, LSATP, has been a therapist for over 40 years and is an expert in the field of codependent relationships. The author of Disentangle: When You’ve Lost Your Self in Someone Else (2020). Nancy has helped thousands of clients extricate themselves from toxic codependency, connect with self, and live with more peace and confidence.

Nancy is Master Addiction Counselor and an AMHCA Diplomate in Substance Abuse & Co-Occurring Disorders. She has also authored two other books My Life as a Border Collie: Freedom from Codependency (2012) and Your Healthy Self: Skills for Working with Codependent Behaviors (2015).

In addition to working with individuals, couples, and families, she offers online workshops on "Self-Recovery" and designs and facilitates a Codependence Camp twice a year. Over the past 15 years, Nancy has presented at numerous conferences including the Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders, the Carolinas Conference for Addiction and Recovery, Addiction: Focus on Women, the Virginia Summer Institute for Addiction Studies, the American Mental Health Counselors Association’s Annual Conference, the Virginia Counselors Association’s Annual Conference, and Specialty Docket Training for the Virginia Supreme Court. More information about Nancy and her work is available at her website: nancyljohnston.com.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Nancy Johnston maintains a private practice and is an independent contractor with Dr. Kuley and Associates. She receives royalties as a published author. Nancy Johnston receives a speaking honorarium from Virginia Summer Institute for Addiction Studies. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Nancy Johnston is a member of the American Mental Health Counselors' Association, the Virginia Counselors' Association, the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, and the Virginia Association of Addiction Professionals.

Nancy L. Johnston, MS, LPC, LSATP

Author and Expert on Toxic Codependency
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

604 - Understanding & Treating Codependency

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Sue Marriott & Ann Kelley

Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

602 - Rethinking Attachment

Integrating Context and Relational Neuroscience in the Therapy Room

Attachment theory has evolved considerably over time and this workshop will help you stay up to date. Contemporary research shows attachment to be multidimensional and looks at how neurobiology, life-long relational experiences, and broader systemic forces all shape our clients’ attachment patterns, including what we’ve historically called “insecurity.” So, what can you do with this new understanding in the therapy room? In this workshop, you’ll discover:

  • A spectrum of attachment activation and how to address it with clients
  • Practical strategies integrating neurobiology into therapeutic interventions to enhance attachment security
  • How attachment and attachment insecurity manifest in diverse clients and varied contexts
  • How society’s cultural norms and socioeconomic differences can perpetuate attachment insecurity
  • How focusing on states of secure relating can help in the journey of building more secure connections and eventually, the development of more secure attachment

Sue Marriott is a clinical social worker, educator, and podcaster who has worked with individuals and groups in private practice in Austin, TX for over 30 years. Her passion boils down to bridging the life-changing relational sciences to those who would otherwise not have access to it. In that spirit, she co-authored Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World (HarperCollins April 2024) and co-created an independently produced podcast, Therapist Uncensored (which maintains an Apple top 10 ranking in social sciences with >9 million downloads in >200 countries). These were both created with her co-conspirator wife and rebel-rouser, Dr. Ann Kelley.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sue Marriott maintains a private practice and is the co-host of Therapist Uncensored Podcast. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Sue Marriott has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Sue Marriott & Ann Kelley

Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

602 - Rethinking Attachment

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Catherine Pittman, PhD, HSPP

Neuroscience and anxiety expert
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

603 - A Neurologically-Informed Treatment of OCD

Breaking Free from Obsessions, Worry, and Avoidance

What are we trying to accomplish when treating OCD? Reducing anxiety? Preventing compulsions? Putting a person in control of their life? These intentions can keep us from being truly helpful. To break the stranglehold of avoidance and obsession, and combat the paralyzing effects of compulsions, clients need to learn the central roles of the amygdala and cortex pathways to empower them to confront their OCD, rather than let it direct their lives.  You will learn and practice strategies to explain brain-based techniques that give clients effective methods to retrain the OCD brain. You’ll explore how to:

  • Help clients see the functioning of the amygdala in their physical symptoms and avoidance, and how they can effectively calm the amygdala
  • Provide Exposure with Response Prevention as the best method of teaching the amygdala new responses to triggers
  • Use the most current knowledge on cortex areas that contribute to OCD to teach clients to resist circular processes that block their goals

Catherine M. Pittman, PhD, HSPP, is a licensed clinical psychologist, and psychology professor at Saint Mary’s College. A practicing clinical psychologist treating anxiety for over 30 years, she’s experienced in neuropsychological rehabilitation with individuals who have experienced brain injuries or strokes. She practices neurologically informed CBT, and has conducted research in both fear conditioning and neuropsychology. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Catherine Pittman maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with Saint Mary's College. She receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Pittman receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Catherine Pittman is a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Catherine Pittman, PhD, HSPP

Neuroscience and anxiety expert
Sunday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET

603 - A Neurologically-Informed Treatment of OCD

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied, please contact us HERE. To request a copy of our full grievance policy, please email cepesi@pesi.com.

Yes, both in-person and virtual attendees will have the opportunity to ask or submit their questions live to get real expert responses. We will address as many questions as time allows.

No problem. Attend whatever sessions you are interested in. Please note that you can only receive CE credit for the sessions you attend live.

Yes! While other conferences charge extra for CE, our registration passes include live CE hours as part of your ticket. After the event, an email will be sent to you that will explain how you will complete your electronic evaluation and access your certificate of completion.

We love bringing in students and those new to the field to experience Symposium. For more information on the student rate, click here.

Psychotherapy Networker is a non-profit educational organization. For over 47 years, we have featured the leading researchers, innovators, and developers in the field through our award-winning magazine, CE trainings, and our annual Symposium.

Our focus is on telling the stories of psychotherapy and being a place where clinicians of all licenses and backgrounds who practice psychotherapy can keep up on what's happening in the field, hear captivating stories from colleagues on what's really happening in their practices, learn through CE trainings from the best in the field, and enjoy the most celebrated annual gathering of psychotherapists in the world.

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Testimonials

I literally grew up with the Networker, accompanying me through every stage of my career. It is a community that provides belonging, information, and keeps me on my toes.

Esther Perel

Renowned relationship and couples expert

There's nothing like the Symposium! It's special because it's where therapists can feel a sense of belonging, stimulation, and excitement. We're stronger together.

Sue Johnson

Developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy

The Networker is just a large, intellectual, and clinical playground. My friends and I continue to talk about it through the year. I highly recommend that people come. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Shadeen Francis

Sex Therapy and Social Justice Expert

The Symposium is how the field finds community and connection. It's a fabulous opportunity to develop ourselves as people and professionals.

Dan Siegel

Cofounder of the Mindsight Institute

The Symposium offers so many useful ideas for your practice. It's the premier psychotherapy conference in the country.

Dick Schwartz

Internal Family Systems Founder
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As many others are creating complicated barriers to cancellations, we're making it easier.

If at any time you aren't 100% completely satisfied with your experience, in person or as a virtual attendee, just email us at symposium@psychnetworker.org and speak with one of our friendly customer service representatives. We'll make it right, guaranteed. We're that confident you'll find this learning experience to be all that's promised and more.

The Psychotherapy Conference For Therapists and By Therapists

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