Class B

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) For Psychosis: A collaborative and recovery Oriented Approach

CBT for psychosis is an evidence-based method to help people reduce distress and disability related to psychotic experiences, and to support a possible full recovery. Learn how to collaborate with people having difficult and confusing experiences, “exploring the evidence" rather than imposing your own beliefs, and helping people develop well informed coping options so they are not forced to rely only on medications that may have limited effectiveness.

Trainer: Ron Unger LCSW is a therapist, and consultant specializing in CBT and related approaches for psychosis. For the past 2 decades he has been providing seminars on therapy for psychosis, on working with the intersection of trauma and psychosis, and on addressing cultural and spiritual issues within treatment for psychosis, at universities and mental health facilities across the US and internationally. He is passionate about making tricky and extreme states of mind understandable, so that pathways to quality human relationship, recover, and healing become possible. He chairs the Pacific Northwest Branch of ISPS-US, and maintains a blog at recoveryfrompsychosis.org.

Class C

Testing and Psychometrics for Clinicians

An overview of fundamental aspects of testing and psychometrics, geared to clinicians, school psychologists, counseling psychologists, and other regular users of tests. Topics to be discussed include reliability theory, validity, norms and standards, test development, test equating, adaptive testing, bias, intelligence testing, attitude scales, interests, and personality testing. The class assumes a basic understanding of statistical concepts, including central tendency, variability, and bivariate analysis (i.e., correlation). 

Trainer: Eugene Muller is a psychologist/psychometrician with extensive experience in education, higher education, business, government, and consulting environments. He has many years of experience in licensure/certification test development for a number of occupations, and in the application of statistical analyses to student achievement, job performance, opinions, attitudes, and behaviors. He is the President of National Measurement and Testing, and teaches psychometrics, research methods, and experimental psychology at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

Evening Sessions

6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EST

Class A

Out of Sight, BUT Not Out of Mind: Supporting Families in Recovery

What happens to families during recovery? What do they do? Who are they now? What do they want, what do they need, what is working, and when and how will they move forward? The question is: What's Next? What's next for families when they are forgotten in the recovery journey? What's next when family relationships, dynamics, and systems are disrupted?

Trainer: Lisa Connors,  PhD, LCPC, is the Associate Pastor of In His Image International Ministry in Maryland. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Licensed Bachelor Social Worker, National Certified Counselor, Master Addiction Counselor, Board-Certified Coach, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Certified Grief Informed Professional, and is a Fellow in Thanatology (the study of death, dying, and bereavement). In addition to her pastoral and clinical work, she is a college professor and consultant/trainer. Ms. Connors has a Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Divinity, and Master of Arts in Professional Counseling degrees and has completed her doctoral studies in Psychology.

Class B

Repairing Ruptures in Couples Therapy: A Mind-body Approach

Couples therapy is challenging because there are two people who are in distress, each wanting more from their partner and to be understood. A common denominator in treating couples is verbal communication, which relies on what is available cognitively to the couple. However, sources of tension and disconnection are often outside of their awareness, limiting the effectiveness of the treatment. When couples become emotionally charged or shut down it’s because they’re feeling threatened, by something inside of themselves or something between them and their partner.

Trainer: Deborah J. Fox, LICSW, is in private practice in Washington, DC. She is an AASECT Certified Sex therapist providing individual and couples psychotherapy. She conducts seminars and consultation groups on the integration of couples and sex therapy and the treatment of sexual trauma, with an emphasis on somatic intervention strategies. She has taught the integration of somatic intervention into couples therapy through PESI and the Psychotherapy Networker. She conducts consultation groups on couples therapy, sex therapy and sexual trauma. Her most recent publication is The Integration of Somatic-based Strategies into Couples Therapy. Clinical Social Work Journal (Oct 2023). 

Class C

Unveiling Misdiagnosis: Mental Health Disorders in Black Children

This training delves into the critical issue of the prevalence and consequences of misdiagnosis of mental health disorders among Black children. The misdiagnosis is often exacerbated by a range of factors, including both explicit and implicit biases held by clinicians. Additionally, issues such as historical medical mistreatment leading to a lack of trust, communication barriers like African American Vernacular English, and clinicians' unfamiliarity with cultural norms and expressions further contribute to this problem.

Trainer: Tiffany Sanders, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in North Carolina with a strong background in supporting traumatized individuals and families. Specializing in trauma-focused modalities, she is trained in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI), and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Currently, she serves as a Clinical Supervisor for her local government, collaborating with local law enforcement to offer therapeutic assistance to children impacted by traumatic events. Ms. Sanders is the founder of Sunflower Therapeutic Solutions PLLC and co-owner of Harbour & Holmes Publishing LLC. She co-authored “Your Feelings Matter, A Story for Children Who Have Witnessed Domestic Violence” and “Addy’s Summer Adventure: A Story of BIG and Small Feelings”. She has been a conference speaker at the NASW Conference, NC trauma conference, and at previous CE You! Conferences, sharing her passion for educating communities and professionals on mental health issues. In her free time, she enjoys reading, photography, escape rooms, and traveling to immerse herself in new cultures.