Past events

This presentation is based on the Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Healing Unifying Principles (or REACH UP – DeLapp & Gallo, 2022) and references the latest guidelines for helping clients heal from and navigate cultural stressors within their daily lives. Specifically, this training will propose 3-ways cultural stress can impact clients, introduce assessment materials for evaluating these impacts, and provide recommendations on how to incorporate evidence-based interventions rooted in CBT, DBT, and ACT to address these impacts.

This workshop will explore reading ability and disability, including the mechanics of reading, and common reading problems. We will discuss the much-misunderstood condition of dyslexia, including what it is and is not, and what it feels like to have the disorder. We will also cover common approaches that schools employ for reading intervention at various levels across the United States, and, particularly as it pertains to New Jersey Public Schools.

Working with parents of anxious kids is both a crucial and tricky part of therapy. Many therapists have been exposed to Eli Lebowitz’s work in reducing accommodation (i.e., the SPACE program), but working with parents involves more than reducing accommodation. This talk with discuss strategies for working with parents of children with anxiety that move beyond accommodation. This approach is anchored in development — what children need from their parents depends on their developmental stage, and the normative developmental milestones that are so often impacted by anxiety. This is true for children of all ages – from toddlers to young adults. Evidence based approaches to working with parents include relationship building, validation, focusing on developmental hierarchies, and creating a system for exposure to take place. In this talk, we will discuss practical strategies for helping parents, ranging from psychoeducation, to relationship building using special time, to methods to avoid being complicit in a child’s anxiety, and finally, ways to help foster independence.

Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS) will be described in detail. Critical aspects of clinic evaluation from the medical/physical and psychological perspectives will be reviewed, along with a recommended interdisciplinary treatment planning approach. Medical/physical and psychological treatment philosophy of AMPS will be discussed. An overview of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s intensive AMPS Program will be presented as an evidence-based approach to integrated care, accompanied by a short patient video. Translation of care into an outpatient model will be reviewed, highlighting the importance of systems integration, including recommendations for partnering with others and reducing care disparities. Case examples will be discussed.

PANS/PANDAS are complex syndrome(s) that produce a rapid onset of a constellation of acute symptoms, including OCD, tics, and other neuropsychiatric symptoms, which have a relapsing-remitting course, and are believed to be the result of autoimmune-induced neuroinflammation. Meeting the medical and psychological needs of a child experiencing suspected PANS / PANDAS can pose significant challenges for both families and for the providers supporting them. This workshop will discuss the phenomenology of these syndromes, consensus guidelines for multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment and treatment, and the role of psychological interventions in the treatment of the presenting symptoms.

Panic disorder and agoraphobia are two highly comorbid anxiety disorders that respond well to exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (Papola et al, 2022; Pompoli et al, 2018). This presentation will review diagnostic criteria for both disorders, including possible differences in clinical presentation related to diverse identities (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). Then, the construct of anxiety sensitivity and its relation to panic and agoraphobia will be discussed. Last, cognitive behavioral interventions for these diagnoses will be introduced, with a particular focus on in vivo and interoceptive exposures.

Exposure-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been established as the evidence-based psychosocial treatment of choice for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents (Bergez et al.,2020, Franklin et al., 2015). This workshop will teach attendees the components of Exposure and Response Prevention for Pediatric OCD, including providing psychoeducation, treatment planning, conducting exposures, reducing and eliminating rituals, and parental involvement. The workshop will target how to make treatment child-friendly and will target common barriers to effective treatment Chiappini, Erika A, 2021; Gola et al., 2016; Keleher J, Jassi A, Krebs, G, 2020)

Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) are repetitive self-grooming behaviors, such as trichotillomania (hair pulling) and excoriation disorder (skin picking), that fall within the scope of OCD and related disorders. Although BFRBs are common, affecting as many as 1 in 20 individuals, accessing accurate information and evidence-based treatment resources can be challenging. This workshop will provide up-to-date comprehensive evidence-based clinical training in the diagnosis,cross-cultural phenomenology, multifactorial self-reinforcing behavioral conceptualization, and current empirical review of the treatment of BFRBs. In-depth instruction will be provided in delivering integrative behavioral therapy (IBT) which entails a unified treatment protocol utilizing the full range of scientifically-supported psychological interventions to target under-addressed challenges of BFRBs and maximize/maintain treatment success.

Parent Management Training (PMT) is an evidence-based therapy designed to help parents/caregivers learn effective ways to respond to their children, with the aim of increasing positive behaviors and improving family relationships. PMT is a useful technique when children are not benefiting from individual therapy, are not in treatment, or when parents desire to learn new ways of supporting their children. Dr. Feinberg will present and discuss evidence-based guidance for CBT applications to PMT. This presentation will include tips to engage parents, form therapeutic relationships, conceptualize challenges through the CT framework, and offer PMT tools for clinicians to use in sessions.

The neurodiversity movement posits that some symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders are not actually deficits, but natural human variations that contribute to human diversity. While not strictly defined, neurodivergent individuals are typically considered to be those that meet criteria for a neurodevelopmental disorder such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or Specific Learning Disorder. In this workshop, we will discuss the prevalence of anxiety disorders among neurodivergent individuals and the challenges they can face in receiving evidence-based treatment. We’ll review adaptations that clinicians can implement in treatment with neurodivergent individuals and how to problem-solve around barriers to successful treatment.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread public health concern. IPV prevalence is more common than some clinicians may anticipate: According to CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), approximately 41% of women and 26% of men experienced sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and reported an intimate partner violence-related impact during their lifetime. A range of clinical impacts were commonly reported, including physical injury, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, concern for safety, fear, needing assistance from law enforcement, and missing at least one day of work. Similar to assessment of other key risk factors, such as assessing for self harm or risk of harm to others, evaluating intimate partner violence is an area that requires compassion and practice. This talk will inform attendees about intimate partner violence definitions, risk and protective factors, and will provide guidance around considerations necessary to assess for this phenomenon within clinical contexts.

Technology can enhance our lives in many ways. It can make us more effective, productive and efficient. It also can entertain us and can help us connect with others. Unfortunately, when used to excess, technology can negatively impact our lives. Some individuals are unable to effectively limit their use of electronic media. The excessive use of electronic media can be an attempt to cope with significant psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, or social skills deficits. Dr. Spector will present on the healthy use of technology, including common forms of electronic games (computer, video, phone apps), the Internet (including the use of social networking sites and online communities), and the use of smartphones.

Approximately one in eight couples have difficulty getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015-2019 National Survey of Family Growth). Individuals and couples experiencing infertility often endorse feelings of anxiety, distress, grief, and loss (Rooney & Domar, 2018; ASRM.org). This presentation will describe common reproductive challenges that may contribute to mental health symptoms and lead to a referral for psychotherapy, or may arise during a course of psychotherapy for unrelated issues. Participants will learn how to incorporate knowledge from this presentation when evaluating and treating patients experiencing infertility.

Food allergies affect 8% of the population and are rising in prevalence. Although a certain level of vigilance and caution is adaptive for those with severe food allergies, avoidance of situations where the risk of accidental ingestion of an allergen is very low leads to increased anxiety, impaired risk assessment, and compromised quality of life. Such individuals are excellent candidates for exposure-based CBT, as this treatment directly and efficiently targets medically unnecessary avoidance theorized to drive anxiety, as well as increases practical skills and confidence that the individual can successfully negotiate a world that is decidedly not allergen free. This workshop will address common clinical challenges, such as sensitively developing an exposure hierarchy, exposures with children versus adults, and effective collaboration with medical professionals.

We have at our disposal an array of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for a variety of disorders (e.g., depression, PTSD, OCD, etc.). However, there is a significant proportion of clients who have difficulties engaging in those EBPs. A motivational interviewing approach (MI) may help resolve ambivalence related to EBP engagement. MI is defined as “a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person’s own motivation and commitment to change” (Miller & Rollnick, 2012). Integrating and overlaying this MI style onto an EBP can help overcome engagement challenges (e.g., homework completion) and continue to move individuals in the direction of change. There is also value in using MI as a prelude to an EBP to shore up motivation and to facilitate engagement in the EBP.  The purpose of this training will be to introduce MI to participants and review basic MI technical skills and concepts, including microskills (OARS) and change talk.

The last 25 years of research have demonstrated the central role of obsessional doubting in OCD. From this research, a novel treatment called inference-based CBT (I-CBT) has been developed to directly reduce inferential confusion and work toward resolving obsessional doubting. In this workshop, two clinicians with a combined experience of over 50 years will demonstrate the practical application of I-CBT. Through role-plays, we will show you how to do an I-CBT case conceptualization, differentiate obsessional doubting from normal doubting, and apply process-based cognitive interventions to reduce inferential confusion and resolve obsessional doubts.

We have at our disposal an array of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for a variety of disorders (e.g., depression, PTSD, OCD, etc.). However, there is a significant proportion of clients who have difficulties engaging in those EBPs. A motivational interviewing approach (MI) may help resolve ambivalence related to EBP engagement. MI is defined as “a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person’s own motivation and commitment to change” (Miller & Rollnick, 2012). Integrating and overlaying this MI style onto an EBP can help overcome engagement challenges (e.g., homework completion) and continue to move individuals in the direction of change. There is also value in using MI as a prelude to an EBP to shore up motivation and to facilitate engagement in the EBP.  The purpose of this training will be to introduce MI to participants and review basic MI concepts, including MI spirit and the four processes of MI.

We know that Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) works well for the treatment of OCD, however many people are hesitant to engage in this treatment, and few therapists specialize in it. One of the reasons for this paradox is the belief that EXR is scary, harmful, or ineffective. This presentation will discuss ethical concerns many therapists and patients have with exposure therapy, such as whether top-of-the-hierarchy exposures can be unsafe, and how to get a child willing to engage in treatment, and how to prevent exposures from “going wrong.” Specific strategies for avoiding or minimizing potential ethical dilemmas will be provided.

The proliferation of specific treatment manuals for specific disorders has created unintended barriers for implementation and dissemination of evidence-based psychological treatments. The Unified Protocol for the Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP; Barlow et al., 2011) is a recently developed transdiagnostic, emotion-focused cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) that targets core deficits occurring across the neurotic spectrum (e.g., anxiety, depressive, and related disorders). This workshop will first briefly review evidence supporting the development of such transdiagnostic interventions. iversity, equity, and inclusion.

In this workshop, an evidence-based alternative to ERP will be presented. Inference-based CBT is a unique process-based cognitive treatment specifically designed for OCD. Role-plays and case-based discussions will demonstrate how to identify and treat the primary reasoning error (inferential confusion) that leads to the construction of and absorption in obsessional doubts.

An Introduction to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) This is a live interactive webinar presentation. Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder associated with health and functional impairment. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is a brief evidence-based treatment that addresses insomnia symptoms. CBT-I helps individuals with insomnia identify factors that maintain sleep disturbance and…