Developmentally Based Training

How Trauma Affects Child Development

Participants will learn how early developmental theorists have given mental health professionals excellent templates for understanding Severe Emotional Disturbance. Through didactic lecture, large group discussion, handouts and case examples, participants will comprehend the underpinnings for trauma. Treatment options will be discussed specifically related to chronologic age and developmental stage.

How Trauma Affects Separation and Attachment Milestones

Participants will define infant through adolescent attachment and separation milestones. Using didactic lecture, large group discussion, handouts and case examples, participants will understand the importance of healthy versus pathologic stages of separation and attachment. Interventions will be discussed through the lens of therapeutic alliance.

How External Stressors for Families of Origin Leads to Trauma

Participants will list current and historic external stressors for families with which they work. Using didactic lecture, large group discussion and case examples, participants will then describe how those stressors affect the parents and youth in the family including mental health diagnoses of childhood and adolescence.

Pre-teen Development

Participants will define the specific age and stage known as “pre-teen.” Through didactic lecture, large group discussion and case examples, participants will examine challenges faced by healthy and at-risk youth in this age-range. Treatment options will be explored.

Teen Culture

Participants will discuss adolescence in the 21st century. Using didactic lecture, large and small group discussion and case examples, students will understand early, mid and late adolescence. Therapeutic alliance, interventions and teen appreciation will be shared.

Drama vs Trauma

Participants will define drama and trauma, then link the two concepts. Through didactic lecture, large group discussion and case examples, participants will review emotional disturbance, attachment milestones, challenging behaviors and their connection. Treatment options will be explored.

Emancipation: Helping Our Youth Leave Home

Participants will discuss what skills, tools and relationships are required before a youth is prepared to leave home. Through didactic lecture, large and small group discussion and case examples, participants will explore the best options available for transition. Choices will be discussed with an eye toward trauma history.

Chronic Depression in Youth*

Participants will define Major Depression and Dysthymia as detailed in the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual. The group will delineate between sadness and depression as defined by youth. Through didactic lecture, sharing research handouts, group discussion and case studies, participants will understand the concepts of Depression being anger turned inward, fewer happy thoughts per day and issues of disturbance of functioning. Treatment options will be discussed.

Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (Not CSEC)

Participants will define sexual abuse and describe it’s affects by age and developmental stage. Using didactic lecture, large and small group discussions and case examples, participants will look at interventions.

How Abandonment Affects Children, Adolescents and Adults

Participants will define abandonment, both legal and psychological. Using didactic lecture, large group discussion and case examples, participants will review the importance of a secure base for healthy development, separation and attachment. Understanding the deep effects of abandonment will lead to diagnoses and treatment options.

Parents and Children of Addiction*

Participants will look at variety of addictions along with statistics and treatment options. Through didactic lecture, large group discussion and case examples, participants will understand the trans-generational aspects of addiction. Treatment options will be discussed through a systems perspective.

Training for Self-Injury & Secondary Trauma

Helping Helpers Deal with Secondary Trauma: Parts 1 & 2

Participants will differentiate between external stressors in life, personal or historic trauma and secondary or vicarious trauma. Through film clips, didactic lecture, large and small group discussion and case examples, participants will learn signs and symptoms of being traumatized by another’s trauma. Self-care, disclosure and healing will be explored.

Self-Injury: Parts 1 & 2

Participants will list ways that youth and adults self-injure. Through didactic lecture, large and small group discussion, film clips and case examples, participants will understand who, how and why people self-harm. Short and Long-term effects will be discussed at length. Treatment options will be shared and practiced.

How Trauma Affects Grief and Loss

Participants will detail losses, feelings and behaviors associated with Severe Emotional Disturbance. Through didactic lecture, large and small group discussions, case examples and self-exploration, participants will delineate what is our clients’ and what is ours regarding grief and loss. Tools for helping those in need with mourning will be examined.

Training in Diagnostic Categories

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)*

Participants will understand the DSM definition(s) of PTSD, specifically as it pertains to youth and families in the system. Through didactic lecture, large and small group discussions and case examples, students will comprehend the trans-generational aspect of trauma. Treatment options will be discussed with an emphasis on therapeutic alliance.

Suicide*

Participants will examine ways that children, teens and adults cope with pain in its many forms. Through didactic lecture, large group discussion, research and case examples, participants will learn why people come to the decision to commit suicide. Warning signs, causes and prevention will be discussed in detail.

Bipolar Disorder*

Participants will study the DSMV diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. Through didactic lecture, large group discussion and research findings, participants will examine Bipolar Disorder in youth. Differential diagnoses, cases and treatment options will be explored.

The Abuse Spectrum

Participants will define the abuse spectrum from neglect to torture and everything in between. Using didactic lecture, large group discussion and case examples, participants will understand the cycle of violence and the affects by age and stage of danger in the home. Some treatment options will be explored, but this class is a pair with the next training (Helping to Heal Childhood Wounds), where treatment is discussed in detail.

Helping to Heal Childhood Wounds

Participants will review the last class (The Abuse Spectrum), leading to a summary of severe emotional disturbance and trauma in youth and families. Through didactic lecture, large group discussions and case examples, participants will study Dr. Bennett’s Paradigm for Therapeutic Change with Trauma.

Self-Care Training for Professionals

Cultural Identity: Creating a Safe Environment

Participants will learn the umbrella definition of culture through the lens of “everyone is different.” Through didactic lecture, large and small group discussion and case examples, participants will examine their own early and current external and internal messages regarding being different. Therapeutic alliance and treatment options will be discussed.

How My Buttons Get Pushed When Working With Trauma

Participants will explore three specific areas where mental health professionals can become triggered when working with emotional disturbance. Through didactic lecture, large and small group discussion and case examples, students will understand their own external stressors, transference/counter-transference and secondary trauma. Tools for remaining effective will be discussed.

Anger Management for Mental Health Professionals

Participants will define anger as an emotion like any other, then delve into expression of anger. Through didactic lecture, large and small group discussion and case examples, participants will learn their personal and professional triggers. Healthy coping strategies and emotional expression will be examined.

Preventing Burnout

Participants will define burnout, learning how Secondary Trauma is the leading cause of burnout in the mental health field. Participants will describe signs and symptoms. Through didactic lecture, large and small group discussion and activities, participants will learn a variety of self-care methods to prevent and ward off burnout.

The Wounded Healer*

Participants will define the archetype and actual reality of the Wounded Healer. Through didactic lecture, research, large and small group discussions, participants will understand their own wounds and how they affect their work with peers and clients. Self-examination and coping ideas will be discussed.

Clinical Supervision* (6 and 15 hour versions)

The 6-hour training fulfills the Board of Behavioral Sciences requirements for Supervision training, allowing participants to supervise MFTIs, LPCCIs and Trainees.

The 15-hour training fulfills the Board of Behavioral Sciences requirements for Supervision training allowing participants to supervise ASWs.

How Trauma Affects Holiday Stress*

Participants will define Holiday Stress. Through didactic lecture, large and small group discussions, participants will examine the extra challenges that emotional disturbance brings to common stressors and learn treatment options.

Training in Treatment Techniques

Challenging Behavior Management

Participants will define behaviors that are particularly challenging for mental health professionals. Using didactic lecture, large group discussion and case examples, participants will comprehend that interventions occur before, during and after behaviors. The group will work on decision making for choosing treatment options. It is strongly recommended that several other trainings are taken first.

Discipline and Structure

Participants will define discipline, ask “why” discipline and “how” to discipline. Through didactic lecture, large and small group discussions and case examples, participants will study the many ways to think of and use discipline and structure with youth. Helpful techniques will be explored along with the pre-requisite of therapeutic relationship.

Praise and Encouragement

Participants will learn methods of communication as sender and receiver. Using didactic lecture, large and small group discussion, practice sessions and case examples, participants will understand the important difference between encouragement and praise as motivators and interventions for youth and families.

Helping to Heal Childhood Wounds

Professional Boundaries*

Participants will explore reasons for doing the work they do. Through didactic lecture, large and small group discussion, participants will examine the challenges to keeping professional boundaries when clients are often extra needy. Strategies for maintaining professional boundaries are explored.