Workshops

Presented by:

Karin G. Coifman, Ph.D.,Professor, Kent State University
Jennifer C. Veilleux, Ph.D., Professor, University of Arkansas

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Treatment – Other, Research Methods – Translational, Symptoms / Disorders – Transdiagnostic, Individual Factors – Emotion and Emotion Regulation, Treatment – Change Process / Mechanisms

Basic to moderate level of familiarity with the material.

Nearly all existing cognitive-behavioral and third-wave interventions include skills and techniques for helping clients improve their emotional functioning, including increasing positive emotion experiences (i.e., behavioral activation), improving distress tolerance, and learning more effective and adaptive emotion regulation skills. Yet, since the development of many of these interventions, contemporary affective science has facilitated far greater understanding of how emotions are generated, processed, and regulated. This relatively new depth of understanding when applied in-session, could greatly enhance existing therapeutic techniques as well as facilitate more moments of productive learning in session.

The purpose of this workshop is to help clinicians enhance their cognitive-behavioral skills (broadly construed including third wave) by considering common clinical challenges and intervention techniques through an affective science lens. We will connect intervention theory and methods with up-to-date empirical research on the most effective methods of navigating emotion by increasing emotion fluency and flexibility within the client. We focus on two equally important aims—(1) to build therapists’ capacity to effectively teach clients how to flexibly regulate emotion through session-work inclusive of psychoeducation, emotion language training and behavioral pattern exploration, and (2) to increase self-awareness of the therapist’s own emotion and behaviors in session, to reduce risk of burnout and to use the therapy space more effectively. Throughout the workshop, we will provide clinical vignettes and experiential exercises to improve both client outcomes and the therapists’ own self-reflective capacity in incorporating affective science into therapeutic practice.

Outline:

• A Brief Primer on Contemporary Affective Science
• Disentangling Emotion Phenomena: Emotion versus Mood versus Affective Style
• Emotion modulation vs emotion regulation
• Emotion attention, clarity, and beliefs
• Mapping Emotion Processes to Case Conceptualization
• Emotion generation and regulation
• Assessing effective vs adaptive regulatory strategies
• Conceptualizing skills underlying regulation (e.g., emotional clarity, emotion beliefs)
• Building Flexibility and Fluency in the Client
• Facilitating increased awareness of contextual features associated with emotional experience
• Constructing a regulation toolbox with a balanced variety of evidence-based skills
• Building emotional self-efficacy and regulatory flexibility
• Therapist emotion in the therapy room
• When does it matter
• Self-reflection and self-assessment
• Building resources and therapist regulatory flexibility

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Describe and differentiate key emotion constructs e.g., emotions versus moods, regulation versus modulation, components of emotion, emotion dynamics, emotion-linked behaviors)
• Connect the stages of emotion generation and related experiential processes to improve case conceptualization
• Identify automatic/deliberative processes and strategies of effective and adaptive emotion regulation, with emphasis on building client’s self-efficacy in regulation flexibility (i.e., the idea that adaptive regulation considers contextual inputs)
• Connect CBT principles of core beliefs to research on emotion schemas and emotion beliefs
• Develop self-reflective skills to recognize therapist emotion and related behaviors in-session and relative impacts on client responses and progress

Recommended Readings:

Bonanno, G. A., & Burton, C. L. (2013). Regulatory flexibility: An individual differences perspective on coping and emotion regulation. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(6), 591–612. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691613504116

Coifman, K.G. & Summers, C. (2019). Understanding Emotion Inflexibility in Risk for Affective Disease: Integrating current research and finding a path forward. Frontiers: Psychology, 10:392; doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00392

Gross, J. J., Uusberg, H., & Uusberg, A. (2019). Mental illness and well-being: An affect regulation perspective. World Psychiatry, 18(2), 130–139. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20618

Veilleux, J. C., Hyde, K. C., Chamberlain, K. D., Higuera, D. E., Schreiber, R. E., Warner, E. A., & Clift, J. B. (2022). The “thinking threshold”: A therapeutic concept guided by emotion regulation flexibility. Practice Innovations, 7(1), 28–39. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ke9uf

Southward, M. W., Sauer-Zavala, S., & Cheavens, J. S. (2021). Specifying the mechanisms and targets of emotion regulation: A translational framework from affective science to psychological treatment. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 28(2), 168–182. https://doi.org/10.1037/cps0000003

Presented by:

Shannon Sauer-Zavala, Ph.D.,Professor, University of Kentucky

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Symptoms / Disorders – Personality Disorders, Symptoms / Disorders – Comorbidity, Symptoms / Disorders – Transdiagnostic

Basic to moderate level of familiarity with the material.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is associated with high clinical complexity, frequent comorbidity, elevated risk, and significant impairment in functioning. Although several empirically supported treatments exist, access to care is limited by the availability of specialty providers. This workshop is designed to address this gap by providing clinicians with a transdiagnostic, personality-based framework for the conceptualization and treatment of BPD that is grounded in contemporary dimensional models of psychopathology and personality (e.g., APA, 2022; Kotov et al., 2017).

Drawing on research from the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (DSM-5-TR; APA, 2022) and ICD-11 (WHO, 2019), the workshop teaches participants to conceptualize BPD in terms of core maladaptive personality dimensions—negative affectivity, antagonism, and disinhibition—that maintain symptoms and drive functional impairment (Vanwoerden & Stepp, 2022).

The BPD Compass Introductory Workshop presents how the treatment organizes empirically supported therapeutic components (Sauer-Zavala et al., 2024)—including emotion-focused strategies, behavioral change principles, and mindful attention—into a coherent, reusable roadmap that can be applied flexibly across clinical presentations. Emphasis is placed on helping generalist clinicians integrate these components when working with individuals with BPD and commonly co-occurring conditions such as mood, anxiety, trauma-related, and substance use disorders.

Throughout the workshop, Dr. Sauer-Zavala will explicitly describe the accuracy, utility, and empirical basis of the intervention strategies presented, including discussion of the current evidence base, known strengths, and limitations. Clinical examples will illustrate how a personality-informed, transdiagnostic case formulation can improve treatment planning, reduce clinician burnout, and enhance continuity of care across diagnostic complexity—thereby contributing to improved psychological services to the public.

 Outline:

• Conceptual Overview (15 minutes)
• Empirical Support for BPD Compass (15 minutes)
• Case Conceptualization (15 minutes)
• Strategies for Addressing Negative Affectivity (30 minutes)
• Strategies for Addressing Relationship Instability (30 Minutes)
• Strategies for Address Impulsivity (30 Minutes)
• Personalizing Care (15 minutes)
• Questions (30 Minutes)

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Articulate a case conceptualization for borderline personality disorder based on the personality dimensions that maintain symptoms of this condition: negative affect, antagonism, and disinhibition
• Describe the empirical support and clinical utility for a personality-focused approach to address BPD
• Describe strategies to customize the delivery of BPD Compass based on the presentation of individual patients.
• Describe the application of therapeutic components of BPD Compass with patients with BPD
• Integrate treatment of common co-occurring conditions within a unified, personality-focused treatment plan.

Recommended Readings:

Sauer-Zavala, S., Southward, M. W., Hood, C. O., Elhusseini, S., Fruhbauerova, M., Stumpp, N. E., & Semcho, S. A. (2023). Conceptual development and case data for a modular, personality-based treatment for borderline personality disorder. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 14(4).

Sauer-Zavala, S., Southward, M. W., Fruhbauerova, M., Semcho, S. A., Stumpp, N. E., Hood, C. O., … & Cravens, L. (2023). BPD compass: A randomized controlled trial of a short-term, personality-based treatment for borderline personality disorder. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 14(5).

Bach, B., & Tracy, M. (2022). Clinical utility of the alternative model of personality disorders: A 10th year anniversary review. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 13(4).

Vanwoerden, S., & Stepp, S. D. (2022). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, alternative model conceptualization of borderline personality disorder: A review of the evidence. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 13(4).

Presented by:

Tim A. Cavell, Ph.D., Professor, University of Arkansas

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Population – Parents and Families, Symptoms / Disorders – Externalizing, Treatment – Parent Training (PCIT, 3Ps, Incredible Years, etc.), Population – Children / Adolescents

Moderate level of familiarity with the material.

Research has documented the efficacy of parent-based interventions for young children with disruptive behavior disorders, as well as the benefits of multisystemic therapy for system-involved adolescents. Less clear are pathways for working therapeutically with parents of older children and young adolescents whose defiance signals potential risks for negative outcomes such as substance use, school dropout, and delinquency. Working in that developmental space requires an understanding of the challenges faced by parents of defiant tweens and teens.

In this workshop, Tim Cavell offers a modern-day version of Good Enough Parenting (Cavell & Quetsch, 2022) and guides attendees through a case conceptualization process informed by factors that contribute to and maintain childhood defiance and family conflict, including the role of coercion (Patterson, 1928), attachment (Conger & Simon, 1997), genetically endowed individual differences (Scarr, 1992), children’s capacity to affect their own development (Kuczynski, 2003), and relationship-based models of socialization (Kuczynski & Hildebrandt 1997; Richters & Waters, 1991).

Attendees will apply a holistic, long-term model for working with parents of defiant tweens and teens (Cavell & Quetsch, 2023) that integrates essential elements of parent training (Barth & Ligget-Creel, 2014; Kaeghler et al., 2016; Leijten et al., 2018; 2019; Morris et al., 2020) with recent iterations of coercion theory and the broader role of family systems and environmental contexts in children’s socialization.

Outline:

1. The role and value of a clinical case conceptualization
2. The challenge of working with parents & families of defiant teens/tweens
3. Integrated Life-Course Social Learning Model of Antisocial Behavior (ASB)
4. Holistic Model of Good Enough Parenting
5. Q&A + Application to Specific Cases

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Explain developmental processes that contribute to a pattern of defiance and conflict in families with tweens and teens.
• I4dentify significant challenges faced by by practitioners working with parents of defiant tweens and teens.
• Conceptualize cases using a holistic model for working with parents of defiant tweens and teens.
• Articulate conditions needed for a parent-child relationship that offers a workable approach to socializing aggressive children.
• Use a framework for working with defiant youth that unifies and simplifies the science of parenting/parent training.

Recommended Readings:

Shah, E., & Cavell, T. A. (2026). The parent–child relationship in behavioral parent training for parents of aggressive children: Positive parenting and the case for acceptance, In T. Del Vecchio & M. Terjesen (Eds.), Handbook of Behavioral Parent Training, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Cavell, T.A., & Quetsch, L. B. (2023).  Working with parents of aggressive children:  A practitioner’s guide (2nd Edition). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Cavell, T.A., & Quetsch, L. B. (2022).  Good Enough Parenting: A Six-Point Plan for a Stronger Relationship with Your Child. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Hails, K. A., Reuben, J. D., Shaw, D. S., Dishion, T. J., & Wilson, M. N. (2018). Transactional associations among maternal depression, parent–child coercion, and child conduct problems during early childhood. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 47(sup1), S291-S305. doi:10.1080/15374416.2017.1280803.

Booker, J. A., Capriola-Hall, N. N., Greene, R. W., & Ollendick, T. H. (2020). The parent–child relationship and posttreatment child outcomes across two treatments for oppositional defiant disorder. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 49(3), 405–419. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2018.1555761

Presented by:

Hana Zickgraf, Ph.D.,Research Psychologist, Rogers Memorial Hospital
Jamal H. Essayli, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Penn State College of Medicine
Martin E. Franklin, Ph.D., Executive Director and OCD and Anxiety Service LIne Leader, Rogers Behavioral Health

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Treatment – CBT, Symptoms / Disorders – Comorbidity, Symptoms / Disorders – Transdiagnostic, Symptoms / Disorders – Anxiety and Fear, Treatment – Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Moderate level of familiarity with the material.

Exposure therapy is effective for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), with growing evidence of efficacy for eating disorders (EDs) (Schaumberg et al., 2021; Palmer et al., 2025). Exposure works by pairing feared behaviors with safety, violating fear-based expectations (Craske et al., 2014). However, a key challenge arises when patients’ feared outcomes are likely consequences of engaging in avoided behaviors.

This challenge is common across EDs and OCD. For underweight and weight-suppressed patients with EDs, repeated exposure to avoided foods is likely to cause the feared outcome of weight gain (Murray et al., 2016). In avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), patients with fears of aversive consequences (e.g., choking, vomiting) respond more robustly to exposure-based treatment than those with selective eating or low appetite presentations, perhaps because choking and vomiting are unlikely exposure outcomes, whereas disgust and discomfort are not (Lane-Loney et al., 2022; Zickgraf et al., 2025). Similarly, in OCD, presentations characterized by “not just right” experiences or disgust are less responsive to exposure-based treatments (Schwartz, 2018; Schwartz et al., 2025, 2026). possibly because discomfort and disgust are likely consequences of engaging in avoided behaviors.

We posit that functional analysis of symptoms allows clinicians to tailor exposure for these presentations in ways that remain effective and consistent with evidence-based principles. Notably, these realistic feared outcomes (e.g., disgust, discomfort, unwanted weight gain) are relatively common experiences that do not typically motivate impairing avoidance. Functional analysis of each patient’s anticipated outcomes can identify maladaptive expectancies, informing the design of exposures that target the core fear and violate these underlying expectancies.

This workshop will cover: 1) functional analysis to identify the expected negative outcomes reinforcing avoidance, 2) exposure design to maximize expectancy violation even when feared outcomes occur, and 3) managing exposures that go “wrong.”

Outline:

• Overview and research base
• Inhibitory learning theory and its application across EDs and OCD
• Incompleteness, disgust, and aversive interoception as transdiagnostic mechanisms
• Case presentations illustrating likely vs. unlikely feared outcomes
• Shape/weight ED example
• ARFID example
• OCD example
• Functional assessment of avoidant behavior and consequences of experiencing realistic/likely outcomes
• Identifying and assessing realistic feared outcomes across presentations
• Incompleteness
• Disgust
• Aversive interoception
• Self-report instruments and interview techniques
• Identifying the core fear: why does the patient find the likely aversive outcome intolerable rather than uncomfortable or undesirable?
• Live demonstration: functional assessment interview
• Small group exercise #1: functional assessment interview with case vignettes
• Debrief and discuss
• Designing and conducting exposures
• Techniques to elicit realistic feared outcomes — including weight gain, disgust, aversive interoception, and incompleteness — across in vivo, imaginal, and interoceptive exposure modalities
• Techniques to engage the fears, expectancies, and beliefs that maintain avoidance of realistic/likely outcomes
• Small group exercise #2: creating an exposure to disconfirm beliefs with case vignettes
• Small group exercise #3: processing an exposure to maximize expectancy violation with case vignettes
• Debrief and discuss
• Managing exposures when feared outcomes occur
• Small group exercise #4: “what went wrong?” with case vignettes
• Debrief and discuss

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Recognize when feared consequences motivating avoidance are realistic possible outcomes of engaging in exposure.
• Describe modifications to the structure, timing, and pace of exposure to aversive experiences (e.g., disgust, discomfort, incompleteness).
• Develop in vivo, interoceptive, and imaginal exposures to elicit avoided sensations such as disgust, discomfort, gastrointestinal distress, and incompleteness.
• Develop in vivo, interoceptive, and imaginal exposures targeting feared outcomes that may or may not occur during or after the exposure.
• Describe the rationale for combining exposure modalities to maximize inhibitory learning.
• Explain the possible outcomes of exposure if the feared outcome does vs. does not occur.

Recommended Readings:

Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10-23.

Schaumberg, K., Reilly, E. E., Gorrell, S., Levinson, C. A., Farrell, N. R., Brown, T. A., … & Anderson, L. M. (2021). Conceptualizing eating disorder psychopathology using an anxiety disorders framework: Evidence and implications for exposure-based clinical research. Clinical Psychology Review, 83, 101952.

Murray, S. B., Loeb, K. L., & Le Grange, D. (2016). Dissecting the core fear in anorexia nervosa: Can we optimize treatment mechanisms?. JAMA Psychiatry, 73(9), 891-892.

Schwartz, R. A., Hartig, M., & Franklin, M. E. (2026). Clinician perspectives on using exposure to treat “not just right” symptoms in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, 36(1), 100559.

Zickgraf, H. F., Cares, S. R., Schwartz, R. A., Breiner, C. E., & Stettler, N. M. (2025). Toward a specific and descriptive definition of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: A proposal for updated diagnostic criteria. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 58(5), 844-852.

Presented by:

Rachel Butler, Ph.D., Research Psychologist, Rogers Memorial Hospital
Danielle DeVille, Ph.D., Clinical psychologist, Harney & Associates

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Symptoms / Disorders – Eating Disorders, Treatment – Mindfulness & Acceptance, Treatment – Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Treatment – Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Moderate level of familiarity with the material.

Eating disorders (EDs) are associated with significant medical risk and enduring chronicity. Effective interventions for individuals with eating disorders (EDs) are lacking, underscoring the need for treatment approaches that account for complexity and address individual maintaining processes (Bryant et al., 2025). For many individuals, fear of aversive internal experiences (e.g., distressing bodily experiences, social rejection, loss of control) maintains ED behaviors. To more directly target fear and experiential avoidance, there is a growing use of exposure therapy in ED treatment, as well as ACT-informed ED interventions (e.g., Butler & Heimberg 2020; Schaumberg et al., 2021, Onnink et al., 2022). The emerging use of exposure and ACT-based interventions in ED treatment sits within a broader shift in our field toward the application of transdiagnostic, individualized, process-based interventions (e.g., Hofmann & Hayes, 2019). From this standpoint, exposure is not a standardized protocol aimed at symptom reduction, but a flexible tool tailored to increase psychological flexibility.

This workshop will bridge research and clinical practice by training clinicians to implement exposure for EDs, disordered eating, and body image distress within a personalized, ACT-informed framework. Participants will receive instruction on the use of feared food, body image, interoceptive, and imaginal exposures. Justice-based exposures will be emphasized as a means of empowering clients to respond to internalized weight stigma and other contextual sources of harm. Attendees will learn to use exposure to increase willingness, acceptance, defusion, present-moment attention, and values-based action. Experiential methods will be employed, including demonstrations, role play, and a clinical exercise applying exposure therapy with an ED case example.

Outline:

1. Current barriers to effective eating disorders treatment and unpacking the need for personalized, process-based interventions (15 min)
2. When and why to use exposure (30 min)
   1. Understanding the therapeutic rationale for the use of exposure
   2. Building an individualized conceptualization
3. How to use exposure (45 min)
   1. Beyond SUDS reduction: psychological flexibility as the goal
   2. Specific exposure strategies adapted for core ED fears
      1. Imaginal exposure
      2. In vivo feared food and body image exposures
      3. Interoceptive exposure
      4. Justice-based exposures
4. Designing effective exposures (45 min)
   1. Troubleshooting common obstacles
   2. Optimizing exposure
5. Clinical application with a case example (45 min)

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Explain the rationale for using exposure as an intervention in the treatment of eating disorders, including its role in addressing fear and experiential avoidance.
• Describe how exposure can be used to target core fears and increase psychological flexibility within an individualized, ACT-informed case conceptualization.
• Describe imaginal, in vivo (e.g., feared food and body image), and interoceptive exposure strategies that can be applied to core eating disorder fears.
• Apply justice-based exposure approaches to address weight stigma and other contextual sources of harm in eating disorder treatment.
• Identify and problem-solve common challenges in implementing exposure for eating disorders.

Recommended Readings:

Becker, C. B., Farrell, N. R., & Waller, G. (2019). Exposure therapy for eating disorders. In J.A. Smits et al., Clinical Guide to Exposure Therapy (277-297). Oxford University Press.​

Butler, R. M., & Heimberg, R. G. (2020). Exposure therapy for eating disorders: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 78, 101851.​

Merwin, R. M., & Wilson, K. G. (2009). Understanding and treating eating disorders: An ACT perspective. In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Contemporary Theory, Research and Practice: Contemporary Theory, Research and Practice (pp. 87-117). Bowen Hills, QLD: Australian Academic Press.

Reilly, E. E., Anderson, L. M., Gorrell, S., Schaumberg, K., & Anderson, D. A. (2017). Expanding exposure‐based interventions for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50(10), 1137-1141.

Schaumberg, K., Reilly, E. E., Gorrell, S., Levinson, C. A., Farrell, N. R., Brown, T. A., … & Anderson, L. M. (2021). Conceptualizing eating disorder psychopathology using an anxiety disorders framework: Evidence and implications for exposure-based clinical research. Clinical Psychology Review, 83, 101952.

Presented by:

Megan M. Wallace, LICSW,Clinical Assistant Professor, Medical University of South Carolina

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Treatment – Other, Symptoms / Disorders – Transdiagnostic, Symptoms / Disorders – Grief / Bereavement, Symptoms / Disorders – Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders

Basic to moderate level of familiarity with the material.

Eating disorders (EDs) are associated with significant medical risk and enduring chronicity. Effective interventions for individuals with eating disorders (EDs) are lacking, underscoring the need for treatment approaches that account for complexity and address individual maintaining processes (Bryant et al., 2025). For many individuals, fear of aversive internal experiences (e.g., distressing bodily experiences, social rejection, loss of control) maintains ED behaviors. To more directly target fear and experiential avoidance, there is a growing use of exposure therapy in ED treatment, as well as ACT-informed ED interventions (e.g., Butler & Heimberg 2020; Schaumberg et al., 2021, Onnink et al., 2022). The emerging use of exposure and ACT-based interventions in ED treatment sits within a broader shift in our field toward the application of transdiagnostic, individualized, process-based interventions (e.g., Hofmann & Hayes, 2019). From this standpoint, exposure is not a standardized protocol aimed at symptom reduction, but a flexible tool tailored to increase psychological flexibility.

This workshop will bridge research and clinical practice by training clinicians to implement exposure for EDs, disordered eating, and body image distress within a personalized, ACT-informed framework. Participants will receive instruction on the use of feared food, body image, interoceptive, and imaginal exposures. Justice-based exposures will be emphasized as a means of empowering clients to respond to internalized weight stigma and other contextual sources of harm. Attendees will learn to use exposure to increase willingness, acceptance, defusion, present-moment attention, and values-based action. Experiential methods will be employed, including demonstrations, role play, and a clinical exercise applying exposure therapy with an ED case example.

Outline:

• Background: Theory of Traumatic Grief & Bereavement
• Overview of Theory and Evidence of Treatments from Trauma & Grief
• Introduction to Grief Recovery with Individualized Evidence-Based Formulation Approach (GRIEF Approach)
• Module 1: Psychoeducation about Grief, Types of Loss, and Traumatic Loss Reactions
• Module 2: Identifying Emotions and Processing Thoughts
• Module 3: Identifying and Building Strengths
• Module 4: Managing Strong Emotions
• Module 5: Building Healthy Support Networks
• Module 6: Meaningful Behavioral Activation
• Module 7: Revising Bonds
• Module 8: Therapeutic Exposure
• Putting It All Together
• Helping the Helpers: Provider Wellbeing and Resiliency Strategies
• Discussion/Questions

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Outline theories of traumatic grief and bereavement and evidence of treatments for trauma and grief.
• Describe common trauma and grief responses to traumatic loss (homicide, suicide, traffic crash) and in context of both and individual and sociocultural perspectives.
• Distinguish between prolonged grief, depression, and PTSD and ways to tailor an individualized treatment plan based upon symptom presentation.
• Describe several evidence-based strategies (e.g.., meaningful behavioral activation, therapeutic exposure, revising bonds) for trauma and grief difficulties.
• Apply strategies for provider wellbeing and resiliency in the context of delivering interventions to traumatic loss survivors.

Recommended Readings:

Rheingold, A.A., Williams, J.L, Bottomley, J., & Wallace, M. (2025). Treating Traumatic Loss: A Clinician’s Guide to Helping Clients Cope with a Sudden, Violent, or Difficult Death Using GRIEF Approach. New Harbinger Publications.

Rheingold, A.A. & Williams, J.L. (2018). A Module-based comprehensive approach for
addressing heterogeneous mental health sequelae of violent loss survivors. Death Studies, 42, 164-171. DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2017.1370798

Williams, J.L., Rheingold, A.A., McNallan, L.J., & Knowlton, A.W. (2018). Survivors’ perspectives on a modular approach to traumatic grief treatment. Death Studies, 42, 155-163. DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2017.1370796 PMID: 29300145

Rheingold, A. A., Williams, J. L., & Bottomley, J. S. (2024). Prevalence and Co-Occurrence of Psychiatric Conditions Among Bereaved Adults. JAMA network open, 7(6), e2415325. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.15325

Presented by:

Kate McCalla, Ph.D.,Clinical Director, Center for Developmental Behavioral Health, Kennedy Krieger Institute
Elizabeth Cross, Ph.D., Psychologist, Assistant Professor, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Ji Su Hong, Other, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Karen Bearss, Ph.D., Vice President, Caregiver Mediated Solutions, Catalight

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Symptoms / Disorders – Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disorders, Population – Parents and Families, Symptoms / Disorders – Anger / Aggression / Violence, Treatment – Parent Training (PCIT, 3Ps, Incredible Years, etc.)

Moderate level of familiarity with the material.

Challenging behaviors such as aggression, meltdowns, and distress during transitions are common among neurodiverse children and are associated with increased family stress, lower quality of life, reduced community participation and elevated risk for behavioral crises, prompting families to seek clinical services. Parent training (PT) has a strong evidence base for reducing challenging behaviors and improving adaptive functioning in neurodiverse youth (e.g., autistic children, those with developmental disabilities). However, PT has been critiqued for insufficient attention to neurodiversity affirming values, including respect for autistic communication styles, sensory needs and autonomy.

This workshop will provide a neurodiversity affirming framework for delivering PT for children with challenging behaviors by integrating core components shared across empirically supported PT approaches (e.g., functional assessment, antecedent supports, child-directed play, reinforcement of adaptive skills, functional communication) while explicitly examining how these strategies can be applied in ways that honor neurodiversity. Neurodiversity affirming principles (e.g., prioritizing child well being over normalization, collaborating with caregivers around values and goals, distinguishing behaviors that are harmful versus simply different, supporting autonomy and self advocacy) will be woven throughout.

Participants will learn to conceptualize challenging behavior as meaningful communication shaped by environmental demands, sensory experiences and developmental context. The workshop will address how to adapt PT strategies to support common challenging behaviors, while remaining responsive to individual differences in language, cognition, culture and family priorities. Case examples, video illustrations, experiential activities and educational handouts will be used to show how clinicians can partner with caregivers to build practical, compassionate and sustainable behavior support plans.

This workshop is intended for clinicians working with neurodiverse children and families who aim to deliver effective behavioral interventions aligned with contemporary neurodiversity affirming models of care.

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Describe core neurodiversity affirming principles and how they apply to behavioral parent training for autistic children.
• Identify shared, evidence based components of behavioral parent training interventions used to address challenging behaviors in autistic youth.
• Differentiate between behaviors that require intervention due to safety or quality of life concerns and behaviors that reflect neurodivergent differences.
• Apply neurodiversity affirming adaptations to common behavioral strategies (e.g., reinforcement, antecedent supports, functional communication training).
• Collaborate effectively with caregivers to develop behavior support plans that align with family values, child autonomy, and developmental needs.

Recommended Readings:

Bearss, K., Johnson, C., Smith, T., Lecavalier, L., Swiezy, N., Aman, M., … & Scahill, L. (2015). Effect of parent training vs parent education on behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 313(15), 1524-1533.

Mathur, S. K., Renz, E., & Tarbox, J. (2024). Affirming neurodiversity within applied behavior analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 17(2), 471-485.

Scahill, L., Bearss, K., Lecavalier, L., Smith, T., Swiezy, N., Aman, M. G., … & Johnson, C. (2016). Effect of parent training on adaptive behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder and disruptive behavior: Results of a randomized trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(7), 602-609.

Leaf, J, Cihon, J, Leaf, R, et al., (2022). Concerns About ABA-Based Intervention: An Evaluation and Recommendations. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 52(6): 2838-2853.

Ladarola, S., Levato, L., Harrison, B., Smith, T., Lecavalier, L., Johnson, C., … & Scahill, L. (2018). Teaching parents behavioral strategies for autism spectrum disorder (ASD): Effects on stress, strain, and competence. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(4), 1031-1040.

Presented by:

Elisabeth S. Pollio, Ph.D., Professor, CARES Institute, Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
Esther Deblinger, Ph.D. (pictured), Founding Co-Director and Professor, CARES Institute, Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Workforce – Professional / Interprofessional Issues, Symptoms / Disorders – Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders, Population – Children / Adolescents

Basic to moderate level of familiarity with the material.

This workshop presents an effective approach to addressing the concerns of burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS). The PRACTICE Course, an evidence-based, eight-session course designed for clinicians, supervisors, and organizational leaders, is based on the concept of “PRACTICE what you preach” in that participants are encouraged to utilize themselves the evidence-based coping skills and activities taught to clients in the context of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT; Cohen et al., 2017; Deblinger et al., 2015). TF-CBT is the treatment for childhood trauma with the strongest evidence base (e.g., Dorsey et al., 2017). The course is structured around the components of TF-CBT, which comprise the acronym PRACTICE. Another course concept is “PRACTICE Makes Progress” in that skill acquisition requires practice and does not lead to perfection. Rather practicing effective skills leads to steady progress. This is important to emphasize so participants have compassion for themselves and their clients as they overcome challenges to integrating PRACTICE skills into their lives. Support is also provided to supervisors and organizational leaders to help create and sustain an environment that encourages the well-being of their team. In pre-post studies and a wait-list randomized controlled trial, the PRACTICE course has documented its effectiveness in increasing effective coping skills and TF-CBT feelings of competency, while decreasing burnout and STS (e.g., Deblinger et al., 2025; Pollio et al., 2025).

As trainings on well-being, burnout, and STS are most often presented in a one-time format, this workshop will cover the didactic content of the multi-session course in a single session. The workshop will infuse the didactic training, including psychoeducation on burnout and STS, with interactive activities to utilize the evidence-based PRACTICE skills, as well as offer support to develop a plan to continue using the PRACTICE skills personally and professionally, individually and as an organization. As providers, organizations, and clients can be adversely impacted by burnout and STS (e.g., Delgadillo et al., 2018; Wagaman et al., 2015), an effective approach to addressing these concerns is critical to the well-being of our field.

Outline:

1. Topic I: Psychoeducation and Praise/Appreciation
   1. Brief history and development of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
   2. Brief summary of Adverse Childhood Experiences research
   3. Burnout and secondary traumatic stress (definitions, symptoms, protective factors)
2. Topic II: Relaxation
   1. Mindfulness
   2. Focused breathing
   3. Laughter and humor
   4. Interactive activity (mindfulness)
3. Topic III: Affect Expression and Regulation
   1. Pleasurable activities
   2. Music/art
   3. Physical movement/exercise
   4. Self-talk
   5. Mantras
   6. Interactive activity (mantras)
4. Topic IV: Cognitive Coping
   1. Cognitive coping and mental health professionals
   2. Dysfunctional thought patterns
5. Interactive activity (cognitive coping)
   Topic V: Take Time to Journal
   1. Narration and processing in evidence-based treatments
   2. Importance of processing posttraumatic cognition
   3. Positive writing/gratitude journaling
   4. Interactive activity (gratitude)
6. Topic VI: In Vivo Mastery and Integration
   1. Turn PRACTICE skills into healthy habits, routines, and rituals
   2. Create coping skill habits, routines, rituals
   3. Bring PRACTICE skills to the workplace
   4. Interactive activity (create PRACTICE habits)
7. Topic VII: Connect with Others
   1. Importance of relationships
   2. Accountability/PRACTICE partners
   3. Interactive activity (accountability partner)
8. Topic VIII: Enhance and Sustain Personal and Professional Well-Being
   1. Benefits of PRACTICE in nature
   2. Investing in self-care as an organization
   3. Using PRACTICE activities to enhance the work environment
   4. Interactive activity (sustaining PRACTICE routines and habits)

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Describe burnout and secondary traumatic stress, their impact, and protective factors.
• Identify the PRACTICE skills that can be used to support well-being.
• Identify organizational strategies that can support personal and professional well-being.

Long-term goals:

• Participants to apply the use of the PRACTICE skills ongoing in their personal and professional lives.
• Supervisors and leaders to apply strategies in the workplace to provide ongoing support for their team’s well-being.

Recommended Readings:

Deblinger, E., Pollio, E., Harrison, J. P., Cooper, B., Martelli, F. L., Schuler, N., & Steer, R. A. (2025). Refining the PRACTICE course for trauma professionals across organizational roles to enhance well-being and TF-CBT competency. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-025-00787-x

Pollio, E., Deblinger, E., Cooper, B., Garbade, M., Harrison, J. P., & Pfeiffer, E. (2025). Engaging Ukrainian TF-CBT therapists in a PRACTICE skills course to support their well-being. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 16(1), Article 2476898. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2025.2476898

Sprang, G., Lei, F., & Bush, H. (2021). Can organizational efforts lead to less secondary
traumatic stress? A longitudinal investigation of change. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 91(4), 443–453. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000546

Wagaman, M. A., Geiger, J. M., Shockley, C., & Segal, E. A. (2015). The role of empathy in burnout, compassion satisfaction, and secondary traumatic stress among social workers. Social Work, 60(3), 201-209. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swv014

Presented by:

Brian C. Pilecki, Ph.D., Psychologist, Associate Scientist, Portland Psychotherapy
Jason B. Luoma, Ph.D., Director of Research, Portland Institute for Psychedelic Science
Chandra Estelle Khalifian, Ph.D., Psychologist and Co-founder, Enamory
Kayla Knopp, Ph.D., Research Psychologist, VA San Diego Healthcare System/University of California, San Diego

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Treatment – Other

Basic to moderate level of familiarity with the material.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) shows promise as a highly effective mental health treatment and appears poised to become a major new form of mental health care. Patients often describe PAT sessions as among the most meaningful experiences in their life. These interventions don’t just reduce suffering—they increase life fulfillment, interpersonal relationship connection, and compassion for self and others. Psychedelics enhance empathy and prosocial attitudes, making them well-suited to CBT approaches emphasizing compassion and connection.

This workshop, led by researchers and clinicians currently running PAT clinical trials, will provide CBT professionals an evidence-based overview of this new clinical area, including examples of psychedelic-assisted CBTs (PA-CBTs). First, the workshop will provide a didactic overview of PA-CBT, including summarizing evidence from rigorous pilot studies and clinical trials, describing the basic model of PAT, and explaining the role of CBTs in preparation and integration. Discussion will address the legal status of psychedelics and diversity and equity issues, including lack of access for underserved populations and the risks of cultural appropriation.

The second half of the workshop will describe specific PA-CBTs for treating social anxiety, PTSD, and relationship distress. Findings will be reviewed from several completed and ongoing clinical studies, including MDMA-assisted therapy for social anxiety disorder, MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, and ketamine-assisted couple therapy. This workshop will help clinicians understand the current state of psychedelic science and have informed, evidence-based conversations with clients about potential risks and benefits, emphasizing compassion as a therapeutic mechanism and outcome.

Outline:

1. Overview of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) & psychedelic-assisted CBT (PA-CBT)
   1. Basic model and principles of PA-CBT: preparation, dosing, integration
   2. Mechanisms of CBT for supporting PAT, including compassion
   3. Summary of research evidence to date
2. Legal and ethical considerations
   1. Legal status of ketamine (Schedule III) and MDMA / other psychedelics (Schedule I)
   2. Indigenous and cultural history of psychedelics: addressing community inclusion and cultural appropriation
   3. Access for underserved populations, including cost & insurance coverage
3. Specific PA-CBT interventions: clinical models and research findings
   1. MDMA-assisted therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder
   2. MDMA-assisted individual & conjoint therapy for PTSD
   3. Ketamine-assisted therapy for couples’ relationship distress
4. Discussion: Training for therapists in PA-CBT

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Describe the theory and practice of psychedelic-assisted therapy.
• Summarize research findings and identify the clinical applications with the most empirical support.
• Discuss the current legal status of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy at a state and federal level.
• Describe the role of CBT in preparation for and integration of psychedelic experiences.
• List at least 3 current problems in the literature relating to diversity and equity in psychedelic science and practice.
• Educate clients on the legality and potential risks and benefits of engaging in psychedelic-assisted therapy.
• Share at least two examples of how CBTs are used in psychedelic-assisted therapies for social anxiety disorder, PTSD, and couples’ relationship distress.

Recommended Readings:

Luoma, J. B., Lear, M. K., Yi, K., & Pilecki, B. (2025). Utilizing in Vivo and Imaginal Exposure in the Context of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Case Report. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice.

Mitchell, J. M., Bogenschutz, M., Lilienstein, A., Harrison, C., Kleiman, S., Parker-Guilbert, K., … & Doblin, R. (2021). MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Nature medicine, 27(6), 1025-1033.

Khalifian, C., Rashkovsky, K., Mitchell, E., Bismark, A., Wagner, A. C., & Knopp, K. C. (2024). A novel framework for ketamine-assisted couple therapy. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1376646.

Yaden, D. B., Earp, D., Graziosi, M., Friedman-Wheeler, D., Luoma, J. B., & Johnson, M. W. (2022). Psychedelics and psychotherapy: cognitive-behavioral approaches as default. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 873279.

Monson, C. M., Wagner, A. C., Mithoefer, A. T., Liebman, R. E., Feduccia, A. A., Jerome, L., … & Mithoefer, M. C. (2020). MDMA-facilitated cognitive-behavioural conjoint therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: an uncontrolled trial. European journal of psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1840123.

Presented by:

Cynthia M. Hartung, Ph.D., Professor, University of Wyoming
Kate Flory, Ph.D., Professor, University of South Carolina
Laura E. Knouse, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of Richmond
Will H. Canu, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Appalachian State University

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Symptoms / Disorders – ADHD, Treatment – Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Population – Students

Moderate level of familiarity with the material.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic disorder characterized by inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that impacts functioning across the lifespan. Some of the most profound impacts of ADHD arise in educational settings, extending to higher education. In college students, the disorder is associated with lower GPAs and graduation rates as well as elevated rates of comorbid disorders (Anastopoulos et al., 2018; DuPaul et al., 2009, 2021).

Fortunately, research over the past two decades has demonstrated that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that is specifically tailored to the needs of adults with ADHD can be efficacious for ADHD symptom reduction (Liu et al., 2023). Because treatment satisfaction is associated with the extent to which the CBT approach is tailored to the specific needs of adult clients with ADHD (William et al., 2024), a few research groups have endeavored to develop CBTs that are even more adapted to the unique needs of emerging adults (Knouse &Fleming, 2016; LaCount et al., 2019)—specifically, college students—with the disorder (Anastopoulos et al.,2021; Fleming et al., 2015; Hartung et al., 2022).

Over the past several years, we have developed and tested a tailored CBT approach for college students withADHD (Canu et al., 2023; Hartung et al., 2022). Like most efficacious CBTs for adult ADHD (Safren et al., 2010; Solanto et al., 2010), our approach is firmly grounded in helping students acquire organization, time management, and planning (OTMP) skills to support their deficits in executive functioning, supported by cognitive strategies (Ramsay, 2020) and integrating skill areas appropriate to this developmental period and setting including academic skills, relationship navigation, healthy lifestyles, and “adulting.”

Using didactics, practice exercises, and demonstration videos, this workshop will ground participants in the theoretical and empirical basis of the approach and help them to acquire the skills needed to begin to implement this treatment approach in their practice. The workshop will also give clinicians guidance in implementing this flexible approach in both group or individual format as well as how to tailor the treatment to the unique needs of each client.

Outline:

• Introductions
• Treatment Approach Overview
• Educating Clients about ADHD
• Organization, Time Management, and Planning
• Academic Learning Skills
• Thinking and Responding Differently
• Taking Good Care of Yourself
• Being Successful in Relationships
• “Adulting” or Managing Daily Tasks of Living
• Wrap-up and Q & A

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Describe the diagnostic criteria for ADHD and areas of functional impairment that impact college students with ADHD.
• Articulate important principles of educating college students about ADHD and applying the CBT model.
• Support clients in applying self-regulation skills to areas of impairment including organization and time management skills.
• Support clients in applying cognitive skills to increase motivation and promote emotional resilience, coping, and use of self-regulation skills.

Recommended Readings:

Hartung, C. M., Lefler, E. K., Canu, W. H., Stevens, A. E., Jaconis, M., LaCount, P. A., Shelton, C. R., Leopold, D.R., & Willcutt, E. G. (2019). DSM-5 and other symptom thresholds for ADHD: Which is the best predictor of impairment in college students? Journal of Attention Disorders, 23(13), 1637-1646. doi:10.1177/1087054716629216

LaCount, P. A., Hartung, C. M., & Canu, W. H., & Knouse, L. E. (2019). Interventions for adolescents with ADHD transitioning to emerging adulthood: Developmental context and empirically-supported treatment principles.Evidence-Based Practice in Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 4, 170-186. doi:10.1080/23794925.2018.1518120

DuPaul, G. J., Gormley, M. J., Anastopoulos, A. D., Weyandt, L. L., Labban, J., Sass, A. J., Busch, C. Z., Franklin, M. K., & Postler, K. B. (2021). Academic trajectories of college students with and without ADHD: Predictors of four-year outcomes. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 0(0), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2020.1867990

Liu, C., Hua, M., Lu, M., & Goh, K. K. (2023). Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural‐based interventions for adults with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder extends beyond core symptoms: A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psychology & Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 96(3), 543–559.

Presented by:

V. Robin Weersing, Ph.D., Professor, San Diego State University
Pauline Goger, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Fairfield University

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Symptoms / Disorders – Transdiagnostic, Treatment – Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). Symptoms / Disorders – Anxiety and Fear, Symptoms / Disorders – Depression, Population – Children / Adolescents

Basic to moderate level of familiarity with the material.

Anxiety and depression are collectively the most common mental health concerns in childhood and adolescence and co-occur with each other at staggering rates. Transdiagnostic interventions aim to address core processes common to anxiety and depression, and may therefore be more efficient in regards to time, clinician effort, and youths’ skill-building as compared to sequencing separate treatments for anxiety and depression. One such transdiagnostic intervention, Brief Behavioral Therapy (BBT; Weersing et al., 2021), has demonstrated efficacy for youth ages 8-16 with anxiety and/or depression when implemented by Master’s-level clinicians in pediatric primary care. BBT is brief (8-12 sessions), results in functional improvement and symptom reduction (Weersing et al., 2017) with effects sustained over the course of 32-week follow-up (Brent et al., 2020), and is cost-saving compared to community mental health treatment (Lynch et al., 2021). Recent preliminary data also support a video-visit version of BBT to increase intervention access for youth in low-resource settings (R56MH125159); this work in particular may be especially relevant in current times of national and world-wide physical and mental health crises. This clinician-focused workshop aims to introduce BBT as a treatment option for youth with anxiety, depression, or their co-occurrence. Following an introduction to the scientific evidence and theoretical underpinnings of this transdiagnostic approach, clinicians are presented with a step-by-step guide to BBT session content.

Specific foci of the workshop targeting anxious avoidance an d depressive withdrawal with “graded engagement” or increased approach and reduced behavioral avoidance, and use of the intervention’s problem-solving module to address symptoms, familial communication, and treatment non-compliance. Case examples and sample intervention materials are utilized throughout to supplement attendee experience.

Outline:

• Rationale for transdiagnostic interventions in youth
• Brief review of evidence-base for BBT and other interventions for anxiety and depression in youth
• Focus on core behavioral mechanisms and increasing approach / reducing avoidance
• BBT sessions 1-3 (psychoeducation, relaxation, problem-solving)
• BBT session 4 (building an approach hierarchy)
• BBT sessions 5-11 (enactive practice and graded engagement)
• BBT session 12 (relapse prevention)

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Describe theoretical and empirical rationale for why a transdiagnostic approach may be well-suited to treating youth anxiety and depression.
• Become familiar with and describe how core treatment techniques might be packaged and implemented using a behavioral transdiagnostic approach.
• Describe youth characteristics and symptoms that may be particularly well-suited for the Brief Behavioral Therapy protocol.
• Describe and understand the session content and sequencing of skills in the Brief Behavioral Therapy protocol.
• Discuss implementation considerations when using Brief Behavioral Therapy with internalizing youth.
• Identify when a transdiagnostic approach might be appropriate for youth symptom presentation in clinical practice.
• Incorporate a graded engagement/transdiagnostic approach to treatment of youth with anxiety/depression comorbidity.

Recommended Readings:

Weersing, V. R., Brent, D. A., Rozenman, M. S., Gonzalez, A., Jeffreys, M., Dickerson, J. F., Lynch, F. L., Porta, G., & Iyengar, S. (2017). Brief behavioral therapy for pediatric anxiety and depression in primary care: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 74, 571-578

Goger, P., Rozenman, M., Gonzalez, A., Brent, D., Porta, G., Lynch, F. L., Dickerson, J. F., & Weersing, V.R. (2023). Early indicators of response to transdiagnostic treatment of pediatric anxiety and depression. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 64(12), 1689-1698

Schwartz, K. T. G., Kado-Walton, M., Dickerson, J. F., Rozenman, M. S., Brent, D. A., Porta, G., Lynch, F. L., Gonzalez, A., & Weersing, V. R. (2023). Brief behavioral therapy for anxiety and depression in pediatric primary care: Breadth of intervention impact. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 62(2), 230-243.

 Weisz, J. R., Fitzpatrick, O. M., Venturo‐Conerly, K. E., Sternberg, A., Steinberg, J. S., & Ng, M. Y. (2023). Research Review: The internalizing paradox–youth anxiety and depression symptoms, psychotherapy outcomes, and implications for research and practice. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 64(12), 1720-1734.

Walkup, J. T., Mathews, T., & Green, C. M. (2017). Transdiagnostic behavioral therapies in pediatric primary care: Looking ahead. JAMA psychiatry, 74(6), 557-558.

Presented by:

Sarah P. Carter, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Jasara Hogan, Ph.D., Assistant Research Scientist, New York University

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Treatment – Other, Population – Couples / Close Relationships

Basic level of familiarity with the material.

Many clinicians regularly encounter romantic partners in their work through collateral sessions, joint meetings, crisis situations, or the relational contexts shaping individual treatment. Yet many have little training or comfort conducting treatment when more than one partner is involved. This workshop is designed for clinicians who do not identify as couples therapists, but who want to work more effectively when romantic partners are involved.

The focus is on practical strategies for engaging in treatment with more than one partner present while remaining grounded in an individual treatment framework. Participants will learn how to recognize situations in which involving a romantic partner may support individual treatment progress. The workshop will identify multiple concrete strategies for incorporating a romantic partner into individual-focused clinical work, including clarifying purpose and roles, setting expectations for partner involvement, and using relationship context to inform clinical decision-making. Attendees will also learn approaches for managing sessions when romantic partners are present. Emphasis is placed on session structure, communication management, and maintaining focus when multiple perspectives are in the room.

This workshop also addresses common misconceptions about couples work and highlights how attending to relationship dynamics can enhance treatment outcomes across clinical settings. Through case examples and guided discussion, participants will gain tools to approach work with more than one partner with greater clarity and confidence without becoming a couples therapist.

Outline:

• Recognize situations in which involving a romantic partner may support individual treatment progress.
• Identify at least three strategies for incorporating a romantic partner into individual-focused clinical work.
• Apply structured approaches for managing sessions with romantic partners present in ways that support individual clinical goals.

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Recognize situations in which involving a romantic partner may support individual treatment progress.
• Identify at least three strategies for incorporating a romantic partner into individual-focused clinical work.
• Explain how therapeutic interactions and clinical interactions may differ when a romantic partner is present.
• Apply structured approaches for managing sessions with romantic partners present in ways that support individual clinical goals.
• Increase clinician confidence in managing sessions with more than one romantic partner present

Recommended Readings:

Halford, W. K., & Pepping, C. A. (2019). What every therapist needs to know about couple therapy. Behaviour Change, 36(3), 121-142. https://doi.org/10.1017/bec.2019.12

South, S. C. (2021). Pathology in relationships. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 17(1), 577-601. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081219-115420

Capozzi, F. (2025). A research-driven flowchart to approach change in couples. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1438394. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1438394

Baucom, D. H., Belus, J. M., Adelman, C. B., Fischer, M. S., & Paprocki, C. (2014). Couple‐based interventions for psychopathology: A renewed direction for the field. Family Process, 53(3), 445-461. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12075

Gurman, A. S., & Burton, M. (2014). Individual therapy for couple problems: Perspectives and pitfalls. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 40(4), 470-483.

Presented by:

Patricia J. Robinson, Ph.D., Trainer and Consultant, Mountainview Consulting Group Inc
Kirk D. Strosahl, Ph.D., Owner/President, HeartMatters Consulting LLC

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Context – Primary Care / Integrated Care, Treatment – Other

All levels of familiarity with the material.

What if 500 ABCT members began to offer consultation services in primary care (PC) one day a week, and, in the process, they influenced ten of their new PC team mates to use evidence-based behavior therapies? Would this collective action improve access to behavior therapy in their community, particularly for underserved people? Science says, “yes.”

Numerous studies have evaluated the impact of using primary care clinics as platforms for delivery of behavior therapy. One model has emerged as offering important guidance for integration efforts and for delivering positive patient and implementation outcomes (Hunter, et al., 2017). This collection of strategies, known as the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model (Robinson & Reiter, 2025), has also been associated with improved health equity outcomes when newly arriving behavioral health providers are prepared with training in Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (FACT, Strosahl, Robinson, & Gustavsson, 2026) (see https://wellsouth.nz/about-us/about-us/news/view/southern-wellbeing-service-exceeding-expectations).

Drs. Robinson and Strosahl ( “Luminaries of Integrated Behavioral Health” award recipients, CFHA, 2025) introduce PCBH and FACT in this 5-hour, practical workshop. They use the acronym, GATHER (Generalist, Accessible, Team-based, High Impact, Educator, Routine) to introduce PCBH and another acronym, CAARE (Context, Approach, Avoidance, Redesign, Expand), to introduce Focused ACT. They will offer participants a tool kit to empower their expression of compassion and their efforts to spread the science of behavior therapy in their communities in new ways.

Outline:

1. Health care has a limited impact when “siloed.”
2. Compassion in healthcare thrives when services are team-based and inter-professional. 
3. The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model describes strategies for integrating new behavioral health providers in delivery of services. 
4. The PCBH model introduces a new role for behavior therapists, that of “Behavioral Health Consultant” (BHC). 
5. Core Competency tools describe essential knowledge and skill for BHCs and members of PCBH clinics. 
6. The G-A-T-H-E-R acronym describes the services of a BHC. Small group discussion and skill practice.
7. Learning Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy empowers BHCs to provide high impact services in short visits. 
8. Introduction of Focused ACT Tool Kit. Small group discussion. Reflections.
9. Observation of live role play of PCBH visit with a BHC trained in Focused ACT. Observation guided by tools provided. Discussion with learning partner. 
10. Follow up visits in PCBH clinics with BHCs practicing Focused ACT. Video clip demonstration of Life Path with person with mood problems and chronic pain.
11. Role play / skill development practices consistent with participant interests. 
12. Discussion of Focused ACT competencies and introduction of Focused ACT Competency Assessment Tool. 
13. Reflections and development of post-workshop action plans using the FACT Can Do tool.

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Explain how to use the GATHER acronym to identify strategies to use to create a strong platform for improving access to mental health services in your community.
• Describe evidence for use of PCBH and FACT to assist people struggling with mental health, substance use, and medical problems, such as chronic conditions.
• Explain how FACT practice tools can be applied to help patients with diabetes and patients with chronic pain who also have mood problems.
• List two reasons why use of a scientist practitioner approach is of fundamental importance to use of evidence-based care approaches.
• Describe the four domains on the 17-item Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Competency Assessment Tool (FACT CAT).
• Explain how to access and use PCBH competency tools.
• Use the FACT Can-Do Plan to develop a high impact action plan for after the workshop.

Recommended Readings:

Arroll, B., Frischtak, H., Roskvist, R., Mount, V., Sundram, F., Fletcher, S., Kingsford, D., Buttrick, L., Bricker, J., & van der Werf, B. (2022). FACT effectiveness in primary care; a single visit RCT for depressive symptoms. International journal of psychiatry in medicine, 57(2), 91–102. https://doi.org/10.1177/00912174211010536

Funderburk, J. S., Pigeon, W. R., Shepardson, R. L., Wade, M., Acker, J., Fivecoat, H., Wray, L. O., & Maisto, S. A. (2021). Treating depressive symptoms among veterans in primary care: A multi-site RCT of brief behavioral activation. Journal of affective disorders, 283, 11–19.

Kanzler, K. E., Robinson, P. J., McGeary, D. D., Mintz, J, Kilpela, L. S., Finley, E., &McGeary, C. (2022). Addressing Chronic Pain with Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Integrated Primary Care: Findings from a Mixed Methods Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. BMC Primary Care, 23(77). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-022-01690-2

Sheldrick, R. C., Bair-Merritt, M. H., Durham, M. P., Rosenberg, J., Tamene, M., Bonacci, C., Daftary, G., Tang, M. H., Sengupta, N., Morris, A., & Feinberg, E. (2022). Integrating Pediatric Universal Behavioral Health Care at Federally Qualified Health Centers. Pediatrics, 149(4), e2021051822. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-051822. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35347338/

Sripada, R. K., Walters, H. M., Ganoczy, D., Avallone, K. M., Cigrang, J. A., & Rauch, S. (2022). Feasibility and Acceptability of Prolonged Exposure in Primary Care (PE-PC) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Federally Qualified Health Centers: A Pilot Study. Administration and policy in mental health, 1–13. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-022-01195-1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35445362/

Presented by:

Marla W. Deibler, ABPP, Psy.D., CEO, The Center for Emotional Health
Renae Reinardy, Psy.D., Executive Director, Lakeside Center for Behavioral Change

Participants earn 3 continuing education credits.

Categories: Treatment – CBT, Treatment – Mindfulness & Acceptance, Treatment – Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
All levels of familiarity with the material.

All levels of familiarity with the material.

Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs), including trichotillomania (hair pulling) and excoriation (skin-picking) disorder, are complex and heterogeneous conditions within the obsessive-compulsive and related disorders spectrum. Although BFRBs are relatively prevalent, affecting an estimated 1 in 20 individuals, they remain under-identified and inconsistently treated in clinical practice. This gap is driven largely by the scarcity of accessible, up-to-date, evidence-based training and the limited availability of expert-led clinical consultation.

This workshop is designed to provide advanced clinical training in the assessment and treatment of BFRBs, emphasizing a cohesive, integrative behavioral framework grounded in empirical research and contemporary cognitive-behavioral models. A comprehensive, scientifically grounded overview of BFRBs will be presented, integrating the phenomenological literature with clinically relevant patterns of presentation and supplemented by video-based case material illustrating lived experience.

Participants will engage in an in-depth examination of the functional processes that contribute to the persistence of BFRBs, with particular attention to patterns of reinforcement and experiential avoidance that sustain symptoms across affective, sensory, cognitive, and contextual domains. These considerations will be used to support formulation-driven case conceptualization, guide nuanced clinical judgment, and inform the strategic selection and sequencing of interventions tailored to individual presentations.

The workshop will present an integrative, evidence-based clinical framework that synthesizes empirically supported, compassion-oriented behavioral and CBT-informed strategies into a unified model for flexible, individualized care. Emphasis will be placed on clinical decision-making, adaptation of interventions across diverse presentations, and management of common challenges including comorbidity, variable treatment response, relapse risk, and barriers to sustained change.

Outline:

1. Phenomenology and Diagnosis
   1. Historical perspectives on BFRBs
   2. Phenomenology of hair pulling, skin picking, and nail biting across the lifespan
   3. DSM-5-TR diagnostic considerations
   4. Co-occurring disorders
2. Current Treatment Landscape: What Works & What Doesn’t
   1. Review of established treatments: where the evidence stands
   2. Pharmacological treatment options and limitations
   3. Dermatological care and the role of medical collaboration
   4. Psychological treatments: CBT, HRT, ACT, DBT, mindfulness-based strategies
   5. Advancing toward treatment success
   6. Research, risks and treatment limitations
3. Assessment & Case Conceptualization
   1. Comprehensive clinical assessment of BFRBs
      1. Structured interviews
      2. Self-report tools
      3. Behavioral measures
   2. Functional and developmental considerations in assessment
   3. Case conceptualization: mapping triggers, maintaining factors, and reinforcement cycles
   4. Cultural, Social, and Emotional Considerations
   5. The symbolic meaning of hair, skin, and nails across cultures
   6. Perceptions of beauty, social media, and cultural trends
   7. Shame, stigma and help-seeking behaviors
   8. Creating a safe, validating, and stigma-reducing therapeutic environment
4. The TIMES MAP Framework: Behavioral Monitoring, Mapping, Self-Observation
   1. Cultivating self-awareness in clients: the role of self-observation and journaling
   2. Behavior monitoring tools: paper logs, digital apps, and therapist-guided tracking
   3. Functional behavior analysis: understanding the TIMES MAP framework
   4. Systems of reinforcement: identifying rewards and secondary gains
5. Applying the TIMES MAP Framework in Clinical Practice
   1. Narrowing down the “paths” on the MAP
   2. Addressing movement and automaticity: breaking unconscious cycles
   3. Awareness of vulnerabilities
   4. Mapping people, places, and spaces: environmental factors that shape BFRBs
   5. “Get with the TIMES”: applying the model to real-world treatment
   6. Shifting perspectives and responses to the TIMES
   7. Building confidence and resilience: orienting toward a life worth living
   8. Case discussions

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:

• Identify empirically supported phenomenological features of body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) that are relevant to accurate assessment, diagnosis, and case conceptualization across developmental stages.
• Describe assessment tools to inform individualized treatment planning.
• Discuss how patterns of reinforcement and experiential avoidance contribute to the maintenance of BFRBs and select intervention strategies that directly target these processes.
• Apply and sequence evidence-based behavioral and CBT-informed interventions for BFRBs in a flexible manner that accounts for comorbidity, treatment response, and client-specific factors.
• Modify treatment plans to address common clinical challenges in BFRB care, including relapse risk, engagement difficulties, and barriers to sustained change, while incorporating developmental, cultural, and contextual considerations.

Recommended Readings:

Grant, J. E., Dougherty, D. D., & Chamberlain, S. R. (2020). Prevalence, gender
correlates, and co-morbidity of trichotillomania. Psychiatry Research, 288, 112948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112948

Grant, Valle, S., Aslan, I. H., & Chamberlain, S. R. (2021). Clinical presentation of
body-focused repetitive behaviors in minority ethnic groups. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 111, 152272–152272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152272

Kwon, C., Sutaria, N., Khanna, R., Almazan, E., Williams, K., Kim, N., Elmariah, S., &
Kwatra, S. G. (2020). Epidemiology and Comorbidities of Excoriation Disorder: A Retrospective Case-Control Study. Journal of clinical medicine, 9(9), E2703. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9092703

Lee, E. B., Homan, K. J., Morrison, K. L., Ong, C. W., Levin, M. E., & Twohig, M. P.
(2018). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Trichotillomania: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Adults and Adolescents. Behavior Modification, 44(1), 70–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445518794366

Carlson, E. J., Malloy, E. J., Brauer, L., Golomb, R. G., Grant, J. E., Mansueto, C. S., & Haaga, D. (2021). Comprehensive Behavioral (ComB) Treatment of Trichotillomania: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Behavior therapy, 52(6), 1543–1557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2021.05.007