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Live Webcast

Mastery Course on Neuroscience Informed Therapy: Connect Complicated Brain Research with Accessible Therapeutic Strategies for Anxiety, Depression, Chronic Pain, Substance Abuse & Trauma


Speaker:
Debra Premashakti Alvis, PhD
Duration:
2 Full Days
Format:
Audio and Video
Product Code:
LWC053190
Brochure Code:
PLW59175
Media Type:
Live Webcast

Dates
Schedule at a glance


Description

  • Make the connection between mental health disorders, therapeutic approaches, and what happens in the brain itself
  • The role of the brain’s reward system and fight/flight/freeze response in clinical practice
  • Practical therapeutic tools based in CBT, Mindfulness and Positive Psychology

The human brain is a menagerie of complex parts - structures regulating higher thoughts, imagination, and creativity co-existing with ancient components driving our fears and impulses. The latest findings from neuroscience and brain-imaging technologies have given us incredible insights into the workings of the brain and its connection to our psychological and physical well-being. Yet in-depth studies on the brain can be difficult for mental health clinicians to interpret -- names like “Subgenual anterior cingulate cortex” mean very little to most of us. And you face a bigger obstacle than terminology. How do you overcome the challenge of applying critical scientific information to your clinical practice? How does neuroscience help you when you’re face-to-face with clients working on stress, depression, addiction and the other problems they face each day?

Despite the baffling research and inaccessible jargon, neuroscience can change the way you view and work with your clients!

Debra Premashakti Alvis, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist, private practitioner, international presenter, and consultant with over twenty-five years of clinical experience. Specializing in applying neuroscientific principals to enhance clinical outcomes, Debra’s unique approach connects the research findings of renowned neuroscientists to the therapeutic practices you use in session. Debra will help you to understand the role of the brain and nervous system in specific mental health disorders and connect his information to easy-to-implement and practical techniques you can use with your clients.

Through case studies, experiential exercises, and brief lectures, you’ll learn to individualize interventions based in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Attachment, and Somatic Psychologies and apply them to the treatment of mood disorders, trauma, and addictions. Better still, you’ll have the opportunity to practice the application of what you’ve learned under Debra’s skilled supervision, and take home detailed handouts allowing their immediate incorporation into your clinical work.

Credit


* Credit Note - *

NOTE: Tuition includes one free CE Certificate (participant will be able to print the certificate of completion after passing the on-line post-test (80% passing score) and completing the evaluation). 

Continuing Education Information: Listed below are the continuing education credit(s) currently available for this live interactive webcast. This webcast is a broadcast of a live event. You will be able to type questions to the speaker. The speaker will see the questions and address them during the presentation as time allows. Please note, your state licensing board dictates whether web based activities are an acceptable form of continuing education. Please refer to your state rules and regulations. If your profession is not listed, please contact your licensing board to determine your continuing education requirements and check for reciprocal approval. For other credit inquiries not specified below, please contact cepesi@pesi.com or 800-844-8260 before the event.

Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of your profession.  As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your profession's standards.

For Planning Committee disclosures, please see the statement above.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

CE Information is based on 100% attendance.

 


Counselors - Counselors

This educational offering consists of 12.5 clock hour(s) of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline, the certificate of completion you receive from this offering and contact your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements. 


Counselors - Texas Counselors

PESI, Inc. has been approved as a continuing education sponsor through the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. Provider #: 2477. This course qualifies for 12.5 continuing education credits.


Counselors - New York Counselors

PESI, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's (NYSED) State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0033. This activity will qualify for 15.0 contact hours. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance


Counselors - South Carolina Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists and Psycho-Educational Specialists

This program has been approved for 12.5 continuing education hours by the South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Psycho-Educational Specialists. Approval #4540.


Social Workers - Social Workers

PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the course. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2017 - January 27, 2020. Social Workers completing this course receive 12.5 (Clinical) continuing education credits. Course level: Intermediate. Full attendance is required. No partial credit will be offered for partial attendance. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to social workers who complete the program evaluation.


Social Workers - Canadian Social Workers

PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the course. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2017 - January 27, 2020. Social Workers completing this course receive 12.5 (Clinical) continuing education credits for completing this intermediate level course. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to social workers who complete the program evaluation. Full attendance is required. No partial credit will be offered for partial attendance. Canadian provinces may accept activities approved by the ASWB for ongoing professional development.


Social Workers - Florida Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists, and Mental Health Counselors

PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. Provider Number #50-399. This course qualifies for 12.5 continuing education credits.


Social Workers - Illinois Social Workers

PESI, Inc is an approved provider with the State of Illinois, Department of Professional Regulation. License #: 159-000154. Full attendance at this course qualifies for 12.5 contact hours.


Social Workers - Kansas Social Workers

PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board. Provider #14-006. This course has been approved for 12.5 continuing education hours.


Social Workers - Minnesota Social Workers

PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the State of Minnesota, Board of Social Work. Provider #: CEP-140. This course has been approved for 12.5 continuing education hours. This certificate has been issued upon successful completion of a post-test.


Social Workers - New York Social Workers

PESI, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's (NYSED) State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0008. This activity will qualify for 15.0 contact hours. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance. 


Psychologists - Canadian Psychologists

PESI, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the program. This program is approved for 12.5 continuing education hours. Full credit statement at: www.pesi.com/cpa-statement


Psychologists - Florida Psychologists

PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the Florida Board of Psychology. Provider Number #50-399. This course qualifies for 12.6 continuing education credits.


Marriage & Family Therapists - Marriage & Family Therapists

This activity consists of 760 minutes of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the activity advertisement, the certificate of completion you receive from the activity and contact your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements. 


Marriage & Family Therapists - Texas Marriage & Family Therapists

PESI, Inc. has been approved as a continuing education sponsor through the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists. Provider # 503. This course qualifies for 12.5 continuing education credits.


Marriage & Family Therapists - Illinois Marriage & Family Therapists

PESI has been approved as a provider of continuing education by the State of Illinois, Department of Professional Regulation. Provider #:168-000156. Full attendance at this activity qualifies for 12.5 credits. 


Marriage & Family Therapists - New York Marriage & Family Therapists

PESI, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's (NYSED) State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. #MFT-0024. This activity will qualify for 15.0 contact hours. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance


Addiction Counselors - NAADAC

NAADAC

This course has been approved by PESI, Inc., as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 12.5 CE in the skill group. NAADAC Provider #77553. PESI, Inc. is responsible for all aspects of their programming. Full attendance is required; no partial credit will be awarded for partial attendance. 


Connecticut Addiction Counselors

Provider #120924. This course has been approved as a CCB approved training and has been awarded 12.5 hours by the Connecticut Certification Board.


California Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Counselors (CCAPP-EI)

PESI, Inc. is an approved provider by the CCAPP-EI, Provider #: 0S-03-036-1023. This activity meets the qualifications for 12.5 CEHs (continuing education hours).


Hawaii Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors

This course has been reviewed and approved by the Hawaii Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division for 12.5 hours of continuing education FOR Certified Substance Abuse Counselors (CSAC).


Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and Clinical Nurse Specialists

This intermediate activity is approved for 12.5 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please contact your licensing board to determine if they accept programs or providers approved by other national or state licensing boards. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to participants who are in full attendance and who complete the program evaluation.


California Nurses

PESI, Inc. is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 17118 for 12.5 contact hours. Full attendance is required. No partial contact hours will be issued for partial attendance. 


Florida Nurses

PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the Florida Board of Nursing, Provider # FBN2858. This course qualifies for 12.5 contact hours. 

CE Broker


Iowa Nurses

PESI, Inc. is an approved provider by the Iowa Board of Nursing. Provider #: 346. Full attendance at this activity qualifies for 12.6 contact hours. Full attendance in the activity is required; no partial contact hours will be issued for partial attendance. These contact hours are used for your license renewal. Please email cepesi@pesi.com with your license number, include the webcast title, speaker name and date. PESI must have this number on file in order for your hours to be valid for the webcast.


Ohio Social Workers, Counselors, and Marriage & Family Therapists

PESI is an approved provider with the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage & Family Therapist Board. Provider approval #:RCST071001. Full attendance at this course meets the qualifications for 12.5 clock hours of continuing education credit.


Pennsylvania Social Workers, Counselors, and Marriage & Family Therapists

This intermediate activity is approved for 12.5 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please contact your licensing board to determine if they accept programs or providers approved by other national or state licensing boards. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to participants who are in full attendance and who complete the program evaluation.


California Social Workers, Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists, and Licensed Educational Psychologists

This intermediate activity consists of 12.0 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please contact your licensing board to determine if they accept programs or providers approved by other national or state licensing boards. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to participants who are in full attendance and who complete the program evaluation.


Other Professions

This activity qualifies for 12.5 continuing education minutes as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Save your activity advertisement and certificate of completion, and contact your own board or organization for specific requirements. 



Handouts/Brochure

Speaker

Debra Premashakti Alvis, PhD's Profile

Debra Premashakti Alvis, PhD Related seminars and products


Debra Premashakti Alvis, PhD, a licensed psychologist, developed the Mind/Body Program at the University of Georgia, providing clinician training on the integration of mindfulness and contemplative practices into psychotherapy. Her work as a professor at the University of Georgia included the supervision of doctoral students and co-leading a research team investigating mindfulness.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Alvis maintains a private practice and has more than 25 years of clinical experience in treating clients with a variety of conditions by mindfulness principles, body-oriented principles and traditional psychotherapeutic approaches. She also has an over 30-year personal contemplative practice.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Debra Alvis maintains a private practice and receives a speaking honorarium from Asadis Training, Essential Therapy Training, Georgia Museum of Art, Bascom Museum of Art, and Mountain Area Health Education Center. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Debra Alvis is a member of the American Association of College Student Personnel, the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education, the Association of Specialists in Group Work, the Athens Area Psychological Association, and the Georgia Psychological Association.


Additional Info

Access Period for Live Webcast

For live CE credit, you must watch the live webcast in its entirety at its scheduled time. You will have access for 90 days after the program for review. 


Webcast Schedule

Please note: There will be a lunch and two 15-minute breaks; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Lunch and break times will be announced by the speaker and at their discretion.


Objectives

  1. Analyze the role of the nervous system in mental health disorders and communicate how this knowledge impacts the clinician’s choice of therapeutic intervention.
  2. Employ psychoeducational approaches that make the neurobiology of mental health conditions understandable for clients.
  3. Establish how an understanding of neuroscience and neuroanatomy can be used by mental health professionals to cultivate motivation and promote engagement in therapy.
  4. Evaluate research on the impact of mindfulness on the nervous system and articulate how mindfulness can be used as an adjunctive approach in your treatment plans for depression.
  5. Communicate how memory malleability impacts your treatment of clients with traumatic memories.
  6. Discover how the neurobiology of addiction can help you establish realistic goals with clients with substance use disorders.
  7. Establish how to intervene in the neurobiological fight, flight, or freeze response in clients with trauma through the use of grounding techniques.
  8. Characterize how attachment impacts key brain networks and informs the clinical treatment of affect regulation and mood disorders.
  9. Establish how the relationship between diet and mental health can be communicated to clients through psychoeducational efforts to promote healthier life choices.
  10. Evaluate how an understanding of the neurodynamics of habit formation informs the therapist’s clinical approach to foster behavioral change.
  11. Appraise the latest scientific research on gratitude and establish how simple gratitude exercises can be taught to clients dealing with stress, anxiety and depression.
  12. Articulate how mindfulness practices can be used in therapy to impact the stress reaction and shift clients to a relaxation response.

Outline

Cultivate Change with an Understanding of the Brain’s Reward System
  • Habit formation & maintenance
  • Why the brain doesn’t always choose well
    • The conscious brain myth
    • Brain dictated actions
    • Impulse vs routines
    • Reward & habit
    • Coping & stress
  • Brain-wise change
    • Impulse strategies
    • Serotonin
    • Solidifying change - from neurons to brain regions
    • From state to trait: Brief experiences to long lasting change
  • Willpower
    • Willpower: where does it reside?
    • Role of exercise
    • Mindfulness
    • A brief willpower workout
The Body’s Impact on the Brain: Alter Your Physical State to Manage Stress and Anxiety
  • Body-Brain-Mind Talk
  • The Vagal Nerve
  • Heart rate variability
  • Interoception
  • Building stress resiliency & emotional regulation
  • Breath, posture, deep relaxation
  • The Body-Brain-Mind connection across treatment approaches
The Brain’s Impact on the Body
  • Nociceptors and neurotransmitters
  • Dorsolateral prefrontal lobe and the centralization of pain
  • The influence of stress on pain and inflammation
  • Pain measurement
  • CBT interventions to reappraise pain
  • Pain catastrophizing
  • Biofeedback
  • Mind-Body interventions for pain
How Relationships Change the Brain: The Neuroscience of Attachment
  • Neuropeptides: changing behavior through oxytocin
  • Healing through the Social Brain
  • The role of storytelling
  • The brain in love
  • Brain Behavior of long-term Love
    • Areas of activation
    • Novelty vs. Habit
  • Engendering secure attachment
    • Key brain networks
    • Building compassion & empathy
From a Depressed Brain to a Resilient Brain
  • How the depressed brain gets stuck
    • Hemispheric laterality
    • Cytokines & depression
  • The neuroscience of guilt & shame
  • Opposing pathways
  • Brain intercommunication
  • Awe! - creating brain changing experiences
  • Gratitude - neurochemistry & practice
  • Neurofeedback: Research on direct communication with the brain
Trauma Treatment and the Science of Memory
  • Grounding
  • Titrating emotions with mindfulness
  • The fight/flight/freeze response in trauma
  • Executive functioning
  • Integrating implicit memories
    • Dual awareness
    • Brain savvy narratives
  • Befriending the body - Breath/Movement/Awareness
  • The neurobiology and treatment of shame
The Addicted Brain: Clinical Implications of the Neuroscience of Craving
  • The role of the reward center
  • The neuroscience of craving
    • Mindfulness & movement based supports
    • Identifying false sanctuaries & underlying beliefs
  • Dual awareness
  • Overcoming conflict and risk avoidance
The Aging Brain
  • Brain changes across the lifespan
  • Memory improvement strategies
  • Buffering from Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Is Mindfulness a neuroprotective approach?
Nutrition & the Brain: The Latest Research
  • Nutrition for optimal brain functioning
  • The brain on sugar
  • Nutraceuticals
  • Creating an interdisciplinary team

Target Audience

Counselors, Social Workers, Psychologists, Marriage and Family Therapists, Psychotherapists, Nurse Practitioners, Psychiatric Nurses, Addiction Counselors, Case Managers, Other Mental Health Professionals

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