The Fourth Annual CE You!

Summer Mini Conference!

“Moving Forward”

Up to 26 CE Credits!

The full conference includes Ethics as well as Cultural Competence!

You can attend the full conference or select specific classes to attend. To Attend the full conference, click on "Buy it Now" above. This conference contains many simultaneous sessions. When you purchase the full conference, you will get to choose which trainings you take by just entering that virtual training room on the day of the conference . To purchase individual classes instead of the full conference, click on the individual class links below. 

Mini Conference Schedule 2021

Map Your Vision: How to Create a Vision Board that Works (2 CE Credits)

Life doesn’t always go as planned. 2020 definitely showed us that! But when we are clear about who we are and what we want—and we have a framework to guide us, we can always find our way.

That’s what a vision board can do. It’s a strategic visual roadmap that clearly outlines the vision you have for yourself and your life—what do you want, who do you want to become, and what exactly do you need to get there. It's an integrated, strengths based approach to creating change. 

In this class we will learn how to use a vision board with our clients. We will learn how a vision board can be used to teach people how to build the foundation of their life based on what’s most important to them and we can help them achieve their most important goals.

(Trainer: Emily Capuria, LISW-S, CHHC is author of the book Happiness Happens and founder of Balance & Thrive—a business that offers an integrated approach to eliminating stress, improving overall well-being, achieving goals and living a happy, fulfilling life. Emily has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Kentucky and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Cleveland State University. She is also a certified holistic health coach.)
 

On-the-Spot Resiliency Skills! (2 CE Credits)

On the spot resiliency skills are based on the principles and skills of DBT, CBT, and additional stress management techniques. This class presents some of the most effective and quick skills for helping our clients improve resiliency.

These skills are designed for ease of use and can be adapted to a variety of settings. They are designed to be easy to use "on the spot" and are presented in a toolbox format to aid in our building and strengthening our resiliency. Participants will examine a program has been particularly beneficial when utilized in the workplace as part of an overall wellness program.  This is a skill-based program that is designed to be effective in improving a person's ability to deal with stressors and daily struggles.

(Trainer, Denise Quirk Bundick, LCSW - Ms. Bundick is a founding partner of Falls Neuropsychology and Psychotherapy Associates locate in Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition to providing clinical psychotherapy services within the practice, Ms. Bundick also provides Corporate Trainings and workplace consultations to several NC Triangle based companies.)

Connecting to the Present with Trauma from the Past: Trauma-Informed mindfulness (2 CE Credits)

As Mindfulness continues to be an increasingly popular component of mental health treatment, it is pertinent to consider ways to engage in these interventions from a trauma-informed perspective. Research shows that use of mindfulness can reduce trauma-related symptoms (Kelly & Garland, 2016).  

While research largely focuses on the benefits of these interventions in treatment, it is equally important to consider the risks of these practices with clients who experience trauma-related disorders and symptoms.  In some instances, it may even be retraumatizing to explore this level of connectedness to the body without first establishing the presence of safety (Treleaven, & Britton, 2018).  This two hour training will focus on understanding mindfulness and trauma as they relate to benevolent and effective treatment. We will highlight the benefits and risks of utilizing mindfulness practices to increase sensory awareness in clients who experience trauma. Participants will explore and demonstrate use of trauma-informed interventions with other treatment modalities; and, identify ways to skillfully utilize mindfulness interventions to promote better client outcomes.

(Trainer: Tyler P. Mabry, LCPC is a Trauma Certified practitioner located in the state of Maryland. She specializes in supporting black men and women with processing emotions, including but not limited to, trauma, depression, anxiety, and daily stressors, using a variety of therapeutic and holistic approaches that focus on mindfulness, motivation, and emotional regulation.)

Engaging Challenging Clients Using Motivational Interviewing (2 CE Credits)

When clients are not interested in working with a mental health professional, it can be hard to create a therapeutic relationship with them. This training is designed to help experienced practitioners build on their current approach to working with clients who are difficult to engage. Attendees will learn new ways of applying supportive techniques to improve outcomes with this population.

During this class, the definition and basic principles of Motivational Interviewing will be reviewed. Strengths Based Theory will be applied to creating a therapeutic alliance with mandated or ambivalent clients. Motivational challenges on the individual and systemic levels will be identified and explored for how they impact treatment. The training will incorporate group practice exercises to allow participants to combine their new knowledge with what they already practice.  A segment on coaching supervisees and non-clinical staff will be included.

(Trainer: Lissa Ramsepaul, LICSW, LCSW-C, is a licensed clinical social worker in MD and DC. She currently works as a nonprofit management consultant after years of working in the homeless services and mental health sectors in DC. She has a passion for working with clients that are mandated, ambivalent about services, and report a history of bad experiences with mental health services in the past.)
 

Perfectly Hidden Depression (3 CE Credits)

Many people are raised to believe that expressing painful emotion is a sign of weakness or that being emotionally vulnerable is far too unsafe. Emotional survival often came by creating a defensive strategy - that of a perfect-looking life.  In this groundbreaking presentation, Dr. Margaret Robinson Rutherford, author of Perfectly Hidden Depression; How to Break Free From the Perfectionism that Masks Your Depression (New Harbinger Publications, 2019) will discussed the symptoms of this overlooked “silent” depression.  

Dr. Rutherford, will discuss early research on perfectionism that noted its connection with depression, as well as the difference between constructive and destructive perfectionism. She'll also present more recent studies revealing three types of perfectionism that have been discovered by research and their unique potential for lethality. Dr. Rutherford will present her work on the ten core traits of Perfectly Hidden Depression and will discuss the treatment model she's defined, using mindfulness, cognitive/behavioral, family systems approaches and more, guiding the patient toward greater vulnerability, and thus relief from the burden they've been carrying.

(Trainer: Dr. Margaret Rutherford, a clinical psychologist from Fayetteville, Arkansas, hosts a highly popular podcast, The SelfWork Podcast, consistently ranked in the top 50 of US mental health podcasts. Her column in Psychology Today and her book, Perfectly Hidden Depression; How to Break Free From the Perfectionism that Masks Your Depression (New Harbinger Publications, 2019), focuses a much-needed light on the dangerous link between destructive perfectionism and depression)

Telehealth: Ethical Implications for Sustaining and Thriving in Virtual Clinical Practice (3 CE Credits - Ethics)

This workshop will offer participants an opportunity to learn about Telehealth Counseling as a treatment modality.  In light of the fact that this mode of healthcare delivery is being adapted as a standard platform for care, it is important for clinicians to understand the basics and be prepared to go beyond that into excellence in service delivery to our clients.

This workshop will also review the relevant ethical principles and how they apply to the provision of services in this modality, while keeping clinicians updated on legislative changes that impact this field of practice.

(Trainer: Kim Cook, LCSW, has clinical and administrative background in outpatient mental health.  She is the Director of Elu: Counseling, Consulting, and Coaching with offices in Tennessee and North Carolina and virtually serves others through telehealth. She does consulting work with non-profits and has a certificate in Non-Profit Leadership. Kim maintains her LCSW licensure in Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina.) 

Multiracial Identity Development and Suggested Social Supports (1.5 CE Credits)

Multiracial identity is a growing category in racial identification. Therefore, more representation and information is needed for service providers to best service this growing population.  This presentation will bring awareness to service providers about the Multiracial population as well as educate on Multiracial Identity development and identity process. Discussion will briefly touch on the different Multiracial Identity Theories (social, psychological, environmental etc). A brief overview of a Multiracial study conducted on two local college campuses will be presented with a discussion of the findings.  Finally, suggested methods to support this population will also be presented.

(Trainer: Dr. Vercera Harvey-White, LMSW, PhD, is a social worker who works with special needs children in Maryland. Dr. Harvey-White has provided numerous trainings on the topics of Suicide Prevention, Boundaries and Zones of Regulation. During her doctoral training she conducted a study on Multiracial Identity and Social Supports needed on college campuses.)
 

 “Your Feelings Matter”: An Exploration of the Psychological Effects of  Domestic Violence on “Silent Victims”  (2 CE Credits)

Awareness about the effects of Domestic Violence (DV)/Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) on victims should extend beyond providing therapeutic support solely to adult survivors. Many studies have proven that children exposed to DV can be impacted negatively whether in the short-term and/or long-term. Children, while resilient, are a vulnerable population and are often identified as ‘silent victims’ or survivors of DV.  These young survivors experience a realm of emotions and physical responses relative to their exposure to DV.  In the blink of an eye, their norm changes and there is little to no time to adjust.

(Trainers: Amber Holmes LCSW & Tiffany Sanders LCSW, LISW-CP, Amber Holmes, LCSW

Amber Holmes, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Professional Coach based in NC.  With a passion for working with children, families, and adolescents, Amber started her trauma focused work in an intensive in-home setting. Today, Amber works for her local county in partnership with the police department, responding to incidents involving child victims or witnesses exposed to traumatic events. Amber is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and continues to enhance her knowledge and therapeutic skills with the latest evidenced based findings centered around trauma.  Amber enjoys spending time with her husband, being a foodie, traveling, and nature adventures.

Tiffany Sanders LCSW, LISW-CP is a Licensed Social Worker in North Carolina and South Carolina. Tiffany has extensive experience working with traumatized children and their families. She is professionally trained in trauma focused modalities and treatment approaches including the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI) and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Tiffany currently works full-time as a clinician with her local government to aid the local police department with providing therapeutic support to children exposed to traumatizing events. Tiffany currently lives in North Carolina, where she enjoys reading, photography, and traveling.)

The Game of Life: Using Video Games and Board Games in Play Therapy (2 CE Credits)

Games provide opportunities in both directive play therapy approaches as well as a fun and interactive outlet for more non-directive interventions within the play therapy room.

While the average play therapist may be no stranger to traditional board games, or games created for therapists by therapists, additional opportunities exist for the use of games in play therapy. This training will introduce less traditional board games which can be used to promote play therapy goals, discussing the benefit of using these types of games with clients who appear resistant as well as older children and adolescents. As recent trends illustrate the growing importance of technology within the language of play today, this training will also explore how to therapeutically, and ethically, use video games as play therapy interventions. 

(Trainer: Christina Scott, LPCC-S, NCC, is a licensed counselor and supervisor, Registered Play Therapist, and is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. A proud geek therapist, Christina co-authored a chapter in the book, Using Superheroes and Villains in Counseling and Play Therapy: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals (edited by Lawrence C. Rubin). Her newest ventures include starting an online solo private practice and teaming up with her pal Elise Gambill in starting the Two Nerdy Counselors YouTube channel where they share free interventions. Christina strives to help her fellow geeks reach their full potential.)

Do the right Thing! An Ethics Training (3 CE Credits - Ethics)

Let’s face it, ethical dilemmas can sometimes leave you at a crossroads!

This interactive course will provide education on ethics with use of the Code of Ethics as an ethical guideline. It will allow participants to take a step back and identify their driving force for making decisions.

Participants will identify ethical dilemmas and use of best practices in telehealth and in-person settings to prevent ethical misconduct or violations. Clinicians will participate in group discussions on use of ethical decision making models to help participants “Do the right thing!”

(Trainer: Alesha Perkins is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia and North Carolina and a Certified Case Manager. Alesha has over 19 years of experience in the social work field with focuses on medical social work, child protective services, case management, mental health and substance abuse counseling. Ten years ago she began her instructional career providing ethics trainings to dialysis providers, and since then has created and facilitated numerous trainings for mental health and medical professionals. Alesha is a former Clinical Director for a mental health agency and currently works for a health insurance provider as a Program Manager. In addition, she provides clinical supervision and is an instructor for Perkins Medical Services which is family-owned and has been in business for 21 years.)

Using the Family Life Space Drawing (3 CE credits)

This workshop describes and demonstrates an exciting, interactive way to conduct initial family assessment meetings with clients having multiple family members. Participants will learn an expressive technique that helps to engage all of the clients in the family sessions by exploring, family of origin as well as environmental and stress factors experienced by all of the clients at the same time within the family system.

Attendees will discover a process where clients symbolically present nonverbal information that can help therapist and client to explore counseling goals. Attendees will learn to utilize an expressive technique in first sessions that help client and therapist interact on a deeper level of connection.

Discover a process where clients symbolically present nonverbal information that can help therapist and client to develop effective alliances and develop therapeutic goals. Utilize an expressive technique in first sessions that help client and therapist interact on a deeper level of connection.

(Trainers Ron Clark and Theresa Beeton are clinical social workers with a long career of helping families and couples improve relationships. They have created a manual describing the use of a graphic expressive tool that helps mental health workers join couples and families. They have worked in agencies, private practice and University settings.)

Survives Trauma, Thrives in Drama: Incorporating Trauma-Informed Play Therapy with Children and Adolescents (2 CE Credits)

As many therapists know- or really, any of us who once walked the halls of middle school, drama is a culture of childhood and adolescence. Beneath the drama of catty comments and backhanded compliments often lies a foundation built on complex trauma. Drama is another word for play, and external drama can offer a mask to underlying trauma ingrained in a person’s psyche. Adolescence is a time of uncertainty, of transition, of multiple changes into the unfamiliar and unknown. Add in the pervasive effects of complex trauma- multiple traumatic events or exposure, and viola! You have concocted a perfect storm of tumultuous teen angst.

This training aims to examine the underlying factors of complex trauma, as this form of developmental trauma influences all facets of a young person’s life. Therapists can benefit from a three-phase play therapy approach to stabilizing that traumatized child or teen, addressing underlying trauma themes and helping the young person reconnect with self, others, and the world around them. As deep-seated as trauma can be, it can defy any language to describe it. Therapists can use the language of play to cross these barriers and help the child client access and share their story.

(Trainer: Christina Scott, LPCC-S, NCC, is a licensed counselor and supervisor, Registered Play Therapist, and is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. A proud geek therapist, Christina co-authored a chapter in the book, Using Superheroes and Villains in Counseling and Play Therapy: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals (edited by Lawrence C. Rubin). Her newest ventures include starting an online solo private practice and teaming up with her pal Elise Gambill in starting the Two Nerdy Counselors YouTube channel where they share free interventions. Christina strives to help her fellow geeks reach their full potential.)

No Quick Fixes: Unpacking Racial Bias in Social Work Practice (2 CE Credits)

Everyone has racial biases either conscious or unconscious, whether individuals act on them explicitly or not. It is critical as social workers to uphold ethical duties by collectively acknowledging and challenging implicit biases within micro, mezzo and macro social work and intentionally exercising mindful practices promoting equality and social justice.

This workshop will explore implicit biases, microaggressions and unconscious stereotypes in order to highlight the impact that such practices have on the social worker and client relationship. It is of special interest to helping professionals to challenge Western cultural practices of racism, oppression and injustice influencing the profession so as to not cause further damage by way of retraumatization and revictimization of vulnerable and marginalized clients and client systems.

(Trainers: Aaliyah Nurideen, LSW is a licensed psychiatric social worker, community mental health therapist, advocate, writer and speaker. Through her professional experience -- working directly with children, adolescents and adults diagnosed with mental illness -- she finds impactful purpose in providing: interventions, strategies and techniques that support healing individuals to become the best versions of themselves. Aaliyah is dedicated to amplifying the voices of those who are marginalized and silenced by creating avenues for dialogue.

Latifah Green, BS is a seasoned Senior Care Manager for youth with mental and behavioral health needs and is currently in pursuit of an MSW degree. Latifah is a forward-thinker and an activist for social justice. She passionately pushes for equity for oppressed groups. Latifah is a change-agent and firm believer in the anti-racism movement therefore she currently co-facilitates monthly discussions regarding community organizing and systemic racism.)

Increasing Positive Client Outcomes Through the Counselor's Use of Self (1.5 CE Credits)

Andrew Rose, LCSW leads a fun and interactive workshop focused on maximizing your counselor “Self” to affect positive client change. Large and small group discussions will focus on counselors’ blind spots, attuning to a range of clients, and customizing treatment goals. An interactive review of theoretical orientations will be included.

(Trainer: Andrew Rose, LCSW earned his MSW from UC Berkeley in 1998, and has worked in private practice, clinical training, hospice and addiction services. He is an instructor of psychology and human services, with teaching experience at several colleges and universities. Andrew is also a professional speaker and consultant for global corporations in the areas of wellness, trauma and grief.)