Laurel Parnell, PhD

In this EMDR Course, Dr. Parnell presents the five basic principles of Attachment-Focused EMDR and how they are implemented in the treatment of traumatized clients with attachment wounds. Case material and video clips of sessions will be used to illustrate key points. Attachment-focused EMDR is a new model of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) developed over a period of nineteen years by EMDR trainer Dr. Laurel Parnell. This model adapts this powerful and effective trauma therapy to the needs of clients with attachment wounds. In this training, Dr. Parnell explains how the standard EMDR protocol can be modified so that it flows more easily, supports client safety, maintains the therapeutic connection, and enhances attunement. Attachment-focused EMDR is client-centered and emphasizes a reparative therapeutic relationship, using a combination of Resource Tapping (Parnell, 2008) to strengthen clients, EMDR to process traumas and talk therapy to help integrate the information from the EMDR sessions and to provide healing from therapist-client interaction. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. List the four most commonly used resources accessed with 'tapping'
2. Discuss modifications recommended from the standard EMDR with clients who have attachment wounds.
3. Describe the basic principles of Attachment-Focused EMDR.

John Briere, PHD

Buddhist Mindfulness practices reflect a 2,500 year old model for the remediation of psychological suffering. Much more recently, Western psychology has developed techniques for treating the effects of trauma. This Mindfulness Course outlines ways in which these two surprisingly compatible approaches can be integrated in Trauma Therapy. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Discuss mindfulness contributions to the practice of 'affect regulation'.
2. Describe four methods to integrate mindfulness into your practice.
3. Describe the three pathways to trauma treatment.

Robert Chapman, MSSW, LADAC, CRPS

In this experiential Addiction Course, Bobby uses an environmental metaphor to explore the important role of introspection and reflection in the recovery process. Participants will journey to three introspective destinations, 1) the mud, which represents powerlessness and surrender, 2) the marshes – those learned survival skills that stem from dysfunction, and 3) the caverns -- those deepest of childhood issues and traumas. Metaphor is a powerful and engaging tool that can enhance your view of recovery and offer an engaging mode of healing for your clients. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe three phases of introspection and the therapeutic benefit of addressing each in recovery.
2. Describe the role of ‘powerlessness’ in recovery.
3. Describe how substitute addictions are a natural part of the recovery / relapse process.
4. Describe the role that the internal / external locus of control has in the recovery / relapse process.

J. Douglas Bremner, MD, PhD

The past decade has seen an explosion in the application of neuroimaging sciences to abuse-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related psychiatric disorders. In particular, neuroimaging, including PET and MRI technologies, has been useful in mapping out the neural circuitry of trauma-related disorders. Brain images have also been used to show that hippocampal volume and memory deficits have reversed following antidepressant treatment in PTSD. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Summarize key brain imaging research findings in PTSD and trauma-related disorders.
2. Describe a case in which the practical application of brain imaging has been used to benefit clients.
3. Describe how the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and amaygdala are affected in cases of PTSD.
4. Describe how the above brain regions can be physically changed as a result of treatment.

Robert Ackerman, PhD

This Adult Children Course will focus on the concerns, emotions, and recovery issues for adult daughters of alcoholics and other dysfunctional families. The workshop is based on Dr. Ackerman’s research and work with more than 1,200 women in the United States. Identification of problems for adult daughters and intervention techniques will be presented. The training will focus on the positive and as well as the negative characteristics and behaviors of adult daughters with a special emphasis on the transitions necessary to achieve a more balanced and healthy life. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. List the three most common problems for adult daughters of alcoholics/ dysfunctional families.
2. Compare common issues for adult daughters of alcoholic/ dysfunctional mothers compared to adult daughters of alcoholic/ dysfunctional fathers.
3. Describe the transitions needed in treatment and recovery for adult daughters.

John Briere, PHD

In this Trauma Course, Dr. Briere provides an overview of the simple and more complex effects of psychological trauma. He outlines recent developments in the treatment of post-traumatic difficulties including relational processing, titrated exposure, cognitive reconsideration, and mindfulness interventions. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe recent advances in professional understanding of complex trauma.
2. List the advantages of a “components approach” to complex posttraumatic outcomes

Cardwell C. Nuckols, PhD

Take a look at the population you treat. No matter whether it is a criminal justice, alcohol and drug or psychiatric population, the recidivists will have a high incidence of early life trauma. Research is teaching us more and more about this population. However, research is only useful when it can be translated into clinically useful technique.

This skills training event will focus on the treatment of early life developmental trauma. In this Trauma Course emphasis will be placed on the understanding of current research from such disciplines as neurobiology, neuropsychology and attachment theory. Practical treatment techniques translated from the research will give participants hands-on skills that can be used to better client understanding and clinical outcomes. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe empirically validated ways of treating early life trauma.
2. Discuss the treatment of hyperarousal and dissociation.
3. Describe how therapy can override the neurobiological fear response.

Colin Ross, MD & Melissa Engle, MS, ATR

Dr. Ross and Melissa Engleprovide an in-depth advanced training on the Trauma Model. Trauma Model Therapy involves a mix of cognitive-behavioral and expressive therapies. It is suitable for a wide range of Axis I and II disorders and addictions, and for the extensive co-morbidity common in borderline personality disorder. In this Trauma Course Dr. Ross shows us the link between trauma, depression and borderline personality disorders. Dr. Ross gives his enlightening perspective and adds his humor regarding our diagnostic system known as the DSM; as it relates to his Trauma Model. Melissa spends the second half of this two part advanced Trauma Course and training discussing the many treatment strategies and techniques and will illustrate these through case examples, and case consultations. The Trauma Model is meant to integrate the treatment process. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. List the core principles of Trauma Model Therapy
2. Describe the Spectrum of Emotions and its role in recovery.
3. Utilize treatment techniques for borderline personality and depression using the Trauma Model.

Cardwell C. Nuckols, PHD

This Neuroscience Course and skills training event will give participants an understanding of the neuroscience and neuropsychology of recovery from addictive disorders. From this profound understanding, psychotherapeutic and pharmacological techniques will be described that can assist in early recovery. This assistance is in the areas of cognitive enhancement, increased motivation and management of craving. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand genetic changes that take place in both addiction and recovery.
2. Understand the relationship between Dopamine D2 receptors and alcohol/drug consumption.
3. Discuss how wellness activities can positively impact brain functioning.

Dennis Ortman, PhD

In this Trauma Course, Dr. Ortman will demonstrate how to recognize the effects of parental infidelity in adult clients and how to address it as part of a therapy program by using case studies. Dysfunction often pervades in family units where there has been a major violation such as an infidelity. Parents cannot help but be caught up in the emotional aftermath, and may suffer from depression, anxiety, detachment, numbing, and a number of other symptoms. Depending on their developmental stage, children will adopt different coping styles and ways of relating to their emotionally-damaged parents which can have long-standing consequences after the immediate trauma of the infidelity is over. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe dysfunctional relational styles that can develop as a result of parental infidelity.
2. Describe attachment styles of emotionally healthy and unhealthy adults.
3. Describe behavioral patterns of adults who may be unconsciously affected by past parental infidelity.

Laurie Pearlman, PhD

In this Therapy Course, Dr. Pearlman describes why the ending of a long-term therapy relationship is an integral piece of the work to be managed, within the same frame and with the same thoughtfulness as the rest of the therapy. Because attachment (and therefore abandonment) issues are often central in therapies with complex trauma clients, poorly managed endings can create retraumatization. Dr. Pearlman offers tools and techniques to manage a smooth transition. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe common challenges when terminating therapies with attachment-challenged clients.
2. Design a respectful therapeutic process for ending therapies with trauma survivors.

J. Douglas Bremner, MD, PhD

The past two decades have seen a rapid expansion of knowledge about the effects of traumatic stress on the brain. Studies have shown that traumatic stress is associated with hippocampal memory deficits, fear response in the amygdala, and reasoning ability in the pre-frontal cortex. In this Neuroscience Course, Dr. Bremner will provide an overview of the current state of knowledge in this area, using brain images and examples to convey complex concepts in simple terms. This is an advanced course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the role brain areas including hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex play in the development of trauma-related disorders.
2. Explain mechanisms of fear acquisition and extinction and their relevance to PTSD and related disorders.
3. Discuss the role of animal models in learning about the effects of stress on the brain.

Colin Ross, MD

Trauma Model Therapy involves a mix of cognitive-behavioral and expressive therapies. It is suitable for a wide range of Axis I and II disorders and addictions, and for the extensive co-morbidity common in patients with PTSD. In this Trauma Course Dr. Ross shows us the link between trauma, PTSD and other common co-morbid conditions in patients who present with PTSD symptoms. Treatment strategies and techniques will be illustrated through case examples. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the problem of comorbidity in PTSD.
2. Describe the core principles of Trauma Model Therapy for PTSD.
3. Discuss treatment strategies for PTSD using case examples.

John Briere, PHD

This Trauma Course presents a non-pathologizing, developmentally-informed approach to the treatment of complex posttraumatic presentations in older adolescents and adults. This “self-trauma model” incorporates cognitive-behavioral, relational, and mindfulness principles to support (a) the processing of implicit and explicit traumatic memories through titrated exposure (aka the therapeutic window), (b) the development of increased self-capacities (especially identity and affect regulation), (c) the reworking of activated relational schema and other implicit memories within the therapeutic relationship, and (d) an increased capacity to experience distress and cognitive intrusions without judgment or excessive reactivity. The technical importance of a positive, attuned therapeutic relationship will be stressed. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the concept of titrated exposure.
2. List three components of titrated exposure.
3. Describe the role that mindfulness can play in the treatment of complex posttraumatic disorders.

Laurie Pearlman, PhD

In this Trauma Course, Dr. Pearlman will provide therapists and others who support trauma survivors with a framework for understanding the negative impact trauma work can have upon the helper. Such a framework allows helpers to protect themselves from premature job shifts and harmful shifts in their own world views, to protect their helping relationships from the boundary violations that can occur as a result of unaddressed vicarious traumatization (VT), and to preserve the personal relationships of trauma workers from the stress of the helper's unresolved work-related issues. Special attention will be paid to the process of vicarious transformation, a positive transformation in the helper that comes about through empathic engagement with the traumatized people they attempt to assist and active engagement with the negative changes in helpers that come about in response to trauma work. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Compare vicarious traumatization with compassion fatigue.
2. List four factors that contribute to vicarious trauma.
3. Discuss three ways to cope with vicarious trauma.