(6 hr) 21st Century Tools for Effective Use of Self in Clinical Practice

Course Objectives:

Upon Completion of this course participants will:

• Identify the core characteristics of an effective therapist, and engage in self-evaluation utilizing the Core Skills Self-inventory and the Clinical Skills Self-inventory
• Apply principles of systems theory to intersubjectivity in clinical practice, as measured by pre-training and post-training evaluation on Core Clinical Knowledge Self-inventory.
• Demonstrate a practical understanding of attachment theory and how it impacts the social engagement system, as measured by pre-training and post-training evaluation utilizing the Core Clinical Knowledge Self-inventory
• Apply current neuroscience research and its practical application to attunement in the therapeutic relationship to include: the Autonomic Nervous System; the Polyvagal Theory; Neuroception; the Yerkes-Dodson Effect; and Panksepp’s Seven Core Neurological Systems as measured by pre-training and post-training Core Clinical Knowledge Self-inventory.
• Demonstrate the assessment skills necessary to identify nervous system states in both themselves and others, as measured by pre-training and post-training Core Clinical Skills Self-inventory

 

Schedule:

9:00 am to 10:00 am:

Understanding the Key Characteristics of an Effective Therapist

• Review of research on effective therapist characteristics
• Review each characteristic and the impact they have on the therapeutic relationship
• Participants will engage in pre-training self-evaluation utilizing the the Core Skills Self-inventory, the Clinical Skills Self-inventory, and the Core Clinical Knowledge Self-inventory.

10:00 am to 10:45 am:

Systems Theory: “What is shaping the environments in which we function?”

• Review Systems theory as a basis for understanding the therapeutic service environment
• Demonstrate system input and output
• Check for specific understanding that participants understand how they, as the therapist, are influencing the environment through their reactions to it
• Participants will engage in reflection of a time their own behaviors may have influenced environmental outcomes, and share examples if they have them

10:45 am to 11 am- BREAK

11:00 am to 12:00 pm:

Application of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Assessing for Environmental threats: “What are the needs we have from the environments in which we function, and what happens when they aren’t met?”

• Review Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and their impact on safety in the environment
• Explore examples of how our needs can be threatened in day-to-day life
• Engage in a review of attachment theory and the impact of attachment threats to our functioning, including Panksepp’s Panic/Grief System, Fear System, Caring System and emotional over-activation
• Understand that the lack of these needs in the environment can trigger our stress response, (flight, fight, freeze)
• Review the stress curve, the relationship between Perceived Threats and Perceived Resources, and the Yerkes-Dodson Effect
• Participants will explore and share a time in which they experienced a stress response following a threat to their needs

12pm to 1 pm: LUNCH

1 pm to 2:45 pm: Neuroscience:

Understanding our nervous system responds to environmental threat

“How do we experience our environment, and when do we feel safe?”

• Review the function of the autonomic nervous system
• Review the Triple-Network Theory and implications for the de-activation of the Central Executive Network past the threshold point of the Yerkes-Dodson Curve
• Review polyvagal theory and its connections to the Yerkes-Dodson Effect:

  Hierarchy: Review Each Branch of the Nervous System: the Ergotropic Response System, the Trophotropic Response System, and connections to the Polyvagal Theory

  Neuroception: The subconscious nature of threatening environmental cues (the story we tell ourselves follows the state of nervous system functioning)

  Co-Regulation and intersubjectivity: Understanding that reciprocal and safe relationships are the key to social engagement, and social engagement is key to healthy therapeutic relationships

  Understanding nervous system activation as an adaptive response rather than pathology

  Understanding defenses and resistance as adaptive responses activated as attempts to create homeostasis and increased safety

• Identifying and assessing for which branch is activated

  Assessing behaviors

  Assessing mood

  Physical assessment without touch as taught by Stanley Rosenberg

• Participants will explore case studies and identify nervous system activation response

2:45 pm to 3:00: BREAK

3:00 P M to 4:00 PM: Understanding the implications of these theories on our practice:

• Understanding that ventral branch activation from a therapist, (or a socially engaged therapist), is essential to exhibiting the core characteristics of an effective therapist. These characteristics are those of a practitioner who is able to remain socially engaged, and as a result shifts their clients into social engagement and concurrent trophotropic response, (which is the only state in which cognitive work can be accomplished).
• Explore the idea that the practitioner themselves can shift out of social engagement into dorsal or sympathetic nervous over-activation via the Ergotropic Response System both in the practice environment (with colleagues, co-workers, subordinates, and administration).
• Explore ways in which dorsal branch over-activation or sympathetic nervous system activation, on the part of the therapist, may negatively affect the therapeutic relationship or service delivery environment
• Understand the importance of generating an effective holding environment through self-regulation and generation of improved emotional regulation of the client through parasympathetic nervous system activation
• Understand the importance of tracking the movement of the client and the self on the Yerkes-Dodson curve to understand when a change moment is created and when no further change efforts may be effectuated due to ergotropic over-activation
• Understand how to initiate cognitive distancing and relaxation techniques in order to activate the trophotropic response and facilitate a return below the threshold point on the Yerkes-Dodson Curve.

4:00 pm to 4:30 pm: Summary, Consolidation of Learning and Q/A