Stress, Burnout and Self-Care for the Helping Profession

Speaker(s):

Shari Scott, MA, LPC, LCPC, NCC, CISD

Presentation: Participants will learn how to identify the differences between stress and burnout, as well as how to recognize their personal signs of both. From there, participants will also explore ways to manage stress and burnout through holistic measures. Those include taking care of one’s body and physical health, setting professional boundaries, practicing time management, and increasing one’s emotional intelligence.

Objectives:

  • Identify one’s personal signs (emotional, cognitive, behavioral/physical) of prolonged stress and burnout
  • Describe the difference between stress and burnout
  • Explore techniques to prevent and treat professional burnout
  • Teach practical self-care strategies to reduce stress and burnout
  • Describe ways in which the helping professional can establish boundaries
  • Define the work-life balance and explore its importance
  • Identify ways to manage stress holistically

Slides and Handouts:

Scott_Stress presentation DMH 2018

Skurtu, Angela, MEd, LMFT

Angela Skurtu is a speaker, author, and president of St. Louis Marriage Therapy, LLC at www.therapistinstlouis.com. She is a Missouri Licensed Marriage Therapist and Nationally Certified Sex Therapist through AASECT. She has written “Pre-Marital Counseling: A Guide for Clinicians” (2016) and the upcoming book “Helping Couples Overcome Infidelity: A Therapist’s Manual,” (expected January 2018). She has contributed at local and national conferences, schools, businesses, radio, podcasts, her YouTube channel, articles and blogs. She runs a podcast at www.aboutsexpodcast.com where she covers a variety of topics related to emotional and relationship health.

Presentation(s): 

Helping Couples Overcome Infidelity: Treatment Strategies and Interventions

Helping Couples Overcome Infidelity: Treatment Strategies and Interventions

Speaker(s):

Angela Skurtu, MEd, LMFT

Presentation: In this presentation, I cover some basic milestones that couples need to work through in order to work through infidelity. Cases of infidelity are commonly reported to be the hardest problems to treat. The milestones I cover come from my upcoming book: “Helping Couples Overcome Infidelity: A Therapist’s Manual” (Routledge, 2018). These milestones include: Reducing the crisis; acknowledging the pain caused; choosing to stay or leave the relationship; answering difficult questions; rebuilding trust; redefining the relationship; working through relationship problems; forgiveness. More specifically, I discuss challenging cases, countertransference issues, and helpful intervention strategies. My trainings include question and answer format, small and large group discussion, and lecture. Infidelity accounts for half of my private practice. I also will discuss confidentiality issues, how to identify if a client is lying or still in the “other” relationship, and what to do to help couples get better outcomes. My favorite part of this training includes covering the hardest cases I have treated.

Objectives:

  • Identify basic milestones couples need to work through to overcome infidelity
  • Discuss challenging cases, countertransference issues and helpful intervention strategies
  • Describe confidentiality issues, how to identify if a client is lying or still in “other” relationship and how to help couples achieve better outcomes

Slides and Handouts:

Skurtu_References.

Skurtu_InfidelityMIMH2018

Skurtu Worksheet_GESPrinciples

Ehrke, Rebecca, PsyD

Dr. Rebecca Ehrke is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner who has been working in the field of trauma for 18 years. Dr. Ehrke has completed a 3-year post-graduate training program in Somatic Experiencing and has assisted at trainings in New York, Chicago and Kansas City. Currently, she is coordinating the first Somatic Experiencing training in St. Louis so that local healing professionals can experience the powerful effects of this transformational work. Dr. Ehrke’s understanding of the neurobiology of stress and trauma and how it applies to clinical settings has allowed her to help clients experience deep physiological and psychological healing. Dr. Ehrke specializes in eating disorders, addictions, anxiety, depression and early developmental trauma and has a private practice in Kirkwood, Missouri.

Presentation(s): 

Healing Trauma Through the Body: An Introduction to Somatic Experiencing

Healing Trauma Through the Body: An Introduction to Somatic Experiencing

Speaker(s):

Rebecca Ehrke, PsyD

Presentation: Somatic Experiencing (SE), developed by Peter Levine, Ph.D., author of the best seller, Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma, is a potent psychobiological approach to resolving symptoms of trauma and chronic stress. SE offers a framework to assess where your client is “stuck” in the defensive responses of fight, flight or freeze and provides clinical tools to resolve these fixated physiological states that underlie many trauma symptoms. Participants will be introduced to the principles of Somatic Experiencing and learn a few practical skills that help resolve trauma without retraumatization. This presentation will be a combination of didactic and experiential learning modalities. Dr. Ehrke will utilize lecture, case examples, video clips and experiential exercises to help participants gain an understanding of Somatic Experiencing and why it is highly effective in treating PTSD.

Objectives:

  • Identify several basic principles of Somatic Experiencing
  • Review a few basic tools to support physiological and emotional regulation in those who have experienced trauma
  • Describe the different branches of the Autonomic Nervous System and how they are affected by stress and trauma
  • Discuss how psychological and physiological symptoms of trauma occur as a result of being “stuck” in fight, flight, freeze or collapse survival responses

Slides and Handouts:

Ehrke_MIMH Spring Institute Presentation 2018

Mott, Stephanie, MSW

Stephanie Mott lives in Topeka, Kansas. She is employed as a Mental Health Clinician at Valeo Behavioral Healthcare. She is the Founder/Director of the Transgender Faith Tour and President/Executive Director of Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project. She is a columnist for Liberty Press and a volunteer blogger for Huffington Post. She has published more than 100 articles about being transgender. She has provided nearly 400 workshops and presentations related to gender identity.

Presentation(s): 

Cultural & Clinical Competence in Work with Transgender Clients

Cultural & Clinical Competence in Work with Transgender Clients

Speaker(s):

Stephanie Mott, MSW

Presentation: This is a discussion of working with transgender clients provided by a transgender psychotherapist, educator, and activist. It is designed to provide information of effective and inclusive terminology, understanding the role of the therapist in not only assessing for gender dysphoria, but being able to support the client effectively as they make decisions about their journey. It is based in guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health: Standards of Care Emphasis is placed on understanding obstacles for trans and gender non-conforming clients, navigating the journey of coming out, and understanding the risks and benefits of transition-related decisions.

Objectives:

  • Review culturally competent language when working with transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) clients
  • Describe obstacles and challenges often faced by TGNC individuals
  • Discuss clinical considerations for working with TGNC clients
  • Utilize the World Professional Association for Transgender Health: Standards of Care (version 7)
  • Access and share information on resources with TGNC clients

Slides and Handouts:

Transgender Presentation 06-01-18

Puch, Justin, MA, LPC

Justin has been working with families and teenagers for over ten years, six as a certified or licensed counselor. Justin graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and honors in family research. Justin also graduated from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a master’s degree in counseling. Justin is a Licensed Professional Counselor. Justin has spent time as a substance use counselor, therapist at a psychological hospital, and a Director of a residential facility for teenagers. He is passionate about helping teenagers, families and individuals find peace and joy in their life. Justin is a life-long learner who brings research-based and personal approaches in the counseling office. His goal is to give you tools and truth to help you move on to a better, more fulfilling life!

Presentation(s): 

Disconnection and Substance Use

Disconnection and Substance Use

Speaker(s):

Justin Puch, MA, LPC

Presentation: This year the NIH announced our next national health crisis- loneliness. This presentation will look at how disconnection and poor relationship skills have greatly impacted substance use at a macro scale within our society. Within the past decade we have learned much from bioneurology and how humans are wired for connection and how disconnection impacts how we think, feel, and behave. Using bioneurological concepts, as well as social science ideas from Brené Brown, the presentation will provide education on the correlation of disconnectedness and substance use, as well as give tools to help clients become more connected, less likely to relapse, and develop a more satisfying life.

Objectives:

  • Define concept of disconnectedness, especially involving populations with historical markers of disconnection, including adolescents and geriatric populations
  • Describe the collation of disconnectedness and substance use
  • Provide tools to help clients become more connected, including how differing demographics use connections differently
  • Utilize concepts within a relapse prevention plan

 

Michael’s Game: Intervention for Delusional Thought in a Long Term Forensic Setting

Speaker(s):

Kathryn Thumann, MSW, LCSW

KaeLee Newton, MS

Mark Felchlia, PhD

Presentation: This presentation will focus on the implementation of “Michael’s Game” in a Forensic setting, specifically the Cognitive Behavior Program at St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center. The presenters will review pre and post testing scores using the Peters Et Al Delusion Inventory (PDI 21), implications of this group in an inpatient setting versus a traditional outpatient setting, and additional qualitative benefits of the group in the Cognitive Behavior Program setting where it was implemented.

Objectives:

  • Describe Michael’s Game and it’s intended use/benefits
  • Identify alternative benefits to implementing Michaels Game in an inpatient setting
  • Identify opportunities to measure pre and post group symptoms using the PDI 21

Slides and Handouts: 

Thumann_Spring Institute 2018 – Michael’s Game