Earn 3 CEUs! - 1 Cultural Competency and 1 Ethics*

Description

Chronic illness is almost universal in older adults, with over 80% of people over 65 in the US affected by one condition, and over 60% by multiple. In an aging worldwide population with increasing incidence of chronic difficulties, caregiving is becoming more complex, and increasingly an occupation of individuals and families. Chronic illness itself has both evident and unseen impacts on wellbeing: both for the person who experiences it, and their families, who in turn must decide how to respond to these life transitions, care burdens, and their own reactions. Family therapists are therefore well placed to support caregivers and help alleviate these broad impacts, using theoretical models that recognize the psychosocial dynamics of caregiving beyond the biomedical impact on the individual experiencing illness.

This webinar is led by a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in the care of older adults and their loved ones experiencing chronic and terminal illness, and a former mental health and palliative care nurse turned student psychotherapist, bringing decades of clinical experience across two continents to bear on this topic.

Attendees will be informed on the climate of chronic illness care, the nature of common and serious long-term conditions, and their various physical, social, psychological and spiritual impacts on the individual. Myths, preconceptions, and unseen difficulties of caregivers will be highlighted, delving into caregiver stressors and consequences.

The evidence base and literature regarding chronic illness caregiving in a multicultural context will be examined, to inform the use of therapeutic models of family and couples therapy with caregivers. The role of the family therapist will be addressed, including common therapeutic themes, scope of practice, and practical issues.

Complex ethical and therapeutic scenarios based on the trainers’ clinical experiences will be explored along with trainees, assisting in grounding effective pluralistic approaches and interventions. Finally, attendees will have the chance to ask their own burning questions and receive pointers for further learning.

Objectives:

1. Understand the implications of the increasing prevalence of chronic illness for therapists

2. Explore typical difficulties faced by people with chronic illness and its various impacts on families and caregivers

3. Become aware of the evidence base and models of family therapy related to chronic illness and caregiver stress

4. Describe practical applications of family therapy for clinical work with caregivers

5. Address ethical issues, multicultural needs, and interpersonal elements in working with clients impacted by chronic illness

* This CE activity offered by Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family is approved by the Minnesota Board of Social Work as an approved CE Provider (approval valid through July 25, 2026).

This CE activity is has CE approval with Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Board of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Earn 1.5 CEUS!*

Nicole Carreon is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with specialized training in EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. A board-approved supervisor, she provides practicum and post-degree supervision for LMFTs and LPCCs. Nicole works with adolescents, adults, couples, and families, with expertise in trauma, addiction, anxiety, relationship concerns, and neurological conditions such as tinnitus, misophonia, and hyperacusis. Certified in Havening Techniques® since 2022, she integrates this neuroscience-based approach into her practice and education, helping clients regulate their nervous systems and heal from trauma through gentle, effective, and transformative psychosensory methods.

Holli Engelhart is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who earned her MSW from the University of St. Thomas–College of St. Catherine in 2009. Trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Informed Care, and certified in Havening Techniques®, she also serves as a Minnesota Board of Social Work–approved supervisor. Discovering Havening was a turning point in her career, revealing its powerful potential to reduce distress and heal unresolved emotional experiences. Holli is dedicated to integrating this neuroscience-informed approach into her practice and is inspired by the profound, lasting change Havening can create for individuals seeking relief from trauma.

Description

Havening for LMFTs: A Somatic Tool for Trauma, Attachment, and Nervous System Regulation is a hands-on, approachable training created for marriage and family therapists who want to add a powerful, neuroscience-supported tool to their clinical work. Havening Techniques® use gentle touch, sensory input, and guided processing to help calm the nervous system, lower emotional distress, and create a greater sense of safety. In this seminar, LMFTs will learn how these techniques can easily fit into systemic work to support emotional regulation and healthier relationship patterns. Grounded in current research on trauma and neuroplasticity, Havening offers a simple yet meaningful way to help clients shift out of fight-or-flight states and into a place where connection and healing feel more possible. Because LMFTs often work with clients carrying attachment wounds, trauma histories, and chronic stress, Havening blends naturally with relational therapy by addressing not just thoughts and feelings, but also the nervous system responses that drive them. Throughout the training, participants will watch demonstrations, join in discussion, and learn how to use Self-Havening to regulate their own nervous system.  We’ll explore how the techniques can be applied with individuals, couples, and families, and how they can increase emotional safety and support client regulation during challenging moments.  

Objectives:

1. Understand the neurobiological foundations of Havening Techniques® and how psychosensory touch supports deactivation of the amygdala, reduces distress, and promotes nervous system regulation within individual, relational, and family therapy.

2. Identify ways to integrate Havening into systemic and relational treatment, including its application for attachment injuries, emotional regulation challenges, trauma symptoms, and relational conflict patterns.

3. Demonstrate beginner-level Havening interventions—such as Self-Havening exercises and apply them ethically and effectively within the LMFT scope of practice to enhance client safety, stabilization, and emotional processing.

* This CE activity offered by Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family is approved by the Minnesota Board of Social Work as an approved CE Provider (approval valid through July 25, 2026).

This CE activity is pending CE approval with Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Board of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Earn 3 CEUs!*

Description

Core Concepts

What is Compassion Fatigue

The concept of compassion fatigue and related terms such as chronic stress and vicarious trauma will be explored. Participants will complete a questionnaire to gauge their risk of compassion fatigue and burnout to help conceptualize the ways these issues arise for themselves and their teams.

The Impact of Trauma

Whether you experience trauma firsthand, witness it, or work with those affected, trauma disrupts lives and communities. We will explore how trauma disrupts people's lives from a physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and systems perspective to reduce judgment and stigma around the costs of caring. We’ll explore how working with those who have experienced trauma can lead to the vicarious experience of trauma.

Healing Power of Vulnerability

To heal our experiences, we need to allow ourselves to be vulnerable internally and with our communities. We will explore the forms of vulnerability that lead to burnout and the ways to build self and community care to utilize vulnerability as a strength to support individual and team health.

Skills to Engage

Mindful Stewardship

Sometimes we actively disengage from painful things as a form of self-protection. Building awareness of the impact of trauma is part of your stewardship as well as maintaining a connection to hope and joy. Finding the balance between responding to pain and seeking joy is a core component of trauma stewardship and a mandatory aspect of sustainable trauma care work.

Community Care Skills

Our session closes with continued discussion on skills that address keeping these topics in our awareness and building a regular system to address their impact. We will share skills to lower distress and manage burnout for ourselves as well as how to continue to support others.

Key Takeaways

This training will give you an overview of the concepts of compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and burnout. The main takeaway will be how best to care for yourself while continuing to care for others.

Objectives:

1. Explore compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious trauma, and how they manifest.

2. Recognize and assess the multidimensional impacts of trauma on individuals and those caring for them

3. Score your risk of compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and burnout.

4. Evaluate how the dimensions of your identity impact your experience of vicarious trauma

5. Articulate how varying identity factors shape how we navigate and cope with the impact of trauma.

* This CE activity offered by Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family is approved by the Minnesota Board of Social Work as an approved CE Provider (approval valid through July 25, 2026).

This CE activity is pending CE approval with Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Board of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Earn 3 CEUs!*

Description

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) are definitely topics that have a place in marriage and family therapy (MFT). It is important that we address them, as the majority of MFT providers are white and female. This presentation will be centered around our ethical responsibility for developing an ongoing cultural competence, understanding cultural humility, identifying microaggressions, and the psychological impact that they have on our clients.

During this presentation, we will examine the ways that we can educate ourselves on the different cultural aspects clients present with, and how we can be more aware of our own biases. We will talk about intent v impact and how they are necessary for awareness. We will have opportunities for questions and have case examples so it will be an interactive session as well. You will learn principles related to ways to converse with clients regarding your questions about their ethnic heritage, their mindset regarding different cultures between you, as their provider and their family. Additionally, we will address issues that arise for you with work that you do with clients who are of a different cultural background as you. Privilege, power and difference will also be discussed. It is imperative to examine how privilege can be used to create scenarios in sessions that change power dynamics related to difference.

Objectives:

1. Explore Cultural Education: Learn about different cultural aspects that clients may present and how to become more aware of your own biases.

2. Understand Intent vs. Impact: Discuss the importance of intent and impact in fostering awareness during interactions.

3. Engage Interactively: Participate in an interactive session with opportunities for questions and case examples to enhance understanding.

4. Address Privilege and Power Dynamics: Examine how privilege and power influence relationships and discuss ways to manage these dynamics effectively in professional settings.

* This CE activity offered by Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family is approved by the Minnesota Board of Social Work as an approved CE Provider (approval valid through July 25, 2026).

This CE activity is pending CE approval with Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Board of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Earn 3 CEUs!*

Description

Have you ever received critical feedback that felt like a gut punch and wished you responded differently? You're not alone. Receiving tough feedback is like being told your zipper is down. You can probably benefit from knowing, but it's still embarrassing. It stings because we're professionals who want to do our best, and someone just pointed out a growth area. This can happen in the office, with colleagues, or at home.

Learning you're not at the top of your game never feels good. This session teaches you how to receive tough feedback with grace, and what to do with it once you have.

Objectives:

1. Explain why receiving critical feedback is essential for personal and professional growth.

2. Identify the benefits of feedback and how it builds trust and performance.

3. Recognize their emotional responses and manage their mindset before, during, and after feedback.

4. Practice strategies for receiving and responding to feedback with curiosity and confidence.

5. Apply learnings to build feedback resilience.

* This CE activity offered by Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family is approved by the Minnesota Board of Social Work as an approved CE Provider (approval valid through July 25, 2026).

This CE activity has CE approval with Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Board of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Earn 3 CEUs!*

Description

Core Concepts

Understanding Yourself

Your perspective of the world is shaped by the identities you see and focus on. This section provides the foundation for how we see the world and how our experiences are shaped by identity factors we are and are not exposed to in development. This section creates the foundation for normalizing blindspots and ways we can increase awareness to address them.

Tension of Bias

This section explores the progression from blindspots to unconscious bias, to microaggression. The environmental and personal impact of unconscious bias and microaggressions on the person committing a microaggression, the person receiving it, and those observing it are discussed.

Tension of Privilege

Through activity and discussion, participants explore the concept of privilege and how it impacts social interactions. The tension around historic and situational aspects of privilege is discussed along with the different perspectives those with and without privilege may have.

Approaching Differences

There are many ways to approach uncomfortable and new experiences. This section provides a framework that focuses on normalizing the tension inherent in cross-cultural interactions and values and behaviors that enable people to stay open to diverse experiences.

Skills to Engage

Preparing for Tension

We will review skills focused on preparing yourself for situations that you expect may lead to tension. These skills will also assist you in reflecting on your own identity and experiences and understanding how this affects your interactions with others. The goal of these skills is to help you develop an internal awareness of how you respond in moments of tension in order to care for yourself and engage with others.

Approaching Differences

Our training will explore the approaching differences model. This skill allows you to reflect on what kind of internal space you are engaging from. We then process together how to shift toward interactions that follow a pathway of openness and empathy.

Key Takeaways

Engaging the tension of diversity provides foundational skills to interact in ways that align with a pathway of openness in moments of tension. We all have moments when we fall off this pathway, for many reasons. The key goal of this training is to help you recognize when this is happening so that you can reflect and intervene in order to work your way back to an open pathway to support the vital work you do as a mental health professional.

Objectives:

1. Examine tension's purpose and its positive impact on individual and team growth and engagement.

2. Analyze how individual identity influences perspectives and group interactions.

3. Define microaggressions and discuss their impact on the aggressor, victim, and observer.

4. Explore different experiences of privilege based on different aspects of identity.

5. Recognize the two responses to differences in conflict situations and evaluate actions to foster a culture of belonging.

* This CE activity offered by Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family is approved by the Minnesota Board of Social Work as an approved CE Provider (approval valid through July 25, 2026).

This CE activity is pending CE approval with Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Board of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Earn 3 CEUs!*

Description

This training explores the historical and contemporary impact of antisemitism on mental health, intergenerational trauma, and resilience. By examining the psychological effects of historical persecution—including the Holocaust—and ongoing antisemitism worldwide, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how these experiences shape identity, community, and well-being across generations.

A key focus of the training will be the role of epigenetics in trauma transmission, providing insight into how historical traumas can affect individuals and communities long after the events have occurred. Participants will explore how antisemitism manifests in today’s world, including the psychological and emotional toll of recent events such as the October 7th attacks in Israel. These discussions will provide context for understanding the reactivation of generational trauma and the unique challenges Jewish individuals and communities face in the present day.

Through discussions, case studies, and practical exercises, clinicians will examine the intersection of identity, trauma, and resilience. The training will equip mental health professionals with the tools to engage in informed and sensitive conversations about antisemitism and its psychological impact while fostering a therapeutic space that promotes healing and empowerment.

Additionally, this program will emphasize the importance of inclusivity and awareness in clinical practice. Participants will develop practical strategies to support clients who have been directly or indirectly affected by antisemitism, historical trauma, and recent global events. By fostering an understanding of the complexities surrounding these issues, mental health professionals can better support Jewish clients and contribute to a more culturally competent and trauma-informed practice.

This training is designed for therapists, counselors, and mental health professionals who seek to expand their knowledge of historical and intergenerational trauma, epigenetics, and the impact of antisemitism in today’s world. By the end of the session, participants will have gained valuable insights and actionable strategies to enhance their clinical work, advocate for inclusivity, and support healing in affected individuals and communities.

Objectives:

1. Understand the historical and contemporary impact of antisemitism on mental health.

2. Explore intergenerational trauma and epigenetics in family systems.

3. Examine the intersection of identity, community, and resilience in therapy.

4. Develop trauma-informed strategies to support Jewish clients.

5. Enhance cultural competency and inclusivity in clinical practice.

* This CE activity offered by Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family is approved by the Minnesota Board of Social Work as an approved CE Provider (approval valid through July 25, 2026).

This CE activity is pending CE approval with Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Board of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Earn 3 CEUs!

Description

Objectives:

1. Differentiate empirically supported mindfulness processes from commercialized misconceptions.

2. Describe philosophical and scientific foundations relevant to clinical practice.

3. Identify how MBSR’s structure operationalizes mechanisms of therapeutic change.

4. Apply mindfulness-informed interventions ethically and appropriately within scope.

Earn 2 CEUs!

Description

Objectives:

1. Therapists will learn how to effectively incorporate parts language and IFS principles into couples’ work, including flexible use of parts language to better fit their clients.

2. Therapists will learn how to track a couple’s pattern of interaction using parts language.

3. Therapists will learn how to utilize parts language to decrease reactivity & facilitate self-regulation within couples’ work.

4. Therapists will learn how to utilize parts language to increase accountability & differentiation within couples’ work.

Earn 1.5 CEUs!

Description

This presentation explores how these intersecting identities influence mental health experiences, access to care, and the therapeutic relationship. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the systemic and interpersonal factors that contribute to the challenges faced by BIPOC and Queer/Gender Diverse clients and how to address these factors with compassion, awareness, and skill.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be equipped with practical tools and culturally responsive strategies to support clients at these intersections. Focus areas will include the use of inclusive and identity-affirming language, integrating gender-affirming practices, and applying trauma-informed approaches that recognize the impact of marginalization and discrimination.

In addition, attendees will learn how to create safe, welcoming therapeutic spaces that foster trust and genuine connection. The session emphasizes the importance of self-reflection, cultural humility, and advocacy as ongoing components of ethical and effective practice.

Through a combination of education, discussion, and application, this presentation empowers mental health professionals to strengthen their capacity to serve clients with intersecting identities—helping them to feel seen, understood, and supported in their healing journeys.

Objectives:

1. Define and explain Intersectionality: By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to accurately define the concept of intersectionality and provide at least two examples of how intersecting identities (race, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender) influence mental health experiences.

2. Identify Challenges Faced by BIPOC and Queer/Gender Diverse Individuals: Participants will be able to list at least three unique mental health challenges faced by BIPOC and Queer/Gender Diverse individuals, particularly at the intersection of these identities.

3. Demonstrate Culturally Competent Practices: By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to describe and apply at least three best practices for providing culturally responsive and affirming care to clients with intersecting BIPOC and Queer/Gender Diverse identities, including using inclusive language and trauma-informed approaches.

4. Apply Inclusive Therapeutic Techniques: Participants will demonstrate the ability to integrate inclusive language, gender-affirming practices, and cultural humility into a role-play scenario, showcasing effective therapeutic techniques for clients with intersectional identities.

5. Create Safe and Welcoming Environments for Clients: Participants will be able to identify at least two strategies for creating a safe and inclusive therapeutic environment, ensuring trust and support for clients at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities.

Earn 3 CEUs!

Description

Somatic literacy, the capacity to sense and feel what is happening in our individual and collective bodies, is essential for self-care and safety. It allows us to recognize needs, to set limits, to better regulate internal states, and to make informed choices. This highly experiential workshop combines simple, effective tools from body-oriented therapies like Somatic Experiencing®, Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD), massage, energy work, and yoga. You’ll learn dynamic tools you can apply in your therapeutic practice right away, with individuals or groups. Easy to learn mindfulness skills such as breath, self-touch, movement, and sound help us to grow interoceptive awareness and reconnect to the body’s natural rhythms.

Objectives:

1. Define somatic literacy and its role in building self-efficacy and self-esteem

2. Explore personal boundaries and preferences as a way to increase a felt sense of agency and choice

3. Identify 5 body-centered practices to manage arousal states such as fear, anger, anxiety, or overwhelm

4. Learn to anchor resources in the body by orienting towards pleasure and connection

5. Build habits of self-care as a way to prevent burnout

6. Increase personal comfort using touch and movement in a therapeutic setting

Earn 1 CEU!

Description

Have you ever worked with an individual with chronic illness or a disability that conflicted with your knowledge of the health care system? Individuals who have a chronic illness are faced with challenges and daily adjustments that most people don’t have to think through or ever imagine conquering. What if you not only had a chronic illness, but it also leads to a disability that limits your ability to engage with your family, friends, and people, which leads to isolation and fear? Blindness is one of the many chronic illnesses that individuals with chronic illnesses deal with on a daily basis.

Join me in this training as I give you an insider's look at my life as an individual with both chronic illness and blindness. In this training, I will share the facts from leading health care organizations defining chronic illness and blindness that hinder the connection between patient and provider. I will also share resources with you to help you empower your clients to be able to live independently, but also fully equipped members of their community.

Objectives:

1. Identify chronic illnesses and how the definition by global agencies differs from patients' experience.

2. Observe the relationship and connections of chronic illness to blindness.

3. Understand how to engage blind individuals due to their unique needs and wants in the health care system.

4. Learn about community resources to help empower “blind” individuals in the community .

Earn 3 CEUs!

Description

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly woven into the lives of our clients and, in the process of providing mental health care, whether therapists are in agreement with these trends or not. Clients are already using AI tools to understand diagnoses, prepare for sessions, draft communication, and explore self-help strategies. Agencies and EHR systems are implementing AI-driven documentation and scheduling systems, which will continue to evolve. And therapists themselves are increasingly using AI for note drafting, psychoeducation, research, and administrative support. While these tools offer tremendous potential for improving efficiency and accessibility, they also create new ethical challenges that MFTs must be prepared to navigate.

This workshop offers a grounded, systemic, and practice-oriented exploration of the ethical issues that arise from the use of AI in clinical practice. This workshop begins with a brief description of AI, sharing examples of AI tools that therapists and clients are likely to encounter. We will then shift to a framework for the integration of AI and mental health, connecting each layer of integration with the associated ethical principles. Participants will examine the ethical risks, including confidentiality breaches, inaccurate or biased outputs, boundary complications, documentation errors, environmental concerns, and the potential erosion of clinical judgment. We will connect these risks to the AAMFT Code of Ethics and emphasize areas where AI raises unique concerns not fully addressed by traditional guidelines.

The workshop then shifts toward responsible integration. Through case examples and group discussions, participants will grapple with real-world examples of AI showing up in the therapy room - whether the clients are individuals, couples, or families. We will examine and discuss when, how, under what conditions, and to what extent AI can be ethically used for documentation, assessment, client engagement, case conceptualization, etc.

By the end of the workshop, MFTs will recognize the ways AI is already influencing our clinical practice and understand how our ethical code can help provide guidelines for responsible use.

Objectives:

1. Identify at least three key ethical risks associated with using AI in clinical practice, including confidentiality, competence, and social justice concerns.

2. Evaluate how AI tools can be incorporated responsibly into both administrative and clinical work while maintaining professional ethical standards.

3. Use the principles of the AAMFT Code of Ethics to guide ethical decision-making when faced with real-world situations involving AI and clinical practice.

Earn 3 CEUs!

Description

Participants will gain knowledge in using Narrative Therapy skills and tools. Participants will learn when to use each tool in therapy, and the goal of each tool. Topics that the tools cover are diagnosing the problem, coming up with a treatment goal and plan, promoting and helping maintain success in overcoming adversity, promoting better decisions in picking a partner, emotional regulation, work in developing sense of self and ways to highlight words of the client to promote change or reduce the power of internal negative thoughts.

This training will consist of each tool being introduced, demonstrated and then the participants will practice the tools with other participants.

Objectives:

1. Learn about externalizing the problem and how that can be used in therapy

2. Learn about Narrative techniques that promote conversations to encourage change

3. Learn about the power of storytelling in sessions

4. Participants will learn tools that they can use in their therapy sessions