October 8-11, 2025 | Live in Anaheim, CA, and Online
As a therapist on the frontlines of trauma healing, you’re always on the lookout for the next therapy breakthrough to free your clients from intense suffering.
That’s exactly why this conference was developed — to connect you with the world’s leading innovators, researchers, and clinicians who will equip you with today’s most effective skills to revolutionize your trauma treatment results.
Join us in beautiful Anaheim, CA, or online for four days of world-class instruction that provides the perfect blend of inspiring education with rest and rejuvenation!
Master skills and access cutting-edge insight directly from the world's premier trauma experts.
Here’s just a sample of the incredible, rarely offered sessions you’ll experience at Innovations 2025:
Plus, groundbreaking workshops from Ramani Durvasula, David Kessler, Janina Fisher, Ellyn Bader, Thema Bryant, David Grand and dozens more of today’s leading trauma innovators!
Whether you’re looking for step-by-step guidance on exactly what to do and say in your next client session … or desperately looking to be refreshed and reconnected with your work …
Innovations 2025 is the place for you!
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Trauma takes away power and control. How do we help our clients reclaim it?
As clinicians, we dedicate ourselves to guiding trauma survivors through the complexities of healing. But what if the most transformative shift isn’t in what we do for our clients, but in how we empower them to do for themselves? Too often, survivors feel like passive recipients of therapy, rather than active participants in their own recovery. Being intentional about giving power and control to a client is essential, but how do we know when we’re actually doing it, and not just thinking we are?
In this inspiring keynote, you’ll join Dr. Frank Anderson to explore a fundamental truth: healing is most powerful when clients reclaim agency over their journey. Drawing from cutting-edge research in neuroscience, key models of therapy, and trauma-informed care, you’ll uncover how small but intentional shifts—offering choice, fostering self-leadership, and integrating mind-body awareness—can radically change outcomes.
This is more than a clinical strategy; it’s a call to action about transforming the way we approach trauma therapy. Together, we can shift from a model of "fixing" to one of partnership and empowerment when it comes to helping trauma survivors not only heal but thrive. The question is: Are we prepared to step aside and make space for clients to take the lead?
Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP, is a psychologist, and executive director of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP). He co-developed ACEP’s online EFT training program and has been a leading force in integrating EFT with trauma-informed treatment, interpersonal neurobiology, and polyvagal theory. He’s organized over 30 conferences on Ericksonian hypnosis, brief therapy, trauma treatment, and energy psychology, training over 18,000 therapists. He’s the author of Tools for Transforming Trauma, PTSD: A Clinician’s Guide, and We’re No Fun Anymore: Helping Couples Cultivate Joyful Marriages Through the Power of Play.
What if you could give clients immobilized by trauma fast relief, without having to worry about retraumatizing them by rehashing what happened to them? Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) are some of the preeminent bottom-up energy psychology approaches for rapidly calming the body and restoring balance after trauma-induced stress and anxiety. These techniques are easy to learn, backed by over 200 research studies, and have been used to treat everything from test anxiety to PTSD in veterans to survivors of genocide in Rwanda. In this workshop, we’ll explore how and why EFT works, as well as its many applications for any client population. You’ll learn:
David Grand, PhD, is the developer of Brainspotting and the author of Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change, as well as the coauthor of This is Your Brain on Sports. He’s an international lecturer and trainer, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Esquire Magazine, and Forbes, as well as on NBC News, The Discovery Channel, CNN, MSNBC, and Sirius Radio.
There’s no question that trauma lives in the body and brain. But even the most acclaimed trauma treatment approaches can be overly procedural, hard for clients to tolerate, and difficult for clinicians to master. Brainspotting, a research-backed treatment method based on finding somatic cues through the use of eye gaze for the treatment of stress and trauma, solves these problems. It helps clients access emotional energy trapped deep in the nonverbal, noncognitive areas of the brain both safely and quickly. In this workshop from the developer of Brainspotting, you’ll watch live demonstrations to learn how the method works, and rethink how you view the human condition and human suffering from a more developmental and neurological point of view—the neuroexperiential model. You’ll also discover:
Manuela Mischke-Reeds, MA, LMFT, CHT, is a somatic psychotherapist, international teacher of Somatic Psychology, author and consultant. She is the founder of Embodywise and co-director of Hakomi California who integrates Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy, Somatic trauma therapies, embodied mindfulness practices and movement therapies. Manuela is also the founder of ISITTA trauma training and author of author of several books, including 125 Somatic Psychotherapy tools for Trauma and Stress.
Discover the Hakomi Method — one of the world’s most established somatic psychotherapy approaches to trauma healing. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to integrate Hakomi’s relational mind-body techniques with somatic trauma work, embodied movement, and therapist self-attunement. Go beyond focusing on techniques by enhancing the way you show up for your clients — in body, presence, and connection.
In this workshop, you’ll discover:
Kirsten Lind Seal, PhD, LMFT, is adjunct associate professor of MFT Ethics at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, and ethics faculty in the doctoral program at Chaminade University in Honolulu. She presents regularly on ethical issues while maintaining a virtual private practice. She’s a long-time regular contributor to Relationship Reboot, a relationship segment on WCCO (CBS) TV’s Midmorning show in the Twin Cities.
These days, many therapists are wondering how they can “be real” with their clients to deepen the therapeutic relationship, while also holding clear boundaries and navigating countertransference with the utmost care. It feels like a conundrum given that most of us were trained to believe that we must hide ourselves from clients in order to be effective. In this workshop, we’ll explore how therapists can be their authentic selves, both online and in person, while maintaining ethical standards that protect both you and your clients. You’ll discover:
Lane Pederson, PsyD, LP, C-DBT, has provided DBT training and consultation to over 30,000 professionals in the United States, Australia, South Africa, England, Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East through his training and consultation company, Lane Pederson and Associates, LLC. He’s the co-owner of Mental Health Systems, PC (MHS), one of the largest DBT-specialized practices in the U.S., with four locations in Minnesota, where he’s developed DBT programs for adolescents, adults, and people with dual disorders and developmental disabilities. He’s the author of The Expanded Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training Manual, 2nd Edition: DBT for Self-Help and Individual & Group Treatment Settings; Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Contemporary Guide for Practitioners; Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training for Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment Settings, and The DBT Deck for Clients and Therapists: 101 Mindful Practices to Manage Distress, Regulate Emotions & Build Better Relationships.
Lane Pederson is not affiliated or associated with Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, or her organization.
Looking for a research-supported, skills-based approach to trauma that’s both accessible and effective? Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) has become one of the most recognized and sought-after therapies for a variety of difficult to treat client problems, designed to empower clients to establish mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. And in the realm of trauma treatment, it’s among our most effective interventions. In this workshop, we’ll explore how DBT’s structured, skills-based approach can help stabilize clients before deeper trauma work, or work as a standalone intervention. Guided by the latest research and policy in evidence-based practices, you’ll learn the clinical process and content of DBT that will help you apply the essentials of DBT to trauma treatment. You’ll also learn:
Singer-songwriter-actress Alanis Morissette burst onto the alternative rock scene of the mid-‘90s with the Grammy Award-winning album Jagged Little Pill, and became one of the music industry’s bestselling artists of all time. But Morissette’s candid and consistent talk about her own journey in therapy, and her podcast interviews with some of therapy’s most important figures, may be having just as important an impact on her many fans as her art. In this intimate conversation, Morissette will share her inspiring story of overcoming trauma and the role therapy has played in her life.
In this captivating dialogue, Janina Fisher and Arielle Schwartz will explore the future of trauma treatment, discussing how neuroscience, embodiment, and compassionate presence are transforming clinical practice. With their unique expertise, they’ll share insights on integrating neurobiological principles, embodied healing, and self-compassion to support trauma survivors in deep and lasting ways. In this workshop they'll discuss:
This catered lunch event will SELL OUT. Upgrade your conference pass by adding it to your registration!
Join us for a live recording of Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown podcast (over 26 million downloads). Hosted by actress (from series including Blossom, The Big Bang
Theory, & Jeopardy!), neuroscientist, and mental health advocate, this insightful and entertaining evening will be a memorable conversation to “breakdown” an important mental health topic. You won’t want to miss this behind-the-scenes view of this popular podcast.
*Anaheim exclusive event.
This catered dinner event will SELL OUT. Upgrade your conference pass by adding it to your registration!
Frank Anderson, MD, is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist in Concord, MA, who specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation. A lead trainer at the IFS Institute, he’s affiliated with Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Center and advises the International Association of Trauma Professionals. His most recent book is Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems.
For many clients with complex PTSD, life can feel like a draining onslaught of negative feelings: worthlessness, hopelessness, anxiety, and loneliness. And for the therapists who treat them, it’s hard to cultivate hope while addressing trauma-related volatility and vulnerability. Fortunately, incorporating Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy techniques into treatment has been shown to reduce the aftereffects of relational trauma and early attachment wounds, allowing therapists to help clients create a path forward. In this workshop, you’ll be applying neuroscientific principles to therapeutic decisions about extreme symptoms as you address common adaptations for relational trauma such as neglect, shame, and substance abuse. You’ll learn to help clients:
This event is not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with the IFS Institute and does not qualify for IFS Institute credits or certification.
Steven C. Hayes, PhD, is the co-developer of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Relational Frame Theory (RFT), as well as the co-developer of Process-Based Therapy (PBT). He’s a Nevada Foundation Professor at the University of Nevada’s Department of Psychology, as well as the author of of the bestseller Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life and 44 other books and 600 scientific articles. Hayes’s research shows how language and thought leads to human suffering, and how ACT can correct these processes. He’s the former president of several scientific societies and has received numerous national awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.
How can therapists facilitate real change in a more humanistic and client-centered way? This dilemma is the cornerstone of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which begins with a simple question: how can we help our clients be more open, aware, and actively engaged in building a meaningful life? Once we’ve helped clients answer this question, they can extend those gains to their relationships, their body, and even the wider culture. Backed by over 1,400 randomized trials and drawing from healing approaches from all over the world, ACT is uniquely suited to helping clients face today’s biggest challenges—not just personal problems surrounding diet, sleep, exercise, and physical diseases, but also social concerns, like how to be a better parent, how to grapple with prejudice, and how to become a kinder human being. In this experiential workshop, you’ll learn every major part of the ACT model. You’ll also learn:
Chinwé Williams, PhD, is a licensed and board-certified EMDR counselor of 20 years, as well as a counselor educator of 16 years, as well as a former graduate counseling professor, college and high school counselor, and executive coach. She currently serves as a mental health consultant for K-12 schools, faith-based, and corporate work settings. An expert in trauma recovery, stress and anxiety management, adolescent and women’s wellness, somatic practices, and race-related traumatic stress, she’s been on the faculty of multiple graduate programs, including Rollins College, Georgia State University, Argosy University, and University of Central Florida. She’s the author and coauthor of several books, including Seen: Despair and Anxiety in Kids and Teenagers and the Power of Connection, and her work has been featured in Essence, Black Excellence, HuffPost, CENET, Reader's Digest, USA Today, AARP, and other leading publications.
As the world around us continues to shift, clients living at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities may be navigating additional cultural stressors and finding it harder to show up in spaces where they don’t feel safe. Treating trauma that stems from experiences of racism and ambiguous loss can be challenging. These losses run deep in the lives of minoritized clients, but they’re generally unrecognized by society, and despite the pervasiveness of racialized stress and discrimination in the everyday lives of people of color, many clinicians don’t feel adequately equipped to address the trauma of racism. Through interactive discussion and experiential exercises, participants will gain the knowledge to develop culturally informed strategies to treat Black, Indigenous, and other clients of color who’ve experienced racial stress or trauma. You’ll also learn:
Tammy Nelson, PhD, is a psychotherapist, board-certified sexologist, certified sex therapist, and certified Imago relationship therapist. She’s the executive director of the Integrative Sex Therapy Institute, as well as the host of the podcast The Trouble with Sex, a TEDx speaker, and the author of several books, including Open Monogamy: A Guide to Co-Creating Your Ideal Relationship Agreement, Getting the Sex You Want: Shed Your Inhibitions and Reach New Heights of Passion Together, The New Monogamy: Redefining Your Relationship After Infidelity, and Integrative Sex and Couples Therapy.
It sometimes feels as if the landscape of couples and sex therapy has been well-trodden, but the truth is there’s still a wealth of unexplored territory, especially when it comes to using psychedelics to treat relational trauma in individuals, couples, and polyamory groups. These drugs, including ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin, go where other pharmaceuticals cannot, and a wealth of new research suggests they could be the answer to helping partners bypass some of the most common roadblocks that keep them stuck. But how do you actually apply psychedelics in couples and sex therapy given their newcomer status and legal quandaries? In this workshop, you’ll learn the answers to these questions and more through the lens of integrative relationship therapy, as we walk through actual couples therapy sessions and explore popular theories about how psychedelics will bolster couples and sex therapy in the future. You’ll also learn:
Rebecca Kase, LCSW, is an EMDR consultant and trainer. She owns the Trauma Therapist Institute. She is the author of Polyvagal-Informed EMDR: A Neuro-informed Approach to Healing, The Applied Polyvagal Flipchart, and The Polyvagal Solution. She is an EMDR trainer and consultant, internationally recognized trauma expert, and leading voice in living a neuro-informed life.
Polyvagal Theory and EMDR are two leading-edge therapy approaches with ample implications for healing. In this workshop, you’ll discover how these popular neuro-informed frameworks can be woven together to support clients in the treatment of addictions, anxiety, depression, grief, chronic pain, and adjustment disorders, as well as in their more common application with trauma and PTSD. You’ll learn how to:
Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP, is a psychologist and the founder of LUNA Education, Training and Consulting, LLC. She’s professor emerita of psychology at California State University Los Angeles and the New York Times and International Bestselling author of It’s Not You: Understanding and Healing from Narcissistic Relationships, as well as Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility and Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With a Narcissist. She’s developed a training program in conjunction with PESI on working with clients who’ve experienced narcissistic and other antagonistic relationships.
Kimberly Shannon Murphy is a leading Hollywood stuntwoman who has served as a double for numerous A-list actresses, performing in 133 feature films and television shows, including Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Top Gun Maverick, Captain America, The Eternals, The Old Guard, Bird Box, The Hunger Games, The Lone Ranger, Salt, Enchanted, Marvel’s Agent Carter, Euphoria, Big Little Lies, and Westworld. A Taekwondo black belt, she received the 2020 Taurus World Stunt Award for Best Fight in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. She is a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner for Best Stunt Ensemble and has been recognized with numerous award nominations, and since 2018, has also worked as a stunt coordinator. Kimberly currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, second unit director and stunt coordinator Casey O’Neill, whom she met on the set of Knight and Day when the two were doubling for the film’s stars, Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise. They have a nine- year-old daughter, Capri.
Humility, authenticity, and relational safety are essential to truly trauma-informed care—yet many clinicians receive limited training in working with complex and relational trauma. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Ramani Durvasula will be joined by Kimberly Shannon Murphy (Hollywood stuntwoman, author, and trauma survivor) to explore Kimberly’s childhood experiences of trauma, family denial, and the damaging impact of antagonistic and narcissistic dynamics. They’ll discuss the critical need for therapists to be both trauma- and antagonism-informed, and reflect on Kimberly’s journey through therapy—what helped, what didn’t, and what her experience teaches us about gaps in trauma training and care.
Ellyn Bader, PhD, is a psychologist, co-director of The Couples Institute in Menlo Park, California, and co-creator of The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy. She’s one of the early founders of “couples therapy,” as well as a recognized thought leader and trailblazer in relationship therapy. She co-authored an award-winning textbook, In Quest of the Mythical Mate, and the popular book Tell Me No Lies: How to Face the Truth and Build a Loving Marriage along with her husband Dr. Peter Pearson. The two have appeared on Nightline, Good Morning America, O Magazine, Cosmopolitan, several NPR programs, and over 70 others.
Historically, couples therapy hasn’t been considered a treatment for trauma. Yet it can be a powerful modality for spurring growth, resolving painful patterns, and helping clients build a strong sense of self. If early developmental trauma occurred for one or both partners, the client may struggle with impulse control, vulnerability, and trust while also feeling like a victim within their relationship. And if trauma has occurred between the partners, it may be causing disillusionment that’s stalling relationship development. For this reason, it’s important to be able to recognize trauma in the context of couples therapy. In this workshop, you’ll learn to:
Arielle Schwartz, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, teacher, certified Kripalu yoga instructor, who specializes in treating PTSD and complex trauma. She’s the author of eight books, including The Complex PTSD Workbook, EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology, The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook, The Complex PTSD Treatment Manual, and Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery. She trains therapists in the application of EMDR, somatic psychology, parts work therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions in the treatment of trauma and complex PTSD. She’s the founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy and teaches with the Polyvagal Institute.
Do you ever find yourself getting stuck and exhausted with clients who’ve experienced trauma? You’re not alone. Traditional trauma approaches only get us so far, as our clients’ unresolved conflicts inevitably keep sabotaging their efforts toward healing. The truth is that stubborn trauma often requires complex treatment, not just standalone therapy. In this workshop, you’ll learn the essentials of somatic interventions, parts work, and EMDR, and how combining them in an integrative approach is the key to treating particularly stubborn trauma. We’ll also watch and break down video demonstrations of these mind-body approaches, so that you’ll walk away with concrete tools to support your trauma work.
You’ll also learn how to:
Laurel Parnell, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and executive director of the Parnell Institute for Attachment-Focused EMDR and co-director of the non-profit Trauma Assistance Program International (TAP-IN). She keynotes conferences, trains clinicians in EMDR, and teaches workshops internationally on Attachment-Focused EMDR, Rewiring the Addicted Brain and Resource Tapping. She’s also the originator of the EMDR-related therapies Attachment-Focused EMDR and Resource Tapping and author of several books and videos on EMDR, including, Attachment-Focused EMDR: Healing Relational Trauma, Rewiring the Addicted Brain with EMDR-Based Treatment, A Therapist’s Guide to EMDR and Tapping In.
Tapping in is a resource for supporting resilience, helping clients with emotional regulation, and healing developmental deficits—one that’s untapped for many clinicians In this workshop, you’ll learn from live demonstrations exactly how you can use attachment-focused EMDR and its four foundational resources to guide your clients toward increased resilience, emotional regulation, and developmental repair. Not only will you acquiring skills to tap in resources drawn from EMDR, you’ll learn how you can use resource figures, such as an ideal mother, to repair damage from early childhood, abuse, neglect and rejection. You’ll learn to:
Sacha McBain, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and associate professor at Rush University Medical Center. A national leader in medical traumatic stress, she has advanced research, training, and best practices in the treatment of medical trauma. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to promote trauma-informed care in critical care and surgical settings, advocating for better mental health support for patients and families.
Medical crises can have lasting psychological and physical impacts, often resulting in medical trauma—distress triggered by invasive, life-threatening, or overwhelming medical experiences. Unlike other forms of trauma, medical trauma can be ongoing, with symptoms like hypervigilance, avoidance, and emotional distress triggered by bodily sensations, medical environments, or healthcare interactions. It may arise from sudden diagnoses, painful treatments, loss of autonomy, or inadequate care, often leading to anxiety, depression, and difficulties with medical adherence.
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to recognize and treat medical trauma, differentiate it from other traumas, conduct targeted assessments, and implement interventions that promote recovery. You'll also learn symptom-focused strategies, including pain management techniques, and explore systemic barriers that complicate care, leaving with practical tools to support clients in healing and navigating healthcare challenges. You’ll also learn: How to address trauma-related thoughts, physiological distress, and somatic symptoms
There aren’t too many presenting problems that de-skill therapists as quickly as affairs. Whether emotional or sexual, affairs can feel like the kryptonite of love. How do we reliably help couples stuck in the paralyzing aftermath of a romantic betrayal? In this keynote, the Gottmans will present ground-breaking research from the first-ever, six-year randomized controlled study of a treatment for couples distressed by extra-marital affairs. Therapists will be introduced to an evidence-based protocol , based on Gottman Method Couples Therapy, for supporting clients through key steps in successfully navigating the aftermath of an affair and emerge stronger, closer, and more resilient as a couple
How can mental health professionals help people with narcissism? Can therapists make meaningful progress with narcissistic clients? These questions are part of a burgeoning cultural conversation, one that’s both hot—and misunderstood—in our field. How much do we prioritize the treatment needs of the partners, family members, and even the colleagues of narcissistic individuals, who are often experiencing significant clinical distress because of the dynamics and behaviors of these relationships? What does effective treatment with them look like? In this workshop, two of the world’s leading clinical specialists on narcissism team up to help us understand this often-misunderstood personality style. You’ll learn to:
This catered lunch event will SELL OUT. Upgrade your conference pass by adding it to your registration!
After a long day of honing your clinical skills, join your friends and colleagues for an evening of comedy thrills! Kick back and indulge while you experience an evening of stand-up comedy headlined by comedy sensation Kellen Erskine. Kellen has appeared on Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, America’s Got Talent, Comedy Central, and Inside Jokes. It’s okay to leave your notes, DSM, and Inhibitions behind for the night.
*Anaheim exclusive event.
This catered dinner event will SELL OUT. Upgrade your conference pass by adding it to your registration!
Janina Fisher, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, a Board member of the Trauma Research Foundation, and a former instructor at Harvard Medical School. She’s the author of Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors, Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma, and the Living Legacy Instructional Flip Chart.
“I can’t talk about that. It’s too painful.” If you’re a therapist who works with trauma, this is likely a familiar refrain. “It wasn’t so bad” is another. Remembering traumatic events can be extremely distressing and many clients can’t tolerate it. Luckily for us as therapists, we don’t have to feel stuck when our clients are unwilling or unable to talk about a painful past or can talk about it only without emotion. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to refocus clients onto the effects of trauma rather than the events, using powerful, practical interventions adapted from neuroscience, EMDR, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and mindfulness-based therapies. You’ll discover how to help clients:
Ellyn Bader, PhD, is a psychologist, co-director of The Couples Institute in Menlo Park, California, and co-creator of The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy. She’s one of the early founders of “couples therapy,” as well as a recognized thought leader and trailblazer in relationship therapy. She co-authored an award-winning textbook, In Quest of the Mythical Mate, and the popular book Tell Me No Lies: How to Face the Truth and Build a Loving Marriage along with her husband Dr. Peter Pearson. The two have appeared on Nightline, Good Morning America, O Magazine, Cosmopolitan, several NPR programs, and over 70 others.
Couples often begin therapy with the complaint, "We can't communicate." Feelings of frustration, disappointment, and despair often lie behind this common problem, along with a mistaken belief that communication techniques will easily restore love and connection. But true healing and reconnection requires something deeper: embracing differentiation. In this workshop, you’ll explore this essential developmental stage and identify the emotional capacities required for partners to relate to each other clearly—not as idealized extensions of themselves, but as separate, unique individuals. You’ll learn to help couples:
Michelle Frank, PsyD, is a neuroaffirming clinical psychologist specializing in ADHD diagnosis, treatment, and empowerment for individuals and couples. Using a blend of cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, attachment theory, Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and the latest research, she helps clients navigate ADHD's impacts on self-concept, relationships, and emotional well-being. She’s the coauthor of A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD and practices in the Denver area. She speaks and consults nationally on ADHD and neurodiversity and is a former vice president of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association.
Traumatic stress and ADHD share significant associations, according to a growing body of research on trauma and childhood maltreatment. Studies show that people with ADHD score higher than their neurotypical peers on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaire. So how do we explain the connection between trauma and ADHD? How do we tease apart the diagnoses? And what do their similarities mean for symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment? In this workshop, we’ll use a holistic, trauma-informed frame to explore these complex questions, looking at trauma and ADHD as both distinct and co-occurring experiences. You’ll also learn:
David Kessler, MA, RN, FACHE, is one of the world’s foremost experts on grief, the founder of Grief.com, and author of seven books, including Finding Meaning and his newest, Finding Meaning Workbook: Tools for Releasing Pain and Remembering with Love. He’s coauthored books with Elisabeth Kubler Ross and Louise Hay and leads grief certification programs for professionals and online groups for those in grief.
Paul Denniston, RYT 500, authored the bestselling book Healing Through Yoga: Transform Loss into Empowerment. The founder of Grief Yoga, he teaches this practice to counselors, psychologists, and health care professionals and certifies other yoga teachers in the Grief Yoga Teacher Training.
Grieving clients are often experiencing not just loss but trauma. As practitioners, it’s important that we’re able to recognize and address both as we help them move toward healing. This requires tools and techniques for close listening, looking to the body for clues, and releasing regret, anger, and rumination. In this workshop, you’ll explore:
Scott Lyons, PhD, DO is a licensed holistic psychologist, Doctor of Osteopathy, educator, author of Addicted to Drama: Healing Dependency on Crisis and Chaos in Yourself and Others, and the host of The Gently Used Human podcast. He’s also the creator of The Embody Lab, the largest online learning platform for body-based trauma therapies, and developer of Somatic Stress Release, a holistic process of restoring biological resilience, taught in over 20 countries. He’s a Certified Body-Mind Centering teacher and practitioner, a cranio-sacral Therapist, a visceral manipulation therapist, Somatic Experiencing practitioner, clinical hypnotherapist, and a 500-hour registered yoga teacher.
Trauma healing is most effective when we integrate both the body and mind—yet most therapeutic approaches focus on one or the other. In this workshop, you’ll explore the powerful intersection of Somatic Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to create a holistic and embodied approach to trauma recovery, one that provides cognitive tools to reframe thought patterns and emotional responses as well as tools to access the body’s wisdom to release stored trauma and regulate the nervous system. Through practical exercises, experiential learning, and clinical insights, you’ll discover:
Wendy Behary, MSW, LCSW, is the founder and director of The Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey and The Schema Therapy Institutes of NJ-NYC-DC. She’s been treating clients and training and supervising therapists for more than 25 years. She is a founding fellow and consulting supervisor for The Academy of Cognitive Therapy, and past President of the Executive Board of the ISST. She’s the author of the international bestseller Disarming the Narcissist: Surviving and Thriving with the Self-Absorbed, and Deliberate Practice – Schema Therapy.
Covert narcissism is an often-overlooked form of narcissism, in part because it’s hard to detect. Unlike their overt counterparts, covert narcissists don’t display grandiose, attention-seeking behaviors that reveal their narcissistic tendencies. Instead, they often present as modest, self-effacing, and even insecure, making it more difficult to recognize narcissistic traits like passive-aggression, blaming, low empathy, assurance-seeking, emotionally manipulating others, and a lack of accountability.
In this workshop, we’ll use schema therapy, an emotion-focused, needs-meeting approach that provides the skills for clinicians to learn how to identify and heal the underlying insecurities of the covert narcissist. We’ll also explore the origins of covert narcissism, including early trauma, high degrees of enmeshment, and attachment ruptures. You’ll also learn to:
Elliott Connie, MA, LPC, is a therapist, international trainer, and the founder of The Solution Focused Universe, an online training community. His books include Solution Building in Couples Therapy, The Solution Focused Marriage, and The Art of Solution Focused Therapy.
The Solution Focused Approach is often misconstrued as being focused on positivity instead of presenting problems. That couldn’t be further from the truth. While the work does center around moving toward a client’s positive hope for the future, it doesn’t ignore the problem at hand. In this workshop, you’ll explore how to use the Solution Focused approach to respectfully address clinical issues—from depression and trauma to anxiety and relationship issues—and guide clients toward a place of well-being and healing. You'll discover:
Alexandra Solomon, PhD, is a globally recognized expert on relationships and the creator of the Relational Self-Awareness framework. A licensed clinical psychologist, professor at Northwestern University, and bestselling author, she bridges research and clinical insight to help people cultivate authentic, curious, and mindful relationships. Solomon shares her work through her popular podcast Reimagining Love, her widely followed Instagram, and acclaimed books including Love Every Day, Loving Bravely, and Taking Sexy Back. Her work has been featured by NPR, The New York Times, and the Oprah Winfrey Network.
Few topics spike our anxiety and judgment like infidelity. But one of the realities of living in the digital age is that it's easier than ever to cheat—and easier than ever to get caught. Betrayal has the power to rock the very foundation of a relationship: partners likely feel lost, overwhelmed with emotions, and unsure of their next steps. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to effectively support both the betrayed and betraying partners and navigate common barriers to healing. Using a compassionate, multi-stage approach, we’ll explore different skills to help couples restore trust, foster emotional repair, and move toward post-traumatic growth and renewed connection after betrayal. You’ll also learn:
Scott Lyons, PhD, DO is a licensed holistic psychologist, Doctor of Osteopathy, educator, author of Addicted to Drama: Healing Dependency on Crisis and Chaos in Yourself and Others, and the host of The Gently Used Human podcast. He’s also the creator of The Embody Lab, the largest online learning platform for body-based trauma therapies, and developer of Somatic Stress Release, a holistic process of restoring biological resilience, taught in over 20 countries. He’s a Certified Body-Mind Centering teacher and practitioner, a cranio-sacral Therapist, a visceral manipulation therapist, Somatic Experiencing practitioner, clinical hypnotherapist, and a 500-hour registered yoga teacher.
Arielle Schwartz, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, teacher, certified Kripalu yoga instructor, and leading voice in the healing of PTSD and complex trauma. She’s authored eight books, including The Complex PTSD Workbook, EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology, The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook, The Complex PTSD Treatment Manual, and Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery, and she guides therapists in the application of EMDR, somatic psychology, parts work therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of trauma and complex PTSD. She’s the founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy and teaches with the Polyvagal Institute.
In this immersive workshop, you’ll explore the profound intersection of developmental trauma, embodiment, and movement-based healing. Drawing from the principles of Body-Mind Centering (BMC), pioneered by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, participants will have opportunities to embark on a deep somatic exploration of the different ways early relational experiences have shaped their nervous system, movement patterns, and emotional landscape.
Through guided experiential practices, breath, and developmental movement explorations, participants will experience the wisdom of their body in new and transformative ways as they gain tools to reconnect with the body’s innate capacity for healing and adaptability. You’ll explore:
Kate Truitt, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and applied neuroscientist. She’s the founder of the Truitt Institute, an educational platform dedicated to advancing access to mental health support on a global level, and she leads the award-winning clinical group Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates. She’s a developer and chief science advisor of the Havening Techniques, and the author of Keep Breathing and the international bestseller Healing in Your Hands.
Trauma doesn’t just leave emotional scars—it rewires the brain. Stress-induced structural plasticity (SISP) enables the brain to rapidly adapt under chronic or traumatic stress, but it also creates neural pathways that can reinforce patterns of self-criticism, shame, and emotional dysregulation. While these changes are rooted in survival, they often shape how clients perceive themselves and cause them to navigate the world in imiting and rigid ways. In this workshop, you’ll learn a new approach for addressing these neurobiological adaptations, as well as how to guide clients as they rewrite maladaptive inner narratives into supportive, self-compassionate ones by tapping into the brain’s remarkable capacity for neuroplasticity. Using a blend of science and practical application, we’ll walk through strategies to help clients foster resilience and rebuild a healthier, more empowering relationship with themselves. You’ll also learn:
Most therapists have been trained to treat traumatic events, but few trauma models focus on culturally grounded, sociopolitical pathways for survivors to reclaim themselves. This workshop explores how liberation psychologies can enhance the trauma recovery process—especially for marginalized survivors. You’ll learn to build on and learn from the scholarship of liberation psychologists and traditional cultural healers using the healing pathways of culture as medicine, community support, spirituality and religiosity, expressive arts, and resistance. Discover how to:
Megan Devine, LPC, is an acclaimed grief expert, psychotherapist, and author of the bestselling book It’s Ok That You’re Not Ok: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture that Doesn’t Understand. Her work is featured widely in the media including the New York Times, NPR, Washington Post, GQ, Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic, the PBS documentary Speaking Grief, and more. Megan is the founder of Refuge in Grief, a hub of grief education and outreach where she leads people through some of the most devastating times of their lives. Her podcast, It’s OK That You’re Not OK, explores survival (and even hope) after life goes horribly wrong.
Working with people in pain has never been easy, but recently, it’s become even more difficult. Between our country’s multiple mental health crises, a shortage of providers, and diminishing professional boundaries, many of today’s therapists are feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, and under-supported. Does this sound familiar? Our repeated exposure to our clients’ anxiety, depression, anger, and loss can manifest as a type of grief. In this workshop, you’ll learn specific tools you can use to manage this grief and set boundaries in the workplace, while still remaining present, attuned, and helpful to your clients. You’ll also discover how to:
Lambers Fisher, MS, LMFT, MDiv, is a marriage and family therapist in private practice who has counseled individuals, couples, and families from a variety of cultural backgrounds, in private practice, non-profit organizations, as well as ministry environments. Lambers supervises aspiring therapists, facilitates workshops, guest lectures, and is an adjunct instructor at Crown College on diversity in counseling. He’s also the author of the award-winning book, Diversity in Clinical Practice: A Practical & Shame-Free Guide to Reducing Cultural Offenses & Repairing Cross-Cultural Relationships.
We can’t ignore the role culture plays in trauma’s origins and symptoms, or in the effectiveness of treatment strategies—and yet far too often, we do. Unfortunately, this can lead to therapeutic negligence and unethical treatment efforts. This workshop will explore how we as professionals can take cultural considerations into account when implementing trauma treatment strategies. This positive and encouraging training offers concrete, practical strategies to reduce professional fears, strengthen cross-cultural relationships, and increase the likelihood of ethical, trauma-informed, and culturally competent care. You’ll learn to:
Sara Nasserzadeh, PhD, is a social psychologist specializing in sexuality, relationships, and intercultural fluency. She has advised UN agencies, governments, and Fortune 500 companies, and her work has been featured in major media outlets including NPR, BBC, and The New York Times. She’s authored three books, including Love By Design: 6 Ingredients for a Lifetime of Love.
Love is complex, unpredictable, and hard to define. In fact, thriving relationships are far from random, something that a comprehensive analysis of thousands of couples sessions has proven. Resilient romantic relationships are built on fundamental, evidence-informed principles.
This workshop introduces clinicians to the Emergent Love Model, a novel framework that deconstructs love and reconstructs it on a solid foundation, offering a structured, research-backed approach to understanding and fostering thriving relationships.This model provides a new lens for understanding how relationships develop, evolve, and endure. Clinicians will be introduced to six essential ingredients that contribute to thriving relationships along with eight relational configurations—distinct patterns that shape how people form and frame what they call “coupledom.” Therapists will learn to help clients:
Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD, is a psychologist with over 30 years of clinical experience. She's the author of several books, including The New York Times bestseller Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents. A former adjunct assistant professor for the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, she specializes in helping adults attain new levels of personal growth, confidence, and emotional intimacy, as well as skills in dealing with emotionally immature family members.
Chances are you’ve come across the type of client who constantly puts others first out of guilt and loyalty, holding themselves back from their own self-development. Would it surprise you to learn that many of these clients grew up with emotionally immature parents? These parents often acted like children themselves in terms of their coping styles, affective instability, and disregard for other people’s rights and feelings. Many times, this leaves their children feeling anxious and powerless—even into adulthood. You’ll discover:
Catherine Pittman, PhD, HSPP, is a licensed clinical psychologist, as well as a professor at Saint Mary’s College. She’s the author of Taming the Amygdala.
Exposure therapy is proven to be highly effective for treating anxiety, fear, and panic, but it’s often perceived as difficult for clients, and few therapists use this essential technique in their practice. However, neuroscience has shown that simple exposure procedures change the brain’s fear circuitry in powerful ways that traditional therapy does not. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to motivate clients to embrace the challenging exposure process, design effective exposure experiences that change neural circuitry, and uncover and work with hidden fears. You’ll also learn how to:
Singer-songwriter-actress Alanis Morissette burst onto the alternative rock scene of the mid-‘90s with the Grammy award-winning album Jagged Little Pill, and became one of the music industry’s bestselling artists of all time. She delighted fans by going on to star in the comedy Dogma and appear in shows like Sex and the City and Curb Your Enthusiasm. But Morisette’s candid and consistent talk about how lifesaving therapy has been for her, and her ongoing involvement with some of the therapy field’s biggest names, may be having just as important an impact on her many fans as her art.
Along with ongoing recording and performing work, her popular podcast, Conversations with Alanis Morisette, is devoted to interviews with heavy-hitting psychologists and has featured explorations of trauma, sexual healing, neurobiology, attachment, emotional intelligence, narcissism, and the destigmatization of addiction. She offers her album, The Storm Before the Calm, as “a permission to feel and explore while feeling connected and supported.”
Alexandra Solomon, PhD, is a globally recognized expert on relationships and the creator of the Relational Self-Awareness framework. A licensed clinical psychologist, professor at Northwestern University, and bestselling author, she bridges research and clinical insight to help people cultivate authentic, curious, and mindful relationships. Solomon shares her work through her popular podcast Reimagining Love, her widely followed Instagram, and acclaimed books including Love Every Day, Loving Bravely, and Taking Sexy Back. Her work has been featured by NPR, The New York Times, and the Oprah Winfrey Network.
Arielle Schwartz, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, teacher, certified Kripalu yoga instructor, who specializes in treating PTSD and complex trauma. She’s the author of eight books, including The Complex PTSD Workbook, EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology, The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook, The Complex PTSD Treatment Manual, and Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery. She trains therapists in the application of EMDR, somatic psychology, parts work therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions in the treatment of trauma and complex PTSD. She’s the founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy and teaches with the Polyvagal Institute.
Catherine M. Pittman, PhD, HSPP, is a licensed clinical psychologist, and psychology professor at Saint Mary’s College. A practicing clinical psychologist treating anxiety for over 30 years, she’s experienced in neuropsychological rehabilitation with individuals who have experienced brain injuries or strokes. She practices neurologically informed CBT, and has conducted research in both fear conditioning and neuropsychology.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Catherine Pittman maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with Saint Mary's College. She receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Pittman receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Catherine Pittman is a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Chinwé Williams, PhD, is a licensed and board-certified EMDR counselor of 20 years, as well as a counselor educator of 16 years, as well as a former graduate counseling professor, college and high school counselor, and executive coach. She currently serves as a mental health consultant for K-12 schools, faith-based, and corporate work settings. An expert in trauma recovery, stress and anxiety management, adolescent and women’s wellness, somatic practices, and race-related traumatic stress, she’s been on the faculty of multiple graduate programs, including Rollins College, Georgia State University, Argosy University, and University of Central Florida. She’s the author and coauthor of several books, including Seen: Despair and Anxiety in Kids and Teenagers and the Power of Connection, and her work has been featured in Essence, Black Excellence, HuffPost, CENET, Reader's Digest, USA Today, AARP, and other leading publications.
David Grand, PhD, is the developer of Brainspotting and the author of Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change, as well as the coauthor of This is Your Brain on Sports. He’s an international lecturer and trainer, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Esquire Magazine, and Forbes, as well as on NBC News, The Discovery Channel, CNN, MSNBC, and Sirius Radio.
David Kessler, MA, RN, FACHE, is one of the world’s foremost experts on grief, the founder of Grief.com, and author of seven books, including Finding Meaning and his newest, Finding Meaning Workbook: Tools for Releasing Pain and Remembering with Love. He’s coauthored books with Elisabeth Kubler Ross and Louise Hay and leads grief certification programs for professionals and online groups for those in grief.
Elliott Connie, MA, LPC, is a therapist, international trainer, and the founder of The Solution Focused Universe, an online training community. His books include Solution Building in Couples Therapy, The Solution Focused Marriage, and The Art of Solution Focused Therapy.
Ellyn Bader, PhD, is a psychologist, co-director of The Couples Institute in Menlo Park, California, and co-creator of The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy. She’s one of the early founders of “couples therapy,” as well as a recognized thought leader and trailblazer in relationship therapy. She co-authored an award-winning textbook, In Quest of the Mythical Mate, and the popular book Tell Me No Lies: How to Face the Truth and Build a Loving Marriage along with her husband Dr. Peter Pearson. The two have appeared on Nightline, Good Morning America, O Magazine, Cosmopolitan, several NPR programs, and over 70 others.
Frank Anderson, MD, is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist in Concord, MA, who specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation. A lead trainer at the IFS Institute, he’s affiliated with Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Center and advises the International Association of Trauma Professionals. His most recent book is Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems.
Janina Fisher, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, a Board member of the Trauma Research Foundation, and a former instructor at Harvard Medical School. She’s the author of Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors, Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma, and the Living Legacy Instructional Flip Chart.
John Gottman, PhD, is a renowned psychologist, researcher, and co-founder of The Gottman Institute. Widely considered one of the world’s foremost experts on relationships, he has authored over 200 published articles and more than 40 books, including The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Dr. Gottman’s groundbreaking work on marital stability and divorce prediction has been recognized with numerous national awards, and his research has revolutionized the field of couples therapy.
Julie Schwartz Gottman, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, co-founder of The Gottman Institute, and co-creator of Gottman Method Couples Therapy. An internationally respected expert on relationships, trauma recovery, and parenting, she has co-authored numerous influential books and led innovative research on relational health. Dr. Gottman’s work has helped shape best practices for healing after infidelity, and she is widely celebrated for her compassionate, research-based approach to strengthening relationships.
Kate Truitt, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and applied neuroscientist. She’s the founder of the Truitt Institute, an educational platform dedicated to advancing access to mental health support on a global level, and she leads the award-winning clinical group Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates. She’s a developer and chief science advisor of the Havening Techniques, and the author of Keep Breathing and the international bestseller Healing in Your Hands.
Kirsten Lind Seal, PhD, LMFT, is adjunct associate professor of MFT Ethics at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, and ethics faculty in the doctoral program at Chaminade University in Honolulu. She presents regularly on ethical issues while maintaining a virtual private practice. She’s a long-time regular contributor to Relationship Reboot, a relationship segment on WCCO (CBS) TV’s Midmorning show in the Twin Cities.
Lambers Fisher, MS, LMFT, MDiv, is a marriage and family therapist in private practice who has counseled individuals, couples, and families from a variety of cultural backgrounds, in private practice, non-profit organizations, as well as ministry environments. Lambers supervises aspiring therapists, facilitates workshops, guest lectures, and is an adjunct instructor at Crown College on diversity in counseling. He’s also the author of the award-winning book, Diversity in Clinical Practice: A Practical & Shame-Free Guide to Reducing Cultural Offenses & Repairing Cross-Cultural Relationships.
Lane Pederson, PsyD, LP, C-DBT, has provided DBT training and consultation to over 30,000 professionals in the United States, Australia, South Africa, England, Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East through his training and consultation company, Lane Pederson and Associates, LLC. He’s the co-owner of Mental Health Systems, PC (MHS), one of the largest DBT-specialized practices in the U.S., with four locations in Minnesota, where he’s developed DBT programs for adolescents, adults, and people with dual disorders and developmental disabilities. He’s the author of The Expanded Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training Manual, 2nd Edition: DBT for Self-Help and Individual & Group Treatment Settings; Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Contemporary Guide for Practitioners; Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training for Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment Settings, and The DBT Deck for Clients and Therapists: 101 Mindful Practices to Manage Distress, Regulate Emotions & Build Better Relationships.
Lane Pederson is not affiliated or associated with Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, or her organization.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lane Pederson maintains private practice and is the founder and CEO of Dialectical Behavior Therapy National Certification and Accreditation Association. He receives compensation as a national speaker and receives royalties as a published author. Lane Pederson receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lane Pederson has no relevant non-financial relationships.
Laurel Parnell, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and executive director of the Parnell Institute for Attachment-Focused EMDR and co-director of the non-profit Trauma Assistance Program International (TAP-IN). She keynotes conferences, trains clinicians in EMDR, and teaches workshops internationally on Attachment-Focused EMDR, Rewiring the Addicted Brain and Resource Tapping. She’s also the originator of the EMDR-related therapies Attachment-Focused EMDR and Resource Tapping and author of several books and videos on EMDR, including, Attachment-Focused EMDR: Healing Relational Trauma, Rewiring the Addicted Brain with EMDR-Based Treatment, A Therapist’s Guide to EMDR and Tapping In.
Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD, is a psychologist with over 30 years of clinical experience. She's the author of several books, including The New York Times bestseller Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents. A former adjunct assistant professor for the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, she specializes in helping adults attain new levels of personal growth, confidence, and emotional intimacy, as well as skills in dealing with emotionally immature family members.
Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA, is a recognized expert in the strengths-based, de-pathologized treatment of trauma and has been in private practice for over 40 years. She has been an adjunct faculty member at several universities, and is the founder of The Ferentz Institute, now in its seventeenth year of providing continuing education to mental health professionals and graduating several thousand clinicians from her two certificate programs in advanced trauma treatment. In 2009 she was voted the “Social Worker of the Year” by the Maryland Society for Clinical Social Work. She is the author of Treating Self-Destructive Behaviors in Trauma Survivors: A Clinician’s Guide, now in its second edition, Letting Go of Self-Destructive Behaviors: A Workbook of Hope and Healing and Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons from the Therapist’s Couch.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lisa Ferentz maintains a private practice and is the Founder and President of the Ferentz Institute. She receives royalties as a published author and is a consultant for Northwest Hospital. Lisa Ferentz receives a speaking honorarium and product royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lisa Ferentz is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the American Psychotherapy Association.
Manuela Mischke-Reeds, MA, LMFT, CHT, is a somatic psychotherapist, international teacher of Somatic Psychology, author and consultant. She is the founder of Embodywise and co-director of Hakomi California who integrates Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy, Somatic trauma therapies, embodied mindfulness practices and movement therapies. Manuela is also the founder of ISITTA trauma training and author of author of several books, including 125 Somatic Psychotherapy tools for Trauma and Stress.
Mayim Bialik, PhD, is a well-known actor, screenwriter, film director, and former host of Jeopardy. She holds a BS and PhD in Neuroscience from UCLA, and she has authored four books, two of which are on the New York Times Best-Sellers list: Girling Up: How to be Strong, Smart and Spectacular and Boying Up: How to be Brave, Bold and Brilliant. She lives in Los Angeles with her two teenage sons and three cats.
Megan Devine, LPC, is an acclaimed grief expert, psychotherapist, and author of the bestselling book It’s Ok That You’re Not Ok: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture that Doesn’t Understand. Her work is featured widely in the media including the New York Times, NPR, Washington Post, GQ, Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic, the PBS documentary Speaking Grief, and more. Megan is the founder of Refuge in Grief, a hub of grief education and outreach where she leads people through some of the most devastating times of their lives. Her podcast, It’s OK That You’re Not OK, explores survival (and even hope) after life goes horribly wrong.
Michelle Frank, PsyD, is a neuroaffirming clinical psychologist specializing in ADHD diagnosis, treatment, and empowerment for individuals and couples. Using a blend of cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, attachment theory, Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and the latest research, she helps clients navigate ADHD's impacts on self-concept, relationships, and emotional well-being. She’s the coauthor of A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD and practices in the Denver area. She speaks and consults nationally on ADHD and neurodiversity and is a former vice president of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association.
Paul Denniston, RYT 500, authored the bestselling book Healing Through Yoga: Transform Loss into Empowerment. The founder of Grief Yoga, he teaches this practice to counselors, psychologists, and health care professionals and certifies other yoga teachers in the Grief Yoga Teacher Training.
Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP, is a psychologist and the founder of LUNA Education, Training and Consulting, LLC. She’s professor emerita of psychology at California State University Los Angeles and the New York Times and International Bestselling author of It’s Not You: Understanding and Healing from Narcissistic Relationships, as well as Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility and Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With a Narcissist. She’s developed a training program in conjunction with PESI on working with clients who’ve experienced narcissistic and other antagonistic relationships.
Rebecca Kase, LCSW, is an EMDR consultant and trainer. She owns the Trauma Therapist Institute. She is the author of Polyvagal-Informed EMDR: A Neuro-informed Approach to Healing, The Applied Polyvagal Flipchart, and The Polyvagal Solution. She is an EMDR trainer and consultant, internationally recognized trauma expert, and leading voice in living a neuro-informed life.
Robert Schwarz, PsyD, DCEP, is a psychologist, and executive director of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP). He co-developed ACEP’s online EFT training program and has been a leading force in integrating EFT with trauma-informed treatment, interpersonal neurobiology, and polyvagal theory. He’s organized over 30 conferences on Ericksonian hypnosis, brief therapy, trauma treatment, and energy psychology, training over 18,000 therapists. He’s the author of Tools for Transforming Trauma, PTSD: A Clinician’s Guide, and We’re No Fun Anymore: Helping Couples Cultivate Joyful Marriages Through the Power of Play.
Sacha McBain, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and associate professor at Rush University Medical Center. A national leader in medical traumatic stress, she has advanced research, training, and best practices in the treatment of medical trauma. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to promote trauma-informed care in critical care and surgical settings, advocating for better mental health support for patients and families.
Sara Nasserzadeh, PhD, is a social psychologist specializing in sexuality, relationships, and intercultural fluency. She has advised UN agencies, governments, and Fortune 500 companies, and her work has been featured in major media outlets including NPR, BBC, and The New York Times. She’s authored three books, including Love By Design: 6 Ingredients for a Lifetime of Love.
Scott Lyons, PhD, DO, is a licensed holistic psychologist, Doctor of Osteopathy, educator, author of Addicted to Drama: Healing Dependency on Crisis and Chaos in Yourself and Others, and the host of The Gently Used Human podcast. He’s also the creator of The Embody Lab, the largest online learning platform for body-based trauma therapies, and developer of Somatic Stress Release, a holistic process of restoring biological resilience, taught in over 20 countries. He’s a Certified Body-Mind Centering teacher and practitioner, a cranio-sacral Therapist, a visceral manipulation therapist, Somatic Experiencing practitioner, clinical hypnotherapist, and a 500-hour registered yoga teacher.
Steven C. Hayes, PhD, is the co-developer of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Relational Frame Theory (RFT), as well as the co-developer of Process-Based Therapy (PBT). He’s a Nevada Foundation Professor at the University of Nevada’s Department of Psychology, as well as the author of of the bestseller Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life and 44 other books and 600 scientific articles. Hayes’s research shows how language and thought leads to human suffering, and how ACT can correct these processes. He’s the former president of several scientific societies and has received numerous national awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.
Tammy Nelson, PhD, is a psychotherapist, board-certified sexologist, certified sex therapist, and certified Imago relationship therapist. She’s the executive director of the Integrative Sex Therapy Institute, as well as the host of the podcast The Trouble with Sex, a TEDx speaker, and the author of several books, including Open Monogamy: A Guide to Co-Creating Your Ideal Relationship Agreement, Getting the Sex You Want: Shed Your Inhibitions and Reach New Heights of Passion Together, The New Monogamy: Redefining Your Relationship After Infidelity, and Integrative Sex and Couples Therapy.
Thema Bryant, PhD, is a psychologist, author, professor, sacred artist, and minister leading the way in creating healthy relationships, healing traumas, and overcoming stress and oppression. She completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Duke University and her post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical Center’s Victims of Violence Program. She was the 2023 president of the American Psychological Association (APA) and is currently a tenured professor of psychology in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University and an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church who leads the mental health ministry at First A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles. She’s the author of the book Matters of the Heart and host of The Homecoming Podcast.
Wendy Behary, MSW, LCSW, is the founder and director of The Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey and The Schema Therapy Institutes of NJ-NYC-DC. She’s been treating clients and training and supervising therapists for more than 25 years. Currently, she’s the chair of the Schema Therapy Development Programs Sub-Committee for the International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST), as well as a former faculty member of the Cognitive Therapy Center and Schema Therapy Institute of New York, a founding fellow and consulting supervisor for The Academy of Cognitive Therapy, and past President of the Executive Board of the ISST. She’s the author of the international bestseller Disarming the Narcissist: Surviving and Thriving with the Self-Absorbed.
Innovations in Psychotherapy has so many great speakers, a great crowd, and a lot of hands-on learning opportunities. This is the place to better your craft by learning from the best!
The absolute loving, compassionate energy I experience at Innovations in Psychotherapy Conference galvanizes me and teaches me what a privilege it is to do our work.
The Innovations conference was one of the best conferences I have been to. I attended many of the presentations and learned from the best of today's psychotherapists. The conference was organized, friendly, and it was exciting to be there. And it was in sunny California.
"I felt so inspired by the end of the event. The speakers were top notch. I loved connecting with other therapists."
"The even lived up to its name. I left feeling empowered to experiment with new psychotherapy approaches I hadn't considered."
"This event was fantastic. Excellent choices in speakers and so many hands on learning opportunities. I REALLY felt I gained from the yoga/ dance events as a way to not only move through the intensity of all I was learning but also to experience new embodiment techniques to bring back to my sessions."
"Honestly, I loved seeing the big names in the psychotherapy world - it was SO COOL to have them speaking right there in front of me and learning from them in such an intimate manner after reading some of their books."
"The speakers were stellar! Well organized, created excitement. The band and singer was a special touch. The bookstore was well stocked."
"I appreciated that there were several workshops related to trauma. The location and mood and atmosphere that you all created was really positive and comfortable to be a part of."
"The caliber and quality of the presenters was outstanding. I enjoyed the workshops and felt very inspired. All the speakers were great! I liked that there was coffee and pastries provided each morning and snack as well in the evening. I liked having a bookshop to buy the speakers books and have some book signings. Everyone was very nice. The hotel venue was also very nice."
"It was great to have multiple options for sessions - it was hard to choose! Thank you for the ability to watch the ones we couldn't attend later online."
"I enjoyed the yoga and dance offered at the beginning and end of each day. The handouts for presenters being available online. The flow of the day was nice and it was helpful to have a variety of workshops to attend."
"I was very impressed with this conference. I loved the live music and emphasis on laughter and having fun. Every speaker that I went to was absolutely wonderful."
"This conference was the best I have ever attended. I left excited to implement what I had learned"
Join hundreds of your colleagues and discover the approaches that truly work for the challenges you’re facing right now!
If you are a mental health professional looking for today's most effective interventions and tomorrow's most promising innovations ... then this event is for you! This conference provides skills for real therapists on the front lines of healing, plus the opportunity to engage with the field's leaders — most of whom also actively see clients.
Yes! While other conferences charge extra for CE, our registration passes include live CE hours as part of your ticket. After the event, an email will be sent to you that will explain how you will complete your electronic evaluation and access your certificate of completion.
We have your CE needs covered! PESI works directly with state and national boards to help ensure you get the most continuing education credit possible. Find more details here.
No, you can attend whatever sessions you are interested in and receive CE credit for just those sessions attended live.
Yes, both in-person and virtual attendees will have the opportunity to ask their questions live and get real expert responses.
No problem. Attend whatever sessions you are interested in. Please note that you can only receive CE credit for the sessions you attend live.
You’ll master skills from the field’s most powerful approaches, including IFS Therapy, DBT, EMDR, ACT, Somatic Therapy, and more — in an intimate environment that’s perfect for learning and restoration.
Visit the Innovations Exhibit Hall each day for exclusive opportunities to meet face-to-face with our field’s experts, win prizes, and to experience the latest products and services that will enhance your practice.
As the city built on imagination, Anaheim provides one of the most ideal locations to learn, unwind, be inspired, and build connection with your colleagues and yourself.
Innovations in Psychotherapy 2025 is taking place at the luxurious Anaheim Marriott. To make your as enjoyable as possible, we have exclusive discounted rooms, available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Relax in beautifully appointed hotel rooms and suites with plush bedding, marble bathrooms, hardwood floors and balconies with views of Anaheim. Recharge in the California sun in the sparkling outdoor pool or work out in the fully equipped fitness center. Indulge in fresh Californian cuisine made from locally grown ingredients or sample our restaurant's extensive bourbon collection.
Reserve your room now at the exclusive conference hotel!
