Some say divorce can be more traumatic than death. While both involve loss, death can bring finality, whereas divorce lingers, particularly when children are involved. Parties must learn to move past anger, resentment, and distrust, while at the same time function as a parent, co-parent, or employee. Some may need to learn skills to re-enter the workforce. Many divorces are contentious, resulting in exorbitant legal fees, particularly if the cases go to trial. Mediation and collaborative divorce can provide an alternative to the contentious divorce, with parties having a hand in crafting a…

Join us to connect and reconnect with members of the WMHC! The first part of the event will be a great opportunity to meet members you don’t already know. Next, enjoy a wonderful Tony’s Di Napoli 5-course meal... Delish! After lunch, reconnect with everyone. Since we haven’t met in-person in over 3 years, we decided not to have a speaker so you’ll have ample time to connect and reconnect with members. We are thrilled to be hosting this networking event and look forward to seeing you there! To support making new connections in a fun way, we will be hosting …

It would be so much simpler if narcissism was just mirror-gazing and braggadocio. Conceptualization, assessment, and description of narcissism remains a primary stumbling block for many clinicians. We often get stuck in the DSM “narcissistic personality disorder” of it all and miss the varying presentations and the spectrum of severity that can inform treatment as well as understanding of relational dynamics. While there is a core phenomenology to narcissism, it’s important that clinicians let go of the “is this NPD or not” and understand the larger spectrum of antagonism as well as the other…

Research suggests that paternal depression affects between 8% and 13% of fathers at some point in their lives. The highest rates of paternal depression are generally seen during the postpartum period, specifically, when the baby is 3 to 6 months born. While a large body of research has been devoted to postpartum depression in mothers, far less research has studied the mental health of fathers during this critical period, especially for fathers from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds. What does depression look like in men and fathers? Does it present differently than in mothers? What…

Sexual minority women (SMW; e.g., lesbian, bisexual, queer) report elevated rates of violence, alcohol use disorder, and alcohol-related harm, such as mortality and mental health comorbidities (e.g., PTSD, depression) compared to heterosexual women. This talk positions SMW’s increased risk of violence (e.g., childhood sexual abuse, intimate partner violence) and related mental and behavioral health outcomes within the context of societal and systemic stigma and ongoing inadequate social safety. The talk will also present a model for understanding SMW’s stress response and discuss how some SMW…

Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is a disorder of paradoxes, with the label itself being a misnomer. ADHD is not a deficit of attention; it’s an abundance of it, and the challenge is regulating it. This challenge, nevertheless, poses an opportunity: learning to harness one’s ADHD can open the doors to flourishing. However, this requires a shift as researchers and practitioners to consider not only the challenges these individuals face but also the unique strengths they possess and the conditions under which they are able to access them. Furthermore, working to acknowledge and…

The role of emotions in understanding and treating chronic medical conditions is unclear. Hypertension was long considered a quintessential mind/body disorder, yet decades of research failed to confirm that emotional distress causes hypertension or that stress reduction techniques can alleviate it. The role of repressed emotions has rarely been considered. This talk presents data that strongly implicate the unsuspected role of repressed emotions in the genesis of hypertension and many other prevalent chronic medical conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease,…

This talk will be a solid introduction to CBT for Insomnia, giving clinicians a good understanding of how to implement this treatment in their clinical practice. How to use CBT-I with current psychotherapy patients will be addressed in the context of depression and anxiety, and when and how to get further specialized training will be discussed. Although women and insomnia will be the focus, CBT-I basics will apply to all adults. When to refer out for a sleep study and/or more specialized assessment will be addressed. Speaker Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSM, is a clinical psychologist and sleep…

Most modes of psychotherapy believe to have “parts” is pathological. NOT in IFS. In IFS, the idea of multiplicity of the mind is normal. Every part has a good intention, and every part has value. All clients have the ability to heal themselves if they listen to their parts. IFS is a very powerful tool for clinicians. Once you see it in action, you’ll be hooked! And you’ll want to immediately incorporate it into your practice. In developing IFS 30 years ago, creator Richard Schwartz, Ph.D., realized that clients were describing experiences with various parts, many extreme, within themselves.…

Chronic pain exacerbates depression, anxiety, and emotional instability due to the perceived stress that impacts the body on a physical and chemical level. Pain, such as low back pain, is a common problem. For example, in 2017, nearly 65 million Americans reported a recent episode of back pain and, as a result, were limited in certain everyday activities. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) offer an alternative for patients and therapists as an effective treatment for pain. Physical pain is unavoidable, but meditation practice can ease the…