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1. Analyze the role of the nervous system in mental health disorders and communicate how this knowledge impacts the clinician’s choice of therapeutic intervention.
2. Employ psychoeducational approaches that make the neurobiology of mental health conditions understandable for clients.
3. Establish how an understanding of neuroscience and neuroanatomy can be used by mental health professionals to cultivate motivation and promote engagement in therapy.
4. Evaluate research on the impact of mindfulness on the nervous system and articulate how mindfulness can be used as an adjunctive approach in your treatment plans for depression.
5. Communicate how memory malleability impacts your treatment of clients with traumatic memories.
6. Discover how the neurobiology of addiction can help you establish realistic goals with clients with substance use disorders.
7. Establish how to intervene in the neurobiological fight, flight, or freeze response in clients with trauma through the use of grounding techniques.
8. Characterize how attachment impacts key brain networks and informs the clinical treatment of affect regulation and mood disorders.
9. Establish how the relationship between diet and mental health can be communicated to clients through psychoeducational efforts to promote healthier life choices.
10. Evaluate how an understanding of the neurodynamics of habit formation informs the therapist’s clinical approach to foster behavioral change.
11. Appraise the latest scientific research on gratitude and establish how simple gratitude exercises can be taught to clients dealing with stress, anxiety and depression.
12. Articulate how mindfulness practices can be used in therapy to impact the stress reaction and shift clients to a relaxation response.

Cultivate Change with an Understanding of the Brain’s Reward System

• Habit formation & maintenance
• Why the brain doesn’t always choose well
• The conscious brain myth
• Brain dictated actions
• Impulse vs routines
• Reward & habit
• Coping & stress
• Brain-wise change
• Impulse strategies
• Serotonin
• Solidifying change - from neurons to brain regions
• From state to trait: Brief experiences to long lasting change
• Willpower
• Willpower: where does it reside?
• Role of exercise
• Mindfulness
• A brief willpower workout

The Body’s Impact on the Brain: Alter Your Physical State to Manage Stress and Anxiety

• Body-Brain-Mind Talk
• The Vagal Nerve
• Heart rate variability
• Interoception
• Building stress resiliency & emotional regulation
• Breath, posture, deep relaxation
• The Body-Brain-Mind connection across treatment approaches

The Brain’s Impact on the Body

• Nociceptors and neurotransmitters
• Dorsolateral prefrontal lobe and the centralization of pain
• The influence of stress on pain and inflammation
• Pain measurement
• CBT interventions to reappraise pain
• Pain catastrophizing
• Biofeedback
• Mind-Body interventions for pain

How Relationships Change the Brain: The Neuroscience of Attachment

• Neuropeptides: changing behavior through oxytocin
• Healing through the Social Brain
• The role of storytelling
• The brain in love
• Brain Behavior of long-term Love
• Areas of activation
• Novelty vs. Habit
• Engendering secure attachment
• Key brain networks
• Building compassion & empathy

From a Depressed Brain to a Resilient Brain

• How the depressed brain gets stuck
• Hemispheric laterality
• Cytokines & depression
• The neuroscience of guilt & shame
• Opposing pathways
• Brain intercommunication
• Awe! - creating brain changing experiences
• Gratitude - neurochemistry & practice
• Neurofeedback: Research on direct communication with the brain

Trauma Treatment and the Science of Memory

• Grounding
• Titrating emotions with mindfulness
• The fight/flight/freeze response in trauma
• Executive functioning
• Integrating implicit memories
• Dual awareness
• Brain savvy narratives
• Befriending the body - Breath/Movement/Awareness
• The neurobiology and treatment of shame

The Addicted Brain: Clinical Implications of the Neuroscience of Craving

• The role of the reward center
• The neuroscience of craving
• Mindfulness & movement based supports
• Identifying false sanctuaries & underlying beliefs
• Dual awareness
• Overcoming conflict and risk avoidance

The Aging Brain

• Brain changes across the lifespan
• Memory improvement strategies
• Buffering from Alzheimer’s Disease
• Is Mindfulness a neuroprotective approach?

Nutrition & the Brain: The Latest Research

• Nutrition for optimal brain functioning
• The brain on sugar
• Nutraceuticals
• Creating an interdisciplinary team

Debra Premashakti Alvis, PhD, a licensed psychologist, developed the Mind/Body Program at the University of Georgia providing clinician training on the integration of mindfulness and contemplative practices into psychotherapy. Her work as a professor at the University of Georgia included the supervision of doctoral students and co-leading a research team investigating mindfulness.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Alvis maintains a private practice and has more than 25 years of clinical experience in treating clients with a variety of conditions by mindfulness principles, body-oriented principles and traditional psychotherapeutic approaches. She also has an over 30-year personal contemplative practice.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Debra Alvis maintains a private practice and receives a speaking honorarium from Asadis Training, Essential Therapy Training, Georgia Museum of Art, Bascom Museum of Art, and Mountain Area Health Education Center. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Debra Alvis is a member of the American Association of College Student Personnel, the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education, the Association of Specialists in Group Work, the Athens Area Psychological Association, and the Georgia Psychological Association.

Save time and $10 off the price of other submission methods – purchase & take the CE test online for $19.99 USD per participant. Additional processing fees apply for other submission methods (i.e. mail, fax, etc.). Please contact our Customer Service at 1-800-844-8260 for more details.

Listed below are the continuing education credit(s) currently available for this non-interactive self-study package. Please note, your state licensing board dictates whether self study is an acceptable form of continuing education. Please refer to your state rules and regulations.

Certificates of Successful Completion are available for email, download and/or printing from your online account immediately following the successful completion of the post-test/evaluation.

**Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of mental health professionals. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your professions standards.

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners. For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

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Addiction Counselors

This self-study course has been approved by PESI, Inc., as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 12.5 CE in the counseling services skill group. NAADAC Provider #77553. PESI, Inc. is responsible for all aspects of their programming. Full attendance is required; no partial credit will be awarded for partial attendance.

Connecticut Addiction Counselors: Provider #120924. This course has been approved as a CCB approved training and has been awarded 12.5 hours by the Connecticut Certification Board.

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Counselors
This intermediate self-study activity consists of 12.5 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline, the certificate of completion you receive from the activity and contact your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements.

New York Counselors: PESI, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's (NYSED) State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0033. This self-study activity will qualify for 15.0 contact hours. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance.

South Carolina Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists and Psycho-Educational Specialists: This program has been approved for 12.5 continuing education hours by the South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Psycho-Educational Specialists. Provider #4540.

Texas Counselors: PESI, Inc. has been approved as a continuing education sponsor through the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. Provider #: 2477. This self-study course qualifies for 12.5 continuing education credits.

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Marriage & Family Therapists
This self-study activity consists of 12.5 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline, the certificate of completion you receive from this self-study activity and contact your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements.

Illinois Marriage & Family Therapists: PESI, Inc. has been approved as a provider of continuing education by the State of Illinois, Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation. Provider #: 168-000156. Full attendance at this self-study activity qualifies for 12.5 credits.

New York Marriage & Family Therapists: PESI, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's (NYSED) State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. #MFT-0024. This self-study activity will qualify for 15.0 contact hours. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance.

Texas Marriage & Family Therapists: PESI, Inc. has been approved as a continuing education sponsor through the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists. Provider #: 503. This self-study activity qualifies for 12.5 continuing education credits.

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Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and Clinical Nurse Specialists
This intermediate activity consists of 12.5 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please contact your licensing board to determine if they accept programs or providers approved by other national or state licensing boards. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to participants who are in full attendance and who complete the program evaluation.

California Nurses: PESI, Inc. is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #:17118 for 12.5 self-study contact hours.

You will need to provide your license number to PESI. PESI must have this number on file in order for your hours to be valid.

Florida Nurses: PESI, Inc. is an approved provider by the Florida Board of Nursing. Provider #: FBN2858. These materials qualify for 12.5 self-study contact hours.

Iowa Nurses: PESI, Inc. is an approved provider by the Iowa Board of Nursing. Provider #: 346. Nurses successfully completing these self-study materials will earn 12.6 self-study contact hours.

Copies of the evaluation may be sent to the IBON. You will need to provide your license number to PESI. PESI must have this number on file in order for your hours to be valid.

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Psychologists
This self-study activity consists of 12.50 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline and the certificate of completion you receive from this self-study activity. Contact us for more information on your state board or organization specific filing requirements.

Canadian Psychologists: PESI, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the program. This program is approved for 12.5 self-study continuing education hours. Full credit statement at: https://catalog.pesi.com/page/ceinformation#psychologists

Florida Psychologists: PESI, Inc., is an approved provider with the Florida Board of Psychology. Provider Number 50-399. This product qualifies for 12.6 self-study continuing education credits. Please make sure to bring your license number to the seminar so that we can report your attendance to CE Brokers.

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Social Workers
PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for this self-study course. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2017 - January 27, 2020. Social Workers completing this course receive 12.5 Clinical Practice continuing education credits. Course Level: Intermediate. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to social workers who complete the program evaluation.

Canadian Social Workers: PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for this self-study course. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2017 - January 27, 2020. Social Workers completing this course receive 12.5 Clinical continuing education credits. Course Level: Intermediate. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to social workers who complete the program evaluation. Canadian provinces may accept activities approved by the ASWB for ongoing professional development.

Colorado Social Workers: PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the Colorado Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Provider #1413. This course has been approved for 12.6 continuing education hours.

Illinois Social Workers: PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the State of Illinois, Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation. License #: 159-000154. Successful completion of this self-study activity qualifies for 12.5 contact hours.

Kansas Social Workers: PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board. Provider #14-006. This self-study course has been approved for 12.5 continuing education hours.

Minnesota Social Workers: PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the State of Minnesota, Board of Social Work. Provider #: CEP-140. This self-study course has been approved for 12.5 continuing education hours. A certificate will be issued upon successful completion of a post-test.

New York Social Workers: PESI, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's (NYSED) State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0008. This self-study activity will qualify for 15.0 contact hours. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance.

California Social Workers/ Counselors/Marriage & Family Therapists/Licensed Educational Psychologists: The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE programs that are approved by other approval agencies, including several that approve PESI and its programs. A full list of approval agencies accepted by the BBS can be found at www.bbs.ca.gov/licensees/cont_ed.html under “Where to find CE Courses.” This intermediate level activity consists of 12.0 clock hours of continuing education instruction.

Florida Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists, and Mental Health Counselors: PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. Provider Number 50-399. This self-study course qualifies for 12.5 continuing education credits.

Ohio Social Workers, Counselors, and Marriage & Family Therapists: PESI, Inc. is an approved provider with the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage & Family Therapist Board. Provider approval #: RCST071001. Successful completion of this self-study course meets the qualifications for 12.5 clock hours of continuing education credit.

Pennsylvania Social Workers/Counselors/Marriage & Family Therapists: This intermediate activity consists of 12.5 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please contact your licensing board to determine if they accept programs or providers approved by other national or state licensing boards. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to participants who are in full attendance and who complete the program evaluation. Full attendance is required, variable credits may not be awarded per the Pennsylvania State Board.

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Other Professions
This self-study activity qualifies for 12.5 clock hours of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

Disclaimer: **Information obtained in this course should be used within your scope of practice.
**It is your ethical responsibility to report accurate hours to your licensing board.
**All self-study participants must complete and pass (80% or better) a post-test and evaluation prior to receiving a certificate of completion. If you require a copy of the test/evaluation for CE purposes, please print at the time you take the test. Or you may call our customer service department and a copy of your test/evaluation will be emailed to you. Please allow 30-45 days.

Counselors, Social Workers, Psychologists, Marriage and Family Therapists, Psychotherapists, Nurse Practitioners, Psychiatric Nurses, Addiction Counselors, Case Managers, Other Mental Health Professionals