Professional Development
The Center offers monthly professional development opportunities for our current and former counselors. We hope you will enjoy reviewing your topics and presentation information.
2025
Therapeutic Suicide: A Jungian Approach to Conceptualizing and Treating the Suicidal Client
July 19, 2025
Christi Taylor-Jones, LMFT
This workshop will present an alternative (Jungian) approach to understanding the nature and intent of suicide and how to work with suicidal clients. It will attempt to dispel common myths that tend to pathologize suicidal thoughts, instead of exploring them for their deeper meaning and possibility for greater growth. It will introduce the idea of suicide as a longing for death and rebirth and will include case material and encourage group participation and discussion.
Therapeutic Room Contemporary Psychoanalytic Case Conference
June 14, 2025
Lilly Gallay, Psy.D.
Bring your hardest cases! We will have a psychoanalytically-informed case conference in which 2-3 clinicians will present their work and get feedback on conceptualizations and interventions from a depth therapy perspective. A brief introduction to foundational concepts such as the unconscious, the pre-conscious, transference and countertransference, the frame, and levels of defense, will also be given. If you'd like to present a case, it will be helpful (but not required) to have a short process note* written down to refer to. Live role-play will be used so you can see what modern psychoanalysis looks and feels like.
Power Dynamics in the Therapeutic Room
May 17, 2025
Juan Gavidia, Psy.D., LMFT
This workshop will unpack and navigate power dynamics that show up between therapist and client. We’ll focus on the role of race, gender, and socioeconomic status as well as intersectionalities in both parties, and how therapists can become comfortable with their own power in the treatment room, while empowering their clients.
Dynamic Integration of Theory and Practice in Counseling
March 22, 2025
Cynthia Rolf, Ph.D., LMFT
This workshop will explore applying theoretical frameworks to examine past and present behavior patterns, guiding effective treatment, and removing roadblocks in treatment. By understanding theories such as Family Systems and Psychodynamic therapy, therapists can uncover the underlying purposes of problematic behaviors and tailor their approaches to address the root causes of psychological issues. We invite you to discover how these insights can contribute to significant and enduring transformation in clients' lives.
Integrating Mindfulness and EMDR Therapy in Trauma-Focused Therapy
February 8, 2025
Stephen Dansinger, Psy.D., LMFT
This two-hour workshop introduces intern therapists to the foundational principles of EMDR therapy and its integration with mindfulness-based approaches for trauma treatment in a clinic and private practice setting. Attendees will explore the Eight Phase Protocol of EMDR therapy, gain a deeper understanding of the AIP model, and learn practical techniques for incorporating mindfulness into clinical practice. The session will focus on how these approaches can enhance therapeutic outcomes for individuals and families impacted by trauma.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Clients in Therapy
January 25, 2025
Aisha Cunningham, LCSW
This workshop will help therapist to become informed of the LGBTQ plus community in regard to sex and gender, trauma and mental health, LGBTQ terms and lastly considerations.
Providing Therapy During a Crisis
January 18, 2025
Kelley Zabelovsky, LMFT
This workshop will focus on providing therapy during a crisis. This training is meant to help you deliver therapy to clients in crisis during a disaster, traumatic situation or grief/loss. The course is designed to help you remain helpful while avoiding burnout.
2024
He(Art) Therapy ❤️
December 21, 2024
Lynell Weiss, LMFT
In this session, attendees will learn about art therapy, who it's for, how it can be used with clients. The session will be experiential and group-driven.
Starting Your Practice
November 16, 2024
Karen Gold, LMFT
In this workshop, counselors will learn the first steps of starting their private practice.
Dream Analysis
October 19, 2024
Jack Mayhall, Ph.D., LMFT, LPCC
Dreams are like waking-up in the unconscious, the awakened ego that reside in daylight becomes relocated to the unconscious as the dream ego. The world of dreams within becomes as real as the world of consciousness. So, we live in two worlds, as the waking world with the laws of science, logic, and social behavior, and the elusive world of dreaming as mystery disguised in sleep. These cryptic images from the dark realm however, are considered by many therapists to be realer than real: containing messages from “home” (the Self) that, if decoded properly, can offer sage advise on how we should be living our lives. In dreams one can find symbolic, personal, and archetypal meaning which in turn will guide them down their own unique path of growth, not someone else’s fantasy, but their own. For Psychotherapists, honoring and working with their own dreams can deepen their self-knowledge allowing them to work on their own issues. Dream work opens-up the dialectic relationship between the ego and the unconscious. However, most importantly, dream work offers insight when strong counter-transference arises with clients. Group dream work amongst professionals is not only educational but very exciting and illuminating. Group members can point out elements in a dream that the dreamer themselves have missed. So, join us in trying to yet again decode the mysteries of the unconscious.
Modern Analysis
August 17, 2024
Kathy MacLeay, Ph.D.
This workshop will review the major components of anxiety and its manifestations (physiological and emotional), with a focus on interns and clients' anxiety. We will evaluate old and current treatments and the methods of incorporating them in therapy.
Dealing with Anxiety (Yours & Your Client's)
June 29, 2024
Rachel Bar, Psy.D., LMFT
This workshop will review the major components of anxiety and its manifestations (physiological and emotional), with a focus on interns and clients' anxiety. We will evaluate old and current treatments and the methods of incorporating them in therapy.
Grief & Bereavement Across the Lifespan
May 4, 2024
Shireen Oberman, LCSW
While grief is a universal experience, mental health professionals are often taught very little about what are natural grief responses and how to hold someone clinically as they move through their grief. . The goal of this workshop is to introduce students to the study of grief and bereavement across the developmental stages of childhood to later adulthood from a biopsychosocial perspective. Among the topics included are classical and post-modern theories of grief and loss; loss as a normative experience and process; transference and countertransference in grief/loss work.
Sex Therapy
April 20, 2024
Alexus Martinez, Ph.D., LMFT, CST
There are too many misconceptions about what sex therapy is, what it looks like, and who could benefit from sex therapy. This workshop will start by providing the basics of sex therapy by answering those exact questions. You will learn boundaries and best practices of working with issues around sex and sexuality. In hopes of getting you more comfortable discussing sex, the workshop will conclude with providing a safe non-judgemental space for you to ask all your taboo questions.
ADHD: Bullet Points for Your Practice
February 10, 2024
Sara Haynes, LMFT
It is important that clinicians' knowledge of ADHD goes much further than the DSM. Learn about it through real life situations, debunk the myths and appreciate the gifts. And please bring your questions.
Working With Couples
January 28, 2024
Sara Haynes, LMFT
For many, the thought of working with couples is daunting and scary, especially as a newbie. How do I handle screaming? What if someone walks out? What if I know a secret? Because this is a broad topic, I am going to start with the basics - at the beginning and shed light on best practices from my experience working with all kinds of couples. You will learn tips for the first phone calls to ethical/legal considerations to how to handle some of the most difficult situations. And please bring your questions.
2023
Common Mistakes in Therapy
June 25, 2023
Rachel Bar, Psy.D., LMFT
This workshop will help therapists become cognizant of common errors they make in their treatment performance. The course objective is to recognize mis-steps, avoid future mistakes, and make reparative efforts. This offering will review often made mistakes new therapists make and the reasoning behind them; such as dogma and countertransference. The course will bring to light the Therapist's’ own internal supervisor as a tool for preventing future mistakes.
Couples Counseling
June 25, 2023
Rachel Bar, Psy.D., LMFT
This workshops will cover a variety of topics related to couples counseling, including interventions, therapeutic approaches, overcoming gridlock and the blame game, and treating the invisible client: couplehood. We will also address fears related to treating couples, inappropriate assignments, helplessness, date night, homework, and I statements. We will look at The Marriage Contract and Dan Wile's work around embracing the symptoms and the technique of doubling.
Sex Therapy Techniques
July 29, 2023
Ann Kirlin, Psy.D., M.A., MPC
In this session, attendees will learn about the foundations of sex therapy and techniques for effective psychotherapy.
Introduction to Eating Disorders
June 24, 2023
Leigh Ann Greenfield, LMFT
In this session, participants will be able to identify and appropriately diagnose the eating disorders included in the DSM-V-TR. We will understand the multifactor causes of disordered eating behaviors, including genetic predisposition, temperamental factors, sociocultural elements, psychiatric comorbidities, and trauma, and gain an understanding of the psychological, relational, and medical risks of disordered eating behavior. Participants will learn about the social justice issues affecting access to care, diagnostic accuracy, and recovery outcomes for diverse populations while becoming familiarity with the concepts of Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size, Fatphobia, and Diet Culture, and how these concepts are related to eating disorder treatment. Attendees will be able to define the scope of practice and scope of competence for therapists in treating eating disorders, and effectively identify when referrals are needed to dieticians and medical care providers. Finally, participants will understand how various therapeutic modalities can address the psychological drivers of disordered eating behaviors.
Grief & Bereavement Across the Lifespan
May 13, 2023
Shireen Oberman, LCSW
While grief is a universal experience, mental health professionals are often taught very little about what are natural grief responses and how to hold someone clinically as they move through their grief. . The goal of this workshop is to introduce students to the study of grief and bereavement across the developmental stages of childhood to later adulthood from a biopsychosocial perspective. Among the topics included are classical and post-modern theories of grief and loss; loss as a normative experience and process; transference and countertransference in grief/loss work.
Introduction to Sex Therapy
April 15, 2023
Nicoletta Heidegger, LMFT
Most therapists receive little to no training in human sexuality. Yet, sexuality and relationships can make up a large part of someone's life and wellbeing. Have you felt unprepared to discuss sex, sexuality, gender, and pleasure with your clients? Join CIFC alum Nicoletta Heidegger, MA, MEd, LMFT for an introduction to human sexuality and sex therapy. We will cover some common presenting issues in sex therapy and how to address them. We will also practice and learn tools to become a more competent and confident clinician on topics relating to sexuality, as well as some ways to work with diverse populations in a sex positive way.
Theory & Application: Assessment, Diagnosis, Treatment Planning, & More
March 18, 2023
Cynthia Rolf, LMFT, Psy.D.
This workshop will provide an overview of theoretical orientations and theories used to assess, diagnose and develop treatment plans. During this workshop, you will gain a clearer understanding of how theoretical orientation leads to theories used and intervention to apply with clients.
2022
Working With Couples Pt. I & II
December 10, 2022 & January 28, 2023
Sara Haynes, LMFT
For many, the thought of working with couples is daunting and scary, especially as a newbie. How do I handle screaming? What if someone walks out? What if I know a secret? Because this is a broad topic, I am going to start with the basics - at the beginning and shed light on best practices from my experience working with all kinds of couples. You will learn tips for the first phone calls to ethical/legal considerations to how to handle some of the most difficult situations. And please bring your questions.
LGBTQ+ Identity: A Process of Self-Realization
September 10, 2022
Thomas Mondragon, M.A., LMFT
This session will cover the importance of understanding identity development, the different challenges/hurdles that might be encountered for individuals with different identities and how to work with this in the therapy setting.
He(Art) Therapy
November 12, 2022
Lynell Weiss, LMFT
In this session, attendees will learn about art therapy, who it's for, how it can be used with clients. The session will be experiential and group-driven.
LGBTQ+ Identity: A Process of Self-Realization
September 10, 2022
Thomas Mondragon, M.A., LMFT
This session will cover the importance of understanding identity development, the different challenges/hurdles that might be encountered for individuals with different identities and how to work with this in the therapy setting.
Dream Engagement
July 23, 2022
Jack Mayhall, Ph.D., LPCC, LMFT
Dreams are like waking-up in the unconscious, the awakened ego that reside in daylight becomes relocated to the unconscious as the dream ego. The world of dreams within becomes as real as the world of consciousness. So, we live in two worlds, as the waking world with the laws of science, logic, and social behavior, and the elusive world of dreaming as mystery disguised in sleep. These cryptic images from the dark realm however, are considered by many therapists to be realer than real: containing messages from “home” (the Self) that, if decoded properly, can offer sage advise on how we should be living our lives. In dreams one can find symbolic, personal, and archetypal meaning which in turn will guide them down their own unique path of growth, not someone else’s fantasy, but their own. For Psychotherapists, honoring and working with their own dreams can deepen their self-knowledge allowing them to work on their own issues. Dream work opens-up the dialectic relationship between the ego and the unconscious. However, most importantly, dream work offers insight when strong counter-transference arises with clients. Group dream work amongst professionals is not only educational but very exciting and illuminating. Group members can point out elements in a dream that the dreamer themselves have missed. So, join us in trying to yet again decode the mysteries of the unconscious.
Couples Counseling
June 25, 2022
Rachel Bar, Psy.D., LMFT
This workshops will cover a variety of topics related to couples counseling, including interventions, therapeutic approaches, overcoming gridlock and the blame game, and treating the invisible client: couplehood. We will also address fears related to treating couples, inappropriate assignments, helplessness, date night, homework, and I statements. We will look at The Marriage Contract and Dan Wile's work around embracing the symptoms and the technique of doubling.
Conceptualizing an Approach to Understanding Traumatic Stress
May 21, 2022
Phaizon Wood, Ed.D., LMFT
Everyday stress and anger are often seen as the root of many frequently expressed human emotions, yet our primary socializing institutions (families, schools, religious institutions) provide very little instruction to manage them effectively. Moreover, there is evidence that clinicians are often equally unprepared for the ruptures in the therapeutic relationship that can (and should) occur during treatment. Traumatic stress is a normal reaction to an abnormal event that has overwhelmed our nervous system’s ability to adapt and respond. This session will frame traumatic stress in a way that can also help illuminate a clinical response to the client’s expression of extreme emotions.
Ethnicity & The Therapeutic Relationship
April 30, 2022
Cynthia Rolf, LMFT
This seminar opens on the topic of ethnicity and the therapeutic working relationship. We will explore topics of oppression, microaggression, and the therapeutic process.
What is LGBTQ+ Affirmative Psychotherapy and Why Is It So Important?
March 12, 2022
Prof. Thomas Mondragon
Discussed will be the importance of understanding LGBTQ+ affirmative theory and practice as vital to effectively working with LGBTQ+ clients, reaching beyond an important acceptance and support of LGBTQ+ individuals into a more active therapeutic stance. This will involve examining the impact of heterosexism, internalized homo/bi/transphobia, and having a vision of meaningful expression in LGBTQ+ sexual orientation and gender expressions. Also discussed will be affirmative need to address the particular challenges and gifts of being LGBTQ+ and a person of color, often involving the potent intersections of sexual and racial identities with multiple oppressions and the psychological impact this can have on daily functioning.
Geropsychology
February 5, 2022
Dr. Donald Schultz
In this presentation, participants will be exposed to the developmental and clinical aspects of working with older adults, particularly those over the age of 65. The major clinical issues, concepts, and methods in the study of aging will be presented and discussed, including various issues relevant to later life and the societal and psychological implications of an aging population.
Sex Therapy Techniques
January 15, 2022
Dr. Ann Kirlin
In this session, attendees will learn about the foundations of sex therapy and techniques for effective psychotherapy.
2021
He(Art) Therapy
December 11, 2021
Lynell Weiss, LMFT
In this session, attendees will learn about art therapy, who it's for, how it can be used with clients. The session will be experiential and group-driven.
Money Matters & Fee Matters: What We Don't Talk About in Therapy
November 20, 2021
Dr. Rachel Bar
This is a workshop that deals with uncomfortable topics. Hopefully this will be the first step in creating a comfortable dialogue and providing the language while discussing money, finance, and fees in therapy.
Alchemical Symbolism in Psychotherapy
October 16, 2021
Dr. Jack Mayhall
During the last thirty years of his life, Jung turned to alchemy as a fundamental resource for depth psychology. In alchemy he found images and thoughts that were uniquely fitted to his perceptions of psychological life and that confirmed his views of the spontaneous activity and directedness of the unconscious. This seminar will present a brief overview of alchemy to help develop an understanding of the relation of alchemical symbols to psychotherapy and individuation.
Modern Psychoanalysis
September 11, 2021
Dr. Kath MacLeay
Modern psychoanalysis rests upon the theoretical framework and clinical approach of Sigmund Freud, who defined psychoanalysis as any line of investigation that takes transference and resistance as the starting point of its work. It is the name given by Hyman Spotnitz to describe a body of developments in the theory of technique in order to apply the psychoanalytic method to the treatment of certain disorders previously thought to be untreatable by that method.