NEW DATES!  NOVEMBER 14-16, 2024!  JOIN US!

Thank you to our 2024 Convention Sponsors! 

Jon Sperry, Ph.D., LMHC, LCSW, NCC

Building Community With Rhythm and Music

With increasing socio-political tension around the world, mental health practitioners are expected to address the complex mental health needs of their clients. Music offers one antidote to our current social conditions. A meta-analysis of 400 studies found that music can positively influence physical and mental health outcomes. Listening to music was even found to be more effective than prescription drugs in reducing anxiety among patients before surgery. Even further, listening to music and performing music can also help individuals increase participants’ sense of belonging and connection to others. This presentation will engage the participants in rhythm and group drumming activities that can foster connection and wellness.

The Beginner’s Guide to Virtual Reality (VR)-Enhanced Exposure Therapy 

In the words of Mr. Rogers (Fred, not Carl), “Anything that's human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary.” All major psychotherapies involving encountering—rather than avoiding—unpleasant thoughts and feelings. Though talk therapy is powerful, it can be augmented with experiences that activate the brain in ways not typically experienced in a talk therapy session. Advancements in virtual reality (VR) technology, which have made VR technology more accessible and affordable than ever, now permit clients and counselors yet another means to expand beyond the confines of the typical therapy room to share safe but powerful therapeutic experiences. This training session was designed to introduce counselors to VR-assisted therapy and how it can be used for exposure therapy, relaxation (mindfulness training and somatic quieting), behavioral activation, social skills training, and psychoeducation. Meta analyses of VR-assisted exposure therapies show large effect sizes compared to control conditions that are comparable to other in vivo exposure approaches (Carl et al., 2019; Eshuis et al., 2021;Wechsler et al., 2019).

Dr. Aaron Norton, LMHC, LMFT

Dr. Aaron Norton is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with certifications in addictions, alcohol and drug counseling, rehabilitation counseling, clinical mental health counseling, trauma treatment, forensic mental health evaluation, forensic behavioral analysis, and forensic psychometry.