Full Course Description

Changing the ADHD Brain: Moving Beyond Medication

Many persons diagnosed with ADHD prefer not to take medication. There are various reasons for this including side effects and concerns with long-term use. In this seminar, you will learn more about these reasons, as well as alternative interventions for ADHD.

Looking at ADHD from a developmental perspective, we will consider reasons for the apparent increase in ADHD diagnoses over the past two decades. By understanding the way the brain works in ADHD, you will be able to better identify a variety of strategies to significantly impact the nervous system and positively influence symptoms of ADHD in your clients.

Not only will you walk away with information about some of the most common non-medication interventions for ADHD such as computerized cognitive training, mindfulness meditation and neurofeedback, you will also learn a variety of practical strategies that can be implemented immediately and at low cost.

We will navigate the vast research on exercise, movement, diet, sleep, disruptive technologies, supplements and the impact of the environment on ADHD, summarizing the findings and applying the information to “real life.” You will leave this seminar with the tools and knowledge to develop a holistic approach to working with adults and children with ADHD.

Program Information

Objectives

Evaluate the relationship between the frontal lobe of the brain and ADHD symptomology for the purpose of client psychoeducation.
Determine the impact of movement and exercise on the reduction of ADHD symptoms as it relates to assessment and treatment planning.
Employ treatment interventions for improving impulse control and working memory in clients.
Analyze the influence of diet and nutrition on ADHD symptoms in relation to assessment and treatment planning.
Develop clinical strategies to calm the nervous system of clients diagnosed with ADHD.
Assess the clinical implications of environmental influences on ADHD symptoms in clients.

Outline

Why Not Medication?

Useful as a short-term tool
Concerns with long-term use: Effects on the brain

ADHD and the “Immature” Brain

Brain imaging evidence of ADHD
Research regarding ADHD brain development
Frontal lobes mature more slowly in the ADHD brain
Excess theta brainwaves
Implications for treatment

Movement-Based Strategies

Wake up an underaroused ADHD brain
Hyperactivity as an adaptive mechanism
The impact of play and exercise on the brain
Role of rhythm and timing training
Integrated movement systems for ADHD

Frontal Lobe/Working Memory Strategic Tools

Use it or lose it: Increase memory, attention and focus
Games for impulse control and working memory
Computerized cognitive training programs
Meditation and mindfulness for ADHD
Neurofeedback

Diet and Nutrition

The impact of sugars, fats, proteins and water
Diet and dopamine
Omega 3-6-9: What you need to know for brain health
Multivitamins/minerals: Do they make a difference?
Gluten, food additives and pesticides

ADHD and Nervous System Overstimulation

”Overaroused” subtype of ADHD
Stress, anxiety and ADHD: the connection
Breathwork and movement for nervous system calming
Heart rate variability biofeedback
Art therapy techniques to quiet and focus the brain

Environmental Influences

Video games and Social Media
Sleep deprivation
Same symptoms as ADHD
Strategies to help insomnia
Environmental toxins: lead, phthalates, pollution
The impact of time in nature on ADHD symptoms

Limitations of the Research and Potential Risks

Copyright : 15/10/2021

ADHD in Children and Adolescents: Advances in Diagnosis, Treatment and Management

Watch world-renowned ADHD expert Dr. Russell Barkley in a 3-hour seminar highlighting new insights in the diagnosis, treatment and management of ADHD. Packed with recent research and practical application, this webcast is a must-see for anyone who works with kids and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD

Follow along with Dr. Barkley as he walks you through:

His latest research findings and what that means for treatment and management of ADHD today
How to differentiate between ADHD and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) – and why it matters
The startling correlation between untreated ADHD and premature, severe health problems
Why an ADHD diagnosis lends itself to significant health problems and shorter life expectancy
The evolution of ADHD as more than just an educational or mental health problem
14 best principles for managing ADHD in children and teens
An update on the most recent evidence-based treatment recommendations

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to learn from a legend in the mental health field!

Purchase today!

Program Information

Objectives

Determine the health problems that are negatively affected by ADHD and how to use this knowledge to appropriately revise intervention approaches.
Evaluate the diagnostic criteria of ADHD to the clinical features of SCT as suggested in the most recent literature.
Analyze 14 principles that will promote better executive functioning and self-regulation for children and teens with ADHD.

Outline

The Costs of Undertreated ADHD

Why ADHD may be the disorder “behind the curtain” of significant health problems
Risk factors: suicide, self-injury, obesity, substance abuse, diabetes and shorter life expectancy
Your role in educating kids, caregivers and medical professionals on the health risks of ADHD
How to broaden your assessment beyond the DSM-5® to include diet, nutrition, sleep and quality of life

The Future of Diagnosis and Treatment

Dr. Barkley’s most recent research – and what it means for you as a helping professional
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) – ADHD’s lesser known, but just as prominent and debilitating cousin
Comparing SCT and ADHD – Demographics, Comorbidity, Risks and Impairments
Why SCT is often diagnosed as “ADHD – Inattentive Type” or “ADD”
Crucial differences in treatment recommendations for SCT v. ADHD

14 Best Principles for Managing ADHD in Children and Teens

Understanding ADHD as a disorder of executive functioning and self-regulation
The latest evidence-based treatment recommendations for improving:
- Self-awareness
- Time management
- Emotional self-control
- Self-motivation
- Planning and problem solving
- And more!
Recommendations on what to avoid – and why – with kids who have ADHD

Copyright : 10/06/2021

Rethinking ADHD: A New Treatment Approach

As ubiquitous as it is, the condition we misleadingly call ADHD is too often misunderstood, even by professionals. Rather than treating it as a deficit or a disorder, the best outcomes derive from a new strengths-based model that reconceives ADHD as VAST (Variable Attention Stimulus Trait). Discover cutting-edge interventions based on the VAST approach that can change the lives of clients of all ages. You’ll learn:

How to explain the VAST model to clients in plain language, so they start seeing and using their unique brain traits as an asset rather than a curse
The role of medication vs. nonmedication interventions for children and adults
How to help clients avoid the major pitfalls of VAST, such as chronic self-attack, rumination, underachievement, substance abuse and other addictions, poor relationship choices, and the consequences of disorganization

Program Information

Objectives

Evaluate several treatment interventions based on a VAST approach to ADHD that improve clinical outcomes.
Assess how to explain the VAST model to clients in a way that helps them view their unique brain traits as assets.
Investigate the major pitfalls of treatment and how to avoid them.
Evaluate the role of medication and nonmedication interventions for children and adults.

Outline

Describe several treatment interventions based on a VAST approach to ADHD that improve clinical outcomes.
- Learn how to understand and implement a strength-based approach to treating ADHD.
- How to take a strength-based history to develop the talents and strengths of a person who has ADHD.  
Assess how to explain the VAST model to clients in a way that helps them view their unique brain traits as assets.
- Learn how to see ADHD not as a disorder but as a trait. 
- Learn how to reframe the challenges of ADHD in terms of Mirror Traits. 
List the major pitfalls of treatment and how to avoid them.
- How to Understand the Role of Medication in the Treatment of ADHD.
- How to Find the Right Dose of the Right Medication. 
Explain the role of medication and nonmedication interventions for children and adults.
- Learn to appreciate ways of treating ADHD without medication.
- How to examine the benefits of exercise, nutrition, and other non-medication approaches that promote a healthier mental and physical life.

Copyright : 03/02/2021

Psychopharmacology: Essential Updates for Mental Health Professionals

If you are like a lot of therapists, many of your clients are taking psychotropic medicines prescribed by a number of different health care professionals. Despite who wrote the script, it is your responsibility to know your clients' symptoms and reactions to medications, and to coordinate their care.

This intensive focuses on providing practical and useful information about antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and medication for insomnia, as well as the tools to handle the ethical decisions that surround psychopharmacology. Get to the "bottom line" on the most prescribed antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and medication for insomnia on the market today, and learn how to discuss scope of practice with your patients in order to optimize their care. The goal is for you to leave better prepared to communicate with your clients as well as the prescribers.

Program Information

Objectives

Investigate the proper role of mental health professionals who treat clients receiving both psychotherapeutic medications and psychotherapy.
Determine the traditional medications used for the treatment of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and medications for insomnia.
Assess recent advances in the medications for depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and insomnia.

Outline

Why (and what) you should know about psychopharmacology
Questions you can expect from clients and prescribers and how to answer them
Latest information and newest medications for depression, anxiety, and insomnia

Copyright : 02/12/2020

Extended Adolescence - When 25 Looks More Like 18: Clinical Strategies for Clients Struggling to Meet the Demands of Adulthood

The interplay of new technologies, socio-cultural shifts, and educational stressors have created obstacles for young people like never before.

Research suggests that while today’s youth enter adolescence much sooner, they actually reach adulthood much later...resulting in an “extended adolescence.” Our traditional therapeutic tools now fall short, as we endeavour to help clients meet the demands of adulthood.

Watch award-winning author and international speaker Sharon Saline, Psy.D., and national trainer and child/family consultant Steve O’Brien, Psy.D., for an enlightening experience designed to redefine and redesign your treatment approach to help young people forge a path to adulthood.

You will learn strategies to:

Navigate ADHD, anxiety, autism and other obstacles to develop life skills
Reprogram the dopamine dependent brain
Cultivate openness and flexibility with Gen Z culture
Collaborate with well-intended but over-involved parents
Instil motivation to advance real-world engagement
Promote “connected independence” in young adults

This timely and engaging training will shed new light on Generation Z youth and equip you with practical, contemporary tools for empowering these young people to shift gears and move toward a rewarding and meaningful adulthood.

Program Information

Objectives

Evaluate relevant research on extended adolescence and emerging adulthood.
Determine factors which promote normative vs complicated adolescent identity development.
Evaluate the interplay of technological, societal, and educational stressors on the transition from adolescence to young adulthood.
Distinguish how DSM-5™ disorders develop in adolescents hinder the “adulting” process.
Choose therapeutic strategies for reducing symptom severity in young adults and for reducing systemic conflict.
Design clinical interventions for common disorders of the Gen Z population.
Employ therapeutic techniques for cultivating a growth mindset and resilience in young adults.

Outline

When 25 Looks More Like 18, Origins of Extended Adolescence

Psychosocial implications of a “Check-listed Childhood”
Plugged-in but disconnected: “The Loneliest Generation”
Short-term gratification for the dopamine dependent brain
Gender, race, privilege and other “identity influencers”
Interplay of technology, society and educational stressors
“Virtual Reality IS Their Reality”

Reaching Adolescents and Their Families

Tips for rapport building with Generation Z
Mindfully managing parental involvement
Build working alliances without alignments
Cultivate cooperation and bypass resistance

Modifying the Clinical Interview – What’s Changed

Model openness and flexibility with Gen Z culture
Distinguish between pathology and generational differences
Precursors to other disorders – are you seeing these traits clearly
Navigate more complex Identity exploration and confusion
Differentiate oppositional behaviour from healthy identity expression

Clinical Strategies for Clients Struggling with:
Anxiety - Social, OCD, Panic

Promote “real” interaction in a virtual world
Facilitate flexibility by reducing device dependent behaviour
Neutralize perfectionistic worry to combat outcome certainty
Reduce fears around healthy risk taking

Depression

Dealing with fallout of social media and cyber harassment
Reframe devaluing self-talk from negative online comparison
Mood-management and preventing isolation
Reduce desensitized views of self-harming thoughts/behaviours

ADHD

Social media boundaries to reduce impulsivity and negative consequences
Device management to reduce distraction
Self-structuring for time blindness
“Appointment-Making” for better follow through

Autism Spectrum Disorders and Neurodiversity

Social coaching to reduce “passing as neurotypical” stress
Brain-based, self-regulation strategies to manage overstimulation
Foster flexible self-view around gender identity and sexuality
Healthy routines to promote friendship, productivity and fun

Cultivating a Growth Mindset for Life

Teach tools for long-term resilience and self-advocacy
Determine need for other professional services
Advance healthy development in future generations
Research findings and limitations

Copyright : 09/06/2021

Adult ADHD: Targeting Executive Skills to Manage ADHD in Adults

A young man calls you to make an appointment, saying once again he has lost his job and that over the last nine years he has lost, or been asked to resign from eight jobs. The appointed time arrives and he does not show. Later that day he leaves a voicemail apologizing for forgetting his appointment and asks to reschedule. He admits that even if he remembered the appointment he would not have made it because he lost his car keys. The appointment is rescheduled and he arrives 20 minutes late. As he sits down he shares he received a speeding ticket on his way here and has had over 50 previous citations. Also, he doesn’t understand why he keeps losing his jobs, as he was always known to make many sales. He then described a litany of stormy relationships with lovers even saying one girlfriend told him he is “reliably unreliable.” He appears disheveled, anxious and demoralized. Talking incessantly while not seemingly able to tell a story in a logical sequence.

Adults portraying Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often come to see you in hopes of making their life less chaotic and improving their day-to-day interactions with others. They really want to change but simply do not know how. You have your usual strategies to use, but will it be enough? Do you have the tools necessary to facilitate real changes and ease their pain?

Let Dr. Blake share with you tried and true evidence-based techniques, skills & methods that can be easily applied with your adult ADHD clients to immediately improve their quality of life. You will learn the latest strategies to treat impaired executive function, the core issue of difficulty in adults with ADHD. These practical, easy to apply methods will help your adult clients improve their time/task management, personal organization, & planning, thus improving many aspects of their life including employment, relationships, physical & mental health, grooming, driving, parenting, etc. Dr. Blake will also teach your how to coordinate treatment with other necessary professionals inclusive of physicians, speech-language therapists, professional organizers, ADHD coaches, job coaches, academic tutors, career counselors, etc.

Program Information

Objectives

Establish what executive function is and why it is so important to time management, personal organization and planning as it relates to treatment in clinical practice.
Analyze how Adult ADHD negatively affects executive function in relation to assessment and treatment outcomes.
Determine how ADHD, Inattentive Presentation (Sluggish Cognitive Tempo) is different from the ADHD that is in the DSM-5® and communicate why this is important as it relates to treatment planning.
Explore assessment tools used to identify deficits in executive functioning, to better inform your choice of treatment interventions.
Implement strategies to help adults with ADHD with their executive function difficulties in the workplace, in relationships, and in parenting.
Identify strategies that are appropriate for fostering executive function development or intervening when executive function difficulties are identified.

Outline

Diagnose ADHD & Measure EF in Adults
Diagnosis

The Big 3
Ratings scales
Questionnaires
Semi-structured interviews
Impairment Index
Collaterals

Measuring EF

Adult executive functioning inventory
Brief-A
Comprehensive executive function inventory
WAIS-IV and WJ-IV
NIH toolbox cognition battery
Barkley’s rating scales

Adult ADHD Treatment
The Big 4 & 4 Steps

Therapeutic effect of diagnosis
Medication-genetic testing
Psychoeducation
Accommodation
Comorbidities: ADHD, Inattentive presentation-restrictive, or sluggish cognitive tempo
Specific Learning Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Sleep disorders
Depression & anxiety
Personality disorders

EF Techniques & Strategies
Organization, Planning & Time Management

Clinical Interventions to bring order to the disorganized mind
The 30 to 40% rule for inattention, impulsivity/hyperactivity & ADHD

Impulse Control & Self-Regulation

CBT & internalized speech
Overcoming guilt & shame
Automatize behavior
What about mindfulness?
Relaxation skills

Enhance Focus, Attention & Working Memory

”Neurotypical” forgetting vs. ADHD forgetting
Chunking, mnemonics & other memory techniques
Multisensory memory
Loci
Self-testing & self-imagining
N-Back
5 ways to reduce cognitive load
Technological prosthetics-assistive technology

Stop Executive Dysfunction from Sabotaging Your Clients’ Relationships

Impact of EF difficulties on adult relationships
Goal setting
Self-monitoring & self-talk
Social skills training
Conflict resolution skills
Anger identification
Decode facial expressions & body language
Making accurate facial expressions
Better follow through with medical issues & self-care
Tips to remember special dates, etc.

For the Workplace & Home

ADHD work difficulties
Career counseling
Clutter control made simple
Job coach & supervision; advocacy?
Social skills, self-esteem & education
Training & adult education accommodations
”Best” ADHD jobs

Risks & Limitations

Copyright : 02/11/2018

ADHD, Relationships, and Sex: Strategies to Overcome the Over/Under-Functioner Dynamic

Couples show up in your office stuck in a tug of war -- neither partner is happy.

Without specific strategies to shift this dynamic, you’ll get stuck in the same unwinnable battles – and if you’re not looking for ADHD in one of the partners, you could be missing the boat!

Explicitly addressing ADHD (including the other partner’s response to it) is the change agent for successful therapy!

ADHD exacerbates the universal struggles that every couple faces, so learning to work more effectively with these couples will make you more effective with all your couples.

Join Ari Tuckman, PsyD, CST, in this fresh look at how to move couples forward in therapy:

Overcome ADHD’s mindset traps
Escape the dynamics of the over- and under-functioner
Create more sustainable agreements
Negotiate each partner’s desires and needs
Once again reap the many benefits of a satisfying sex life

Don’t miss out on learning from one of the few experts in both ADHD and sex therapy!

Program Information

Objectives

Demonstrate how ADHD neurology impacts an individual psychology.
Determine the many ways that ADHD can impact both partners in a couple and the common dynamics that ensue.
Clarify what the research tells us about the differences between the most and least happy couples with one ADHD partner and apply it to practice.
Integrate a deeper understanding of ADHD, relationship dynamics, and sexuality to work more effectively with these clients to improve both their relationship and sex life.

Outline

Inside the Adult ADHD Mind

Difficulty seeing time and feeling the future
Avoidance of difficult or unpleasant tasks
Common mindset traps and rationalizations
Psychological defensiveness after a lifetime of being corrected

ADHD’s Impact on Relationships and Sex

The over-functioner meets the under-functioner
Micromanagement versus independence
Chronic polarizing pattern of push and pull
Sexuality fades and the couple’s connection weakens

What the Happiest Couples are Doing Right –

Strategies to:
- Apply a deeper understanding of ADHD to manage life more resiliently (for both partners)
- Create more sustainable expectations to de-escalate the unwinnable tug of war between distraction and anxiety
- Explore priorities to decide what to change and what to accept in the relationship
- Negotiate differences respectfully and productively
- Identify and overcome barriers to a better sex life

Identifying and Treating the 1 in 5 students with ADHD and Learning Disabilities who are Returning to School Misdiagnosed and Misunderstood

We are all aware that the pandemic of 2020 brought to light inequities in education that have persisted for the past 20 years. Our challenge now is that the magnification of such dilemmas calls for immediate science-based actions. In this presentation, Pediatric Psychologist, Dr. Lynne Kenney integrates research and practice from psychology, cognitive science, public health, education, kinesiology, occupational therapy, and speech-language therapy to provide a uniquely actionable perspective on the application of executive function, social-emotional, and sensory-motor skills poised to shift a generation of learners. We spend billions of dollars on academic curriculum, when our time, energy, and resources are better spent on cognitive skill-building, social-emotional learning, phonology, numeracy, physical literacy, and mental health services for all.

Program Information

Objectives

Understand the neurobiology of learning.
Learn why the achievement GAP impacts all of us.
Understand the development precursors to learning.
Learn what you can do to impact the neurobiological domains of learning and behaviour.
Learn about current assessment technologies and tools (not taught in grad school) that answer questions more relevant to learning, mental health, and behaviour.
Learn the role of building cognitive and self-regulation skills in the improvement of academic outcomes.
Understand the role of Structured Literacy and Foundational Numeracy in improving academic, social, and behavioural outcomes.
Learn the three things (you were not taught) to screen for if you are working with a student who is anxious or depressed.
Learn an evidence-based assessment, treatment, and intervention methodology to improve learning and behavioural outcomes in your clients/students.

Outline

Part I

The Neurobiology of Learning
Impact of Poverty on Brain Development
The Achievement Gap
Academic Progress (We are Behind)

PART II

Developmental Precursors to Learning
Actions We CAN Take
Improving Fundamental Neurobiological Skills

PART III

Predict Achievement Better Than IQ
Benefits of Executive Function Skill Development
Co-Existing Condition Matter (A LOT!)

PART IV

Assessment
Treatment Planning
Progress Monitoring
Building the Bridge to Generalization

CBT Strategies for Kids and Adolescents: Supporting Students with ADHD and Anxiety

School’s back in session – but that’s not good news for everyone.

A safe haven for some and a source of significant stress for others, school presents a number of unique stressors – particularly those with anxiety or ADHD. And as they navigate their new normal at school, they’ll need more support than ever. Are you prepared?

Join child and adolescent CBT expert Dr. David Pratt for this compelling 90-minute training designed to set you and your clients or students up for success in the school year.

You’ll learn:

Why students with anxiety and/or ADHD are especially vulnerable to difficulties re-entering school after a prolonged absence
Easy to implement CBT strategies and tools to help your students meet academic and social demands of school
And more!

This training is a must-attend for anyone working with school-age kids and adolescents – sign up today!

Program Information

Objectives

Determine the unique characteristics and challenges that students with anxiety or ADHD have with respect to coping with the academic and social demands of the school environment;
Utilize evidence-based interventions to help the anxious or ADHD student make a positive adjustment to re-entering school subsequent to a prolonged absence due to COVID-19 quarantine.
Develop interventions for teaching executive functioning skills to children and adolescents with ADHD.

Outline

School Anxiety: Why Avoidance is not the Solution

A problem on a continuum: From early morning pleas to stay home to chronic absences
Common triggers for avoidance
4 functions of school refusal; CBT interventions designed to match each one
Therapist – parent – school cooperation

ADHD: More Than a “Behavior Problem”

7 executive functioning (EF) skills deficits underlying ADHD
Guidance for teachers and parents to teach EF skills
Interventions for motivation, time management, problem-solving, emotional self-control, and more

ADHD in Teens & Young Adults

Dealing with ADHD-related difficulties is tough, especially for young people balancing school, friends, family and thinking about their futures.

Author Dr. Melissa Springstead Cahill developed the mindfulness-based ANCHORED approach, to help teens become more focused, functional and happy, and make every day struggles easier to deal with.

A: Attention and Acceptance
N: Natural Awareness
C: Concentrate on Purpose
H: Happy Homework
O: Open and Organized
R: Recognize, Relax, and Reflect
E: Emotions
D: Determination

Look inside and find:
- Mindfulness exercises
- Worksheets
- Meditation scripts

Improve:
- Executive function skills
- Attention & memory
- Emotions
- Interpersonal relationships
- Ability to cope with stress

Executive Function Difficulties in Adults

Executive function difficulties may not go away with age-and inside you’ll find 52 worksheets, 40 handouts, and dozens of tips to make day-to-day living easier and more productive for adults.

Written by executive function and ADHD expert, Dr. Stephanie Sarkis, this unique resource includes:

Proven cognitive-behavioural strategies
Exercises to improve short-term memory, organization and focus
Techniques to enhance communication and social skills
Easy-to-follow instructions for mindfulness meditation
Effective accommodations for the workplace and college