Pre-Conference Deep Dives

The BRAVE Method: Building Vicarious Resilience in Trauma-Exposed Practice

Presenter: Jenny Hughes
CE Type: Distinct Populations
CE Hours: 3

Vicarious trauma is not a sign that something has gone wrong. It is a predictable outcome of sustained empathic engagement with clients' trauma material, even among well-trained, well-supported clinicians. For psychologists and mental health professionals who routinely accompany clients into the most painful and dysregulating territory of their lives, this exposure is part of the work itself. Yet most clinicians are taught to manage its effects through individual self-care strategies that, while well-intentioned, are insufficient when the cumulative weight of trauma-exposed work is left unnamed and unsupported.

This presentation introduces The BRAVE Method, a skills-based, evidence-informed framework for understanding and responding to the real impact of trauma-exposed practice. Built around three core movements — Name It, Tame It and Reframe It — the BRAVE Method gives clinicians shared language and practical tools for recognizing vicarious trauma when it shows up, responding to its effects in real time and actively cultivating vicarious resilience as a protective and sustaining force.

A central focus of this session is vicarious resilience, the often-overlooked counterpart to vicarious trauma. First identified in 2007, vicarious resilience refers to the measurable positive effects clinicians experience through meaningful engagement with clients' healing, growth and courage, including renewed sense of purpose, deepened clinical wisdom and increased capacity to remain in the work. Without intentional attention, however, it tends to go unnoticed while vicarious trauma accumulates unchecked.

This interactive session is designed for both individual clinicians and those in supervisory or consultation roles. Attendees will leave with a working understanding of vicarious trauma and vicarious resilience grounded in current research, along with BRAVE Method practices they can implement immediately in individual practice, peer consultation and team settings.

Tech Check Up: Resources for Clients, Families and Children Struggling with Technology Use

Presenter: Katie Hartman
CE Type: General CE
CE Hours: 3

Psychologists are in a critical position to guide the public on how media consumption and behaviors impact mental health. TPA has issued guidance about healthy media habits through its one-page resource, Unhealthy Overuse of Social Media: How to Address the Problem. However, gaps remain in how to bring technology safety guidance directly to clients. This can be particularly difficult when child behavioral challenges and parental disagreement are involved. Psychologists may also have gaps in their knowledge of specific technologies and trends.

This presentation provides a practical framework for guiding clients through the development of a media plan. Participants will receive direct instruction along with optional experiential components. Clinicians will become familiar with major safety challenges young people face online and receive a structured process for helping clients develop their own media strategies. Topics will include values clarification, pillars of essential child development and effective family technology routines.

The presentation will culminate in an exploration of using a single-subject design to refine a client's media strategy. This approach allows clinicians to tailor technology recommendations for specific families and child temperaments. Following the presentation, clinicians will be prepared to implement a single-session tech checkup with clients across a range of presentations.

Autism, ADHD, and Learning Differences: Navigating Where Diverse Paths Cross

Presenter: Kimberly Harrison
CE Type: Distinct Populations
CE Hours: 3

Neurodiversity is not a one-size-fits-all construct. This session will provide clinicians with a nuanced understanding of the shared and distinct cognitive and behavioral features associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning differences. Emphasis will be placed on identifying core patterns of neurodiverse thinking, including differences in attention, executive functioning, learning and social-emotional processing.

Participants will explore how overlapping characteristics across these populations can complicate assessment and intervention, as well as how key distinctions can inform more targeted and effective clinical approaches. The presentation will highlight how these differences affect daily functioning, including task management, emotional regulation and social interaction.

The session will also introduce practical, evidence-informed strategies for tailoring therapeutic interventions to the specific profiles commonly observed within each group. By examining both points of convergence and divergence across neurodiverse populations, clinicians will be better equipped to conceptualize client needs and implement individualized, effective supports. Drawing on current literature and clinical experience, the presentation aims to enhance participants' ability to differentiate, understand and support individuals with diverse neurocognitive profiles in a range of therapeutic and educational settings.

Bridging Brain, Behavior, and Recovery: Cultivating Collaborative Care Across Addiction Psychiatry, Neuropsychology, and Psychology

Presenters: Michelle Prosje and Lantie Elisabeth Jorandby, M.D.
CE Type: Distinct Populations
CE Hours: 3

Lantie Elisabeth Jorandby, M.D. is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in General and Addiction Psychiatry, a Diplomate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine in Addiction Medicine, a Lifetime Diplomate of the American Board of Addiction Medicine, a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (DFAPA).

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are complex conditions that require coordinated, nonjudgmental, interdisciplinary care to optimize outcomes. Drawing on expertise in addiction psychiatry and neuropsychology, presenters will demonstrate how cognitive impairment, psychiatric symptoms, behavioral patterns and a patient's readiness for change interact to affect treatment engagement and outcomes. Emphasis will be placed on translating interdisciplinary insights into actionable strategies for assessment, case formulation and intervention in everyday clinical practice.

The session will begin with a review of SUDs, specifically commonly used toxicology screening methods including urine, blood and alternative matrices, and will explore how interpretation of these results informs diagnostic clarification, treatment planning and risk management. Neuropsychological functioning in substance use populations, including executive dysfunction, memory impairment and decision-making deficits, will also be reviewed, along with how these factors influence treatment engagement and recovery trajectories.

Participants will explore Prochaska's Transtheoretical Model of Change to strengthen their understanding of patient readiness and their ability to create interventions that enhance motivation, adherence and treatment outcomes. Case presentations will be used to deepen understanding and foster group interaction.

The workshop will also address practical strategies for improving communication and collaboration across providers, including shared language frameworks, integrated treatment planning and coordination in both outpatient and higher levels of care. Barriers to effective collaboration and actionable solutions will also be discussed. By the conclusion of the session, participants will have a deeper understanding of how interdisciplinary collaboration strengthens addiction care and will gain practical tools to enhance communication, improve treatment planning and support recovery within diverse clinical settings.