MHREN - Mental Health Resource and Education Network

May 17, 2013
LGBTQ Issues in Therapy: A New Frontier

Arlene (Ari) Istar Lev, LCSW-R, CASAC
6 CEUs

In the four decades since homosexuality was removed from the DSM, a vital “queer” community has grown, embracing gay men, lesbians, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, genderqueer and intersex peopleall presenting with diverse and complex clinical needs. Individuals and couples come to therapy seeking assistance with a wide-range of issues including coming-out, parenting, illness, aging, infertility, and polyamory; they express unique and multifaceted gender identities and expressions. Clinicians who are “queer-affirmative” today need to be skilled in therapeutic perspectives involving nuanced understandings of sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual diversity, and relationship issues.

This workshop will provide an overview of sexual orientation and gender identity, and explore the clinical issues impacting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer(LGBTQ) individuals, couples, and families within a systemic perspective.

Learning objectives:

• To develop a working knowledge of sexual orientation and gender identity issues for affirmative treatment with LGBTQ clients.
• To demonstrate advanced clinical practice skills that support diverse sexual and gender identities, based on emerging evidence-based research and clinical best practices.
• To utilize a biopsychosocial, strengths-based approach in understanding specific LGBTQ human development issues (i.e., coming-out) as well as coupling and family-building concerns, within a feminist, narrative, and systemic framework.
• To understand the definitions, terms, concepts, and paradigms relative to competent practice with transgender and transsexual clients and their families.

Arlene (Ari) Istar Lev, LCSW-R, CASAC, is a social worker, family therapist, educator, and writer, whose work addresses the unique therapeutic needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. She is the Founder and Clinical Director of Choices Counseling and Consulting providing individual and family therapy and TIGRIS—The Institute for Gender, Relationships, Identity, and Sexuality, a post-graduate training program in Albany, New York.

Arlene has written numerous journal articles and essays and authored two books: “The Complete Lesbian and Gay Parenting Guide” and “Transgender Emergence: Therapeutic Guidelines for Working with Gender-Variant People and their Families”, winner of the American Psychological Association (Division 44) Distinguished Book Award, 2006.

Download a flyer [PDF]

Discounted Registration Fees until May 3

Members: $120
Student/Retiree/Intern Members: $60
Non-members: $140
Student/Retiree/Intern Non-members: $70

Register online:

Choose Type of Registration

Member $80.00 USD Non-Member $100.00 USD Student/Retiree/Intern Member $40.00 USD Student/Retiree/Intern Non-Member $50.00 USD

Register by mail/check:

Please download a registration form [PDF] and send it with your check.

July 19, 2013 (originally scheduled for Jan. 18)
Finding Ease and Elegance
in Movement and Breath

Dwight Pargee, MS, GCFP
6 CEUs

There is nothing in our life, whether imagination, sensation, action or emotion, that does not involve movement. The Feldenkrais Method® Somatic Education focuses on the embodiment of our lives as a basis for perception and action in the world. Potentially, by improving our movement, we can improve our sensing, feeling, thinking and the acting of our whole selves.

This workshop will present learning practices, lectures and group facilitation processes on the embodiment of how we move and act in the world. We will make “experiments on our experience”, highlighting through movement, our habits of thought, sensation and emotion; and discovering the possibility of un-habitual,surprising and creative variations. We will explore questions that might be useful for your own self-care and development as well as your client’s.

For example:

From attention, to integration, to intention, to mindfulness; please join us for a day of discovery in sensing our own connectedness, reflecting on how that can improve the quality of our relationships, and acting in continuity with the environment.

Dwight Pargee, MS, GCFP helps people navigate the world of intention, action, and achievement. He has studied the movement sciences and martial arts for the last 28 years and holds degrees in exercise science and kinesiology. Dwight has a special interest in how neuromuscular learning and compassionate communication can help clients to discover their optimal mind/body coordination. He works as an Assistant Trainer in Feldenkrais professional training programs and maintains a private practice in Bend, OR.

Discounted Registration Fees until July 5

Members: $80 (after July 5, $120)
Student/Retiree/Intern Members: $40 (after July 5, $60)
Non-members: $100 (after July 5, $140)
Student/Retiree/Intern Non-members: $50 (after July 5, $70)

Register online:

Choose Type of Registration

Member $80.00 USD Non-Member $100.00 USD Student/Retiree/Intern Member $40.00 USD Student/Retiree/Intern Non-Member $50.00 USD

Register by mail/check:

Please download a registration form [PDF] and send it with your check.

September 20, 2013
Healing Trauma Using Feldenkrais and Interpersonal Neurobiology

Donna Ray, M.A., MFT
6 CEUs

In this workshop, we will be learning about trauma, stress and recovery from both a psychological and somatic perspective. Just as emotional trauma has both psychological and somatic dimensions, so must the healing of that emotional trauma.

On the psychological side, healing requires a willingness to process previously unprocessed feelings and to reclaim the feeling process itself. On the somatic side, healing involves letting go of the neuromuscular blocks to “restricted” feeling states and regaining access to dis-integrated body states.

Learning objectives:

• •Learn how the brain/nervous systems responds to stress and trauma.
• Learn how to change the brain and nervous system to reduce stress and trauma.
• Learn how to help yourself and loved ones in times of stress and trauma.
• Learn to enjoy life more fully and to help others do so as well.

Donna Ray, M.A., M.F.T., internationally known teacher/trainer of the Feldenkrais Method® and Licensed Psychotherapist, works with a large variety of people; from infants to the elderly, people recovering from accidents and illness, performing athletes and musicians. In addition, Donna works with people suffering from anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress. Her practice includes individuals, couples and families. Donna studied and co-taught with Esther Thelen, Ph.D, and Alan Fogel, Ph.D. developmental psychologists and forerunners in Dynamic Systems Theory. She is currently a member of the Mindsight Institute in Los Angeles, where she studies with Dan Siegel, M.D. a leader in the field of Interpersonal Neurobiology.

Download a flyer [PDF]

Discounted Registration Fees until September 6

Members: $80 (after September 6, $120)
Student/Retiree/Intern Members: $40 (after September 6, $60)
Non-members: $100 (after September 6, $140)
Student/Retiree/Intern Non-members: $50 (after September 6, $70)

Register online:

Choose Type of Registration

Member $80.00 USD Non-Member $100.00 USD Student/Retiree/Intern Member $40.00 USD Student/Retiree/Intern Non-Member $50.00 USD

Register by mail/check:

Please download a registration form [PDF] and send it with your check.

November 15, 2013
Dancing with the Risks: Safe Steps, Tricky Steps,
and Landmines

Steve Frankel, Ph.D., J.D.
6 CEUs

This six-hour workshop in law, ethics and regulation focuses on three of the four most frequent causes nationwide for actions against mental health professionals. Since the 2010-2011 law/ethics/regulation workshop focused primarily on boundary violations (including sexual contact between professional and patient/client), this 2012-2013 workshop focuses on incompetence, criminal convictions and cases involving high conflict custody problems. The workshop emphasizes awareness and management of risk factors in the major areas of high risk practice.

Goals & Objectives

Attendees will:

1. Be able to list the top four high risk areas of practice
2. Be able to define and give two examples of “substantial relationship” laws
3. List two characteristics of an “apology”
4. List at least three issues that should be included in clinical records and two types of threats that occur between professional and patient/client
5. List at least two problem areas for high conflict custody cases
6. List at least two requirements for practice continuity and one statute bearing on minors who can authorize their own treatment

Steve Frankel is an ABPP certified clinical and forensic psychologist (PSY3354) and an attorney at law (SBN 192014). He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Indiana University and completed an internship at Columbia University’s Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Frankel has been on the faculty of the University of Southern California for over 35 years, is currently a Clinical Professor of Psychology and a Fellow of the APA. He served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola Law School (Los Angeles) and as an Adjunct Professor at Golden Gate University School of Law. He has taught courses on healthcare policy, regulation of healthcare practice and mental disorder and the law. He has authored over 50 articles and book chapters. He has won the USC Award for Teaching Excellence early in his academic career and is nationally recognized for his expertise, sense of humor and ability to bring his course material to life.

Download a flyer [PDF]

Discounted Registration Fees until November 1

Members: $80
Student/Retiree/Intern Members: $40
Non-members: $100
Student/Retiree/Intern Non-members: $50

Register online:

Choose Type of Registration

Member $80.00 USD Non-Member $100.00 USD Student/Retiree/Intern Member $40.00 USD Student/Retiree/Intern Non-Member $50.00 USD

Register by mail/check:

Please download a registration form [PDF] and send it with your check.