Embodied Spirit Collective: Psychedelics and the 4-D Wheel, Part 2

Presenter: Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers, PhD, LMFT, CSTS, PAT

Date: May 5, 2026 | 2:00 PM MST

Format: Live, interactive synchronous webinar | 1 hour

Content Level: Beginner

Target Audience: Clinical Mental Health Providers, Health Providers, Medical Providers

CE Credits: 1 continuing education credit

Course Description

This one-hour live webinar is the second in a two-part series exploring how psychedelic-assisted therapy and the 4-D Wheel — an indigenous, integrative model developed by Dr. Gina Ogden — can inform trauma-responsive preparation and integration practices. While diagnostic classification, symptom reduction, and cognitive-behavioral models remain essential to contemporary mental health care, emerging research suggests that healing processes involving trauma, grief, and existential distress often engage somatic, emotional, relational, and meaning-based dimensions that extend beyond conventional frameworks.

Through didactic instruction, guided reflection, interactive Q&A, and experiential exercises, participants will explore current neuroscience and psychedelic research alongside indigenous wisdom traditions. The training examines the neurobiological mechanisms of action associated with ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA-assisted therapy, and presents the 4-D Wheel as a culturally respectful framework for supporting integration across body, heart, mind, and spirit. Throughout, emphasis is placed on clinical rigor, humility, ethical grounding, and clear scope of practice.

This training affirms the value of indigenous epistemologies as complementary to scientific frameworks and encourages clinicians to attend to the cultural, spiritual, and ancestral dimensions of meaning-making in client experiences — adapting preparation and integration approaches to align with clients' cultural identities, belief systems, and lived experiences.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this training, participants will be able to:

• Describe current scientific findings related to neuroplasticity, brain network connectivity, and emotional learning that help explain therapeutic effects observed in psychedelic-assisted therapies.

• Identify how the 4-D Wheel framework can support trauma-informed preparation and integration by organizing somatic, emotional, cognitive, and meaning-based experiences.

• Apply culturally responsive and ethically grounded strategies that honor indigenous knowledge systems while remaining within professional scope of practice.

Limitations, Risks, & Benefits

This training acknowledges important limitations, including the emerging nature of psychedelic research, variability in study design, limited long-term outcome data, and the fact that findings cannot be generalized across all populations or substances. Participation does not qualify clinicians to administer psychedelic medicines. Potential risks include misapplication of altered-state frameworks without appropriate training or supervision, cultural appropriation if indigenous models are used without humility and respect, and overinterpretation of neuroimaging findings beyond current scientific evidence. Benefits include a deeper understanding of preparation and integration processes, increased clinical confidence when working with non-ordinary experiences, and expanded conceptual frameworks for addressing trauma, grief, and existential distress.

About the Presenter

Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers, PhD, LMFT, CSTS, PAT, is a therapist, educator, and author with nearly three decades of experience as a professor of marriage and family therapy, medical family therapy, and human sexuality. She is the founder of the Northwest Institute on Intimacy — offering postgraduate clinician training in sex therapy and relational health — and the founder and executive director of Inanna Rising, a clinician membership collective dedicated to equitable, just, and patient-centered psychedelic-assisted therapy training and support. From Blackberry Retreat Center in Sandy, Oregon, Dr. Tina offers retreats and trainings for clinicians on the 4-D Wheel for Expansive Integration and psychedelic-assisted therapy. She is the author of two influential books — Sex, God & the Conservative Church and Shameless Parenting — both recognized for their impact on healing religious sexual shame, trauma, and authoritarian parenting. Dr. Tina remains committed to social justice, integrity, and weaving cutting-edge cultural, spiritual, and sexual healing into compassionate clinical practice.

Course Details

Delivery method: Live interactive webinar via the Institute learning platform

Course interactivity: Interactive — participants will engage in guided reflection, experiential exercises, facilitated discussion, and Q&A

Posttest/quiz: Because this is a live interactive course, a standard posttest is not required. Participation will be monitored throughout the session.

Certificate issuance: Certificates of credit will be issued immediately after course completion to participants who attend the full session and complete the course evaluation.

Contact for questions: institute@thehealinggroup.com

Accessibility accommodations: To request accessibility accommodations, please contact institute@thehealinggroup.com prior to the event. We are committed to making our trainings accessible to all participants.

ASWB ACE Statement:

The Healing Group Institute, provider number 2716, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 3/31/26 – 3/31/27. Social workers completing this course receive 1 continuing education credit.

AASECT CKA:

A. Ethics and ethical behavior.

N. Learning theory and its application.

O. Professional communication and personal reflection skills.

AASECT ST:

A. Theory and methods of sex-related psychotherapy, including several different models.

C. Theory and methods of approach to intervention in relationship systems experiencing sex and intimacy problems.

This presentation has been reviewed by Kristin Hodson, LCSW, CST, CSTS to ensure it meets AASECT standards.

Trauma Consultation with Reva Cook, LCSW, PMH-C, EMDRIA-CIT

The Biological Embedding of Childhood Adversity: Neurodevelopment, Adaptation, and Clinical Reframing

Presenter: Dr. Lisa Diamond

Date: April 28, 2026 | 2:00 PM MST

Format: Live, interactive synchronous webinar | 1 hour

Content Level: Beginner

Target Audience: Clinical Mental Health Providers

CE Credits: 1 continuing education credit

Course Description

This one-hour live webinar examines contemporary research on the biological embedding of childhood adversity, with a focus on how early experiences shape brain development, nervous system functioning, and long-term patterns of stress responsivity. Through expert-led instruction, guided discussion, and structured reflection, participants will explore how different forms of adversity — including threat, deprivation, and unpredictability — produce distinct neurobiological adaptations across developmental periods.

A central focus of this course is reframing childhood adversity away from a deficit-based model and toward an adaptation-focused framework — one that recognizes trauma-related changes as survival-oriented responses rather than pathology. Participants will examine developmental timing, the relative stability versus malleability of adaptations, and the clinical implications for therapeutic intervention, resilience, and trauma-related growth.

This training encourages clinicians to reflect on unconscious biases and consider how sociocultural contexts — including structural inequities, chronic stressors, poverty, discrimination, and community violence — shape exposure to adversity and influence neurodevelopmental outcomes. The course supports practitioners in contextualizing client experiences within broader social, cultural, and systemic realities, promoting inclusive, compassionate, and trauma-informed care.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this training, participants will be able to:

• Explain the concept of biological embedding and describe how childhood adversity is associated with enduring changes in brain development and nervous system functioning.

• Differentiate the neurodevelopmental effects of major classes of childhood adversity — threat, deprivation, and unpredictability — and explain how timing of exposure influences the stability or malleability of resulting adaptations.

• Apply an adaptation-focused clinical framework that reframes trauma-related responses as functional survival adaptations, supporting client resilience, self-regulation, and trauma-related growth rather than deficit-based pathology.

Limitations, Risks, & Benefits

This online training provides a focused, introductory exploration of the neurodevelopmental impacts of childhood adversity; clinicians seeking more advanced or specialized content are encouraged to pursue additional training. Participants may experience some discomfort as they engage with sensitive material or examine previously held assumptions related to trauma and development. No significant risks are anticipated. Benefits include an enhanced understanding of how adversity shapes neurodevelopment, increased ability to translate research findings into clinical practice, and foundational knowledge that supports greater clinical confidence and competence. Participants are encouraged to attend to self-care as needed throughout the session.

About the Presenter

Dr. Lisa Diamond is a professor of Psychology and Gender Studies at the University of Utah, where she has worked since 1999. Her research focuses on mental health among LGBTQ+ populations, sexual and gender identity across the life course, sexual and gender fluidity, and childhood and adolescent trauma exposure — including religious trauma — among LGBTQ+ individuals. Dr. Diamond collaborates frequently with clinicians and brings a research-informed perspective that emphasizes the critical role of social safety and unconditional belonging on the health of marginalized populations.

Course Details

Delivery method: Live interactive webinar via the Institute learning platform

Course interactivity: Interactive — participants will engage in guided discussion, structured reflection, and Q&A

Posttest/quiz: Because this is a live interactive course, a standard posttest is not required. Participation will be monitored throughout the session.

Certificate issuance: Certificates of credit will be issued immediately after course completion to participants who attend the full session and complete the course evaluation.

Contact for questions: institute@thehealinggroup.com

Accessibility accommodations: To request accessibility accommodations, please contact institute@thehealinggroup.com prior to the event. We are committed to making our trainings accessible to all participants.

ASWB ACE Statement:

The Healing Group Institute, provider number 2716, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 3/31/26 – 3/31/27. Social workers completing this course receive 1 continuing education credit.

AASECT CKA:

B. Developmental sexuality (bio-psycho-social, lifespan).

H. Health/medical factors that may influence sexuality, including sexual trauma.

J. Sexual exploitation including sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.

AASECT ST:

A. Theory and methods of sex-related psychotherapy (models).

This presentation has been reviewed by Kristin Hodson, LCSW, CST, CSTS to ensure it meets AASECT standards.

PMAD Attitude Reassessment (PAR)

Presenters: Kristin Hodson, LCSW, CST | Monica Ashton, LCSW, CST, PMH-C

Date: 4/21/26 | 2:00 PM MST

Format: Live, interactive synchronous webinar | 1 hour

Content Level: Beginner

Target Audience: Mental Health Professionals — all backgrounds and professional levels welcome; specialists and non-specialists alike will benefit

CE Credits: 1 continuing education credit

Course Description

This one-hour live webinar invites mental health providers to examine the unconscious biases, judgments, and assumptions they may hold toward pregnant and postpartum parents and their mental health challenges. Modeled after the Sexuality Attitude Reassessment (SAR) — a well-established process used in sex therapy training — this first-of-its-kind PMAD Attitude Reassessment (PAR) applies that same framework to the perinatal mental health realm.

Through self-reflection and self-inquiry, didactic and Socratic teaching methods, and both small and large group discussion, participants will explore messages they have internalized from macro and mezzo communities about the mental health needs of perinatal people — and examine the meaning they have made of those messages. The training also addresses the specific challenges faced by the BIPOC community in perinatal mental health, grounding the content in a commitment to equity and culturally responsive care.

This training is rooted in the belief that working competently and in a client-centered way with perinatal clients is a social justice issue. Regardless of specialization, providers across all settings and communities benefit from developing greater openness, skill, and awareness when working with this population.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this training, participants will be able to:

• Analyze the impact of non-judgmental and respectful attitudes toward pregnant and postpartum parents.

• Recognize the diverse needs and presentations of mental health challenges in perinatal clients, and identify their own attitudes, values, feelings, and beliefs around these challenges and behaviors.

• Discuss strategies for increasing comfort and competency when working with perinatal clients.

Limitations, Risks, & Benefits

This training represents the first-ever PMAD Attitude Reassessment and draws on the established SAR framework, adapted for the perinatal mental health context. Given the one-hour format, time is a limiting factor and the content is not intended to be exhaustive. Participants may experience moments of discomfort as they engage in self-reflection and examine long-held assumptions or beliefs; however, no significant risks are anticipated. The primary benefit of participation is increased awareness of personal biases, judgments, and assumptions toward perinatal clients — supporting more conscious, competent, and compassionate clinical practice.

About the Presenters

Kristin Hodson, LCSW, CST, and Monica Ashton, LCSW, CST, PMH-C, are both certified sex therapists with a combined 30+ years of experience in perinatal mental health. Recognized as experts in their respective fields, both Kristin and Monica have completed a Sexuality Attitude Reassessment (SAR), the foundational model upon which this training is built. Their depth of experience across perinatal mental health and sex therapy uniquely positions them to facilitate this pioneering training with expertise, nuance, and care.

Course Details

Delivery method: Live interactive webinar via Zoom

Course interactivity: Interactive — participants will engage in self-reflection, small group discussion, large group discussion, and Q&A

Posttest/quiz: Because this is a live interactive course, a standard posttest is not required. Participation will be monitored throughout the session.

Certificate issuance: Certificates of credit will be issued immediately after course completion to participants who attend the full session and complete the course evaluation.

Contact for questions: institute@thehealinggroup.com

Accessibility accommodations: To request accessibility accommodations, please contact institute@thehealinggroup.com prior to the event. We are committed to making our trainings accessible to all participants.

ASWB ACE Statement:

The Healing Group Institute, provider number 2716, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 3/31/26 – 3/31/27. Social workers completing this course receive 1 continuing education credit.

AASECT CKA:

A. Ethics and ethical behavior.

O. Professional communication and personal reflection skills.

IMPORTANT: THIS EVENT IS TAKING PLACE IN THE LGBTQ THERAPIST'S GUILD AND IS NOT HOSTED BY THE HEALING GROUP INSTITUTE.

Dr. Rullo is ABPP Certified, a Board-Certified Clinical Health Psychologist, a AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor, and a Certified Gottman Therapist.  In this in-service, Dr, Rullo will discuss Sensate Focus Therapy.  Sensate Focus isn’t just for sex therapists! It is a mindfulness and exposure-based intervention that any therapist can use. It is an essential intervention for couples who struggle with desire discrepancy and sexual avoidance. In this session, learn everything you need to know to start Sensate Focus today!

In order to participate, please sign up for The LGBTQ Therapist’s Guild here: https://www.lgbtqtherapists.com/

Building Bridges: Embracing Diversity Through Inclusive Cultural Humility

Presenter: Amanda Jae Gonzalez, MSW, LCSW

Date: April 14, 2026 | 2:00 PM MST

Format: Live, interactive synchronous webinar | 2 hours

Content Level: Beginner

Target Audience: Clinical Mental Health Providers, Health Providers

CE Credits: 2 cultural competency continuing education credits

Course Description

This two-hour live webinar equips therapists and health providers with practical, clinically grounded tools for delivering culturally responsive, inclusive care. Through expert-led instruction, facilitated discussion, and guided reflection, participants will examine how bias, power dynamics, and social stress show up in therapeutic relationships — even among well-intentioned practitioners — and explore why neutrality can function as avoidance when cultural or systemic issues are present.

Participants will learn a direct, usable repair protocol for moments of identity-linked harm, misattunement, and rupture, along with concrete language for consent-based pacing, shame reduction, and inclusive communication that does not place the burden of education on clients. The course closes with a practical, creativity-based lens for clinician self-care — supporting nervous system regulation and professional sustainability during periods of heightened social or political stress.

This training is grounded in NASW core principles, including the dignity and worth of every person, the importance of human relationships, a commitment to social justice, and professional competence. Participants are encouraged to engage in self-reflection, examine unconscious biases, and explore how intersecting factors such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and cultural norms shape the therapeutic relationship and client experience.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this training, participants will be able to:

• Identify and describe at least one key clinical consideration for ethically responding to client concerns, and choose an appropriate clinical response using a brief case example.

• Apply at least two client-centered frameworks to conceptualize presenting concerns within identity, cultural, and systemic contexts, including one equity-informed lens to reduce harm and strengthen collaboration.

• Begin to develop a brief, individualized professional sustainability plan that includes one boundary strategy, one regulation strategy, and one creativity-based practice to support resilience during heightened social or political stress.

Limitations, Risks, & Benefits

This online training offers a foundational overview of the subject matter and is not intended to be exhaustive; clinicians seeking greater depth are encouraged to pursue additional training. While the virtual format provides accessible participation, it may not fully replicate the interactivity of in-person learning. Participants may experience mild discomfort as sensitive topics are explored and existing assumptions or worldviews are examined; however, no significant risks are anticipated. Overall, the training is designed to increase participants' understanding of the material, build practical and clinically relevant skills, and enhance confidence and competence in applying these concepts to professional practice.

About the Presenter

Amanda Jae Gonzalez, MSW, LCSW, is a growing expert in trauma, mindfulness, and body-mind bridging across the lifespan. Her approach is light-hearted, relational, and evidence-informed, integrating somatics, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical approaches, and psychodynamic insight into an education-based style that supports clients in understanding their nervous system, patterns, and needs. Amanda frequently works with clients navigating anxiety, survivorship, post-traumatic stress, chronic pain, and perinatal and postpartum concerns. Her clinical background includes training in psychodynamic theory, child development, and attachment-based work that fosters emotional safety and connection over time.

Course Details

Delivery method: Live interactive webinar via the Institute learning platform

Course interactivity: Interactive — participants will engage in facilitated discussion, guided reflection, and Q&A

Posttest/quiz: Because this is a live interactive course, a standard posttest is not required. Participation will be monitored throughout the session.

Certificate issuance: Certificates of credit will be issued immediately after course completion to participants who attend the full session and complete the course evaluation.

Contact for questions: institute@thehealinggroup.com

Accessibility accommodations: To request accessibility accommodations, please contact institute@thehealinggroup.com prior to the event. We are committed to making our trainings accessible to all participants.

ASWB ACE Statement:

The Healing Group Institute, provider number 2716, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 3/31/26 – 3/31/27. Social workers completing this course receive 2 continuing education credits.

AASECT CKA:

A. Ethics and ethical behavior.

C. Socio-cultural, familial factors (e.g., ethnicity, culture, religion, spirituality, socioeconomic status, family values) in relation to sexual values and behaviors.

O. Professional communication and personal reflection skills.

AASECT ST:

F. Ethical decision-making and best practice.

The purpose of this training is to enhance understanding of the Indigenous origins of the 4-D Wheel model in sex therapy and the requirements for decolonial clinical practice. Through original archival research from the Kinsey Institute's Gina Ogden Collection, this presentation reveals how the widely-used 4-D Wheel emerged from Dr. Ogden's apprenticeship with don Óscar Miro-Quesada in the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition (PMT) during the early 1990s. Participants will learn about epistemic violence, the systematic erasure of Indigenous knowledge in Western therapeutic practice, and gain a concrete framework for decolonial potentiality that includes explicit attribution, ceremonial engagement, and ongoing accountability. This training provides practical pathways for ethical, decolonial practice. Participants will leave with action steps for examining their own work and advocating for institutional transformation in sex therapy education.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the Indigenous origins of the 4-D Wheel model, including its direct connection to Pachakuti Mesa Tradition (PMT) and the structural parallels between the four-directional mesa and the Wheel's dimensions.

Define epistemic violence in sex therapy practice and recognize how Western institutions systematically erase, extract, and appropriate Indigenous knowledge systems.

Apply the five requirements for decolonial potentiality to their own clinical practice or learning, including explicit attribution, ceremonial engagement, guiding rather than directing, honoring ayni, and ongoing personal accountability.

AASECT CKA: 

A. Ethics and ethical behavior.

C. Socio-cultural, familial factors (e.g., ethnicity, culture, religion, spirituality, socioeconomic status, family values) in relation to sexual values and behaviors.

O. Professional communication and personal reflection skills.

AASECT ST: 

F. Ethical decision-making and best practice.

Ethical Practice in the Perinatal and Maternal Mental Health Space
A 2-hour Ethics Training

Designed for clinical mental health providers, this engaging training equips clinicians with the knowledge and confidence to navigate ethical considerations in perinatal care with skill and cultural responsiveness. Through an in-depth examination of perinatal health in the United States, participants explore how historical, systemic, and sociocultural forces—including racism and patriarchy—shape client experiences and clinical decision-making. Expert-led instruction, interactive discussion, and guided reflection support the practical application of cultural humility, ethical evaluation, and inclusive care strategies. Participants also gain tools to recognize and address compassion fatigue, strengthening both clinical effectiveness and professional sustainability when working with perinatal populations.

Learning Objectives:

Demonstrate increased knowledge of the history of perinatal health in the United States, including intersections with racism and patriarchy.

Critically examine their own privilege and utilize a framework of cultural humility when working with clients.

Recognize signs of compassion fatigue and utilize strategies for support and self-care.

AASECT CKA: 

A. Ethics and ethical behavior.

C. Socio-cultural, familial factors (e.g., ethnicity, culture, religion, spirituality, socioeconomic status, family values) in relation to sexual values and behaviors.

H. Health/medical factors that may influence sexuality including, but not limited to, illness, disability, drugs, mental health, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy termination, contraception, fertility, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infection, other infections, sexual trauma, injury and safer sex practices.

AASECT ST: 

F. Ethical decision-making and best practice.

This presentation will cover the potential impact of birth trauma on the individual and how it can impact their relationship.  We will be covering the mental, emotional, relational and sexual impacts that can occur after birth trauma.  

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify at least three mental, emotional, relational, and sexual effects associated with birth trauma.

2. Explain how birth trauma can impact attachment, intimacy, and partner relationships in the postpartum period.

3. Demonstrate the application of trauma-informed and attachment-based interventions when supporting individuals and couples affected by birth trauma.

AASECT CKA:

H. Health/medical factors that may influence sexuality including, but not limited to, illness, disability, drugs, mental health, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy termination, contraception, fertility, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infection, other infections, sexual trauma, injury and safer sex practices.

I. Range of sexual functioning and behavior, from optimal to problematic including, but not limited to, common issues such as: desire discrepancy, lack of desire, difficulty achieving or maintaining arousal, sexual pain, penetration problems and difficulty with orgasm.

AASECT ST:

C. Theory and methods of approach to intervention in relationship systems experiencing sex and intimacy problems

This training examines the evolving science of gender identity development with a focus on the nonlinear, variable, and context-dependent trajectories commonly observed among trans and nonbinary individuals across the life course. Drawing from emerging research and developmental theory, participants will explore how gender identity may unfold through periods of stability, reorganization, exploration, and change without indicating pathology or dysfunction. The course clarifies common misconceptions surrounding ongoing gender development, differentiating normative complexity from detransition or clinical concern. Emphasis is placed on identifying practitioner bias toward fixity and “arrival,” and on cultivating affirming, developmentally informed clinical approaches that prioritize safety, adaptability, and resilience for clients and their relational systems.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the range of developmental trajectories observed in trans and nonbinary individuals over time, including nonlinear change, temporary stability, and ongoing identity evolution across the life course.

2. Differentiate detransition from normative developmental complexity, clarifying common misconceptions about multiple transitions and ongoing gender change, particularly among nonbinary individuals.

3. Apply developmentally informed, affirming clinical perspectives that prioritize comfort, safety, and resilience within ongoing complexity, while identifying and addressing practitioner bias toward fixity, predictability, and “arrival” as therapeutic goals.

AASECT CKA: 

B. Developmental sexuality from a bio-psycho-social perspective across the life course

D. Issues related to gender identity and expression

O. Professional communication and personal reflection skills

AASECT ST: 

F. Ethical decision-making and best practice

The purpose of this training is to enhance perinatal mental health and sexual health practitioners’ understanding of childbirth physiology, contemporary birth practices in the United States, and the psychosocial context in which pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period unfold. Birthsmarter PRO introduces clinicians to the Birthsmarter Framework—a trauma-informed, non-binary, critical-thinking approach to childbirth education—designed to support realistic expectation-setting, nuanced communication, and patient-centered advocacy within clinical scope of practice.

As maternal mortality, pelvic health complications, and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders continue to rise, mental health professionals occupy a uniquely trusted role in preparing clients for birth and postpartum recovery. However, well-intentioned practitioners may unintentionally reinforce fear-based narratives, outdated assumptions, or overly idealized portrayals of birth. This training offers a reframing of birth education that moves beyond fearmongering and toxic positivity, equipping clinicians with language, context, and conceptual tools to help clients navigate uncertainty, complexity, and individual circumstance with greater confidence and emotional safety.

Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of birth physiology, the historical and systemic forces shaping perinatal care, and practical strategies for integrating childbirth education concepts into therapeutic work—enhancing their ability to support informed decision-making, emotional regulation, and embodied agency throughout the perinatal period.

Learning Objectives:

1. Communicate more effectively with perinatal clients by applying the Three Actions of Physiological Birth and using precise, non-alarmist, non-idealized language that supports emotional safety and informed consent.

2. Think critically about birth culture and clinical narratives, including the history of obstetrics in the U.S., systemic inequities in maternal health, and the impact of practitioner bias on client expectations and experiences.

3. Provide empathetic, individualized support through intentional language choices and strategies that meet clients where they are emotionally, relationally, and culturally.

4. Identify and utilize curated perinatal resources to enhance clinical care for pregnant and postpartum clients and strengthen referral networks.

AASECT CKA: 

C. Socio-cultural, familial factors (e.g., ethnicity, culture, religion, spirituality, socioeconomic status, family values) in relation to sexual values and behaviors.

G. Sexual and reproductive anatomy/physiology.

H. Health/medical factors that may influence sexuality including, but not limited to, illness, disability, drugs, mental health, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy termination, contraception, fertility, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infection, other infections, sexual trauma, injury and safer sex practices.

AASECT ST: 

F. Ethical decision-making and best practice.

IMPORTANT: THIS EVENT IS TAKING PLACE IN THE LGBTQ THERAPIST'S GUILD AND IS NOT HOSTED BY THE HEALING GROUP INSTITUTE.

Chris Wharton has represented clients in more name and sex/gender-marker cases than any other attorney in Utah. Chris also won the Utah Supreme Court case that set statewide standards for name and name and sex/gender-marker changes.  This presentation will cover the legal processes and applicable statutes for name and sex/gender-marker changes. We will also discuss the medical and psychological evidence courts typically consider in these proceedings. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about these processes and how medical health providers can help set their patients up for success in court.

In order to participate, please sign up for The LGBTQ Therapist’s Guild here: https://www.lgbtqtherapists.com/

Navigating Stages of Change in Sexual Health, part 3

This three-part series explores the stages of change as they relate to sexual health and out-of-control sexual behavior. Therapists will gain practical strategies to assess where clients are in their journey and apply evidence-based interventions tailored to each stage.

Through engaging lectures, guided reflection, interactive exercises, and expert feedback, participants will build confidence and clinical skill in supporting clients’ growth and transformation. Presented in collaboration with Kristin B. Hodson, LCSW, CST, CST-S.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and describe the stages of change as they relate to sexual health and out-of-control sexual behavior

• Differentiate client presentations across stages

• Apply developmentally and clinically appropriate interventions that promote movement toward sexual health and self-regulation.

AASECT Core Knowledge Areas
A. Ethics and ethical behavior.
B. Developmental sexuality from a bio-psycho-social perspective across the life course.
C. Socio-cultural, familial factors (e.g., ethnicity, culture, religion, spirituality, socioeconomic status, family values) in relation to sexual values and behaviors.
D. Issues related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity: heterosexuality; issues and themes impacting lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual people; gender identity and expression.
E. Intimacy skills (e.g., social, emotional, sexual), intimate relationships, interpersonal relationships and family dynamics.
F. Diversities in sexual expression and lifestyles including, but not limited to, polyamory, swinging, BDSM and tantra.
H. Health/medical factors that may influence sexuality including, but not limited to, illness, disability, drugs, mental health, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy termination, contraception, fertility, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infection, other infections, sexual trauma, injury and safer sex practices.
J. Sexual exploitation including sexual abuse, sexual harassment and sexual assault.
L. Substance use/abuse and sexuality.

AASECT Sex Therapy Skills Training
A. Theory and methods of sex-related psychotherapy, including several different models.

The purpose of this training is to enhance perinatal mental health and sexual health practitioners’ understanding of childbirth physiology, contemporary birth practices in the United States, and the psychosocial context in which pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period unfold. Birthsmarter PRO introduces clinicians to the Birthsmarter Framework—a trauma-informed, non-binary, critical-thinking approach to childbirth education—designed to support realistic expectation-setting, nuanced communication, and patient-centered advocacy within clinical scope of practice.

As maternal mortality, pelvic health complications, and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders continue to rise, mental health professionals occupy a uniquely trusted role in preparing clients for birth and postpartum recovery. However, well-intentioned practitioners may unintentionally reinforce fear-based narratives, outdated assumptions, or overly idealized portrayals of birth. This training offers a reframing of birth education that moves beyond fearmongering and toxic positivity, equipping clinicians with language, context, and conceptual tools to help clients navigate uncertainty, complexity, and individual circumstance with greater confidence and emotional safety.

Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of birth physiology, the historical and systemic forces shaping perinatal care, and practical strategies for integrating childbirth education concepts into therapeutic work—enhancing their ability to support informed decision-making, emotional regulation, and embodied agency throughout the perinatal period.

Learning Objectives:

1. Communicate more effectively with perinatal clients by applying the Three Actions of Physiological Birth and using precise, non-alarmist, non-idealized language that supports emotional safety and informed consent.

2. Think critically about birth culture and clinical narratives, including the history of obstetrics in the U.S., systemic inequities in maternal health, and the impact of practitioner bias on client expectations and experiences.

3. Provide empathetic, individualized support through intentional language choices and strategies that meet clients where they are emotionally, relationally, and culturally.

4. Identify and utilize curated perinatal resources to enhance clinical care for pregnant and postpartum clients and strengthen referral networks.

AASECT CKA: 

C. Socio-cultural, familial factors (e.g., ethnicity, culture, religion, spirituality, socioeconomic status, family values) in relation to sexual values and behaviors.

G. Sexual and reproductive anatomy/physiology.

H. Health/medical factors that may influence sexuality including, but not limited to, illness, disability, drugs, mental health, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy termination, contraception, fertility, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infection, other infections, sexual trauma, injury and safer sex practices.

AASECT ST: 

F. Ethical decision-making and best practice.

Mental health clinicians are trained extensively in clinical theory and ethics, yet many receive minimal education on the legal realities of practice until a problem arises. This one-hour training is designed to proactively support therapists in understanding common legal pitfalls they may encounter in clinical practice, including documentation risks, confidentiality and mandated reporting issues, subpoenas and court involvement, boundary violations, and risk management strategies.

Drawing from real-world legal experience, this presentation will help clinicians better understand how to identify and deal with key legal issues. Participants will gain practical guidance on how to reduce legal risk, respond appropriately when legal concerns arise, and know when and how to seek legal consultation.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify at least three common legal pitfalls mental health therapists may encounter in clinical practice, including documentation, confidentiality, and scope-of-practice concerns.

2. Differentiate between ethical obligations and legal requirements, and recognize situations in which legal consultation is warranted.

3. Apply practical risk-management strategies to reduce legal exposure while maintaining high standards of clinical care.

Discover a fresh, engaging approach to supporting perinatal clients. This course invites you to expand your clinical toolkit by exploring how play therapy can become a powerful, practical lens for adult treatment—enhancing connection, insight, and healing in your work with perinatal clients. Through interactive lectures, live demonstrations, role-play experiences, and meaningful reflection, you’ll gain hands-on strategies you can use immediately. Walk away with increased confidence, concrete play-based tools, and a renewed sense of creativity and competence.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain what play therapy is and how it can be a beneficial therapeutic lens for adults.

2. Understand the importance of play in the therapeutic process.

3. Identify at least 3 tools/techniques applicable to adult clients.

AASECT CKA: 

H. Health/medical factors that may influence sexuality including, but not limited to, illness, disability, drugs, mental health, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy termination, contraception, fertility, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infection, other infections, sexual trauma, injury and safer sex practices.

AASECT ST: 

C. Theory and methods of approach to intervention in relationship systems experiencing sex and intimacy problems

Chronic Pelvic Pain, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and trauma are three of the most commonly misunderstood, complex, and often co-occurring disorders that both behavioral health providers and medical health providers struggle to appropriately and accurately assess and treat. The primary goal of the presentation is to provide an effective, efficient, and comprehensive approach to not only understanding the common thread between chronic pelvic pain, MCAS, and trauma, but also how to educate and treat patients navigating these complex, and often co-occurring, disorders. Research from multiple fields, including psychoneuroimmunology, will be reviewed. Clinical knowledge, guidance on interdisciplinary care and collaboration, and clinical skills will be provided utilizing two complex case studies.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the common thread between Chronic Pelvic Pain, MCAS, and trauma

2. Explain how to simultaneously take a patient history and provide pain science education

3. Understand the key components of treating clients with Chronic Pelvic Pain, MCAS, and trauma

AASECT CKA: 

A. Ethics and ethical behavior.

G. Sexual and reproductive anatomy/physiology.

H. Health/medical factors that may influence sexuality including, but not limited to, illness, disability, drugs, mental health, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy termination, contraception, fertility, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infection, other infections, sexual trauma, injury and safer sex practices.

AASECT ST: 

A. Theory and methods of sex-related psychotherapy, including several different models.

Unlock a deeper understanding of sleep, circadian rhythm, and their powerful impact on mental health with this engaging, clinician-focused training designed to enhance your therapeutic practice. In this expert-led lecture, you’ll explore the fundamentals of sleep health and learn practical, evidence-informed strategies to help clients improve sleep satisfaction and overall well-being. As a unique bonus, the course introduces a simple, multi-tier approach to working with individual dream content—while thoughtfully honoring each client’s cultural background and lived experience. Through informative lectures, interactive discussion, and guided reflection, you’ll build confidence in addressing common sleep challenges such as insomnia, nightmares, and disrupted schedules, and gain practical tools including CBT-I strategies, sleep hygiene interventions, and an overview of supplements and medications.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how sleep impacts general health and what occurs during sleep cycles

2. Understand common problems (insomnia, nightmares, inconsistent schedules) and utilize interventions including CBT-I, sleep hygiene, supplements, and medications.

3. Develop a basic understanding of one approach toward dream analysis

AASECT CKA: 

H. Health/medical factors that may influence sexuality including, but not limited to, illness, disability, drugs, mental health, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy termination, contraception, fertility, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infection, other infections, sexual trauma, injury and safer sex practices.

N. Learning theory and its application.

AASECT ST: 

A. Theory and methods of sex-related psychotherapy, including several different models.

Move past outdated definitions. Gain the depth and clarity needed to support today’s diverse clients.

Gender is far more than a simple binary. It’s a complex, multidimensional concept shaped by biological, psychological, cultural, and social factors — and understanding this complexity is essential for competent, affirming clinical care.

In this insightful, research-informed session, Dr. Lisa Diamond, internationally recognized scholar on gender and sexual identity, guides mental health providers in broadening their conceptual framework of gender. You’ll explore the intersection of biological and non-biological influences, challenge narrow definitions, and learn to integrate a more nuanced understanding into everyday practice.

What You’ll Learn

• Adopt a Broader Perspective on Gender
  Expand your understanding beyond binary models to include biological, psychological, cultural, and social dimensions.

• Understand the Clinical Relevance of Gender Diversity
  Recognize how nuanced gender understanding informs assessment, treatment planning, and therapeutic relationships.

• Differentiate Between Biological & Non-Biological Factors
  Clarify how sex and gender interact and how these distinctions matter in clinical settings.

• Integrate Inclusive, Client-Centered Care
  Apply expanded frameworks to foster more affirming, culturally responsive, and clinically sound treatment.

Gain the confidence and clarity to address sexual health concerns with professionalism, care, and ease. This engaging introductory training equips clinicians with practical tools to ethically integrate sexual health conversations into everyday practice using the widely respected PLISSIT Model. You’ll learn how to normalize discussions about sexuality, provide clear and appropriate education, offer limited clinical guidance within your scope, and confidently identify when a referral is needed—so you can better support your clients without overstepping boundaries.

Through expert-led instruction, dynamic discussions, and guided reflection, this course bridges theory and real-world clinical application. Participants will have opportunities to connect the material to their own experiences, ask questions, and practice using permission-giving language that reduces shame and builds trust. By the end of the training, you’ll walk away with a solid understanding of the PLISSIT Model, greater comfort addressing sexual health concerns, and concrete strategies you can immediately apply to enhance client care and therapeutic outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain the PLISSIT Model framework

2. Identify appropriate levels of sexual health intervention

3. Use permission-giving language to reduce shame 

4. Recognize when referral is clinically indicated

AASECT CKA: 

N. Learning theory and its application.

AASECT ST: 

A. Theory and methods of sex-related psychotherapy, including several different models.

F. Ethical decision-making and best practice.

IMPORTANT: THIS EVENT IS TAKING PLACE IN THE LGBTQ THERAPIST'S GUILD AND IS NOT HOSTED BY THE HEALING GROUP INSTITUTE.

 In 2023, the Electronic Software Association (ESA) found there were over 212 million people playing video games, and GLAAD uncovered that approximately 1 in 5 players identify as LGBTQ. The gaming industry is increasingly aware of those in the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities as active players. Yet the gaming industry often inadequately represents, and at times, inadvertently fosters hostility towards these populations. In this digital age, it is paramount that clinicians better understand the nuances and intersections between gamer culture, its subdivisions, and the individuals and families they work with in therapy. Video games and VR inherently offer a variety of avenues for skills development and exploration of the self; from client engagement to narratives, internal worlds to external worlds, individual to family functioning, micro to macro systems. Through the practice of gamification and utilizing video games and virtual reality in therapy sessions, we have an opportunity for further understanding and working with our clients.

In order to participate, please sign up for The LGBTQ Therapist’s Guild here: https://www.lgbtqtherapists.com/

Navigating Stages of Change in Sexual Health, part 2

This three-part series explores the stages of change as they relate to sexual health and out-of-control sexual behavior. Therapists will gain practical strategies to assess where clients are in their journey and apply evidence-based interventions tailored to each stage.

Through engaging lectures, guided reflection, interactive exercises, and expert feedback, participants will build confidence and clinical skill in supporting clients’ growth and transformation. Presented in collaboration with Kristin B. Hodson, LCSW, CST, CST-S.

What If My Yuck is Your Yum?

Learn how to help couples navigate kink–vanilla differences with curiosity, compassion, and practical tools. This training introduces kink-affirming sex therapy skills and the SPRINKLES framework to support partners in exploring sexual differences safely, reducing shame, and strengthening connection.

Led by Kristin B. Hodson, LCSW, CST, this session equips clinicians with strategies to normalize diverse sexual expression and enhance relational and sexual well-being.

Learning Objectives

• Differentiate kink from pathology and utilize non-judgmental frameworks to assess sexual interests.

• Apply relational and systemic tools to help couples/partners navigate kink–vanilla differences.

• Integrate kink-affirming interventions into treatment planning to enhance sexual health and relational wellbeing.

AASECT CKA:
E: Intimacy skills (e.g., social, emotional, sexual), intimate relationships, interpersonal relationships and family dynamics.
F: Diversities in sexual expression and lifestyles including, but not limited to, polyamory, swinging, BDSM and tantra.
I: Range of sexual functioning and behavior, from optimal to problematic including, but not limited to, common issues such as: desire discrepancy, lack of desire, difficulty achieving or maintaining arousal, sexual pain, penetration problems and difficulty with orgasm.

AASECT ST:
C: Intervention theory/methods in relationship systems

This program meets the requirements of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) and is approved for 1 CE credit. These CE credits may be applied toward AASECT certification and renewal of certification.

Completion of this program does not ensure or guarantee AASECT certification. For further information please contact info@assect.org.

Postpartum rage and anxiety are often misunderstood, overlooked, or misdiagnosed—yet they can significantly impact birthing individuals and their families. This engaging, expert-led training is designed for clinical mental health providers who want to deepen their understanding of these complex postpartum experiences and feel more confident addressing them in practice. Grounded in current research and delivered through an accessible online format, the course blends clear instruction, reflective exercises, and interactive discussion to connect theory to real-world clinical work.

Participants will learn how to recognize postpartum rage, understand its connection to anxiety, and apply practical, evidence-informed tools to help clients cope and reduce distress. The training emphasizes compassionate, inclusive, and client-centered care, rooted in social work values of dignity, human connection, and social justice—particularly for communities with limited access to specialized perinatal mental health services. Led by Ricci Howell, LCSW, a seasoned perinatal mental health clinician, this introductory course offers meaningful insight, practical strategies, and increased confidence for clinicians supporting clients during the postpartum period.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define and identify postpartum rage

2. Understand the connection between postpartum rage and anxiety

3. Identify 3 tools to use in practice with clients

AASECT CKA:

H: Health/medical factors that may influence sexuality including, but not limited to, illness, disability, drugs, mental health, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy termination, contraception, fertility, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infection, other infections, sexual trauma, injury and safer sex practices.

Gain practical insights into the unique challenges faced by ethically non-monogamous individuals, relationships, and families, including the impact of structural barriers and minority stress, and learn how to apply this understanding in your clinical practice.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this training series attendees will be able to:

• Assess common challenges in the practice of CNM through three frameworks: PLISSIT, EFCT, and Family Systems.

• Access resources to support their clients.

Help families move from fear and uncertainty toward understanding, resilience, and support.

Families play a central role in the well-being of transgender and gender-diverse individuals — yet parents and family members often navigate profound uncertainty, cultural stigma, and their own complex emotional responses. This insightful, research-informed training gives clinical mental health providers the tools to understand, support, and empower families as they journey alongside their transgender and gender-diverse loved ones.

Led by Lisa Diamond, Ph.D. — internationally recognized researcher and professor of Psychology and Gender Studies at the University of Utah — this course goes beyond surface-level affirmations to explore the real-world dynamics that shape family experiences.

Supporting Ethically Non-Monogamous Clients

Explore the unique challenges of ethically non-monogamous individuals, relationships, and families. Gain practical skills to identify biases, assess minority stress, and apply clinical frameworks while delivering inclusive, culturally sensitive care.

IMPORTANT: THIS EVENT IS TAKING PLACE IN THE LGBTQ THERAPIST'S GUILD AND IS NOT HOSTED BY THE HEALING GROUP INSTITUTE.

In our current moment in the United States, the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people are under threat. For LGBTQ+ survivors of relationship abuse or “intimate partner violence” (IPV), the erosion of human rights shapes IPV risk and abuse dynamics, as well as barriers to safety. For those that do seek help, research finds that they are most likely to turn to friends and mental health providers. As such, clinicians often represent the first and only trained professionals to serve queer and trans survivors of IPV, and are thereby uniquely positioned to guide healing from and coping with trauma. In support of their important work, you are invited to a talk on this research literature by Dr. Adam Messinger, author of LGBTQ Intimate Partner Violence: Lessons for Policy, Practice, & Research (2017, University of California Press) and co-editor of Transgender Intimate Partner Violence: A Comprehensive Introduction (2020, New York University Press). By unlearning common myths, and uncovering unique causes, identity abuse tactics, and sequelae of LGBTQ+ IPV, we will identify concrete steps toward building more inclusive, efficacious mental health services for trans and queer survivors of IPV.

In order to participate, please sign up for The LGBTQ Therapist’s Guild here: https://www.lgbtqtherapists.com/