Presentations and Workshop Descriptions
Friday, April 15, 2011
"The New Brain Research and the Future of Therapy"by Steven Vazquez, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT
The amount of brain research taking place within the last decade appears to be multiple times more than in previous decades. The number of books and professional articles in the general area of neuropsychology regarding the interpersonal aspects of the brain has grown at an exponential rate within the last decade. In particular, the number of neuro imaging research studies on the brain, especially functional MRIs, has exploded recently! What do these current research trends have to do with psychotherapy? The impact is potentially revolutionary. The FMRI studies can now tell us exactly how, where, and what is occurring in the brain during certain conditions like depression, anxiety, trauma, etc. This allows us to precisely target ETT™ to these brain mechanism functions, and brain scans can verify how accurately the treatments work. The latest information derived from this research will be reviewed and its implications explored. Our field is changing fast, and therapy could be drastically different in just a few years.
"Networking with Fellow ETT™ Therapists"
It seems that as hard as we try to teach ETT™ courses uniformly, each participant seems to get something a little different from the trainings. This may be due in part to its use with different client populations, different personal experiences with ETT™ as a recipient, or the fact that people often excel in the use of one ETT™ modality more than another. There is also a difference of sheer skill development by those people who have used ETT™ with many more clients than other ETT™ facilitators. This session is devoted to facilitating exchanges with your fellow therapists from around the U.S. in order to enjoy sharing and to learn new experiences about the use of ETT™. This exchange tends to make the conference personable, safer, and fun by making new friends or rekindling old acquaintances, as well as discovering new ways to use ETT™ .
“New Depression Brain Research and Better ETT™ Outcomes"by Steven Vazquez, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT
New neuro imaging research about the exact brain mechanisms involved in major depression provides us with a clearer target for treatment. With the development of the precision of the Chromapulse II and this new knowledge about depression, treatment outcomes have improved. This session will map out the diagnostic issues and brain functions of depression based on the latest research and then describe how to use ETT™ modalities more effectively than ever before to resolve major depression. Melancholia and the symptoms of anhedonia will also be addressed, as well as "treatment-resistant" depression. If you work with depressed clients, this session alone may make the conference fee worth it.
"Healing the Burden of the Caregiver" by Steven Vazquez, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT
Most therapists tend to possess the role-reversal attachment pattern which for many of us results in certain forms of distress such as the following:
§ Excessive worry about others
§ Medical conditions resulting from this stress
§ Obsessive ruminating and a sense of burden
§ Compassion fatigue and boundary issues
Within the last year an incredible breakthrough in the treatment of these types of conditions has taken place that is faster and more long-term than what was previously taught. This session will explore brain research about empathy and provide new interventions for distress derived from an excessive sense of responsibility.
“The TranceDance Experience” by Sherri Lackman, LPC
Spiritual dancing is a cross cultural phenomenon, a testament to its power and authenticity. Cultures from every continent simultaneously embraced unique dance forms based on the animals and elements of nature present within their domain. Their purpose in dancing was to "enter the consciousness" or "become the spirit" of the sun, moon, and various animal and plant life. Through these dance rituals they believed that the spirits within nature could empower them with abilities such as courage and compassion, as well as reveal insights into the future.
TranceDance draws upon this sacred heritage and the thread of such intimate knowledge imprinted on our genetics over vast numbers of generations. The rhythm of music has drawn us into Spirit since our childhood. As the body moves, Spirit comes; when Spirit comes, Wisdom and Healing also enter. Behind the bandanna, everything becomes clear. She asks that you bring a bandana, clothing that allows free movement, and a desire to tap into the body's innate ability to become spiritually alive.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
"How to Master Your Most Frustrating Clients" by Steven Vazquez, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT
Therapists are only human and thus find that some or many clients provoke significant distress for the therapist. Some therapists would refer to these people as "clients from hell". While it is reasonable to respond emotionally to clients, when does our emotional responses compromise treatment? Moreover, what attitude, feelings or thoughts do you bring into the interaction? Many people, including myself, have attempted to dissect what I do to have such successful therapeutic outcomes. After a careful internal exploration, I think I can identify factors that can be developed to prevent and/or overcome disturbance about your clients. This will not only help you become more successful in therapy, but also will help you gain your life back!
"Breakthroughs in the ETT™ Treatment of Anxiety" by Steven Vazquez, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT
Research on the brain mechanisms of anxiety has clarified how anxiety works. There are different types of anxiety. We shall review the brain mechanisms and neurochemistry involved in anxiety and then provide very practical ETT™ strategies to pursue resolution. This involves a change in the anxiety questionnaire for ETT™, as well as changes in the selection and sequence of color used. This session will be an update of anxiety understanding and process used to resolve it. Many of these new strategies resolve anxiety within seconds. Since anxiety is a component of several other conditions like ADHD,depression, trauma, OCD, etc., these new findings have enormous implications for treatment outcomes.
Lunch - Provided - Updates on the status of ETT™ Research from the Board of Directors of the Quantum Healing Institute
"Motivational Interviewing, Teenagers and ETT™ " by Janet Anselmo-Henson, LCDC
Motivational Interviewing is a therapeutic style intended to help clinicians work with clients to address their ambivalence. It is client-centered in nature, yet directive with a clear goal of eliciting self-motivational statements and behavioral change from the client and seeking to create client discrepancy to enhance motivation for positive change. It is not a set of techniques or tools, but rather a way of interacting with clients. Research has shown that simple motivational enhancing interventions are effective for encouraging clients to return for another clinical consultation, return to treatment following a missed appointment, stay involved in treatment and be more compliant.
Motivational Interviewing was originally developed for problem-alcohol drinkers in the early stages of readiness for change and was conceived as a way of initiating treatment. However, it soon became apparent that this approach constituted an intervention in itself. It is especially effective with children and adolescents, as well as clients that are resistant or unfamiliar with the therapeutic process.
Based on the Transtheoretical Model of Change, Motivational Interviewing can be utilized at various points in the course of therapy from assessment to termination. Using this “way of being” with a client in the course of Emotional Transformation Therapy allows the clinician to obtain much needed information as the client is exploring his emotional and physical responses, all within a positive, nurturing environment.
"Treating Memory Deficits with ETT" by Steven Vazquez, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT
Many people tend to spontaneously recover memories during ETT™ sessions. However, new discoveries in the restoration of significant memory problems are a different project. In these cases the presenting issue concerns deficient memory. Advances have been made in the restoration of different types of memory, such as short-term memory, declarative memory, somatic memory, etc. Brain scans have helped us recognize how the brain is operating with certain types of memory loss. ETT™ has been used to improve memory with clients who have suffered severe brain injury. Then we can target these deficits through certain interpersonal processes and visual brain stimulation. This session will explore some of the most recent findings concerning the use of ETT™ to improve memory.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
"From Light to Enlightenment" by Steven Vazquez, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT
Transcendent experiences triggered by ETT™ sessions are commonplace. What do these occurrences mean? Why do they happen? Aside from the sheer pleasure of temporary states of extreme wellbeing, these experiences appear to have a function as steps toward optimal daily wellbeing. With the power of the Chromapulse II, profound new discoveries are occurring when severe psychological disturbance requires frequent and massive amounts of ETT™ sessions that extend past a year. On the other hand, people who have participated in daily meditative practices for 15, 20 or more years tend to experience profound transcendent events in the very first ETT™ session that has not occurred in all the years of meditation. Evidence suggests that we may be activating what Dr. Hamer calls the "God gene". I am discovering what "purification" by ETT™ can eventually lead to and will share this extraordinary result.
"ETT™ and Cancer Patients" by Steven Vazquez, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT
There are numerous claims for remedies in the treatment of various forms of cancer. However, there is a consistent consensus that stress plays some type of role in many forms of cancer, and research to support that contention exists. When ETT™ is focused upon the unique stress or psychological component of cancer, the impact upon the course of the disease can be substantial. Very specific regimens have been developed for using ETT™ with cancer patients. These processes have been born out of numerous trials with many people. While it is not yet an exact science the results have often been quite stunning. A review of the principles and theory on the use of ETT™ with cancer patients will explore this approach.
“The Transformation of Allergies by ETT" by Steven Vazquez, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT
Allergies have long been known to be a stress-related medical condition. However, the vast majority of treatments focus only on the biochemical approach and methods to stop the symptoms temporarily, but do not provide a specific means to address the psychological component. ETT™ has long been used to resolve allergies by identifying and changing the specific psychological contributor to the formation of the allergic response. The field of psychoneuroimmunology is replete with findings about how the immune system is related to psychological processes. This session will provide both the physiological and psychological understanding of how allergies function and how ETT™ can be used to identify the issues and change the allergic response. This is not just theory; allergic cessation has been accomplished numerous times via ETT™, but this will be the first presentation on the topic.
"The Transforming Power of ETT™ with Couple Work" by Steven Vazquez, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT
ETT™ can be used in an advanced form of couple therapy. This approach has only been taught once in a three-day course, but its use in marriage therapy takes couple counseling to a new level of speed and effectiveness. This presentation will focus upon the conflict of partners that possess the ambivalent-resistant attachment pattern vs. the avoidant attachment pattern. While there are many different conflicts of attachment patterns, this one appears to be the most common and the most problematic. The strategic use of ETT™ tools such as goggles, spectral chart, MDEM or the Chromapulse II often dramatically change the impasses in couple conflict. This approach represents an entirely new game of couple therapy
"The Next Steps in Development of ETT™"
This interactive group session will explore specific plans to promote the further development of ETT™. It will include future conference plans, certification issues, publications, social media, etc. We will first explore issues regarding the immediate future and then project ideas regarding the long-term future about improved ETT™ processes, as well as how to properly organize and promote ETT™.
