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Keynote Presenter: Ana Gomez, LPC
Ana M Gomez, MC, LPC born in Colombia (South America) is a psychotherapist in private practice, author of several books, chapters and articles, and a lecturer internationally known for her innovative work with children and adolescents. She is an EMDRIA approved consultant; an EMDRIA advanced training provider, an EMDR Institute and EMDR-IBA trainer and a trainer of trainers. Ana has received training in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Play Therapy, Sandtray Therapy, Theraplay, Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB), and the use of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). She has worked with children, adolescents, adults and families affected by trauma and adversity for overt 25 years. Ana has presented in more than 40 cities in the USA. She has also presented in close to 30 cities in four continents: Canada (Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna, Penticton, Toronto), Australia (Sydney, Melbourne), New Zealand (Auckland), Japan (Tokyo), Denmark (Copenhagen) ,Spain (Madrid, Barcelona), Italy (Milan), UK (Edinburg, London), Argentina (Buenos Aires), Chile (Santiago de Chile), Brazil (Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba) , Ecuador (Quito), Colombia (Bogota, Medellin & Manizales), Guatemala and Costa Rica. In addition to helping children and adolescents, Ana also specializes in working with adults dealing with issues of depression, anxiety, trauma, abuse, complex PTSD, dissociation and grief issues. On a personal level, Ana enjoys nature and loves to dance to all kinds of music, especially salsa. She also loves to spend time with her husband, her family and friends, and her beloved pets. Ana treasures moments of silence, play, and laughter as well as the connection with others.
Tentative Schedule
08:00am-08:30am Check-in and Breakfast
08:40am-10:30am (08:40am-09:00am Welcome, President address, recognition)
(09:00am-10:25am, Keynote speaker Ana Gomez, The Therapist's Self: Cultivating Inner Awareness)
10:35am-12:05pm Ethics and Advocacy/AZBBHE updates- Tobi Zavala
12:15pm-01:30pm Lunch and networking
(01:30pm-01:45pm) AzCA committee informational breakouts
01:45pm-03:15pm 3 breakout sessions options
Mindfulness & Meditation within CBT/DBT
The Changing Landscape of Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapies
Integrating DEI in Counseling: A Guide for Working with Marginalized Communities
3:30pm-5:00pm 3 breakout sessions options
Supporting Clients with Erectile Dysfunction
Art Therapy: Beneficial Applications for Neurological Conditions and Injuries
The Grief of Pregnancy Loss
Topic Descriptions and Speaker Bios
Art Therapy: Beneficial Applications for Neurological Conditions and Injuries
Marina Doering
This session highlights the clinical use of art in therapy for symptoms relating to different neurological diagnoses, conditions, and injuries. This experiential focuses on active artmaking, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship. This learning experience is sculpted for a clinical audience seeking to learn more about art therapy, art materials in therapy, and the neurodivergent patient population.
During the session, we will review what art therapy is, areas of the brain and their functions, common symptoms of neurological injury or condition, creative approaches to treatment, and application. We will utilize specific art materials to engage in an art-making process that explores sensory re-integration, meaning-making, regulation, and connection.
Participants will learn how different components of an art therapy technique and intervention can be applied within a therapy session and conjunctive to “traditional” treatment planning for further enhancing patient progress, supporting rehabilitation, promoting creative and emotional expression, and providing a new lens in which to experience therapy through.
Marina is a licensed professional counselor, board-certified art therapist, yoga practitioner, and creative spirit with over a decade of clinical experience. She brings to her practice, Creative Continuum Therapy, a variety of traditional therapeutic techniques and expressive therapeutic techniques, as well as behavior-, somatic-, and trauma-sensitive variations thereof. Her practice primarily centers around supporting neurodivergent and anxious children and adolescents, young adults, and their families.
Mindfulness & Meditation within CBT/DBT
Julia Spain
Attendees will learn about the DBT and CBT influences and skills of mindfulness and the importance of and how to teach your clients these skills. Participants will also learn about the importance of meditation practice and will experience meditation while in the session.
Julia received her BS in Psychology from Arizona State University and a Master of Counseling from the University of Phoenix. With over 22 years of experience as a Licensed Counselor specializing in CBT, DBT, and EMDR, she now focuses on training and supervising new therapists in the practice of Mindfulness, Meditation, and DBT. She is dedicated to providing the highest quality mental health services to our community and supporting the growth and development of emerging counselors. She continues to work with clients to maintain my clinical skills while also supervising interns and associate-level providers. In addition to training new supervisors stepping into their roles, she provides ongoing support and guidance to the LPCs in her practice. She and her clinical supervisors conduct two in-service trainings for their team each month, and she leads a weekly women’s DBT skills and meditation group.
Her passion for counseling began during her two-year postgraduate residency program, where she completed intensive training in Mindfulness, CBT, DBT, and EMDR. Her approach to therapy is much like life—fluid and open. She loves her job and the counseling profession as a whole because it enables her to combine her passions for people and health and wellness in a way that facilitates positive change. Over the past six years, she has developed two counseling practices. This journey has presented many challenges and taught her significant life lessons. It brings her great joy to have created a space where clients and staff feel safe, comfortable, and happy. Julia believes that having a job that doesn’t feel like work is a rare privilege, and she is grateful to have such a career. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and finds it beautiful. When she is not working, she enjoys watching her son play soccer, spending time with her dog, family, and friends, and engaging in activities like yoga, hiking, and being in nature.
The Grief of Pregnancy Loss
Megan Williams
The talk focuses on the grief processing around pregnancy loss and application of Worden's Tasks of Mourning to the healing process with clients. Also looking at the new legal context of receiving care as another layer in the grieving process
Objectives:
- Gain understanding of Worden's Tasks of Mourning
- Apply the layers of grief to the experience of those experiencing pregnancy loss seeking treatment
- Show understanding of the identity loss related to pregnancy loss
A dedicated behavioral health professional, Megan Williams has shown dedication and passion for the field. With experience ranging from work with juveniles in residential to incarcerated adults to private practice, Megan has worked tirelessly to assist individuals looking to effect change in their lives and find healing. One of her specialties while in private practice was assisting with pregnancy loss grief and infertility grief. Megan also sits on the board of a local non-profit Courageous Survivors, an agency that serves survivors of sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse. At present, Megan works with those re-entering society after incarceration and supervises associate level therapists for their independent licensure.
The Changing Landscape of Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapies
Kate Kinaid
Psychedelic assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is growing in popularity and more and more clinicians are interested in learning these modalities. Ketamine is already available and becoming a growing treatment that clients are seeking. While the FDA denied approval for MDMA assisted therapy for PTSD this August, many states are passing new laws and bills funding research on psilocybin and other psychedelics.
Many clinicians don’t know where to start or how to hone their skills working with psychedelics legally. In this workshop, we will explore tips and logistics for bringing psychedelic assisted psychotherapy and ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP) to your practice. Topics discussed are to include: research findings, additional training needed, supplies, setting up your space, networking with colleagues and ongoing supervision recommendations. This workshop is for any clinician interested in learning about psychedelic assisted therapies and how they may benefit their clients. No experience is required as this will be an introduction to these modalities.
Learning outcomes:
- Identify 3 psychiatric indications that psychedelic assisted therapy may be useful for
- Understand the current federal and state legislations regarding PAP
- Learn about how ketamine is currently being used and best practices for use
Kate Kincaid is a licensed professional counselor in Tucson, AZ and Salt Lake City, UT. She runs a group private practice that specializes in working with LGBTQIA+ and ethical non monogamy relationship therapy clients, psychedelic integration therapy and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. She has long been interested in non-ordinary states of consciousness and believes in the healing wisdom of psychedelic medicines. She is a graduate of the CIIS Center for Psychedelic Studies and Research and the MAPS MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy training. She is also the co-creator of Southwest Love Fest, a conference on relationships, identity, and community. Kate co-facilitates monthly 4-day in-person trainings for providers who want to bring KAP to their individual practices. A passionate advocate of psychedelic assisted therapy who is regularly interviewed about her work, Kate views entheogens and plant medicines as sacred tools that can help clients gain new insights into themselves and the world around them.
Supporting Clients with Erectile Dysfunction
Elijah Bedrosian
A more recent development in the mental health field is having sex positive approaches to help people with their sexual lives. One issue in specific where people benefit from therapeutic support is erectile dysfunction. There are likely times in a session when this topic came up or was just beneath the surface. And the clinician wanted to ask, or didn’t want to ask, or just didn’t know what to say. Being able to engage in these conversations, ask questions, offer support and generally “go there” with ones’ client can lead to big positive changes in clients’ lives. There are a number of factors and contributors to consider when a therapist is helping a client with erectile dysfunction, which will be discussed in this break out session.
One of the important ideas to be discussed is discerning if the client’s struggles with ED may be caused by medical issues, psychological issues or both. It is prudent to take the time to work with the client so that this is mutually understood. Dependent on the client’s situation and contributing factors of their ED, the therapist has different options as to how to support their client. Some other important ideas related to ED to be discussed in the break out session include: grief, accepting new norms, prioritizing pleasure and connection over performance and developing trust in listening to ones’ body.
The target audience for this break out session are therapists, counselors and other mental health providers. The objectives and desired learning outcomes for this session include: a discussion of what erectile dysfunction is, contributing factors, its prevalence, common medical interventions, and therapeutic interventions/ideas and practical application that clinician’s can use to support their clients. Participants will be invited to share some of their questions and concerns in working with clients struggling with ED.
Elijah Bedrosian
LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) Since 2012
In Private Practice since August 2022
SEP (Somatic Experience Practitioner)
EMDR Therapist
University of Michigan Sexual Health Certificate Program, Sex Therapy Track- March 2024
Relevant Experience: 6 years working in a group practice where much of the focus was on Men’s issues and specifically sexuality
Two years in private practice, continuing to support individuals and couples in their relationships, sexuality as well as other issues
Integrating DEI in Counseling: A Guide for Working with Marginalized Communities
Kimbarlon Barnes
This presentation will equip counselors with the tools and knowledge necessary to create inclusive and equitable mental healthcare environments for clients from marginalized communities. Participants will learn how to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in treatment, recognize and address biases, and incorporate social determinants of health (SDOH) considerations into their practice. Upon completion of training, counselors will be better prepared to address health disparities and provide culturally competent care.
This course will focus on the following domains and objectives:
1. Describe the connection between diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and marginalized communities.
2. Discuss how provider/individual biases and social determinants of health (SDOH) limit access to mental health care for marginalized communities.
3. Identify resources and methods for counselors and organizations to implement DEI programming in counseling spaces with fidelity
Kimbralon is a licensed counselor with over a decade of experience in the field. As a director at an integrated health agency and a member of the Arizona Counseling Association board, she is actively involved in promoting mental wellness in the community. Kimbralon founded the Arizona Counseling Association Inclusive Alliance committee demonstrating her commitment to DEI in mental health care. Recognized for her contributions to behavioral health, Kimbralon has been featured in several publications. She is passionate about providing top-tier therapeutic experiences and education to the community. Kimbralon has volunteered with NAMI and other organizations to address the barriers and challenges faced by marginalized communities when seeking mental health support. For her outstanding contributions, she was a Top 100 Nominee of the Boris L Henson Foundation Joy Award. Kimbralon enjoys sharing her knowledge about diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and its benefits supporting marginalized communities. As a mental awareness warrior, Kimbralon believes that everyone deserves the highest quality of life regardless of their past experiences.
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