2014 Annual NJAMFT Conference
Offering 6 CEUs (For LMFTs, LPCs, LCADCs)
Plenary Address:
Emotional Intelligence in Relationships: Tuning up Your Client’s Emotional Brain
Speaker: Brent Atkinson Ph.D.
Researchers have zeroed in on interpersonal skills that clearly distinguish people who end up having satisfying long-term relationships from those who don’t. The skills are easy to understand but they can be hard to do because they require a well-tuned nervous system in order to execute them. To navigate a relationship skillfully, one’s brain must be wired in ways that enable mood-regulation, self-soothing, response-flexibility, empathy and attentiveness. The neural mechanisms that enable such aptitudes cannot be willed at a moment’s notice any more than musicians or athletes can perform skillful maneuvers without many hours of practice. Thankfully, hundreds of studies suggest that the neural mechanisms that enable self-regulation and attunement, can be strengthened through practice just as surely as the mechanisms that enable complex musical or athletic movements.
Educational Objectives:
- Learn how to motivate clients to develop the skills that are required for healthy relationships
- Engage clients in daily exercises that give them the nervous system capacities needed to support these skills
- Guide clients step-by-step through the process of skill acquisition.
About Brent Atkinson: An LMFT and AAMFT Approved Supervisor, Dr. Brent Atkinson is the 
principle architect of Pragmatic/Experiential Therapy for Couples, an approach that translates new scientific findings about the brain into practical methods for improving relationships. Dr. Atkinson is author of "Developing Habits for Relationship Success," and "Emotional Intelligence in Couples Therapy: Advances from Neurobiology and the Science of Intimate Relationships." He is the Director of Post Graduate-Training at the Couples Research Institute in Geneva, Illinois and holds a senior graduate faculty post in Northern Illinois University. Dr. Atkinson’s pioneering work has been the subject of dozens of professional journal articles, and has recently been featured in magazines and newspapers such as the Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan Magazine, the Psychotherapy Networker, and others. A personable and engaging speaker, Dr. Atkinson is known for his ability to present complex scientific ideas in compelling and easy to understand ways. His seminars are packed with cutting edge information, practical interventions and handouts that can be given to clients.
Friday, September 19, 2014 NJAMFT Conference Schedule
NOTE: Workshops A & B qualify for 3 Cultural Competence CEUs. Workshop C qualifies for 3 General CEUs)
8:00 AM – 8:45 AM: Registration, Exhibits and Continental Breakfast
8:45 AM – Noon: Plenary Address "Emotional Intelligence in Relationships: Tuning up Your Client’s Emotional Brain"
Noon – 1:00 PM: Awards Luncheon (included in registration fee)
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Workshop Presentations – (Please Choose One)
NOTE: Workshops A & B qualify for 3 Cultural Competence CEUs. Workshop C qualifies for 3 General CEUs) A. Marriage and the Military: Working with Couples Post Deployment B. Mothers & Coming Out: A Family Process C. A Mindful Approach to Managing Stress and Moving Forward D. AAMFT 5 Hour Supervision Refresher Course (5 CEU’s) Your Choice of Afternoon Sessions.
A. Marriage and the Military: Working with Couples Post Deployment. The goal of this presentation is to better prepare clinicians to understand and address the complexity and unique differences facing military couples. This workshop can provide the MFT a context to better understand how military culture, military-to- civilian-transition and a veteran’s combat experience, impact the dynamics of the couple relationship. In addition, this workshop will identify ways in which the MFT can intervene and support the couple through this adjustment phase.
Presenter: Judith Schaeffer-Benoit LMFT, LCSW, Bloomfield Vet Center, Green Village Equine Synergy Psychotherapy
B. Mothers & Coming Out: A Family Process: As a society, we have come to think of sexuality in bivariate terms: heterosexual or non-heterosexual. However, the presenter’s personal experiences as well as recent research data suggest that both sexuality and gender are complex and intersect with other aspects of personhood and relationships in many ways. Family relationships tend to be mired in heteronormativity: the presumption that individuals and relationships are heterosexual and the preferred mode of relating. No one ‘comes out’ as heterosexual in our society, only in non-heterosexual situations. In this presentation, the impact of non-heterosexuality in familial worlds will be explored, both from the perspective of the parent and the child.The presenter will describe her own family transitions from heterosexuality and the relational impact of those processes. She will introduce a model of understanding non-heterosexual relationships in the context of a heteronormative society and reframe the concept of ‘coming out’ as a familial process. She will also present the most recent data on the impact of family acceptance.
Presenter: Jacqueline Hudak M.Ed., Ph.D., LMFT, is in private practice in Monmouth County and is also the Clinical Director, Center for Couples and Adult Families, University of Pennsylvania
C. A Mindful Approach to Managing Stress and Moving Forward: Gain insights and practice a new understanding and mastery of stress management and communication enhancement. This workshop will explore resources that contribute to self-awareness and confidence and draw upon a diversity of disciplines including mindfulness, meditation, homeopathy, Qigong and forgiveness.
Presenter: Kenneth Silvestri Ph.D. is a Psychotherapist and Certified Classical Homeopath with a private practice in Montclair and has an office in Nyack, NY
D. AAMFT 5 Hour Supervision Refresher Course: The course is designed for AAMFT Supervisors who seek renewal of their supervisor designation. It is an interactive and intensive five hour course for experienced supervisors. The course content is geared towards current developments in supervision. Participants will receive a certificate of completion.
Presenter: Lalita Salins M.A., LMFT is also an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. Her private practice is in New York City
For more information and/or special needs contact Conference Chair Amisha Desai via email at: amidip11@gmail.com
