For highly distressed clients with insecure attachment histories, Relational Mindfulness Practices (RMP) can serve as the foundation for a silent intra-personal mindfulness and compassion practice. Clinicians can also benefit from RMP to enhance compassionate responding with the support of peers. Mindfulness Out Loud (MOL) for emotional processing of extreme states is a formal RMP developed for people (CLINICIANS INCLUDED) with high levels of stress and the range of emotions that accompany it. The MOL RMP supports exposure therapy as well as development of intra- and interpersonal relational responding typical of securely attached individuals. MOL is a deliberate RM and exposure therapy practice that integrates CBT and Interpersonal Emotional Processing (IEP) practices to support health of mind, body, and behaviors.
The MOL practice was developed as an adaptation to exposure therapy when treating highly stressed clients experiencing severe comorbid anxiety, trauma-related, and OCD diagnoses (see article entitled “META for GAD”). It is part of the brief mindfulness-based training program, Mindful Exposure Therapy for Anxiety (META), that integrates Mindfulness Based Program (MBP) and IEP elements. Participants learn to deconstruct intense emotion and use its elements to cue covert and overt adaptive responding. This transtherapeutic intervention enhances intra- and interpersonal relationship effectiveness and results in adaptive automaticity even and especially during times of severe stress. The META program elements, including MOL and RMP, support emotional processing of corrective information during exposure therapy and other high stress situations to strengthen intentional and adaptive responding.
Both MOL and RM practices from the META program can also be implemented by mental health professionals to train compassionate relating in response to challenging clients. When practiced with professional peers using the guidelines of the structured consultation practice called Mindful Case Consultation (MCC) it serves as an efficient model of peer collaboration that reduces stress for ourselves and our clients.
This two-part workshop begins with experiential practice. All participants first learn and practice elements of Modules 3 and 4 of the META program. Each module is a 2.5 hour curriculum that can implemented flexibly. Module 3 focuses on IEP and the challenge of cultivating internal and external resources to reduce stress, its sequelae, and the range of primary negative emotions people experience when highly distressed. Module 3 includes formal RMP in confidential break out rooms. This is followed by continued RMP in the larger group where inquiry that supports processing and application is experienced as a participant-practitioner. After practice and processing of Module 3 attendees will receive the formal curriculum for Module 3 that includes specific RMP contemplation topics that enhance learning of MBP elements. Participants will implement Module 3, with a practice partner or client, before attending part two of this training. At Part 2 attendees will experience the MCC and practice all elements of Module 4 that focuses on motivating behavior change compassionately and sustaining it with deliberate practice to enhance interpersonal connection. Attendees will contemplate a specific challenging case using MOL and RMP. After practice and processing of Module 4.
Attendees will receive the formal curriculum for Module 4 that includes specific RM contemplation topics that enhance learning of MBP elements. All attendees will have option of joining guided peer consultation groups or forming their own. As well, participants who complete both parts of this CE training will be invited to participate in the full META training program that includes non-professionals in 2021 to directly experience how it is applied with people experiencing a range of conditions marked by extreme stress. More at https://www.meta4stress.com/mccbt.
Continuing Education
Following this presentation, participants will be able to:
Part 1 (Friday 2/12/21 from 8:30 am to 12:00 noon)
- Describe and implement guidelines for formal Relational Mindfulness Practices (RMP) experientially.
- List the evidence-base in support of mental health benefits of RMP.
- List five important adaptations needed for RMP with high distress and stress levels transdiagnostically.
- Practice guided and formal RMP and describe three ways that it can support clients with insecure attachment histories and distressing emotions in developing silent intra-personal mindfulness and compassion practices.
- Observe and directly experience, as a participant-practitioner, the delivery and curriculum elements of Module 3 (The challenge of cultivating internal and external resources to reduce stress) of the META program focused on alleviating stress and the range of negative emotions that can accompany it.
Part 2 (Friday 3/12/21 from 8:30 am to 12:00 noon)
- Observe and experience, as a participant-practitioner, the delivery and curriculum elements of Module 4 of the META program focused on motivating behavior change compassionately and sustaining it with deliberate practice to alleviate stress and enhance interpersonal connection.
- Describe the steps of Mindful Case Consultation (MCC) with peers for enhancing ethical responding.
- List three ways MCC can support ethical clinical decision making and associated adaptation of Mindfulness- and Compassion-based Programs with personally challenging cases.
- Practice of MCC with peers after seeing it demonstrated with a challenging case.
- Apply MCC to a specific and personally challenging case.
About Dr. Molnar
Chris Molnar, Ph.D., obtained her Ph.D. degree in Clinical Psychology and Psychophysiology from The Pennsylvania State University. Her post-doctoral fellowship training was in traumatic stress and functional neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is President of the Mindful Exposure Therapy for Anxiety and Psychological Wellness Center, Inc. (META Center). At META Center, she integrates Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) with other forms of psychotherapy. Her work is guided by ongoing developments in functional neuroscience, emotion and motivation, and other areas of inquiry into how humans learn optimally to maintain and apply healthy habits during states of threat and challenge. Before founding META Center in 2007, Dr. Molnar worked as a clinical investigator supported by grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and other funding agencies. For a full list of credentials, scientific contributions, popular press articles, and select professional presentations visit www.meta4stress.com Resources tab.
Target Audience
This presentation is intended for mental health professionals and advanced graduate students with some clinical experience. The instructional level of this presentation is intermediate.
Note: This workshop does not require attendees to have a formal mindfulness practice but some experience with a personal mindfulness or related wisdom practice will be useful. Attendees will be guided in practicing formal Relational Mindfulness (RM), Mindfulness Out Loud (MOL), and Mindful Case Consultation (MCC) at this workshop. Those who want support adapting Mindfulness and Compassion Based Programs to challenging clients and willing to role play such clients with confidential video connection virtually are invited to attend.
Continuing Education
- Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- Part 1 of this program (2/12/21) provides three and a half (3.5) hours of CE credits.
- Part 2 of this program (3/12/21) provides three and a half (3.5) hours of CE credits. Three (3) of the contact hours qualify for the ethics requirement as mandated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology.
- PBTA is also an authorized provider of CE credits for Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Clinical Social Workers licensed in the state of Pennsylvania.
- Full attendance with video display is required to obtain CE credits for this program. APA guidelines do not permit PBTA to issue partial CE credits. No refunds are provided for CE programs. No exceptions allowed.
Webinar Workshop Requirements
In order to participate in all PBTA workshops virtually we require that you meet the following criteria. Your participation in PBTA workshops reflects your agreement to the following terms designed to protect everyone and create conditions for optimal learning.
- You must have utilities, internet service, phone service, and an appropriately private location at your home or office in order to ensure HIPAA compliance.
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- The private location should be free of noise and distractions. (If you are the parent of young children, appropriate child care arrangements must be in place.). There will be scheduled self-care breaks. Please be sure you can actually care for yourself during these periods in a way that supports your presence in the workshop when it resumes.
- You must agree to attend each hour of the video conference and agree to use video of yourself during the video conference in order to track attendance and support planned activities. Only the presenter’s video will be recorded and not your video which will not be recorded.
- You must agree not to copy or distribute workshop materials provided to you in the course of the workshop.
- Patient audio/video is utilized during the training so you must agree to abide by all applicable rules of confidentiality and HIPAA compliance, including but not limited to no audio or video-recording of the workshop in any form at any time.
You will be asked to affirm the previous conditions and your agreement to them prior to the commencement of the workshop
