NOTE: This is NOW A VIRTUAL EVENT from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. ET to accommodate more attendees who cannot travel to Philadelphia. Zoom link will be emailed 48 hours before event & morning of it.
A Social Problem-Solving Framework for Suicide Treatment and Prevention
Suicide continues to be a major public health problem both nationally and across the world. We will describe a model of suicidality that underscores the importance of three major factors in its etiopathogenesis: negative stressful life events, negative emotional reactions to such stress, and ineffective social problem solving. In addition, we will present Emotion-Centered Problem-Solving Therapy (EC-PST), the updated and revised version of Problem-Solving Therapy, as a potentially efficacious approach for the treatment and prevention of suicidality based on this framework.
CE Learning Objectives
Following this presentation, participants will be able to:
- 1. Describe the roles that stress, emotion reactivity, and social problem solving play regarding the etiopathogenesis of suicide
- 2. Identify the four major tool kits comprising Emotion-Centered Problem-Solving Therapy
- 3. Describe the role that visualization plays in EC-PST
Recommended readings
Nezu, A. M., & Nezu, C. M. (2018). Emotion-centered problem-solving therapy: Treatment guidelines. Springer Publishing Company.
Stay tuned for more recommendations!
About PBTA's Award Recipients
Christine Maguth Nezu, PhD, ABPP
Dr. Nezu is Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Professor of Medicine at Drexel University. She is a past-president of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Society for Clinical Psychology), and has maintained a clinical practice for three decades, often serving as a site for Drexel PhD students to train. She is a current member of the editorial board for both the American Psychologist and Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice. Dr. Maguth Nezu also previously served on the editorial board of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, as well as being a consulting editor for several additional scientific and professional journals. She has received awards from numerous university and professional organizations, including the 2015 Russell J. Bent Distinguished Service and Contributions to the American Board of Professional Psychology Award, and the 2016 Outstanding Contribution by an Individual for Education and Training Activities Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).
Dr. Maguth Nezu has held several leadership positions in several private and professional organizations, including founding Director of Training for an APA-accredited Internship/Residency program (Hahnemann University Hospital), Associate Provost for Research (MCP and Hahnemann University), Board Member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Deputy Chair of the World Congress of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies, and Board Member of the American Board of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology. She has published over 150 journal articles and book chapters, as well as 22 books. Many of her scholarly writings have been translated into various foreign languages.
In addition, Dr. Maguth Nezu is the Founding Director of Full of Possibilities, Inc., a women-led 501c3 charity that provides educational opportunities and psychological resources for young African girls. The financial award for this presentation is being donated to this charity.
Arthur M Nezu, PhD, DHL, ABPP
Dr. Nezu is Distinguished University Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Professor of Medicine, and Professor of Public Health at Drexel University. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, previous Editor of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, previous Associate Editor of American Psychologist, previous Editor of the Behavior Therapist, and previous Associate Editor of the Archives of Scientific Psychology. Dr. Nezu also served as Chair of the Council of Editors of APA, was a member of the Task Force to Revise the 7th edition of APA’s Publication Manual, and a member of the Task Force to Revise APA’s Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS) for Quantitative Research. In addition, he served as a member of the following committees: APA’s Clinical Practice Guideline Development Panel for the Treatment of Depressive Disorders, International Committee to develop the CONSORT Guidelines for Social and Psychological Interventions, and APA’s Presidential Advisory Work Group on the Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice (EBPP) in Health Service Psychology. Dr. Nezu also held the following offices in various professional associations: President of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy (AABT, now ABCT), President of the American Board of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, Secretary of the American Board of Professional Psychology, Board of Directors’ Member of the Society of Clinical Psychology, and Chair of the World Congress of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies. He was also a member of APA’s Board of Scientific Affairs.
Dr. Nezu has published over 225 journal articles and book chapters and 26 books, the majority of which focus on clinical and empirical aspects of cognitive-behavioral therapies. He has received awards from numerous professional organizations, including ABCT, the Society of Clinical Psychology, the American Board of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, the American Academy of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, and the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology. He received an honorary doctoral degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and had an annual award named in his honor by the American Board of Professional Psychology that is given for doctoral research focused on issues of diversity. Dr. Nezu is co-founder of Full of Possibilities, Inc.
About The Nezu's Work Together
Drs. Nezu are best known for their joint work as co-developers of Problem-Solving Therapy and the more recent revision, Emotion-Centered Problem-Solving Therapy (EC-PST). EC-PST is a clinical intervention designated by numerous agencies and professional organizations as an evidenced-based, transdiagnostic psychotherapy approach that has been effectively applied to a wide range of clinical populations and problems both nationally and internationally. Their specific work has focused on depressed adults, cancer patients and their caregivers, intellectually disabled adults experiencing psychological difficulties, sex offenders, and adults suffering from heart disease and other medical diseases. In addition, during the past several years, as consultants to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the U.S Air Force, they co-developed various versions of Moving Forward, a problem-solving based program geared to enhance the mental health of Veteran and active service member populations. This program is implemented in military and Veteran medical centers across the U.S. These programs have recently led the VA to develop suicide reduction protocols for Veterans. Their research and program development activities have been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Air Force, the Department of Justice, the New Jersey Division of Mental Retardation, the Agency for International Development, the Pew Charities Trust, and the Infinite Hero Foundation. They both have held honorary and visiting faculty appointments in Japan and the United Kingdom and are frequent guest speakers at national and international professional conferences. They have collectively trained thousands of mental health professionals in PST-based interventions and supervised scores of graduate students, interns, and postdoctoral fellows. They have each been designated by ABCT as “pioneers” of behavioral and cognitive therapy.
On a personal note, "Chris" and "Art" cherish spending time (especially on Long Beach Island, New Jersey) with their three adult children, Frank, Ali, and Linda, their respective significant others, Jessica, Trevor, and Bryan, and their awesome grandkids, Alex, Jacob, Elle, and Max.
Target Audience
This presentation is intended for licensed mental health professionals and graduate student trainees. The instructional level of this presentation is Beginner.
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.
- This program provides two (2) hours of CE credits.
- Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association is also approved by the NY State Education Department to offer psychology continuing education
- 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 IN ENTIRETY is required to obtain CE credit for this program. APA guidelines do not permit PBTA to issue partial CE credits. No refunds are provided for CE programs. No exceptions allowed.
- Those requiring accommodations please email 72-hours in advance to notify PBTA at PBTAcontinuingeducaiton@gmail.com
