Progressive relaxation training, applied relaxation, and diaphragmatic breathing procedures originated within the scientific disciplines of physiology, medicine, and behavior therapy. In contrast, mindfulness practices originated from ancient Buddhist traditions which began more than 2500 years ago. Nevertheless, these mindfulness practices have been adapted for stress reduction with considerable research support and popularity in mental health fields. After a brief review of the origins of these different practices, this presentation will offer suggestions for how mental health professionals can integrate relaxation training with mindfulness-orientated clinical practice in a consistent and theoretically coherent way. Underlying principles and common practices of these different approaches will be presented within a discussion of their commonalities and how to address any discrepancies in clinical instructions. Published research supporting the overall clinical effectiveness of progressive relaxation and mindfulness-based interventions will be reviewed, as well as research examining the application of these stress reduction practices with geriatric adults and specialized clinical populations. Specific adaptations to relaxation training and mindfulness practices for older adults will be reviewed. Finally, mental health professionals will learn ways to develop their own mindfulness practice to manage the stress of professional life.
About Presenter
Holly Hazlett-Stevens received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the Pennsylvania State University. She was a post-doctoral fellow at the Anxiety Disorders Research Center in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
In 2002, Dr. Hazlett-Stevens joined the faculty of the Department of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she is currently an Associate Professor. She has published over 50 scholarly research articles and chapters and authored two books, Women Who Worry Too Much and Psychological Approaches to Generalized Anxiety Disorder. She also co-authored the updated Progressive Relaxation Training: A Guide for Practitioners, Students, and Researchers with Douglas A. Bernstein, and she edited a Springer book on the topic of mindfulness for stress reduction. Dr. Hazlett-Stevens is a licensed psychologist in the state of Nevada, and she is certified by the University of Massachusetts Medical School Center for Mindfulness as a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) instructor.
Target Audience
This workshop is designed for licensed professionals & advanced graduate students with clinical experience who anticipate seeking licensure as mental health professionals. The instructional level of this presentation is INTERMEDIATE.
CE Learning Objective(s)
Following this presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Describe three common principles underlying progressive relaxation training and mindfulness practices.
2. Explain how progressive relaxation training and mindfulness practices can be adapted for older adults.
3. Identify two specific practices mental health professionals can incorporate into their own lives for work-related stress reduction.
- 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) hour of CE credits.
- * PBTA now offers CE to licensed psychologists licensed in the state of New York. Attestation of full attendance and provision of license number post-event required to obtain certificate that meets NY criteria for CE.
- 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. Non-psychologist licensees in other states should confirm with their respective boards if this meets criteria for CE in their specific non-PA states.
- Full attendance with video display 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. Registrants can log in and cancel up to 48 hours before event when registration closes.
Zoom video link will be sent to participants 48 & 24 hours before the event contingent upon membership being paid in full if membership rate was selected. NOTE: New membership period begins 2/1/24 & is not pre-rated.
Suggested Readings
Garcia-Toro, M., Aguilar-Latorre, A., Garcia, A., Navarro-Guzmán, C., Gervilla, E., Seguí, A., Gazquez, F., Marino, J. A., Gomez-Juanes, R., Serrano-Ripoll, M. J., Oliván-Blázquez, B., Garcia-Campayo, J., Maloney, S., & Montero-Marin, J. (2023). Mindfulness skills and experiential avoidance as therapeutic mechanisms for treatment-resistant depression through mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and lifestyle modification. Frontiers in psychology, 14, 1008891. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1008891
Hazlett-Stevens, H., Singer, J., & Chong, A. (2018). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with older adults: A qualitative review of randomized controlled outcome research. Clinical Gerontologist 42(4), 347-358. DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2018.1518282
Watson, T., Walker, O., Cann, R., & Varghese, A. K. (2021). The benefits of mindfulness in mental healthcare professionals. F1000Research, 10, 1085. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.73729.2
Suggested Resource (click below link to purchase)
Hazlett-Stevens, H., & Bernstein, D. A. (2022). Progressive Relaxation Training.
