Clinical Certificate Program in Relational and Multi-Contextual Treatment of Trauma (September-April)
This certificate program is designed for professionals in urban settings, hospitals, community agencies, and private practices committed to understanding the impact of acute and chronic trauma on their clients’ attachment relationships, belief systems, behavior, and regulation of affect. It examines the often-overlooked multi-contextual, systemic forces that lead to increased exposure to trauma and violence for many children, adolescents, and adults.
The treatment of psychological trauma is among the greatest challenges that mental health, social service, forensic, and other helping professionals face today. It calls on professionals to integrate within their practices contemporary research and treatment approaches that reduce clients’ post-traumatic anxiety and behavior and support their strengths to resume paths of developmental competence.
The program examines somatic and neurobiological changes that accompany overwhelming psychological trauma and their resulting impact on development, memory, and attachment in both children and adults. It presents culturally sensitive models of assessment and treatment grounded in a commitment to phase-oriented trauma treatment and to evidence-based assumptions that individuals, groups, and communities grow and change when their strengths are nurtured within containing attachment relationships.
From a variety of perspectives instructors discuss the normal experiences of vicarious trauma and strategies of self-care, which promote safety and affect regulation for trauma professionals, and ultimately for their clients.
The curriculum includes an exploration of:
- Strengths based treatment of traumatic experiences of racism
- Skills in assessment of trauma in children and adults
- Strategies of working with community and domestic violence
- The impact of traumatic losses on children and families
- Treating complex post-traumatic-stress-disorder and dissociation
- Promoting resilience in immigrants, refugees, and other trauma survivors
- Mind/body techniques to build internal resources of comfort
- Understanding and treatment of substance abuse and other addictions
Format: Classes meet Wednesdays, 5:30-8:45 p.m. and two Saturdays, September-April. Master’s degree in human services required.
Tuition: $1800; 75 CEs.
To apply download the application. Any questions please contact the Admission Office at ssw@simmons.edu or 617-521-3939.
Application deadline: August 1, 2008
Clinical Certificate Program in EMDR Basic Training
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an innovative method of psychotherapy, which utilizes elements of psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, exposure, and mind/body therapies to accelerate healing for clients suffering from Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder and a wide range of other problems. This 11 session comprehensive training will take place from October 2008 to June 2009. It provides 53 hours of training of both Basic EMDR (formerly called Level I) and Intermediate EMDR (Level II) in a small group setting with ongoing support throughout the learning process.
Participants will:
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Learn the 8 Phase Standard EMDR Protocol
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Practice EMDR skills under supervision with colleagues
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Problem-solve about case conceptualization to prepare to use EMDR
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Start to use EMDR with selected clients after the first 5 sessions of the training
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Receive case consultation as they utilize their new EMDR skills
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Learn Intermediate EMDR skills including cognitive interweave
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Form a supportive local network with same level colleagues
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Briefly learn about advanced and new applications of EMDR
This course will take place over two semesters in order to help participants begin to gain a sense of competency as EMDR practitioners. Participants will be required to attend both semesters and to get additional case consultation with an EMDRIA Approved Consultant in the 12 months following the training in order to receive the final EMDRIA certificate in EMDR.
Requirements:
- Master's-level or higher licensed mental health professionals in a clinical practice setting that permits EMDR with clients.
- The purchase of one textbook: Francine Shapiro (2001), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures, 2nd Edition, Guilford Press. Ms. Shapiro is the developer of EMDR. The book is available through Guilford Press or online booksellers.
Instructor:
Natalie S. Robinson, LICSW (www.natalie-robinson-licsw.com) is a 1977 graduate of the Simmons School of Social Work. She is an EMDRIA-approved consultant and trainer in EMDR. Ms. Robinson has been developing and teaching this extended format EMDR Basic Training in a university setting since 2006 and practicing EMDR since 1996 at her offices in Boston and Chelmsford. She has made numerous presentations on EMDR for Life Enhancement in the greater Boston area and at EMDRIA Conferences in Toronto and Austin. She has also developed an EMDR Case Flow Chart which is being offered by the EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs.
This course has been approved by the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). Participants will receive EMDRIA certificates as well as 53 social work CECs.
Format and Schedule:
The EMDR Basic Training consists of 11 sessions.
Classes will meet from October to mid December 2008 and from February to June 2009.
Five Monday sessions 2:30-7:15 p.m. Tentative Dates: October 6, and 20, November 17, December 1, and 15
One Full day Sunday session on November 2
Five Monday sessions 2:30-7:15 p.m. Tentative Dates: February 2, March 2, April 6, May 4, and June 1
Tuition: $1500; 53 CECs
Limited to 18 participants.
Application deadline August 15, 2008
To apply download the application. Any questions please contact the Admission Office at ssw@simmons.edu or 617-521-3939.
Clinical Certificate Program in Strength-Based Treatment of Children, Adolescents, and Families
Candace Saunders, LICSW, Coordinator
Children and adolescents have critical attachment and dependency needs and require attuned responsiveness from their adult caretakers and communities in order to internalize the strengths to negotiate essential developmental tasks. Their normal states of dependence make them vulnerable to being neglected, abused, and misunderstood by the people and organizational systems on which they and their families rely.
This certificate program is designed for professional mental health, social service, educational, forensic, and medical practitioners committed to helping children, adolescents and families discover and act on their competencies. It promotes an in-depth understanding of child and adolescent emotional, neurobiological, cognitive, relational, and behavioral difficulties that can intrude on their healthy development. Weekly class content includes models of assessment and treatment that are sensitive to and informed by the child and family’s cultural, developmental, and attachment histories.
Participants are helped to understand the potential impact of child trauma and neglect on child and adult development, behavior, and attachment relationships. They learn treatment strategies for using strength-based communication to promote emotional, and behavioral regulation in both children and their parents. Instructors discuss the developmental importance of symbolic play as it relates to attachment and healing and they provide experiential opportunities for learning verbal and non-verbal play therapy techniques. Attention is paid to respecting and understanding children’s unique learning needs. Instructors share strategies for transforming a potentially overwhelming learning task into carefully scaffolded smaller tasks that are more easily mastered by a developmentally delayed, anxious, or easily dysregulated child.
The program addresses the complexities of treating adolescents who adapt to feeling depressed and disenfranchised by using substances and engaging in other self-harming behaviors in an effort to contain themselves. It promotes strategies for helping children and families to build autobiographical narratives that accentuate their capabilities, deepen their relational resources, and create hope for their futures.
Participants contribute to the learning of both instructors and colleagues through their confidential sharing of clinical experiences and case materials for class discussion.
The curriculum includes an exploration of:
1. Research regarding the importance of secure attachment in child development
2. The evolution of a securely attached child’s developmental path from being totally dependent on others for containment to his gradual capacity to seek and provide containment for himself.
3. The centrality of culture in the development of one’s sense of self and sense of connection with others
4. The impact of personal and systemic cultural exclusion and oppression on child and family development
5. Narrative family therapy and the powerful impact of strength based communication
6. Assessment tools for using cognitive, emotional, neurobiological and relational perspectives to understand a child’s struggles and needs.
7. Treatment approaches that focus on developmentally informed steps for building on the child, adolescent, and family’s strengths
8. The impact of psychological trauma on brain development and attachment patterns
9. Treatment of symptoms and behaviors associated with the neurobiological dysregulation that accompanies triggered memories of trauma
10. The impact of learning difficulties on a child’s sense of self and attuned assessment and treatment approaches for working with children, families, and teachers in addressing these difficulties
11. Verbal and non-verbal play therapy and its role in the promotion of a child’s symbolic integration of cognitive, affective, sensory, and attachment experiences
12. Treatment of risk taking behaviors and relational challenges of adolescents
13. Strength-based treatment with parents who have histories of trauma and insecure attachments
14. Psychopharmacological treatment of children and adolescents
15. Communication skills for engaging caretakers and other professionals as team members in responding to the needs of a child or family
Format: Classes meet Tuesdays, 5:30-8:45 p.m. and two Saturdays, September-April. Master’s degree in human services required.
Tuition: $1800; 75 CEs.
Application deadline: August 1, 2008
To apply download the application. Any questions please contact the Admission Office at ssw@simmons.edu or 617-521-3939.