Counselor Education and Professional Development Programming for Mental Health Clinicians
Dr. Wenninger delivers dynamic, evidence-based training for mental health professionals on critical areas of client care, from culture, privilege, and antiracism, to social justice advocacy, to law and ethics in crisis situations, to technology in therapy ranging from accelerating technology intrusion in life and therapy, to telehealth for mental health practitioners in California specifically and across the country, including offering telehealth across state lines, and setting up telehealth technology to have a seamless experience for clients.
Many programs listed are didactic (lecture-based) and easily delivered on Zoom, and also suitable
Currently available courses include:
- Building a Professional Identity as a Social Justice Advocate in Counseling
Understanding what it means to be an advocate for our clients as counselors and therapists is crucial to supporting client needs and working to change oppressive systems. All of the codes of ethics for the mental health professions including aspects of advocacy as part of our ethical obligations. For many therapists and counselors, advocacy can feel intimidating and scary, and we often don’t know where to begin. The first step is exploring our own identity as counselors, and to inquire into questions of fear, safety, and risk-tolerance. We also often need to be introduced to the ways that action can be taken to effect change in our culture, and to find groups of others doing similar work in order to feel inspired and gain direction. For client-centered advocacy, we need to understand our client’s identities and positionality, and understand ourselves in such contexts as well. Dr. Wenninger’s “How to Be an Advocate” trainings can include a range of topics including the importance of broaching political topics with our clients as a way to normalize talking about the changes happening around us; the importance of resilience assessments as part of client work today based on the rapidly-shifting world; how to use intentional self-disclosure to share power in the counseling room; and how to create your own personal advocacy action plan, to work through internal obstacles or hesitations that have prevented you from stepping up to do more, and giving options for ways that your specific skillset as a counselor or therapist can be used to join with others fighting for social justice.
- Big Brother in the Therapy Room: Surveillance Technology and Our Clients
Technology has infiltrated everything about our lives. Cameras are everywhere, and AI is inescapable. What happens when technology intrudes upon the private space of a therapy session? This training is a practical discussion of how therapists need to tend to their technology environment to protect confidentiality within the therapy space. This program provides up-to-the-minute information on the mainstream technology devices that our clients may be using and that may be in the therapist’s home too – which can be a significant issue for unintentional eavesdropping and even recording of a therapy session if not managed precisely and carefully. This is not another AI training; this is about how surveillance has become normalized and consumers are inviting it into our lives through Ring cameras, Alexa and Siri listening devices, and yes now the proliferation of AI bots that are being given permission to participate within everyday human interactions. This course includes a brief history of surveillance within the U.S. and offers information on who within our culture may be more impacted and in what ways, based on the identities that they hold. We also discuss how to talk about technology with clients in a supportive yet appropriately protective way. This course typically would not qualify for law and ethics, because it is largely clinical in nature, however there may be opportunities to tailor it so that it at least partially qualifies as a law and ethics training along with standard CE units. - California Mandatory Reporting and Involuntary Admission
Navigating clinical situations where a client presents as a danger to self or others is incredibly challenging. This 3-hour practical course covers the legal and ethical aspects for California mental health clinicians in assessing for threat of harm and enlisting systems of support for a client, including assessing for involuntary commitment, and options for possibly avoiding this in order to prevent further harm – with real-world discussion of cases showing both positive and negative outcomes, especially for clients holding marginalized identities. Qualifies as Law & Ethics continuing education. - California Working with Minors
This 3-hour law and ethics course is designed for therapists seeking to enhance their understanding of the unique ethical, legal, clinical, and cultural considerations involved in providing mental health care to minors in California. Participants will explore essential topics such as informed consent, confidentiality, risk assessment, and culturally competent care. The course explores the circumstances of parent-involved care and discusses planning needed when minor clients do not have caregivers in the treatment. An ethical decision-making framework will be presented to guide a discussion of a clinical case. Participants will gain practical knowledge about the laws, guidelines, and best practices involved with providing effective, ethical, and culturally sensitive therapy to minors. Qualifies as Law & Ethics continuing education. - Culturally Sensitive Diagnosing
This 2-CE course covers cultural and clinical aspects of mental health diagnosing using the DSM-5-TR. The course will explore the impact of cultural factors, such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status, on the diagnostic process. Assessment tools will be presented to support evidence-based practices in learning about clients’ presenting concerns. Clinician decision-making such as collaborative discussions with clients on their diagnosis, and client-centered documentation, are included. Participants will be better equipped to provide accurate and respectful diagnoses that take into account the unique experiences and cultural backgrounds of their clients. The perspective offered is that diagnosing entails critical thinking with compassion, in a way that supports client-centered care while establishing medical necessity for treatment. - Defensive Documentation: The Laws & Ethics of Advocating & Protecting Our Clients through Clinical Notes
How can mental health professionals appropriately comply with the requirements of health insurance plans in documenting medical necessity for psychotherapy treatment while also protecting clients holding vulnerable identities from being exposed to possible governmental intrusion into their lives? The Code of Ethics of the American Counseling Association clearly states that counselors have a duty to avoid harming their clients, and to advocate on behalf of clients to address potential barriers that inhibit access or the growth and development of clients. This two-hour, 2-CE workshop is designed for practicing counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and other mental health professionals who are concerned about the rapidly changing macro environment in the United States which may put clients at risk of harm, and who want to be proactive in adopting client-centered, protective practices of care in their documentation. Qualifies for 2 Law & Ethics CE hours; can be expanded to a 3-CE course including experiential workshop. - Increasing Our Understanding of Racism and Antiracism for White Mental Health Clinicians
Racism is still experienced by clients and counselors of color. The forms that racism takes in U.S. society today are different from a generation ago when segregation, open harassment, and discrimination were the norm – or before that, when overt violence and even lynching were common. Today, racism has gone underground in ways that make it harder to detect in society, partly because it is so integrated into our culture. This one hour presentation introduces the concepts of modern racism and everyday racism to counselors, describing their manifestations in modern culture and in the counseling room, and highlights options for antiracist actions that can be deployed to counter them in our relationships with our peers, students, and clients. - California Telehealth Law & Ethics – course can can be tailored to present to clinicians practicing in any U.S. state
This course trains on clinical, ethical and legal issues and best practices for providing therapy via telehealth, including client confidentiality, security, and privacy requirements from federal HIPAA/HITECH rules, with special considerations for informed consent, safety planning, and crisis management. Regulations for telehealth across state lines and licensure are fully explained. The core course focuses on California-specific state law for mental health care over telehealth, however these California rules can be considered best practice for telehealth in any region, and so the content is appropriate for and relevant to practitioners anywhere. This training is based on ethical codes from professional organizations including CAMFT, AAMFT, ACA and NBCC around distance counseling. It meets the California BBS requirement for 3 hours of telehealth training including law and ethics, and can also be counted towards the 36 CEs needed for renewals, plus it is entirely law and ethics content and so can be counted as 3 Law & Ethics CEs towards that renewal CE requirement as well.
Consulting is also available to organizations who are focusing on creating cultures where everyone of all identities feels respected, valued, and experiences a sense of belonging regardless of who they are.
Want a proposal for a training your organization needs? Please reach out to info@primarysuccesscorp.com and we’ll set up a time to talk. Mission-sensitive pricing offered for nonprofits and agencies, especially those focusing on social justice advocacy within therapy.