This On Demand Webinar is 6 hours.

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Description

The verdict is in: The Internet is changing our brains and our social skills. The verdict is still out on absolutes about the damage or the benefits, but emerging research, MRIs, and anecdotal evidence suggest that the more “connected” people are, the more at risk they are for anxiety, depression, and general unhappiness.

The world of social challenges has always created anxiety, but in the online social world, new risks for anxiety have emerged. The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), NoMophobia (no mobile phone phobia), the Comparison Fallacy, and the Fantasy of Perfect all create risks for anxiety. And those challenges, which are most damaging in youth and young adults, are not restricted to those age groups. At every age, the prevalence of these risk factors has caused rates of anxiety to escalate over the last decade.

Additionally, the impact of instant 24/7 accessibility, continual texting, and gaming has profoundly changed how people learn, deal with stress, and create social relationships.

As mental health professionals, we must know what to ask, what to listen for, and have tools ready to help people understand and then challenge these potential dangers to mental health and happiness.

In this workshop, you will learn to identify how these risks are manifesting in your clients, the neurobiological impact of screen time and gaming, how social media impacts social and personal development, and strategies to offset the addictive nature of new technology and more! The internet and social media are here to stay. Time to better educate ourselves and our clients to facilitate mental health and social balance.

Want More Margaret Wehrenberg?

Margaret Wehrenberg is also presenting Disrupting Rumination: Changing the Thoughts that Underlie Anxiety and Depression on January 8, 2021. Click here for full info.

You will learn

By the end of this training, attendees will be better able to —

Discuss the power of anonymity and the ‘comparison fallacy’ as new factors in social anxiety
Explain the neurobiological impact of rapid screen shifting, prolonged gaming, and screen time so you can create appropriate limits and boundaries for all age groups
Describe how to help young adults develop emotional tolerance and management skills that combat anxiety and depression
Discuss how to help older adults navigate the stresses technology places on them as relationships with family are altered and the demand for fast change increases
Implement a ‘coaching style’ therapy to combat the fear of ‘Adulting’ that interferes with romantic relationships, normal socializing, driving or working
Explain how to develop the ‘default mode network’ and strengthen executive skills that can balance the neurobiological impact of constant information flow
Discuss how to develop ‘demand delays’ that diminish the addictive nature of communication notifications, gaming, and social media ‘likes’
Explain how to help young adults to recognize and alter the fantasy of perfection and the demand to live an “amazing life” that interferes with actual skill development and damages genuine, appropriate self esteem

Speaker Bio

Margaret Wehrenberg, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist, is the author of 8 books on the treatment of anxiety and depression, including the best-selling, The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques (revised and updated in 2018) and its accompanying workbook. An expert on the treatment of anxiety and depression, she also has extensive training and expertise in the neurobiology of psychological disorders. In addition to clinical work, she coaches business professionals on managing anxiety, contributes articles for The Psychotherapy Networker magazine. She has produced audio soundtracks available on her website for breathing, muscle relaxation and imagery. Margaret blogs on depression for Psychology Today.

Agenda

Time	Topic Covered
10:00 am – 11:30 am	The neurological impact of Social Media and Gaming: the effects on habit, addiction, stress response and appropriate management of consequent anxiety
11:30 am – 11:45 am	15 minute break
11:45 am – 1:15 pm	Media/Gaming: compensating for the impact on learning, attention, including attention restoration theory and activation of the default mode network. Addressing identity, FoMO, and techniques to utilize our connections positively
1:15 pm – 1:45 pm	30 minute break
1:45 pm – 3:15 pm	Addressing the comparison fallacy and perfectionism, developing new outlets to develop self-esteem and resilience
3:15 pm – 3:30 pm	15 minute break
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm	Developing self-awareness, self-confidence, compassion and social skills at all ages, using positive aspects of technology and Psychotherapy interventions that promote healthy relationships with self and others

CE Information

This training offers 6 hours of direct contact (not counting breaks or lunch). It is the participant’s responsibility to check with their individual state boards/regulatory body to verify CE requirements for their license to practice.

For Live Broadcast Attendees

Webinar attendance by participants is automatically tracked, documented and archived for future reference. Upon confirming you have attended 100% of the webinar and upon completion of a course evaluation, you will be issued a certificate of participation (see below).

For Attendees of On Demand/Recorded Version

If you cannot verify 100% attendance of the Live Broadcast or if you are watching the On Demand/recorded version of this webinar, you will need to complete a Post-Webinar Quiz with a pass of at least 80% in order to verify your attendance.

For US Participants

Instructions on how obtaining your Certificate of Attendance will be distributed either upon completion of the Live Broadcast or after participants pass the Post-Webinar Quiz following the On Demand recorded version of the webinar.

For more general info about CEs for US Participants, please click here.

For Canadian and International participants

Upon fulfillment of the above requirements, Canadian and international participants will be issued a Certificate of Participation which features:

Name of Participant
Title of Training
Name of Presenter plus their credentials
Number of hours of training
Date of training
Confirmation that you have passed a quiz with at least 80% grade to verify your attendance

Please check carefully with your regulating body/organization that this certificate is sufficient proof for you to claim CEUs.

For general information about Continuing Education for Canadians and International participants, please click here.

Who should Attend

This training is aimed at all mental health professionals including:

social workers
counsellors
psychologists
psychiatrists
medical professionals supporting mental health patients
psychotherapists
mental health counsellors
marriage and family therapists and counsellors
occupational therapists
vocational rehabilitation therapists
addiction counsellors
religious counsellors
therapists
case managers
art therapists
licensed professional counsellors
all other professionals who would like to develop, update or expand their skills and knowledge in mental health practices