WORKSHOP Fees
Faculty, Staff, & Students: FREE
Alumni & Non-Saybrook Students: $50 | $100 for “Spousal Abuse, Assessment and Intervention” Workshop
General Public (Non-CE seeking): $75 | $150 for “Spousal Abuse, Assessment and Intervention” Workshop
Professionals (CE seeking): $100 | $200 for “Spousal Abuse, Assessment and Intervention” Workshop

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Spousal Abuse, Assessment, and Intervention, Parts 1 & 2
Part 1, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., and Part 2, 1-4 p.m.
Cynthia Palmisano, Psy.D. and Portia Rawles, Psy.D.
This course will cover the current research and evidence-based practices in treating and assessing domestic violence within families. Participants will learn theory regarding family violence and strategies to evaluate and treat as practitioners. Legal and ethical practice guidelines also will be integrated through practical examples and through a humanistic and diversity informed lens. When taken with parts 3 and 4, a total of 15 continuing education credits is offered. Partial credit is not available.

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants should be able to:

• Describe and be able to identify the various agencies and dynamics of the domestic violence service community, evolving language used, and differing perspectives/approaches to domestic violence as part of a social justice movement. 
• Identify and be able to explain the definition of domestic violence, the intersection with the legal system, and common myths.  
• Learners will be able to identify and explain the cycle of violence, and challenges to leaving a violent relationship.  
• Describe and apply the variables of race, class, and cultural dimensions within intimate partner violence. 
• Identify specific clinical components of danger assessment, clinical assessment, safety planning, treatment planning, interventions, confidentiality and record-keeping regarding intimate partner violence. 
• Identify and integrate client’s cultural & spiritual values and resources into treatment. 
• Demonstrate how to assess and conceptualize domestic violence from a trauma responsive perspective.
• Analyze differences in domestic violence perpetration from a cultural and gender-based lens.
• Describe and be able to implement professional self-care plans to ensure well-being and avoid or minimize vicarious traumatization.
• Describe and apply the role of mental health in domestic violence.

Humanistic Approach to Suicide and Risk Assessment
Part 1, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., and Part 2, 1-4 p.m.
Theopia Jackson, Ph.D.; Bonnie Settlage, Ph.D.; and Kelly Serafini, Ph.D.
In this workshop, attendees will be provided with a humanistic approach to suicide assessment and treatment. We will emphasize collaboration with the client and the use of a strengths-based approach to honor the client’s dignity throughout the risk assessment process and subsequent interventions. We will also discuss humanizing language for suicidal behaviors. We will discuss current data on suicide behaviors, we will examine risk factors and protective factors, and we will discuss a variety of approaches for reducing harm. Importantly, specific subpopulations will also be discussed as we consider culturally informed care. This workshop offers six continuing education credits.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe key principles of a humanistic approach to suicide assessment and treatment.
• Identify strengths-based strategies that support client autonomy during suicide risk assessment and intervention.
• Apply humanizing, non-stigmatizing language when discussing suicidal thoughts, behaviors, and histories.
• Summarize current data and trends related to suicidal behaviors in the United States.
• Demonstrate understanding of culturally informed considerations and adaptations when working with specific sub-populations at elevated risk.
• Differentiate between major risk factors and protective factors associated with suicide across diverse client populations.

Friday, January 9, 2026

Spousal Abuse, Assessment, and Intervention, Parts 3 & 4
Part 3, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., and Part 4, 1-4 p.m.
Cynthia Palmisano, Psy.D. and Portia Rawles, Psy.D.
This course will cover the current research and evidence-based practices in treating and assessing domestic violence within families. Participants will learn theory regarding family violence and strategies to evaluate and treat as practitioners. Legal and ethical practice guidelines also will be integrated through practical examples and through a humanistic and diversity informed lens. When taken with parts 3 and 4, a total of 15 continuing education credits is offered. Partial credit is not available. When taken with parts 1 and 2, a total of 15 continuing education credits is offered. Partial credit is not offered.

Please see Jan. 8 description for learning objectives.

Collapse Psychology and Global Existential Crisis
Part 1, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., and Part 2, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Vanessa Brown, Psy.D.
As the world confronts accelerating ecological, social, economic, and political breakdowns, psychologists are called upon to address the complex human responses to systemic failure and existential uncertainty. This presentation introduces the core themes of collapse psychology, examining how individuals and communities respond to ongoing disruption, trauma, and transition involved in societal collapse. This session will offer a brief overview of collapse-aware psychological models, then focus on existential therapeutic approaches that foster inner resilience, ethical awareness, and meaning-making in the face of global instability. Participants will be invited to reflect on the psychological tasks of our time—not as problems to fix but as invitations to become more deeply human in a world undergoing profound transformation. This workshop offers five continuing education credits.

In this interactive program, participants will:

• Explore how Collapse Psychology supports culturally and ecologically informed clinical practice by framing mental health within the broader context of environmental degradation, economic precarity, and collective trauma.
• Apply existential therapeutic concepts to clinical practice by facilitating meaning-making, emotional presence, and ethical reflection in clients confronting global instability and ecological grief.
• Identify the key responses individuals and communities exhibit in the face of systemic collapse and existential uncertainty.

All Mountains, No Map: An Existential Examination of Emerging Adulthood
Part 1, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., and Part 2, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Adam Duberstein, Psy.D.
In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how to apply Arnett’s (2014) five features of emerging adulthood theory to clinical situations using real case examples. Participants will be able to examine these cases and the theory, considering Yalom’s (1980) existential givens and the principles of existential theory. The workshop will feature discussions of common concerns among the emerging adult population, including identity exploration, career uncertainty, navigating relationships, setting boundaries, developing adult skills, cultural challenges, and transition stress. Throughout the session, discussions and experiential activities will be utilized to hone skills and increase confidence in working with this population. This workshop offers five continuing education credits.

From attending this program, participants should be able to:

• Discuss and apply the five features of emerging adulthood to their own clinical practice.
• Select developmentally appropriate, theory-informed clinical interventions for the emerging adult population.
• Describe Arnett's (2014) five features of emerging adulthood in light of Yalom's (1980) existential givens.
• Create treatment plans and other related clinical documents which reflect their knowledge of existential theory and emerging adulthood frameworks.

Saybrook University is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Saybrook University maintains responsibility for this program and its content.