2023 Conference Program Book

AM WORKSHOPS Workshop Descriptions

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Mindful Writing: Discovering the Healing Power of Grief Marianela Medrano, PhD, LPC, CPT Psychotherapist and Author Mindful writing (MW) is an expressive practice that focuses on the present moment and silence, introspection, discernment, and other contemplative means. Grief and loss are ubiquitous; sooner or later, we will experience them. In this presentation, we will apply MW as a therapeutic means to examine the gifts within grief and loss. MW uses all the senses without judgment to express true-to-life depictions of our inner and outer experiences. This therapeutic approach aids in the cultivation of more in-depth relationships with clients as they traverse grief.

The Neurobiology of Addiction in 2023

Petros Levounis, MD, MA Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, and Associate Dean, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School From a neurobiological perspective, addiction is the hijacking of the pleasure-reward pathways of the brain and a weakening of its executive function. In 2023, the fundamental model has been expanded to include newer concepts such as motivational circuitry and anti-reward pathways. These 21st century discoveries inform clinical innovations that are now changing the landscape of the pharmacological and psychosocial treatments of substance use disorders and the behavioral addictions.

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