Our workshop series has been in the works for multiple years. In previous years our staff presented workshops for various groups. This included training for other psychologists on long-term patients and the business side of psychological practice. We offered a parent training session on school refusal. Dr. Gotowka provided a training session for pre-school teachers at a local day care the past two years. After Dr. Gotowka obtained his psychology license, he took the lead starting this project as an added service to the community.

Purpose

The main reason we offer a workshop is to share beneficial information with a larger group of people than is possible with individual therapy. If you already attend therapy, the workshop can supplement what you are learning in session. With only 45 minutes to an hour per week, it is hard to go into as much depth as we would like on some topics. You can learn the fundamentals of a new skill or tool in the workshop. Then you can work on applying the skill to your specific situation in therapy.

Depending on the topic, these workshops might help someone who is waiting to start therapy but hasn’t found a therapist. Anyone who wants to learn something new can sign up for a workshop.

The group size allows for both interaction and in-session practice when appropriate. We want to provide a safe space for individuals to interact and gain ideas from each other as they feel comfortable. Depending on the topic, workshops may include guided practice of specific skills taught. We do not require active participation. On the other had, the groups are small (i.e., capped at 10) so most people will feel comfortable participating.

Selecting topics

Several months ago, we surveyed our patients. They chose their top 3 out of 10 pre-selected workshop topics or wrote in other ideas. We also collected information on ideal times to hold a workshop. We tallied the responses from the surveys. The top ranked topic is relaxation. Other highly rated topics were homework strategies and sleep strategies. We may develop these topics into a workshop later this year.

Frequency

Since this is a new service, we have not decided the exact frequency of workshops. We currently plan to hold a minimum of four workshops this year. Based on the response, we will determine if we continue to offer workshops and if the frequency should increase or decrease.

If you have any suggestions, please send us a message.

Our first workshop: Relaxation

Originally, we were surprised that relaxion was the topic with the most interest. Upon further reflection, however, this makes sense. Relaxation strategies are considered a “bread and butter” intervention for therapy. It is something we can use for most issues. This could apply to anger, anxiety, pain management, or focus. Practicing relaxation is something that helps the mind and the body. Almost every patient we treat can benefit from using relaxation strategies.

Relaxation techniques range from grounding techniques, crisis skills, mindfulness exercises, and breathing techniques. Relaxation is an important skill to help with overall functioning. People often don’t realize how some relaxation skills are brief and can be done anywhere. Someone can change how the day is going by using these skills.

Participants who attend this workshop will walk away with an understanding of relaxation, how to identify it, and techniques to reach it. We will review several specific relaxation and grounding exercises along with guided practice. Participants will also be given information on how to practice these techniques on their own after the session.

Conclusion

We hope our new service will be beneficial to the community. This will help individuals regardless of whether they are in therapy or not. Go to our scheduling page to sign up, and share this opportunity with others!

Post written by Dr. Gordon D. Lamb and Dr. Michael Gotowka, Licensed Psychologists

Please note posts and workshops are educational in nature and are not intended to replace psychological services when needed.