with Chad Dispenza, MA, MS, AMFT
& Brian Wainwright, LMFT 

CE Salon Event

October 15, 1:00 - 3:00 pm

1:00-3:00 Speaker Presentation

**Please note:  This event will take place OUTDOORS at a private residence in Monterey. A separate email will go out to registered attendees with the precise address closer to the event date.**

This is an introductory presentation for therapists new to narrative therapy/narrative ideas. In this workshop, participants will gain a basic understanding of narrative therapy and practices which may enhance clinical skills, including:

○ stories in the therapeutic context.

○ separating people from problems.

○ how to name problems through externalizing conversations.

○ how narrative conversations open up therapeutic space and possibilities.

Specific learning objectives include the following:

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

1. Name at least 1 assumption of Narrative Therapy.

2. Engage in externalizing language when discussing client-centered problem(s).

Example: A shift from adjectives (ex: “depressed”, describing the client) to nouns (“depression”, naming the problem as separate from the client).

3. Demonstrate at least 1 exception to any ‘problem-story’, whether it be in a client example of one’s own ‘problem-story’. 

4. Utilize at least 2 fluid practices of narrative therapy:

Example: engage in externalizing language, explore history & effects of problems, invite client to evaluate the effects of problems on their lives, listen for & identify exceptions to problem stories, name a counter-story,

Presenter Bios:

Brian Wainwright:

My interest as a professional helper has always been a little unorthodox. I've been drawn to working with those who are often written off as too difficult to work with, too resistant, or have been painted as having no hope. As a Narrative Therapist, I find myself interested in working with families that are stuck in stories of hopelessness, stifling any effort each member might make to turn things around.

Narrative conversations offer a dignifying and respectful way to talk with families about the image of their preferred family and engages everyone equally as playing a significant role in the formation of their preferred family image. I've worked with those with means and those without and spent time in alternative roles using these ideas to help people rebuild their lives as they rescue themselves from homelessness. I spent 2 years as the Clinical Director for the Veterans Transition Center, a transitional housing program for homeless veterans working to shed the lifestyle of addiction and homelessness as they pursue stable housing and a stable life. I've worked alongside members of the LGBTQ community and experienced the social inequity non-normative identifying people suffer. I've also spent time teaching for various Social Work and Marriage and Family Therapy master programs, including USF, CSUMB, and currently am an adjunct faculty for California State University San Bernardino. There I teach Intro to Counseling and Advance Narrative Practices for aspiring counselors pursuing their Professional Clinical Counseling degree. I received my Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from CSU Chico and am currently employed as a Senior Therapist with Ohana Center for Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health.

Chad Dispenza:

Chad Dispenza, MA, MS, AMFT, is new to the Monterey Peninsula after residing nearly a decade in Southern California where he received his Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. A native of Upstate New York, Chad also holds a Master of Science in Creativity & Change Leadership from the Center for Applied Imagination at SUNY College at Buffalo along with additional recent certificate coursework around his interests in digital wellbeing from The Digital Wellness Institute as well as MIT.

Chad continues to engage in ongoing narrative training through the Re-Authoring Teaching Collaboratory, a global consortium of narrative practitioners who promote ongoing training and professional development in a narrative approach to therapy, organizational, and community work.

He is excited to welcome you to his backyard for this event, meet new faces, and share narrative ideas with fellow area mental health professionals.

2 CEs and snacks/refreshments are included in the registration cost for this presentation

COST

Licensed MC-CAMFT Members:  $10

Pre-Licensed MC-CAMFT Members: $8

Course meets the qualifications for 2 hours of continuing education credits for LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, and/or LCSWs, as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

FOR GENERAL INFORMATION, SPECIAL NEEDS, ADA ACCOMMODATION OR GRIEVANCES:

Please contact Olivia Fae Stadler at olivia.stadler@yahoo.com

CE CERTIFICATES

Please Note: Certificates of completion will be awarded at the completion of the workshop to those who attend the workshop in its entirety, sign in and out, and complete the course evaluation form.

MC-CAMFT is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and LEPs and maintains responsibility for this program and its content.  Provider# 050097.

Information on Continuing Education Credit for Health Professionals

• The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE credits for LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFT license renewal for programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.
  

• LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFTs, and other mental health professionals from states other than California need to check with their state licensing board as to whether or not they accept programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.

• For questions about enrolling in CE or receiving your Certificate of Attendance, visit Jennifer Farley at jennifer@shamanhealingmonterey.com

REFUND/CANCELLATION POLICY:
You may cancel for a full refund up to 15 days in advance of the event, or a 50% refund between 5 and 14 days in advance of the event. No refunds for cancellations within 4 days of the event or for no-shows or failure to attend due to emergencies. Unused funds cannot be applied to future workshops. All requests for refunds must be submitted to Jennifer Farley by email at jennifer@shamanhealingmonterey.com.