Live Webinars

Presenter: Stephanie Knatz Peck Ph.D. Dr. Stephanie Knatz Peck (Ph.D)  is a clinical psychologist and Voluntary Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Diego Department of Psychiatry.. She served as co-investigator on two trials evaluating psilocybin for anorexia nervosa and served as lead psychologist on  trials evaluating psilocybin for treatment resistant depression and anorexia nervosa. She has experience delivering both psilocybin therapy and ketamine-assisted therapy for mental health populations, and is also trained in psychological support models for other psychedelic drugs. She has served as a senior clinical consultant, subject matter expert and lead content developer for  Compass Pathways assisting with the development of content related to their psychological support model and therapist training program for indications including treatment resistant depression and anorexia nervosa. She currently provides ongoing training  for Compass clinical trial therapists. Stephanie is passionate about developing and disseminating psychedelic therapy models in mainstream clinical settings that support safe and healing psychedelic experiences for mental health populations.  

 Overview:          Psychiatric illnesses affect a large proportion of the population and can be costly and difficult to treat successfully. Despite their seriousness to society, there have been minimal advancements in novel behavioral treatment strategies and stagnant outcomes over the past several decades. Novel and innovative treatments methods are urgently needed to improve treatment engagement and outcomes (Grinstein, 2024). One such avenue may be psychedelic treatment, which includes the supported delivery of psychedelic medicine delivered in conjunction with therapy. There has been a surgency of interest and study of psychedelic treatments, including rigorous, randomized controlled trials for major depressive disorder and substance use disorders, and smaller studies underway for a number of other mental health indications (Vollenweider & Preller, 2020; Sicignano, Hernandez, Schiff, Elmahy,& White, 2024). Results from these studies indicate significant promise, in some cases for otherwise treatment resistant populations and pathways for approval of these treatments are currently being pursued to facilitate therapeutic access legally to those who may benefit (Van Amsterdam & van den Brink, 2022). Psychologists will need to be prepared for the advent of these novel treatment models. This presentation will provide an overview of the current state of the literature with a particular focus on the state of the evidence for psychedelic treatments and mental health indications for which there may be promise based on available studies, and current knowledge related to mechanisms of action (van Elk & Yaden, 2022).

Learning Objectives: 

1. Describe the basic framework being studied for providing psychological support alongside psychedelic medicines
2. Explain the current state of the research for psychedelic treatments in clinical settings.
3. List mental illnesses for which psychedelic treatments may be indicated based on extant research,

CE Credits Available: 1.0 

PLEASE NOTE: You must sign in to receive the Member discount. After purchasing, you must follow the link in your receipt provided to REGISTER for the webinar via Zoom. It is a 2-step process. If a link does not appear, contact us. 

Cancellation Policy: No refunds will be provided except when SCP cancels the webinar. 

The Society of Clinical Psychology, Division 12 nor Dr. Knatz  have commercial support for the content of this webinar including endorsement of products, conflict of interest including but not limited to research grants, royalties for books or training, commercial support from companies or pharmaceutical sponsorship.  Attendees must attend the entirety of the program and complete the Evaluation sent after the program.  Evaluations will be sent via email shortly after the Live webinar.  CE Certificates will be processed and emailed within 5 – 10 business days from Live Webinar.

If you require any special needs assistance, please contact the SCP Central Office at [email protected]. 

Society for Health Psychology Co-Sponsored Webinar

Presenter: Dr. Calia Torres

Calia Torres, PHD, Assistant Professor University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Torres is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she holds appointments in the School of Medicine - Hematology & Oncology, the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science. With over 30 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Torres is a grant-funded researcher and an active clinician specializing in non-pharmacological treatments for chronic illness management, particularly chronic pain and associated conditions. Her research integrates cultural humility and antiracism principles to address health disparities and improve access to equitable care, particularly for women from underserved communities. Dr. Torres is also a passionate advocate for systemic change, offering innovative strategies to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in both clinical and research settings. 

 Overview:           This session will explore antiracism and cultural humility principles within the context of pain research and clinical care, offering strategies to address disparities affecting women's health outcomes. Dr. Torres will provide a comprehensive overview of the RESTORATIVE model, an innovative framework that examines the intersections of racism, trauma, and chronic pain, and how these factors perpetuate inequities. The session will also highlight culturally responsive practices, the importance of reflexivity, and strategies for improving access to care for underserved populations, particularly women from marginalized communities. 

Learning Objectives: Intended Audience:

1. Describe the impact of racism and trauma on chronic pain and overall health in women from marginalized communities. 
2. Identify culturally responsive assessment tools and treatment interventions for addressing racial trauma in clinical care. 
3. Recognize barriers to care and strategies to enhance inclusion and equity in pain research and women's health. 
4. Define cultural humility and reflexivity as essential components in advancing health equity 

Society for Health Psychology Co-Sponsored Webinar

Presenter: Dr. Charles Jonassaint, Ph.D., MHS

Charles Jonassaint, PhD MHS, University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Charles Jonassaint is a Clinical Psychologist and epidemiologist whose work focuses on health disparities in chronic disease populations, with over 15 years of experience in sickle cell disease research and pain management interventions. As Principal Investigator on multiple large-scale clinical trials, he has established expertise in developing digital health and peer support interventions that improve outcomes for underserved communities.

 Overview:           This intermediate-level program will present findings from a comparative effectiveness trial examining culturally-tailored digital interventions for chronic pain management in sickle cell disease. We will explore how community-engaged approaches informed the adaptation of evidence-based behavioral interventions for minority populations, the implementation science frameworks that guided this process, and strategies that enhanced engagement and participation in clinical trials. This session is designed for clinical psychologists, health services researchers, and healthcare providers interested in developing culturally-responsive digital health interventions for underserved populations with chronic conditions.

Learning Objectives: Intended Audience: Intermediate

1. Demonstrate how to co-design with community partners digital pain management interventions for minority populations, including strategies for identifying key cultural elements requiring tailoring and methods for meaningful community engagement. 2. Apply implementation science frameworks to guide the systematic adaptation of cognitive behavioral therapy and personalized support in digital interventions, emphasizing evidence-based approaches to increase relevance and relatability for diverse users. 3. Identify and implement effective strategies for increasing engagement and enrollment of minority populations in digital health clinical trials, including addressing barriers to participation, building trust, and designing inclusive recruitment processes.   Attendees must attend the entirety of the program and complete the Evaluation sent after the program.  

Presenter: Dr. Cassandra Boness and Margaret Paul

Dr. Boness is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of New Mexico. She holds appointments in the Department of Psychology and at the Center on Alcohol, Substance use, And Addictions. She has been an active member, and now co-chair, of the APA Division 12 Committee on Science and Practice since 2018. She has published extensively on the empirically supported treatment criteria that are the focus of this webinar.

Margaret Paul is a 4^th year clinical psychologist PhD candidate at St. Louis university. She has worked as a graduate student committee member on APA Division 12’s Committee on Science and Practice for the past two years. In doing so, she has evaluated submissions that use the Tolin Criteria (Tolin et al., 2015) to determine the strength of evidence for a given psychological treatment.

Overview:          In 1995, a task force created by the American Psychological Association Society of Clinical Psychology (SCP; Division 12) established a preliminary list of empirically supported psychological treatments (ESTs). In 1996, a subsequent task force enhanced the list by developing efficacy criteria to more rigorously evaluate the evidence-base for psychological treatments (Chambless et al., 1996). In 2015, recognizing the dramatic increase in the number of treatment outcome studies, the variety of treatments studied, and the quality of available evidence, Tolin and colleagues (2015) developed a new model for evaluating ESTs. This model, adopted by the SCP, became colloquially referred to as the “Tolin Criteria.” To inform the process for implementing the Tolin Criteria and provide an exemplar, the SCP Committee on Science and Practice conducted and published a systematic review of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (Boness et al., 2020). Finding its implementation feasible, the Committee subsequently developed a manual to standardize future evaluations (Boness et al., 2021) and support independent teams in applying the Tolin Criteria. To date, five treatments have been evaluated with the Tolin Criteria and one is in progress. The proposed skill building session will describe the Tolin Criteria, provide historical context, and demonstrate a step-by-step method for applying the criteria using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for substance use disorders as an example (Boness et al., 2023). The availability of supports and resources to clinicians and/or researchers considering implementation of the criteria will be discussed.

Learning Objectives: Intended Audience: Intermediate

1. Describe the evolution of the empirically supported psychological treatment criteria
2. Demonstrate initial knowledge of how to apply the empirically supported treatment criteria to a range of psychological treatments
3. Explain the importance of the empirically supported treatment list and how it is used by administrators, educators, clinicians, and the community more broadly

Presenter:  J. Kim Penberthy, Ph.D., ABPP Dr. J. Kim Penberthy is a board-certified clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. She specializes in the integration of contemplative practices—such as mindfulness, self-compassion, and meaning-centered interventions—into psychotherapy and clinical care. Her work focuses on serious illness, end-of-life concerns, and spiritual and existential aspects of psychological wellbeing. Dr. Penberthy has published extensively on mindfulness-based interventions, spiritual and religious issues in clinical practice, and the interface between science and contemplative wisdom. She is a founding member of the UVA Contemplative Sciences Center and has led national workshops and trainings on integrating mindfulness and meaning-making into medical and psychological care. Her clinical experience includes working with individuals facing terminal illness, prolonged grief, and death anxiety. Her background uniquely qualifies her to speak on how contemplative approaches can support individuals navigating fear of death and grief after loss, while also training clinicians to recognize and respond to non-ordinary experiences in a respectful, non-pathologizing manner.   Overview:          In both clinical and contemplative settings, individuals frequently report experiences that fall outside ordinary waking consciousness—such as near-death experiences, after-death communications, spiritual awakenings, and spontaneous mystical states. While these may superficially resemble psychopathological symptoms (e.g., hallucinations, dissociation, delusions), many such experiences are deeply meaningful, culturally normative, or even transformative. Clinicians and researchers are increasingly called upon to make nuanced distinctions between psychopathology and non-ordinary experiences (NOEs), especially in contexts of grief, trauma, spiritual practice, or end-of-life care. This session explores the complexity of this clinical discernment. Participants will learn frameworks for distinguishing between pathology and non-pathology, considering factors such as: intact reality testing, cultural context, degree of distress or functional impairment, and the presence of integration or insight following the experience (Lukoff, Lu, & Turner, 1998; Grof & Grof, 1989). We will also examine how diagnostic systems such as the DSM-5 acknowledge spiritual or religious experiences through the "Religious or Spiritual Problem" V code (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Drawing from transpersonal psychology, contemplative science, and trauma-informed care, we advocate for an integrative and culturally sensitive approach that avoids pathologizing the extraordinary. Case studies will illustrate how misdiagnosis can lead to unnecessary treatment, while respectful inquiry and meaning-centered dialogue can facilitate posttraumatic growth and healing (Corcoran & Walsh, 2010; Greyson, 2000). This session invites participants to explore how clinicians, caregivers, and contemplative practitioners can skillfully hold space for NOEs—balancing curiosity and compassion with clinical responsibility.

Learning Objectives: Intended Audience: Intermediate

1. Describe the diagnostic criteria approach for psychiatric disorders, including what defines a psychopathology.
2. Describe non-ordinary experiences that patients may report, including spontaneous and induced experiences such as near death experiences and out-of-body experiences.
3. Describe how to approach a patient who is reporting non-ordinary experiences in order to optimize understanding and healing.

The Society of Clinical Psychology, Division 12 and Dr. Penberthy do not have commercial support for the content of this webinar including endorsement of products, conflict of interest including but not limited to research grants, royalties for books or training, commercial support from companies or pharmaceutical sponsorship. If you require any special needs assistance, please contact the SCP Central Office at [email protected].