Workshop Schedule & Details

The conference will start out with a Morning Yoga Session from 7:30am-8:20am. 

Yoga has been proven to improve concentration, connection, focus, sleep, and relaxation. Research has shown yoga decreases major trauma symptoms such as anxiety, angry outbursts, and the impact of exaggerated survival stress responses. This session will give a hands on approach to learning about emotional regulation and its impacts on the body.

1 CE Offered

Workshop Series A  

Friday, June 27th, 2025 9:10am-11:00am

2 CEs Offered

Workshop A1: Ripple Effects of Navigating Re-emerging Adverse Religious Experiences in a Divided World

Presenter: Nicolle Wargo-Boswell, MS, LPC

Workshop A2: The Ripple Effects of Integrative Wellness: What the F? Feelings, Fitness, Food

Presenter: Kristina Chomick, LMFT, Jennifer Braun, B.S. Dietetics and Nutrition, Kimberly Zengerle, B.S., Kinesiology in Fitness

This workshop will focus on the ripple effects the current state of the world has on mental health, fitness, and nutrition. The presenters will use their expertise to discuss how we can help clients build healthy lifestyles by exploring the intersections between these different areas of wellness. We will discuss how different professionals would approach client barriers to wellness and health and learn skills to support our clients from a systemic lens that incorporates fitness and nutrition. Attendees will learn the different stages of change, barriers that come up at each stage, and tools to help clients navigate these barriers. 

Workshop A3: The Ripple Effect of Manmade Disasters: Living in Liminal Spaces of Ambiguous Losses

Presenter: Deb Y Felio, M.A, LPC

This workshop will identify and address some of the new challenges clients and clinicians are facing due to the sudden and unplanned breakdowns, turn overs and eliminations of  governmental organizations and structures long thought to be invincible foundations for its citizens. The rippling effect  through educational institutions including  curriculum and student safety, financial planning as job losses forfeit medical and mental health benefits, family structure, marriages, and individual child and adult well being will be discussed.

Through brief lectures, small group discussions and art expression including music and clay, excerpts from Mel Robbins Let Them ( Let Me) approach, and the great “Troy Hawke”,  we will discover the ripple effect of ambiguous loss - often unnamed - and  the awaiting hope, humor and kindness that create their own ripple effect  making ourselves, and the world around us a better place - even within the uncertainty of liminal spaces.

Workshop Series B  

Friday, June 27th, 2025 11:10am-1:00pm

2 CEs Offered

Workshop B1: Ripple Effects of Sacred Space: When Gender-Affirming Care Changes Us Too

Presenter: Sarah Gilbert, LCSW

The therapeutic space we create with transgender and gender diverse clients is more than a clinical environment—it's a sacred container holding stories of authenticity, courage, and transformation. This workshop acknowledges how bearing witness to both trauma and resilience changes us as providers, while offering frameworks for understanding and integrating these changes meaningfully into our clinical work.

Through structured reflection and collaborative discussion, we'll explore how to honor the profound nature of this work while maintaining appropriate clinical boundaries and sustainable practice. Special attention will be paid to the intersection of professional growth and personal transformation.

Workshop B2: The Ripple Effects of Failing Self-Care: A Practice of Micro-Regulations Between Clients

Presenter: Nancy Grechko, PsyD

Given the current socio- political climate, providers are requiring even more self-care than ever. However, self care is not enough. Nervous system regulation is more than just a day at the spa. The practice of “micro-regulations” is a helpful reframe that supports a resilient nervous system in the real world. For providers, this means regulating between clients so providers can show up as their most authentic selves and serve as a source of co-regulation for the people in their care. Join in this practice of micro-regulations with paired muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, extending loving kindness, and vagus nerve massage.

Workshop B3: Ripple Effects of Exposure: Rebuilding Connection After Addiction Comes to Light

Presenter: Karen Coombs, LPCA, CT 6772 & Kendra Richards, MS Social Work Student

Addressing the secrecy of addiction. Participants will explore the fear, the disconnect, and the bridgework required to create family healing. This workshop explores the systemic ripple effects that occur when addiction within a family is acknowledged—and the challenges that follow. Participants will examine how families often resist exposure to protect fragile dynamics, the disconnection that arises when one member heals in treatment while the family remains unchanged, and the difficulty in rebuilding trust post-recovery. Through this workshop, participants will learn how to help families move from avoidance and enabling toward connection and reintegration.

Workshop Series C  

Friday, June 27th, 2025 2:30pm-4:20pm

2 CEs Offered

Workshop C1: Ripple Effects of Burnout: Navigating Burnout Recovery with First Responders in a Chaotic Climate

Presenter: Kelly Lynch, LCSW, EMT, CPT, PN-1

This is a 2 hour experiential workshop exploring the impact created for first responders when they chronically experience vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, moral injury, and survivor’s guilt, and how these chronic experiences often result in burnout and PTSD. In an ever-changing landscape, first responders are tasked with maintaining the ‘adapt and overcome’ mindset all the time, while not being given time to appropriately and effectively recover from their experiences.

This presentation provides clinical information pertaining to individuals employed as first responders who experience unique psychosocial stressors as related to their challenging work environments, with the aim of enhancing engagement and retention in clinical services. This training aims to address the problem of reluctance amongst first responders to engage in mental health treatment, out of a concern about lack of training and cultural awareness about first responders amongst the therapy community.

Workshop C2: The Ripple Effects of the Everchanging Landscape of Mental Health Care: Managing Imposter Syndrome 
Presenters: Nancy Grechko, PsyD

From early career to seasoned clinicians, “imposter syndrome” is a regular topic in supervision and private reflections. This is especially true as we navigate the ever changing landscape of being a mental health professional. This workshop focuses on what imposter syndrome is, what it isn’t, what clinicians can learn from the experience, and how to manage imposter syndrome when it arises. This program will focus not only on theoretical understanding but also tangible tools to challenge unhelpful thoughts, nervous system regulation exercises to working through intense emotions, and when to seek formal support.

Workshop C3: The Ripple Effects in Family Systems: Navigating Family Systems in a Shifting Political and Social Climate

Presenters: Noel Casino, Psy D, LMFT

 In today's rapidly changing world, families are facing increasing stress from political polarization, social unrest, and global uncertainty. These external pressures can profoundly affect family dynamics, roles, and emotional well-being.  This interactive workshop is designed for therapists seeking to understand how societal factors influence family systems through a Family Systems Theory lens. Participants will explore how stressors like economic instability, media influence, and cultural divides shape family interactions.  Join us for a thought-provoking session that blends theory with hands-on techniques to empower families navigating today's complex world.

CTAMFT Advocacy Workshop 

Friday, June 27th, 2025 4:30pm-5:30pm

1 CE Offered

Workshop Title: Ripple Effects of Advocacy: Advocacy Wins and Legislative Changes in Connecticut

Workshop Presenter: Jaime Rodriguez, LMFT

This workshop is designed to educate Mental Health Professionals about the legal and ethical basics of being a therapist in Connecticut. It will cover the basics of the many ways to get involved in advocacy for MFTs.  We will outline the recent advocacy “wins” in our state after the 2025 Legislative session as well as how they will impact MFTs.  This workshop will also cover any recent legislative changes that impact MFTs in order for attendees to understand how to remain in good standing ethically and legally as MFTs in Connecticut. 

Ready to register? Go to our events page here!