(This is a LIVE VIRTUAL event. Access to a recording will not be available.)

Presented by

Vanessa Woods, LMHC, LPC

Are your clients disengaged, resistant, or struggling to connect with traditional talk therapy? You're not alone and the solution may be more simple, and more fun, than you think.

Therapy Can Be Effective and Fun is an interactive, skill-building session designed for clinicians who want to breathe new life into their therapeutic toolkit. We'll explore how to adapt gold-standard modalities like DBT and CBT through a creative lens without compromising clinical integrity.

In this session, you will:
 

• Discover how creative modalities (art, music, poetry, VR, and more) can deepen therapeutic outcomes across DBT and CBT frameworks

• Learn techniques for tailoring creative interventions to be culturally relative and client-centered, honoring each individual's background, identity, and lived experience

• Explore age- and population-specific applications from expressive play with children to narrative and music-based interventions with adults and couples.

• Walk away with a ready-to-use set of creative strategies that reduce resistance, strengthen therapeutic alliance, and make the therapy room a place clients actually want to return to. Whether you're a seasoned clinician looking to refresh your approach or an early-career therapist building your style, this session will remind you that evidence-based and engaging are not opposites, they are partners. Therapy doesn't have to feel like homework. For your clients or for you.

Appropriate for clinicians, counselors, social workers, and mental health practitioners working with children, adolescents, adults, and couples across clinical and community settings.
 

Learning Objectives
As a result of attending this course, learners will be able to:
 

1. Identify at least three evidence informed creative modalities including art, music, poetry, and or virtual/reality and describe how each can be integrated withing DBT or CBT frameworks to support therapeutic goals.  

2. Apply a structured cultural responsiveness framework to adapt at least one creative intervention for a client's specific background, identity, and lived experience prior to use in session.  

3. Differentiate creative intervention strategies across a minimum of two distinct client populations including:  children, adults, or couples based on developmental stage, relational context, and therapeutic need.

4. Construct a brief, client-specific intervention plan that incorporates a minimum of two creative modalities from the workshop, with measurable goals related to engagement, resistance reduction, or therapeutic alliance.

About Vanessa Woods

Vanessa Woods is a fierce advocate, compassionate healer, and innovative leader in the mental health landscape. Born in Liberia and now a proud American, Vanessa's journey has been defined by a relentless pursuit of knowledge and a deep-seated passion for empowering others. Armed with a Master of Legal Studies in Healthcare Compliance from Drexel University and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Holy Family University, Vanessa has woven her expertise in law and therapy into a pillar of transformative change.

Licensed to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, Vanessa's decade-long career has spanned the gamut of mental health care. From the raw intensity of inpatient hospitals and correctional facilities to the nurturing atmosphere of school-based programs and homelessness initiatives, Vanessa has met the human spirit in its most vulnerable moments, offering empathy and strength.

Her passion for advocacy has propelled her to the executive board of the New Jersey Counseling Association, where she co-chairs the policy and advocacy committee and the Nick Virgillio Haiku Association to help Innercity youth utilize poetry as a healing art. A champion for legislative change, Vanessa played a pivotal role in passing groundbreaking bills expanding mental health access for millions and enabling pre-licensed professionals to provide supervised treatment under Medicaid.

As an Approved Clinical Supervisor, Vanessa mentors aspiring therapists through partnerships with local universities, ensuring the next generation is equipped with her innovative approach. She's even been featured on numerous podcasts and interviews, sharing her unique training methodologies.

Vanessa's vision extends far beyond traditional therapy. She founded the South Jersey Coping Clinic, a thriving Minority, Women-owned business that embraces a whole-person approach. By integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI and Virtual Reality along with traditional therapies such as CBT, DBT as well as experiential such as yoga, massage, and reiki, she is delivering personalized mental healthcare that celebrates individuality and fosters community connection.

Her transformative work has not only touched countless lives but has also ignited a spark of hope in the fight against mental health stigma. Vanessa Woods is more than a therapist; she's a beacon of resilience, a catalyst for change, and a testament to the power of authentic connection. Her story is a testament to the transformative power of passion, perseverance, and an unyielding belief in the human potential for healing and growth.