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

Presented by

Steve Baron, Psy.D, NCSP

Many clients struggle to notice what is going well in their lives, especially when anxiety, depression, or other forms of stress dominate their thoughts. Counselors need easy-to-implement, effective interventions that shift perspective without minimizing the client's pain. This session demonstrates how gratitude-based practices can serve as powerful, evidence-informed tools to support emotional regulation, resilience, and hope in clinical settings.

Participants will be guided through the science of gratitude, when and why it works, and how to integrate it into therapy with children, teens, or adults. The workshop focuses on practical and adaptable strategies that can be implemented in individual and group settings. Attendees will learn to use reframing language, develop journaling prompts, design brief gratitude exercises, and help clients identify strengths even in difficult times.

Participants will leave with concrete interventions they can apply immediately, along with a clearer understanding of how gratitude builds connection, shifts brain patterns, and promotes well-being, in a time when stress and burnout are rising. Cultivating gratitude is more than a technique. It is a protective factor that can help clients thrive.

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

1. Describe at least three mental health benefits of practicing gratitude.
2. Formulate at least four clinical strategies to implement with child/adolescent and adult clients.
3. Identify and address common barriers or resistance to gratitude practices in therapy.

About Dr. Baron

Dr. Steven Baron is a licensed New York State psychologist with a Doctor of Psychology degree (Psy.D.) who completed Postdoctoral training in child and adolescent psychotherapy and is also nationally certified as a school psychologist. With over thirty years of experience in educational and mental health settings, he has applied positive psychology principles in clinical practice. He is the author of books and articles on strength-based approaches, and he currently maintains a private practice working with a diverse clinical population, integrating gratitude as a tool for emotional growth and resilience. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Baron spent thirty years in the school system supporting students, families, and educators, and has presented on positive psychology and well-being at both professional and community conferences. Dr. Baron has authored articles and book chapters on topics of child development, child psychotherapy, and positive psychology. He is the author of the book, Teaching With A Strength-Based Approach: How To Motivate Students And Build Relationships (Routledge, 2023). His passion is to spread the science of positive psychology and help others cultivate emotional well-being through practices such as gratitude.