Dr. Aiken will be hosting a live, online certification course in psychotherapy for depression and bipolar disorders through PESI education. Reserve your spot for the two-day course Dec 15-16.
Live: Tue, Dec 15, 2020 7:00am to Wed, Dec 16, 2020 4:00pm CST
15 hours of CE credits
Can’t make the course? There is a video version (from Feb 2020) and textbook version.
Chris Aiken, M.D., is the co-editor of Psych Education.org, the editor-in-chief of the Carlat Psychiatry Report, and the mood disorders section editor for Psychiatric Times. His books include Bipolar, Not So Much, and The Depression and Bipolar Workbook. His work has been cited in the International Encyclopedia of Depression, and he is involved in clinical research to identify new treatments for mood disorders. He maintains a private practice through the Mood Treatment Center and teaches at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Course Outline
The Mood Spectrum: Diagnosis in the DSM-5™ Era
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Persistent Depressive Disorder
- Depression with Mixed Features
- Cyclothymic Disorder
- Bipolar II Disorder
- Bipolar I Disorder
- Specifiers: Anxious distress, melancholic, atypical, seasonal & peripartum moods
- Mania, hypomania, mixed states: How to recognize each
- Differential diagnosis: Anxiety, addiction, ADHD, eating disorders, substance abuse
- Bipolar Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder?
Assessment: Practical Tips, Evidence-Based Tools, and Subclinical Features
- How to avoid over-diagnosing
- Evidence-based measures: MINI-7; PHQ-9, MDQ, Bipolarity Index, & Hypomania Checklist
- Why traditional mood charting doesn’t work – and what to do instead
- Affective temperaments: Depressive, Hyperthymic, Cyclothymic and Irritable
- Rumination, cognitive deficits, and early warning signs
- Conceptualizing mood through the lens of energy, not emotion
- Classic v. atypical Bipolar Disorder
- When mood is shaped by trauma
THERAPY FOR MOOD DISORDERS: FROM EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENTS TO A PERSONALIZED PLAN
Mood Disorder Must-Haves for Every Treatment Plan
- Psychoeducation – reduce stigma, identify causes, focus on prevention
- Psychotherapy – how to match mood with the approach
- Concrete interventions – create a “menu” the client can choose from
- Positive psychology: the unique strengths of mood disorders
- Family therapy – communication skills, boundaries, crisis plans
- Remediation strategies for building back cognitive skills deficits
Behavioral Activation: More Than Building a Busy Schedule
- Neuroscience: Turning down the brain’s default mood network
- Integrating values and meaning in behavioral change
- How behavior challenges depressive beliefs
- Strategies: Opposite action, approach-avoidance, mindful media
Rumination-Focused CBT (RF-CBT)
- How is RF-CBT different from traditional CBT?
- Useful v. dysfunctional rumination
- The benefits of rumination
- Shift from avoidant rumination to absorbing action
- The neurobiological basis of RF-CBT
- Strategies: Chain analysis, habit changing, immersion, mindfulness and compassionate thought
Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP)
- An attachment-based approach to treating mood disorders
- Preoperational thinking: Why chronic depression is slow to change
- Positive and negative reinforcement in chronic depression
- Evidence to support CBASP for chronic depression
- Strategies: Interpersonal inventory, situational analysis, interpersonal discrimination
Social Rhythm Therapy
- Therapy with a biological basis
- Four routines that stabilize the biological clock
- Circadian rhythms, neurohormones and neuroplasticity
- Strategies: Brisk awakening, zeitgebers, social rhythm chart
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia
- How a therapy for sleep treats depression
- Sleep drive and circadian rhythms
- The vicious cycle of anxiety and insomnia
- Basic steps: Sleep hygiene
- Advanced moves: Bed restriction
- Special situations: Screen time, jet-lag, napping, night owls, and shift work
An Antidepressant Lifestyle
- Nutrition: The MediMod Diet, probiotics, caffeine, alcohol and sugar
- Physical Activity: When, where, how much
- Environment: Dawn simulation, light and dark therapies, nature, music, aromatherapy and air ionization
Medication
- Why a clear diagnosis is crucial before starting any medication
- Anti-depressants and mood stabilizers: New classes, old standards
- Benefits, risks, side effects; how to recognize problems
- How medication impacts therapy: State-dependent learning
- The Medication Interest Model: A Motivational Interview for Medication Adherence
- Top supplements for mood disorder
- Beyond medication: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Electroconvulsive Therapy, esKatamine
Crisis Intervention
- The therapeutic relationship with the suicidal client
- A collaborative approach to risk assessment
- Which symptoms warrant hospitalization?
- CBT for Suicidality: How therapy can present suicide
- Strategies: Hope box, coping cards, and distress tolerance skills
- Emergency planning
Clinical Considerations
- Countertransference issues in depression and mania
- Staying within your scope of practice
- Children and adolescents: DMDD v. Bipolar Disorder
- Multicultural considerations