Healing and Treating Trauma Conference | Day Two

Healing and Treating Trauma Conference | Day Two

Live Streaming | April 16, 2026

Presented by Jeff Riggenbach, Ph.D., Varleisha Lyons, Ph.D., OTD, OTR/L, Daphne Fatter, Ph.D., J.D. Vanderkooy, MD, BSc, FRCPC, and Sara Klinkhammer, M.A.

Sponsored by Sunshine Coast Health Centre, Georgia Strait Women's Clinic, & Homewood Health

$229.00

6 Hours  |   Pre-approved for CEU’s

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Description

Join leading clinicians and researchers for a two-day virtual conference exploring evidence-informed, integrated approaches to trauma, addictions, and complex co-occurring mental health conditions. This conference brings together neuroscience, psychotherapy, medical perspectives, Indigenous healing frameworks, and skills-based interventions to support effective, individualized care.

This conference is designed for mental health professionals and allied health practitioners. Sessions emphasize practical tools, interdisciplinary collaboration, and contemporary clinical frameworks that move beyond rigid diagnostic models toward holistic healing and long-term recovery.

LIVE STREAM: April 15 – 16, 2026 from  8:30am – 4:00pm PST (Vancouver, BC) Please adjust your start time according to your specific time zone. 

ON-DEMAND: Access Expires: May 25, 2026 – Recorded footage & course content certificate, videos, quiz. Please allow 3 – 5 business days for footage to be processed. Extensions cannot be granted under any circumstances.

April 16, 2026  |  Day Two

Integrating Indigenous Healing Through Spiritual Traditions, Cultural Practices and Storytelling
Presented by Varleisha Lyons, Ph.D., OTD, OTR/L

8:30am – 10:00am (90 minute session)

This session explores trauma through a holistic, culturally grounded lens, focusing on intergenerational trauma and its historical roots and ongoing effects on identity, culture, and well-being. Participants will examine the role of spirituality in healing, Indigenous ceremonial practices that foster resilience, and storytelling as a powerful vehicle for preserving culture and promoting healing across generations. The session encourages trauma-informed practice that honors cultural context, spiritual wisdom, and collective strength.

MID MORNING BREAK: 10:00AM – 10:15AM

Traumatic Memories: Evidence-Based Approaches to Trauma Processing
Presented by Daphne Fatter, Ph.D.

10:15am – 11:45am (90 minute session)

This presentation provides a clear framework for understanding traumatic memory and how it differs from non-traumatic memory. Dr. Fatter reviews evidence-based trauma-processing models and guides clinicians in making informed decisions about readiness, timing, and clinical indicators for trauma processing, emphasizing sound judgment and markers of therapeutic completion.

Lunch Break: 11:45AM – 12:30PM

Challenges in the Treatment of Eating Disorders
Presented by  J.D. Vanderkooy, MD, BSc, FRCPC

12:30PM – 1:30PM (60 minute session)

This session addresses the multifactorial nature of eating disorders and the complex challenges involved in treatment. Topics include medical and pharmacological considerations related to malnutrition, co-occurring psychiatric disorders, interpersonal and family dynamics, resistance to treatment, and issues of identity and sense of self. Participants will gain insight into integrated approaches for providing comprehensive, responsive care.

Break: 1:30PM – 1:45PM

Comparing Biomedical Versus Psychedelic Ketamine Treatments for Depression: The Importance of Connectedness
Presented by Sara Klinkhamer, M.A.

1:45PM – 2:45PM (60 minute session)

This workshop examines ketamine treatment through both biomedical and psychedelic perspectives, exploring why ketamine can produce rapid antidepressant effects and why those effects may be short-lived when used alone. Framing depression as a form of disconnection, the session highlights ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) as an integrative model that combines medical, psychedelic, and relational elements, while encouraging ethical and critical consideration of ketamine’s off-label use in Canada and the U.S.

Break: 2:45PM – 3:00PM

Advanced CBT Skills Training
Presented by Jeff Riggenbach, Ph.D.

3:00PM – 4:00PM (60 minute session)

This one-hour workshop focuses on advanced, skills-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approaches for treating individuals with complex and co-occurring mental health conditions in inpatient settings. Drawing on neurobiological principles and evidence-informed CBT strategies, the session addresses common clinical challenges including impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, substance use, and treatment resistance. Participants will learn practical, adaptable interventions to enhance engagement, manage high-risk behaviours, and support stabilization and skill development within the structure and demands of inpatient care.

Day 2 – April 16, 2026

Varleisha Lyons, Ph.D., OTD, OTR/L – Integrating Indigenous Healing Through Spiritual Traditions, Cultural Practices, and Storytelling
Daphne Fatter, Ph.D. – Traumatic Memories: Evidence-Based Approaches to Trauma Processing
J.D. Vanderkooy, MD, BSc, FRCPC – Challenges in the Treatment of Eating Disorders
Sara Klinkhammer, M.A. – Comparing Biomedical Versus Psychedelic Ketamine Treatments for Depression
Jeff Riggenbach – Advanced CBT Skills Training for Young Adults in Inpatient Treatment
  • Integrated, neuroscience-informed approaches to trauma and mental health care
  • Practical strategies for working with anxiety, borderline personality features, and complex trauma
  • Evidence-based trauma processing and memory-focused interventions
  • Multidisciplinary approaches to addictions, eating disorders, and co-occurring conditions
  • Inpatient treatment strategies for young adults with complex mental health needs
  • Indigenous perspectives on healing, spirituality, culture, and storytelling
  • Emerging models of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and ethical considerations

Clinical Professionals: All mental health professionals including, but not limited to Clinical Counsellors, Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Social Workers, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Hospice and Palliative Care Workers, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Addiction Specialists, Marital & Family Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultants, School Counsellors, Behaviour Specialists, Rehabilitation Consultants, Geriatric Specialists, and all professionals looking to enhance their therapeutic skills.

Jeff Riggenbach, Ph.D. is a best-selling and award winning author who has earned a reputation as an international expert in CBT and personality disorders. Over the past 20 years he has developed and overseen CBT-based treatment programs for Mood disorders, anxiety disorders, addictive behaviour disorders and Personality Disorders at two different psychiatric hospitals and clinics serving over 3,000 clients at multiple levels of care. Dr. Riggenbach trained at the Beck Institute of Cognitive Therapy and Research in Philadelphia, is a Diplomat of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and a certified cognitive therapist. He has trained over 20,000 professionals worldwide including audiences in all 50 United States, Canada, Mexico, the UK, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Dr. Riggenbach is the author of six publications including his most recent release The CBT Toolbox (2nd ed): A Workbook for Clients, Clinicians and Coaches.

Jeff is known for bridging the gap between academia, research findings and day-to-day clinical practice, and his work has earned him the reputation for being. “The practical tools guy.” His seminars on CBT, DBT, and Schema-Focused Cognitive Therapy routinely receive the highest evaluations from conference participants in terms of clinical utility as well as entertainment value.

Varleisha D. Lyons Ph.D, OTD, OTR/L is a renowned occupational therapist, author, and speaker who is deeply passionate about promoting culturally intelligent and spiritually centered mental health care. As a woman of African American and Native American heritage, with ancestral ties to the Haliwa-Saponi tribe through her grandmother, Dr. Lyons is dedicated to integrating Indigenous spiritual practices into modern therapeutic frameworks.

Her work is rooted in a commitment to honoring diverse traditions and creating holistic approaches that address the mind, body, and spirit. She draws inspiration from practices such as storytelling, nature-based rituals, and ancestral healing, advocating for their inclusion in contemporary mental health systems.

Dr. Lyons is a tireless advocate for mental health parity and equity, particularly for underserved communities of Indigenous and African descent. Her mission is to bridge traditional healing practices with modern therapeutic methods, fostering understanding and respect for cultural identity and spiritual connection.

As a highly sought-after speaker and author, Dr. Lyons empowers audiences worldwide to embrace diversity, advocate for systemic change, and celebrate the intersection of heritage and healing in occupational therapy and beyond.

Daphne Fatter, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist, international speaker and consultant in private practice in Dallas, Texas. Having trained under the direct supervision of Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, MD., international pioneer in research on traumatic stress, Dr. Fatter is gifted at translating meaning from research to clinical utility to support best practices for effective trauma treatment.

J.D. Vanderkooy, MD, BSc, FRCPC, is a psychiatrist and medical director of the Eating Disorders Program at Homewood Health Centre in Guelph, Ontario. He has spent over 20 years involved in the treatment of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders, and emergency psychiatry. He is a graduate of McMaster and Queen’s Universities, and has participated in research on antidepressant side effects and adolescent self-harm.

Sara Klinkhamer, M.A.brings a background of working on the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver for more than 10 years, which has given her much experience working with addiction and mental health issues, particularly trauma. Sara has also worked in both residential and outpatient settings as a concurrent disorders counsellor. Her strong belief in the worth of each individual, optimism in the face of adversity, as well as respect for autonomy and dignity, has served her well in this work. Sara completed her BA in psychology at Simon Fraser University in 2005 and her Masters of Counselling Psychology at Adler University in 2008. In 2009, Sara started a post-graduate program in Existential Analysis and in 2013 became a founding board member of the Existential Analysis Society of Canada. Sara joined the Sunshine Coast clinical team in 2016.

 

RegistrationEarly bird FeeRegular Fee
Individual 1 Day Enrollment$229.00$249.00
1 Day Group 3 - 7$169.00$189.00
1 Day Group 8 - 15$119.00$139.00
1 Day Group 15+ $99.00$119.00
Individual 2 Day Enrollment$399.00$419.00
2 Day Group 3 - 7$295.00$315.00
2 Day Group 8 - 15$208.00$228.00
2 Day Group 15+ $173.00$193.00

The regular rate applies 48 hours before the course begins. All fees are in Canadian dollars ($CAD) and per person.

How to Purchase a Group Rate

  1. Add Seats to Your Cart
    Select the total number of seats you need for your group and add them to your cart. Each seat represents one participant who will be enrolled in the course.

  2. Complete Your Purchase
    Proceed to checkout and complete the payment for the total number of seats needed for your group.

  3. Contact Our Office
    Once your purchase is complete, please contact our office at webinars@jackhirose.com with your order number.

  4. Receive Group Enrollment Link
    We will send you a unique link that you can distribute to group members. Group members will be required to use this link to complete receiving access to the course.

If you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Fees are per person, seat sharing is not allowed. Please respect this policy, failure to comply will result in termination of access without a refund. For group rates please contact webinars@jackhirose.com

 

  • Canadian Psychological Association
    The Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Social Workers (NLASW) accept CPA-approved continuing education credits

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