Integrating Neuropsychology and Meaning-Focused Therapy & Healing through Tradition

Integrating Neuropsychology and Meaning-Focused Therapy & Healing through Tradition

Presented by Carissa Muth, Psy.D., CCC, R.Psych & Varleisha D. Lyons, Ph.D, OTD, OTR/L

Live Streaming June 11, 2026

$229.00

6 Hours  |   Pre-approved for CEU’s

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Description

LIVE STREAM: June 11, 2026 from  8:30am – 4:00pm (Whitehorse, YT) Please adjust your start time according to your specific time zone. 

ON-DEMAND: Recorded footage & course content (certificate, videos, quiz) will be available until July 20, 2026. Please allow 3 – 5 business days for footage to be processed. Extensions cannot be granted under any circumstances.

Integrating Neuropsychology, CBT, DBT, Narrative and Meaning-Focused Therapy to Heal Traumatic Wounds, Addictions and Other Mental Health Disorders

Presented by Carissa Muth, Psy.D., CCC, R.Psych

This workshop, led by Dr. Carissa Muth, offers an integrative roadmap for treating complex comorbidities where single-modality approaches often fail. Participants will begin by exploring the neurobiological underpinnings of trauma and addiction, learning how these conditions impact the brain’s executive functioning and reward systems. Building on this foundation, the course demonstrates how to sequence interventions, utilizing DBT skills for initial physiological stabilization and CBT for identifying and restructuring maladaptive cognitions. Dr. Muth will then guide clinicians in applying Narrative Therapy techniques to externalize the shame-based identities often found in survivors of trauma and substance use disorders. The training culminates in Meaning-Focused strategies that help clients reconstruct a sense of purpose and a coherent identity beyond their diagnosis. Through complex case studies and integrated treatment planning, attendees will learn to weave these distinct threads into a cohesive, personalized healing journey for high-acuity clients.

Healing through Tradition: Reclaiming Culture, Identity, and Spirituality

Presented by Varleisha D. Lyons, Ph.D, OTD, OTR/L

Join internationally respected occupational therapist and researcher Dr. Varleisha (Gibbs) Lyons for a powerful one-day clinical workshop, exploring the intersection of trauma, culture, identity, and spirituality in healing. Grounded in Indigenous perspectives and informed by neuroscience and clinical practice, this training will help professionals deepen their understanding of intergenerational trauma and the role of cultural reconnection in restoring well-being.

Participants will examine the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization, cultural disruption, and systemic inequities on identity formation, mental health, and community wellness. Dr. Lyons will guide attendees through the role of spirituality, ceremony, storytelling, and traditional knowledge as powerful pathways for resilience and recovery. Emphasis will be placed on how clinicians and helping professionals can respectfully integrate cultural awareness and Indigenous-informed practices into therapeutic and community-based work.

This workshop offers a unique opportunity to learn and reflect within the cultural and natural context of the North. Being together in the Yukon allows participants to engage in meaningful dialogue, shared reflection, and experiential learning that simply cannot be replicated online. Participants will connect with fellow professionals serving northern and rural communities while exploring how the land, culture, and community relationships support healing and resilience.

This training is designed for clinicians, educators, and community practitioners who want to strengthen culturally responsive approaches and develop deeper insight into trauma-informed and culturally grounded healing practices.

Module 1: Neuropsychology

  • The Complex Brain: Interactions between executive functioning and subcortical regions
  • The Dopamine Trap: The neurochemistry of addiction and why “just saying no” is a biological impossibility for a dysregulated nervous system.
  • Neuroplasticity as Hope: Teaching clients that their brain can heal and rewire through consistent therapeutic practice.

Module 2: Stabilization First – The DBT Foundation

  • Regulating the Physiology: Using DBT TIP Skills (Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing) to manage acute cravings and flashbacks.
  • Distress Tolerance: Moving from “acting out” (relapse/self-harm) to “riding the wave” of emotion.
  • The “Wise Mind”: Helping clients find the middle ground between the emotional chaos of trauma and the rigid logic of avoidance

Module 3: Cognitive & Narrative Integration – Changing the Story

  • CBT for Trauma: Identifying the “Stuck Points” and cognitive distortions that maintain shame (e.g., Hindsight Bias: “I should have known”).
  • Narrative Re-Authoring:
    • Externalizing the Problem: Naming the addiction/trauma (e.g., “The Void,” “The Beast”) to reduce shame.
    • Unique Outcomes: Hunting for moments where the client successfully resisted “The Beast.”
  • Bridging the Gap: Using CBT to challenge the thought, and Narrative to change the relationship with the thinker

Module 4: Meaning-Focused Therapy – The Engine of Recovery

  • Beyond Symptom Reduction: Why sobriety isn’t enough—the need for a life worth living.
  • Logotherapy Principles: Applying Viktor Frankl’s concepts to modern trauma treatment (“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how”).
  • Values Construction: Identifying “Values-Based Actions” that contradict the trauma identity

Module 5: The Integrated Case Study

  • Step-by-Step Sequencing:
    • Phase 1: Neuro-education and DBT safety planning.
    • Phase 2: CBT for shame reduction.
    • Phase 3: Narrative work for identity shift.
    • Phase 4: Meaning work for long-term maintenance.
  • Small Group Work: Participants practice sequencing interventions for a provided vignette.

Module 6: Closing & Synthesis

  • The Therapist’s Role: Balancing being a “Coach” (CBT/DBT) with being a “Witness” (Narrative/Meaning).
  • Q&A

Setting the Context: Trauma, Culture, and Healing
An introduction to the relationship between intergenerational trauma, identity, and community well-being, and why culturally informed approaches are essential in clinical and helping professions.

Understanding Intergenerational Trauma
Exploring the historical roots of trauma and how its impacts continue to affect identity, emotional health, and community resilience across generations.

Spirituality, Culture, and Healing Practices
Examining the role of spirituality, storytelling, ceremony, and traditional knowledge as pathways for resilience, connection, and recovery.

Integrating Cultural Perspectives into Practice
Practical strategies for incorporating culturally responsive approaches into clinical, educational, and community settings.

Community Resilience and Cultural Continuity
A discussion on mentorship, youth leadership, and the importance of strengthening cultural identity and connection across generations.

Closing Reflection
Key insights from the day and discussion on how participants can apply these perspectives in their professional work.

  • Analyze the neurobiological mechanisms of trauma and addiction (e.g., hypofrontality and dopamine dysregulation) to explain why top-down processing often fails in early treatment.
  • Sequence interventions effectively by prioritizing DBT distress tolerance skills to widen the “Window of Tolerance” before attempting trauma processing.
  • Apply CBT cognitive restructuring techniques to dismantle specific trauma-based core beliefs (e.g., “I am permanently damaged”) that fuel addictive cycles.
  • Utilize Narrative Therapy externalization techniques to separate the client’s identity from their symptoms, shifting the focus from “I am an addict” to “I am fighting the addiction.”
  • Facilitate Meaning-Focused interventions that promote Post-Traumatic Growth, helping clients identify values and purpose that serve as anchors against relapse
  • Describe the historical foundations of intergenerational trauma and its impact on identity, mental health, and community well-being.
  • Explain the role of spirituality, storytelling, and traditional practices in Indigenous approaches to healing and resilience.
  • Recognize the importance of cultural identity and belonging in supporting emotional and psychological recovery.
  • Apply culturally responsive strategies that strengthen therapeutic and helping relationships with individuals and families.
  • Identify ways to integrate culturally grounded perspectives into clinical, educational, and community-based practice.
  • Understand the role of youth mentorship and cultural continuity in fostering long-term resilience within communities.
Education and Clinical Professionals: K–12 Classroom Teachers, School Counsellors/Psychologists, Learning Assistance/ Resource Teachers, School Administrators, School Paraprofessionals including Special Education Assistants, Classroom Assistants and Childcare Workers. All other professionals who support students including but not limited to: Nurses, Social Workers, Psychologists, Clinical Counsellors, Family Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Addiction Counsellors, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Probation Officers, and Early Childhood Educators.

Dr. Carissa Muth is a registered psychologist in Alberta and British Columbia and the Clinical Director at the Sunshine Coast Health Centre and Georgia Strait Women’s Clinic.  She holds Doctorate of Psychology, Master of Arts in Counselling, and Bachelor of Social Work degrees and ran a private practice in Alberta for the last ten years. With over fifteen years of experiences in the mental health field, Dr. Muth has provided psychological assessments, therapeutic treatments and conducted research in the field of substance addictions and co-morbid psychological disorders. With both a passion for learning and teaching, Dr. Muth has presented her research and expertise across the country at a variety of mental health conferences.

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.

RegistrationEarly bird FeeRegular Fee
Integrating Neuropsychology, CBT, DBT, Narrative and Meaning-Focused Therapy
Individual Enrollment$229.00N/A
Group 3 - 7$169.00N/A
Group 8 - 15$119.00N/A
Group 15+ $99.00N/A
Full-Time Student$99.00N/A
Treating Anxiety, Depression, Worry and Stress in Children and Adolescents
Individual Enrollment$229.00N/A
Group 3 - 7$169.00N/A
Group 8 - 15$119.00N/A
Group 15+ $99.00N/A
Full-Time Student$99.00N/A
Attend BOTH and SAVE!
Individual Enrollment$399.00N/A
Group 3 - 7$295.00N/A
Group 8 - 15$208.00N/A
Group 15+ $173.00N/A
Full-Time Student$173.00N/A

All fees are in Canadian dollars ($CAD) and per person.

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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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