The therapists at New Leaf Therapy Associates, LLC are dedicated to furthering their knowledge of resources and therapeutic techniques to best serve the needs of their clients. We strive to be better therapists daily, but this cannot happen unless we get out of the comfort zone of our offices from time to time, get back into the classroom, and get ready to learn from other professionals in our field. Many of our therapists already have training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and many more based on each counselor's specialty and the population they work with.

Check out our most recent "therapists-turned-students" as they pursue further education in the counseling field!

Compassion Fatigue Workshop

NLTA therapists, Jackie Dross and Laura Stoner, traveled to Fremont, NE to attend a 3-day workshop entitled Compassion Fatigue: When Working with Addicted or Traumatized Clients Leads to A Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder in Providers. This course was designed to train, while at the same time heal compassion fatigue for people in the helping professions.

Techniques learned in this course included the following:

• EMDR resourcing and grounding techniques
• EFT Tapping
• Gestalt Therapy
• Yoga
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques
• Mindfulness Techniques and Spiritual Affirmations
• Art and Music Therapy
• Aromatherapy
• Inner Child Guided Imagery

Couples Counseling Training

NLTA therapist, Laura Stoner, attended a two-weekend Gottman Method Couples Therapy (Level 2): Assessment, Intervention, and Co-Morbidities to sharpen her skills as a couples and marital therapist. She gained further knowledge on managing interpersonal conflict, developing healthy communication patterns, and tools to help couples learn to love one another better. 

Objectives of this course included the following:

• Assessing the quality of the relationship, the effectiveness of conflict management skills, and the couple's ability to create shared meaning.
• Develop healthier dialogue in arguments through communication skills and self-soothing to avoid escalation.
• Help clients create better connections and create a system of shared values/meaning.
• Identify and provide intervention for co-morbidities common to couples, including affairs, PTSD or trauma history, domestic violence, and addiction.