This workshop is a perfect fit for any mental health professional who would like to achieve the impossible dream of having fun while fulfilling their ethics CEU requirement.

This 6-hour workshop delivers a completely new and exciting take on the typically dry and often intimidating subject of relational ethics by presenting relevant ethical principles through the lens of close-up magic and improv.

The rapid evolution and expansion of tele-health and virtual therapy has prompted counselors and therapists to re-examine their professional ethics. Exercises utilizing the principles of applied improvisation will help professionals develop the agility to make sound decisions when unexpected ethical challenges present themselves. Small group exercises via Zoom meeting rooms will engage participants in order to explore ethical case examples. The workshop will also explore the most common ethical complaints levied against counselors and therapists and how mental health professionals can avoid the pitfalls of these ethical problems.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Participants will review the core ethical principles that guide ethical decision-making.
2. Participants will learn a relational ethics model that is a more dynamic ethical decision-making model.
3. Participants will identify the key ethical issues inherent in virtual therapy and how to maintain an ethical practice when providing on-line services.
4. Participants will have fun applying principles of magic and improv to ethical decision making.
5. Participants will practice the relational decision-making model skills in small group interaction.

Chris Chickering LMHC is a therapist and sleight-of-hand magician. He received his M.A. in Counseling from Southwestern College and completed his clinical internship at the Solace Crisis Treatment Center. He has extensive training in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Hypnosis, Accelerated Learning, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. As a therapist, he uses a compassionate, supportive approach to help clients build upon their strengths, and shift their thinking to achieve extraordinary results. As a sleight-of-hand magician, Chris has intrigued and entertained audiences across North America, Europe and Russia for the past 25 years. Chris also develops and leads trainings related to behavioral health issues related to Evidence Based Practices, Cultural Considerations and Ethical Issues.

Victor Nelson, STM, LMFT, began his ministry as a Lutheran pastor in 1974 before becoming a Pastoral Counselor and a Marriage and Family Therapist. He has integrated the disciplines of therapy and spirituality in his work since 1985. Victor has been in private practice as a marriage and family therapist since 1988, is an AAMFT (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy) Clinical Member and Approved Supervisor, and has conducted numerous workshops and training events on a local, national, and international level. He is a former director of the Family Institute in Logan, Utah and also a former director of the Santa Fe Pastoral Counseling Center. Victor currently serves on the Southwestern College Board of Trustees where he has also taught as adjunct faculty since 2014. Victor is a licensed marriage and family therapist in New Mexico. He has been a practitioner of solution-focused brief therapy since the 1990’s and brings a solution-focused perspective and passion into his therapy, supervision, teaching, mediation, spiritual direction, and consulting work. 

Pamela King, LMFT, is an enthusiastic and experienced solution focused practitioner, international speaker, author, and trainer. She has over 25 years of experience in numerous settings including domestic violence treatment programs, public schools, as adjunct university faculty, and in private practice. Pam applies the principles of improvisation to develop flexibility, confidence, and spontaneity with workshop participants.Pam earned a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and a master’s degree in Family and Human Development from Utah State University. She is the author of Tools for Effective Therapy with Children and Families: A Solution-Focused Approach, published by Routledge as well as articles and chapters in other publications. She is recipient of the Steve de Shazer Memorial Award for Innovations in Solution Focused Brief Therapy.