About the Course
Most therapists understand that exercise can be a valuable tool in improving clients’ functioning. However, mental health professionals generally receive little training in the mechanisms by which exercise impacts mental health -- mechanisms that go far beyond the release of endorphins. Unfortunately, many therapists express reluctance to discuss exercise as a tool in treatment because they don’t know how to incorporate exercise in an intentional, skillful way. In this course, participants will learn up-to-date scientific findings regarding the mechanisms through which exercise can contribute to improvement in mental health functioning, such as distress tolerance, anxiety sensitivity, protection against in neuroinflammation, and microstructural and vascular changes in the brain. Findings will be presented on exercise as an intervention with common presenting concerns including anxiety, depression, and psychosis. Participants will also learn practical tools for incorporating exercise recommendations into mental health care in a manner that is skillful, ethical, and consistent with a mental health professional’s scope of practice. Specifically, participants will understand how clients with different diagnostic profiles are likely to respond to exercise. In addition, participants will learn the most common psychological risks and benefits of common types of exercise, including aerobic activity, resistance training, and yoga.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
Describe at least three research-based biological and psychological mechanisms that make exercise a powerful treatment tool
Identify at least three diagnosis-specific responses to exercise as an intervention
Identify at least three psychological risks and benefits of common types of exercise
To receive credit, participants must watch the recording in full and pass the associated homestudy test.
Your Instructor
Katie Arfa, Psy.D.
Dr. Katie Arfa is a licensed clinical psychologist in CA. She is an integrative health psychologist that specializes in treating chronic and complex illness. She has presented numerous papers and posters on integrated behavioral and mental health and provides trainings on lifestyle contributors to mental health conditions.
Dr. Arfa has reported no conflicts of interest or commercial support.
MindScience Collective is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. MindScience Collective maintains responsibility for this program and its content.