Format: Audio MP3 file download $12 - Compact Disc $15

Presenter: Tobi Goldfus, LCSW

The balance of online presence, real life and inner states have dramatically shifted, as well as former definitions of boundaries and confidentiality in the lives of the adolescent/young adult world. While being plugged in, highly skilled and technologically adept is required today and keeps our world connected in phenomenal ways, too much time and activity on social media sites without time for reflection and real life interactions, have also been found to increase symptoms of depression, anxiety, feelings of isolation and compulsive/addictive behaviors and lower empathy toward others. This workshop will present a Social Media Assessment Form (SMA) to expand the clinician?s therapeutic effectiveness to include the digital world and experience of the young person in understanding their developmental tasks being mastered online with those in real life.

Seven stages of smart phone attachment, cyber friendly scripts, and a new cyberspace glossary of terms

will be given to increase tools in evaluating healthy and unhealthy uses and behaviors online. When to unplug, how to and when NOT to will be explored and discussed. Downregulation techniques such as the ego strengthening Inner Selfie Technique using mobile devices will be taught, as well as using cyberfriendly scripts/language for greater attunement. Experiential exercises, case examples and how comparing and contrasting online and therapeutic hypnotic phenomena can be utilized for greater emotional impact will be demonstrated. The workshop participant will learn how to integrate the Social Media Assessment Form into evaluation and treatment goals, assess both patient and provider positions in the fluid 7 stages of smart phone attachment and be able to use cyberfriendly language in hypnotherapy scripts for increased impact, understanding and treatment. They will also be able to identify developmental tasks being practiced online, assess healthy, compulsive and addictive use of cyberspace, and identify and contrast hypnotic phenomena both online and in therapeutic trance. The Inner Selfie Technique using mobile devices will be taught as well as other practical downregulating techniques.