No Hocus Pocus, Just Focus: Strategies for Optimizing Focus and Concentration

Description: This presentation aims to introduce attendees to several science-backed cognitive, behavioral, and mindfulness-based strategies to optimize clients’ mental performance by improving their abilities to initiate focus and sustain concentration. Strategies covered will help attendees assist clients in developing a “mental warm-up” to transition into focus, maintaining concentration and regaining focus during mental tasks, and mentally recovering after intense periods of focus. Attendees will learn strategies for optimizing focus in high-stress situations plus be introduced to neurofeedback and mindfulness-based practices that can provide long-term benefits for focus and concentration. Additionally, this presentation will highlight the impacts of diet, exercise, stress, and alcohol and cannabis on focus and concentration.

CE Broker Tracking #:  20-972884

This event is sponsored by FMHCA, an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider. FMHCA NBCC Provider# 2058. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  FMHCA is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. This course is approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, LMHC, LMFT, LCSW – FMHCA CE Broker #: 50-748

Learning Objectives:

1. Recommend multiple strategies to improve clients' focus and concentration.
2. Explain the importance of "warming up" to initiate focus and "cooling down" following a period of intense focus.
3. Describe the impact of diet, exercise, stress, and alcohol and cannabis on focus and concentration.

Collier Shepard is a licensed mental health counselor at the University of Central Florida’s behavioral health services. At UCF, Collier provides neurofeedback and heart rate variability training, substance abuse counseling, and facilitates a cannabis psychoeducational group to students. Collier earned a master’s in clinical mental health counseling at the University of Alabama and also holds a master’s in exercise and sport sciences from the University of Memphis and a bachelor’s in psychology from Ole Miss.