The Beginner’s Guide to Virtual Reality (VR)-Enhanced Exposure Therapy

Description: In the words of Mr. Rogers (Fred, not Carl), “Anything that's human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary.” All major psychotherapies involving encountering—rather than avoiding—unpleasant thoughts and feelings. Though talk therapy is powerful, it can be augmented with experiences that activate the brain in ways not typically experienced in session. Advancements in virtual reality (VR) technology now permit clients and counselors yet another means to expand beyond the confines of the typical therapy room to share safe but powerful therapeutic experiences. This training session was designed to introduce counselors to VR-assisted therapy and how it can be used for exposure therapy as well as somatic quieting.

CE Broker Tracking #: 20-965742

This is an event sponsored by FMHCA. 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. Summarize research on virtual reality (VR)-assisted psychotherapy.
2. Orient clients to exposure therapy.
3. Utilize virtual reality (VR) headsets in therapeutic applications.

Dr. Aaron Norton is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with certifications in addictions, alcohol and drug counseling, rehabilitation counseling, clinical mental health counseling, trauma treatment, forensic mental health evaluation, forensic behavioral analysis, and psychometry. He serves as Executive Director of the National Board of Forensic Evaluators, a national not-for-profit board officially endorsed by the American Mental Health Counselors Association that provides training, certification, and professional advocacy for licensed mental health professionals specializing in forensic mental health evaluation. He is an Instructor at the University of South Dept. of Mental Health Law & Policy. He serves as Southern Regional Director and Ethics Committee Liaison for the American Mental Health Counselors Association and Chair of Government Relations Committee for the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association. He is the Consulting Editor for AMHCA’s The Advocate Magazine. He also works at Integrity Counseling, a group private practice, providing therapy, forensic and clinical evaluation, and clinical supervision to mental health counselor and marriage and family therapist interns as a Qualified Supervisor. He has 20 years of experience in the counseling profession, specializing in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues, cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and depressive disorders, and substance use treatment. He was awarded Mental Health Counselor of the Year by the American Mental Health Counselors Association in 2016, Counselor Educator of the Year by the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association in 2016, Researcher of the Year by the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association in 2019, and he was awarded AMHCA’s Public and Community Service Award in 2020. An experienced writer, presenter, and trainer, he has been published in NAADAC’s Addiction Professional, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, Journal of Individual Psychology, Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, and The Advocate Magazine, the official magazine of the American Mental Health Counselors Association.

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