Continuing Education Offerings
Continuing education workshop for mental Health Clinicians
Behavioral Approaches to Treating Generalized Anxiety and Worry
Friday, August 21, 2026, live on Zoom
12:30鈥4:30 p.m.
Eligible for 4 continuing education* credits!
Sponsored by the Institute for Community Mental Health-Clinic at the 91原创
*Continuing Education
Please note that 4 continuing education credits are available for attending and completing the workshop as a whole鈥攏o partial credit can be given.
This is an intermediate level program intended for experienced mental health clinicians (e.g., psychologists, licensed professional counselors, social workers) with solid foundational knowledge in cognitive-behavioral therapy.
The Institute for Community Mental Health is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Institute for Community Mental Health maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Cost
$100**聽(refundable with written cancellation sent at least 48 hours prior to the start of workshop)
**Early registration discounted rate (if paid by 8/1/26): $75
Instructions:听
- To ensure you are added to the correct registration list, enter your payment of $100 (or the early registration discounted rate of $75 if paid by 8/1/26).
- Enter your contact information: Full name, daytime phone and email address.
- Under "Notes," enter the workshop date you wish to attend: "Aug. 21 Workshop"
- Click the "checkout" button to complete your registration and payment.
- If you have any questions or experience issues regarding registration, please call 302-831-2717, or you can email Dr. Bredemeier directly at kbredem@udel.edu.
Workshop Description
Amongst anxiety-related disorders, many clinicians find generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) to be particularly difficult to treat effectively, perhaps due to the pervasive avoidant coping tendencies of these clients and the varying focus of their worries. Importantly, worry can be conceptualized as a cognitive form of avoidance, and this formulation has important clinical implications. Interestingly, the cognitive nature of this condition can lead therapists to presume that cognitive techniques are most suitable for these clients 鈥 however, several behavioral techniques have strong empirical support (as components of cognitive-behavioral therapy for GAD protocols, or as standalone interventions). This workshop will focus on prominent evidence-based behavioral interventions for GAD 鈥 specifically, attendees will learn and practice implementing stimulus control strategies, applied relaxation skills, problem-solving tools, and exposure therapy techniques. Understanding of these intervention strategies will be fostered through interactive demonstrations, comprehension checks, role plays, and experiential exercises.
Learning Objectives
- Describe key components of prominent cognitive-behavioral theories of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
- Identify and utilize factors that can help differentiate worry from other forms of repetitive negative thinking (e.g., rumination).
- Explain and implement relaxation strategies (diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation) to address physiological symptoms in GAD.
- Explain how stimulus control strategies can be used to address worrying in clients with GAD.
- Explain and implement techniques to facilitate problem-solving in clients with GAD.
- Explain and apply strategies for using both in vivo and imaginal exposure techniques to address feared situations, feared outcomes, and intolerance of uncertainty in GAD.
Schedule
| Time (EST) | Topic |
|---|---|
| 12:30鈥12:35 p.m. EST | Zoom doors open & welcome |
| 12:35鈥1:15 p.m. | Diagnosis and theories of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
|
| 1:15鈥1:20 p.m. | 5-minute break |
| 1:20鈥2:30 p.m. | Facing the discomfort: application of relaxation and stimulus control skills
|
| 2:30鈥2:40 p.m. | 10-minute break |
| 2:40鈥4:15 p.m. | Facing the issue(s) at hand: use of problem-solving and exposure therapy techniques
|
| 4:15鈥4:30 p.m. | Q&A, Case/example discussion, Review & WRAP-UP |