Science studies the universe according to specific principles in order to build a map of the territory. This approach is radically different from a description of the territory from one who lives there. Her Holiness Sai Maa Lakshmi Devi Mishra, originally trained as a therapist, is recognized as an enlightened spiritual master who lives at a level of consciousness that few attain.

In this rare and unique presentation Sai Maa will be asked questions about the nature of consciousness, enlightenment, soul, healing, and neuroscience by Dr. Andrew Newberg who has spent his life studying the brain, enlightenment, and the nature of God and Dr. Neil Theise, a physician-scientist who has studied complexity theory and consciousness.

Her Holiness Jagadguru Sai Maa Lakshmi Devi Mishra is a world-renowned spiritual master, healer, and humanitarian. With a unique fusion of Eastern spiritual wisdom, Western therapeutic knowledge, and energetic mastery, Sai Maa shares teachings designed to help people realize their innate power and become masters in their own lives.

Andrew Newberg, MD, is director of research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health Jefferson University Hospital. He has studied mystical and religious experiences as well as the mind/body relationship, including the physiological correlates of meditation. His books include How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain and the best seller How God Changes Your Brain.

Neil Theise, MD (please see Friday afternoon keynote for bio)

Psychological practices aimed at the heights of human potential - what could be called “awakening” - have been around for thousands of years. Modern neuropsychology is beginning to reveal the underlying biological basis of these practices and higher states of consciousness. Rick will describe seven practices of awakening and their neural correlates, with a focus on the advanced practices of: being wholeness, receiving nowness, and opening into allness. This presentation will explore both “1st person” and “3rd person” - subjective and objective - perspectives, with an emphasis on practical implications for clinical settings and personal practice.

OBJECTIVES

• Describe 2 functions of midline cortical networks
• Describe the difference between the egocentric and allocentric perceptual perspectives

Rick Hanson, PhD, is a psychologist, senior fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and New York Times best-selling author. His books have been published in 28 languages and include Neurodharma, Resilient, and Hardwiring Happiness. His work has been featured on the BBC, CBS, and NPR. He offers the online Foundations of Well-Being program in positive neuroplasticity that anyone with financial need can do for free.

Bring your clients into their most powerful, grounded, passionate energy by guiding them into counter-intuitive first and second chakra work blended with tapping, step by step.

OBJECTIVES

• Name the 7 chakras as active levels of consciousness and power.
• Describe the nature of the 1st chakra in terms of diagnosing deficiencies and blind spots.
• Describe the nature of the 2nd chakra in terms of diagnosing deficiencies and blind spots.

Margaret Lynch Raniere trains and certifies coaches, therapists and everyday people to be the most highly skilled, sought after and paid coaches in the world, following the methods in her best-selling book, Tapping into Wealth.

The suffering and hardship of our ancestors can be trapped within us, affecting every part of our lives. Come and witness the clearing of transgenerational trauma and discover how to free your clients and yourself to find a new, safe way to BE and live in our society.

OBJECTIVES

• List the 2 main steps of The Presence Method.
• Describe transgenerational trauma.
• List 2 of the 4 main qualities of a powerful, positive statement.

Pamela Altaffer, LCSW, has been a psychotherapist for 30 years. She specializes in relationships and sees clients from around the world. She has been utilizing EP for over 20 years. She is a co-creator of the energy psychology technique Ask & Receive and presents internationally.

Reginald Wesley, CEHP, is an abuse survivor. It was not until he found energy psychology that he really healed. He is now a is a CEHP with ACEP, and a member of the ACEP Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Reginald offers spiritual and life coaching sessions to individuals and couples.

Based on new Advanced Integrative Therapy (AIT) research, we will discuss the causes of personality disorders and the energetic methods that can be used to treat them. The AIT Character Structure Protocol with be explained and demonstrated, and you will have the opportunity to practice it.

OBJECTIVES

• List 3 character structures delineated in AIT personality disorder work that, if treated first, make the treatment of other damaged character structures easier and briefer.
• Name 1 difference between character structures as defined by Freud and Lowen, and character structures as defined in AIT Personality Disorder work.
• Explain how AIT defines a character structure.

Asha Clinton MSW, PhD, began to develop Advanced Integrative Therapy in 1999 and has created 15 AIT seminars. She is internationally known as an excellent presenter, for her skill in treating trauma, psychogenic illness, and spiritual impasse, and for her humanitarian aid work. She was a professor at Princeton University.

Societal divisiveness and polarization are increasing client distress. The APA’s "Stress in America" research provides clues about ways to help clients with this. Discover a proposed psychoeducational framework for helping clients to more effectively enhance their personal wellbeing while up leveling their positive societal impact as citizens and leaders.

OBJECTIVES

• Name 3 current societal dynamics contributing to client distress.
• Describe 3 potential personal benefits clients might gain from enhancing their personal-societal wellbeing.
• Describe 3 potential benefits that society might gain from citizens with enhanced personal-societal integration.

David Gruder, PhD, DCEP, is a 12-award-winning clinical and organizational development psychologist. He is ACEP’s co-founder and first president. President of Integrity Culture Systems™, he provides keynotes, training programs and consulting that makes integrity profitable, leaders elevated, collaborators productive, happiness sustainable, and cultures healthy.

Does mind make the world? Neil Theise explores the nature of consciousness and its relationship to us and to the cosmos through the lenses of contemporary science, Western philosophy, and diverse metaphysical systems. From these discussions, he will lead us to an integrative model that considers fundamental awareness to be the substratum from which the world emanates, providing a set of concepts to potentiate cross-talk between these varied worldviews.

OBJECTIVES

• Discuss the principles of self-organizing complex systems and give real world examples of them.
• Describe the universe as a self-organizing system and the model's implications for concepts of materiality, boundaries, and "thingness."
• Give at least two examples of how an idealistic philosophy of pure Fundamental Awareness as the substratum of existence reconciles mainstream concepts of Western philosophy, contemporary science, and metaphysical understandings derived from diverse cultures of contemplative practices.

Neil Theise, MD, is a physician-scientist and professor of pathology at New York University School of Medicine. A global thought leader in clinical and scientific aspects of liver disease, he is also considered a pioneer of adult stem cell plasticity. Delving into complexity theory has led him into consciousness studies. He is a long-term Zen practitioner and has recently been initiated into shamanic practice.  

Learn about the evolution of modern energetic approaches to treating mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and addictions. We will explore the evolution from autogenic training to biofeedback and the multiple electrotherapies available today. Discover the latest work that uses gamma wave inducing PEMF to treat opioid addiction, depression and anxiety, as well as to regulate circulation. Learn about the importance of basic nutrition in brain function and the use of sound therapies as an adjunct to treatment.

OBJECTIVES

• Describe the use of inducing gamma brain waves to treat addiction, anxiety and depression.
• List at least 2 electrotherapies that have been shown to be effective in treating mental health problems.
• Describe the importance of self-regulation and nutrition in mental health.

Norman Shealy MD, PhD, DSc, FACS, DABNS, is president of Shealy-Sorin Wellness. He created the concept of holistic medicine in 1971 with the introduction of spinal cord stimulation and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation unit (TENS). He was founding President of the American Holistic Medical Association in 1978. ​

Learn about the history, origins and development of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and how this has led to its application for treating trauma, anxiety, depression, and more. Participate in a group demonstration of EFT and observe a demonstration using EFT in a clinical setting with an individual subject.

OBJECTIVES

• Discuss how to explain EFT to a client using preframes.
• Describe the differences between palliative and clinical EFT.
• Demonstrate the basic EFT procedure.

George Limberakis, LCMHC, DCEP, ACAP-EFT, is a licensed clinical mental health counselor in private practice in Salt Lake City, Utah for 15 years. George is an ACEP member and is certified by ACEP as an advanced practitioner of EFT (ACAP-EFT) and Diplomate in Comprehensive Energy Psychology (DCEP).

ACEs, or adverse childhood experiences, hold many of us down our whole lives. Learn the TAT® way for healing ACEs with TAT® Founder, Tapas Fleming. Experience the fun of your personal transformation and newfound resilience. Find out if this is your ticket to boundless happiness.

OBJECTIVES

• Identify 2 adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
• Identify 2 typical behavioral outcomes of ACEs.
• Name and locate 2 acupressure points used in the TAT® process.

Tapas Fleming, LAc, a California licensed acupuncturist, created a simple technique (TAT®) that can gently and easily reduce stress, end limiting beliefs, and greatly enhance presence. One of the most celebrated leaders in energy psychology, Tapas has taught TAT to hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

This presentation will outline 10 years of clinical research trials on EFT for food cravings and weight loss in overweight/obese adults, including the first fMRI trial and comparison to gold standard approaches. Discover what works, what doesn’t and what is essential.

OBJECTIVES

• Discuss the existing research and evidence base for EFT and weight / food issues
• Describe underlying issues that require intervention when working with clients wanting to lose weight

Peta Stapleton, PhD, is a psychologist and associate professor at Bond University. She specializes in eating disorders, women’s health and adolescent issues, and is a leading EFT researcher. Her most recent book is The Science Behind Tapping. Peta has been named Psychologist of the Year for the whole of Australia by Allied Health Awards.​

Healing from developmental/relational trauma can be disorderly, labyrinthine, and deeply challenging. Drawing from somatic depth psychology and the wisdom tradition of Sri Vidya, you will learn how to work with often frightening or volatile energies such as anger, rage and terror. These energies often emerge before the body is able to safely feel them. We will engage in a practice that will help you and your clients move beyond identity distortions and limitation, while finding a deeper sense of connection in our disconnected world.

OBJECTIVES

• Discuss at least 2 methods for working with developmental trauma that are in alignment with energy psychology.
• Describe an integration and resolution process of early trauma that increases the ability to liberate, feel and modulate emotions through the body.

Julie Brown Yau, PhD, addresses the challenging psychobiological symptoms of developmental and relational trauma using a unified approach. She is the author of The Body Awareness Workbook for Trauma. She is also the director of education and program development at CCALS. Julie has a private practice in Newport Beach, CA, and works on Skype worldwide.​

Sexuality issues can challenge a clinician’s skill set in a world where virtual reality, artificial intelligence, teledildonics, sex robots, tantra, BDSM, expanded definitions of monogamy, polyamory and more have changed our understanding of sexual behavior and relationships. Our beliefs, values and ideas can be challenged by this changing landscape. Exploring unconventional sexual practices will help us face our preconceived notions and countertransference issues around sex and intimacy. We will also learn how to effectively discuss these issues with our clients.

OBJECTIVES

• Describe 2 behavioral communication skills you can use to intervene around sex and intimacy in order to decrease your own and clients’ anxiety in a session.
• Define sexual wellness and describe how your sex-related stereotypes may impact treatment outcomes.

Tammy Nelson, PhD, is a board-certified sexologist, certified sex and couples therapist, and certified Imago Relationship therapist. She is author of several books on sex and couples therapy. Tammy is the director and founder of the Integrative Sex Therapy Institute in Washington DC., a training institute and think tank focused on obtaining and creating sustainable relationships. ​

What do we know about what happens in the brain when we tap on our skin while having the client state a wide range of phrasings? And what does that have to do with emotional healing and well-being? Learn the fascinating answers to these questions and more!

OBJECTIVES

• Explain how the meridians have been shown to be embedded in the body’s connective tissue.
• Describe how stimulating specific acupuncture points may send activating or deactivating signals to specific brain regions.

David Feinstein, PhD, a clinical psychologist, has received nine national awards for his books on consciousness and healing. He has served as faculty at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and, with his wife Donna Eden, has built the world’s largest organization teaching energy medicine.

An overview of the emergent scientific foundations of meditative states and non-dual awareness (NDA) and their role in trauma treatment lays the foundation for exploring the value of evoking NDA in fostering resiliency and lasting change. A demonstration of trauma resolution shows the therapeutic benefit of inducing and expanding NDA.

OBJECTIVES

• List 4 elements missing from non-dual awareness (NDA).
• Name 1 method to expand NDA.
• ​​​​​​Describe how NDA supports resiliency.

Melanie McGhee, LCSW, is an award-winning author and the founder of Acceptance and Integration Therapy. After more than three decades practicing psychotherapy, Melanie developed this holistic and promising approach. It was created from dedicated study with master therapists coupled with decades long contemplation of nondual philosophy.

David Patterson, PhD, MSW, is an endowed professor at the University of Tennessee College of Social Work. He is director of the Doctor of Social Work (in clinical practice and leadership) Program and a UMASS Center for Mindfulness qualified MBSR teacher.

We will explore how to decrease emotional intensity in interpersonal conflicts by applying energy psychology in the form of Be Set Free Fast. You will learn how to defuse the inner experience of the Karpman Drama Triangle dynamics, increase resourcefulness, and identify with positive archetypes for conflict resolution.

OBJECTIVES

• Name the roles in the Karpman Drama Triangle.
• Name 3 aspects of human beings comprising the BSFF model of the subconscious mind.
• ​​​​​​List the 4 healthy archetypical perspectives for healthy conflict engagement and resolution.

Alfred Heath, MA, LPC, fosters mind-body-spirit-energy wellbeing as a coach/facilitator/healer, and professional counselor. He is a certified hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner, Quantum Entrainment® Facilitator, independent Reiki master, and developer of ZeroPoint IntentionTM. He was designated by Be Set Free Fast™ developer Dr. Larry Nims to be its principal educator and trainer.​

The ancient practices of Wisdom Healing Qigong help you to release blocked energy, developing the capacity to transform any aspect of your life. At the core of existence is pure, infinite Essence. Pure Consciousness practices are a path to connect with and awaken to your Essence.

Master Mingtong Gu, Chi Center founder, is a qigong master who offers the ancient teachings of Wisdom Healing Qigong. He was honored as Qigong Master of the Year by the 13th World Congress for Qigong & TCM. Master Gu is a speaker, healer, and teacher for programs around the world. He is author of books and online programs.

Factors beyond the emotional can impact your clients’ experience of depression and anxiety, whether it is acute or chronic. Discover how epigenetics and the microbiome can sometimes impact depression and anxiety. Learn how to more effectively manage each case, and how to partner with functional medicine practitioners.

OBJECTIVES

• Name at least 2 causes of depression & anxiety beyond the emotional component.
• Name 1 way that epigenetics can be utilized for the treatment of chronic depression, anxiety, and other emotions.
• ​​​​​​Name at least 2 factors that can cause the gut microbiome to affect moods, depression, and anxiety.

Anne Merkel PhD, ND, has practiced as an energy therapist for thirty years while researching holistic health, which she now integrates as a naturopathic doctor. Specializing in chronic health and emotional issues, she ties together functional medicine treatments for autoimmune, cancer, dementia, trauma, and more.

There are three types of light you can use to heal different aspects of trauma: absolute, virtual, and polarity. After discussing the scientific and energetic potentials of these forms of light, Cyndi will introduce her unique trauma model. The model blends physiological realities (including the polyvagal system, epigenetics, and mast cell overproduction) and subtle structures (including forces, charges, and miasms). You will discover how to apply the three types of light using her unique model for healing trauma, as well as several other techniques. Demonstration and practice includes integrating these approaches with “tapping.”

OBJECTIVES

• Describe a working model of trauma that blends physiological and subtle energy teachings.
• Describe the 3 types of light that exist in this universe.
• Describe 2 ways to apply these very distinct forms of light to assist the self and others with recovering from, and renewing through, trauma.

Cyndi Dale is an internationally renowned author, speaker, healer, and business consultant and the author of 27 books about energy medicine, intuition, and spirituality. She has worked with over 65,000 clients and presented hundreds of seminars and workshops throughout the world. Her books include The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy, winner of four internationally recognized Publisher’s Awards.