What Should a Therapist Know about Psychiatric Medications? 2 CE Workshop

What Should a Therapist Know about Psychiatric Medications?

Come join us for a casual, interactive discussion about psych meds. If this sounds boring and dry, think again!

This will NOT be a lecture about pharmacologic mechanisms and neuroreceptors. Instead, we’ll discuss some very practical matters.

• When can medications be a crutch? 
• How might medications effect the therapeutic relationship (for better or worse)? 
• What effects (for better or worse) might medications have on symptoms you are trying to target? 
• What new mental health issues might medications actually cause and how can you recognize it? 
• When is it appropriate for a therapist to discuss medications or over-the-counters with clients? 
• What’s the deal with marijuana and psychedelics? 

We’ll explore all things med-related and learn from each other. Please bring your own experiences, positive and negative, as therapists working with medicated patients (and trying to collaborate with irritating psychiatrists).

About the presenter:

Shawn Barnes, M.D. is a psychiatrist who lives and works in Encinitas in private practice (www.sbarnesmd.com). He practices a conservative approach to psychiatric medications, usually seeing them as short-term bridges, while exploring treatments of diet, exercise, purpose, mindfulness, herbal, supplemental and other holistic approaches. He is also interested in building bridges between therapist and psychiatrist communities. He is the sole psychiatrist member of SDNC-CAMFT.

Educational Goals and Learning Objectives for this presentation:

Educational Goal: Increase knowledge about psychiatric medications specific to their role in therapy and unintended effects.

Learning Objective 1: Participants will identify two unintended effects of medications.

Learning Objective 2: Participants will identify two ways in which medications can affect a clients participation in therapy

Learning Objective 3: Participants will identify two consequences of the long-term use of benzodiazepine