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"WHAT is he thinking?!?" - Understanding Theory of Mind and its Application to Healthy Social Functioning

People are social beings. The constant flow of reading social situations; understanding our own and others’ thoughts, emotions and motivations is the foundation for effective communication, healthy relationships and good judgement. Theory of Mind ( ToM) is the psychological process explaining how this happens. Misinterpreting our thoughts and feelings and misreading or ignoring others’ perspectives, intentions, and  emotions causes conflict with family, friends and colleagues. On the flip side, well-developed ToM paired with bad intentions fuels deception, manipulation and pathological behavior

 

This workshop aims to unpack the basic elements of the Theory of Mind in neurotypical development. Skills like introspection, emotional awareness, social reasoning , and empathy are observed in young infants and mature through adolescence and adulthood. Presenters will outline what can go wrong and how that explains common relationship issues, developing psychopathology, and behaviors associated with neurodiverse populations such as autism. The Practical Theory of Mind-informed intervention strategies for a broad spectrum of clinical cliente;e will be presented from psychological and occupational therapy literature

 https://nefesh.org/workshops/WHATis/view

"WHAT is he thinking?!?" - Understanding Theory of Mind and its Application to Healthy Social Functioning

Previously Recorded
$59.99 Cost For Member: 49.99 Frimi Faye Walkenfeld, Ph.D., Rebecca Soffer, Ph.D., and Meira Orentlicher, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, CRA

People are social beings. The constant flow of reading social situations; understanding our own and others’ thoughts, emotions and motivations is the foundation for effective communication, healthy relationships and good judgement. Theory of Mind ( ToM) is the psychological process explaining how this happens. Misinterpreting our thoughts and feelings and misreading or ignoring others’ perspectives, intentions, and  emotions causes conflict with family, friends and colleagues. On the flip side, well-developed ToM paired with bad intentions fuels deception, manipulation and pathological behavior

 

This workshop aims to unpack the basic elements of the Theory of Mind in neurotypical development. Skills like introspection, emotional awareness, social reasoning , and empathy are observed in young infants and mature through adolescence and adulthood. Presenters will outline what can go wrong and how that explains common relationship issues, developing psychopathology, and behaviors associated with neurodiverse populations such as autism. The Practical Theory of Mind-informed intervention strategies for a broad spectrum of clinical cliente;e will be presented from psychological and occupational therapy literature

About the Presenter

Frimi Faye Walkenfeld, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Behavioral Science, a division of Touro University’s School of Health Sciences. Dr. Walkenfeld received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from the City University of New York, and is a licensed psychologist in New York State, where she has had a long and distinguished private practice.

Rebecca Soffer, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of psychology at Touro University School of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Flatbush. Dr. Soffer is a licensed Developmental Psychologist with a clinical practice in Long Island, NY. Her scholarship and clinical work focus on autism, developmental disabilities, and behavior management.

Meira L. Orentlicher, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, CRA is the Director of Research and Faculty Scholarship in the School of Health Sciences and Professor and Associate Chairperson for Research and Scholarship in the Occupational Therapy (OT) Department of Touro University in NY. Her clinical experience and research are focused on preparing young adults with autism and their families for the transition from school to adult life.

This workshop Offers 3 Continuing Education Credits
This webinar is recorded and will not grant live credits.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Define Theory of Mind
  2. Explain Theory of Minds pivotal role in the dynamic process of social development
  3. State the way atypical Theory of Mind development manifests in child and adult pathology
  4. Apply appropriate intervention to ToM deficient Case Study

Agenda:

 

Introduction - 5 minutes

Case study

ToM: An explainer - 15 minutes

  • Affective=emotional competence
  • Cognitive=others cognitive states
  • iTOM=(Weinstock, Harari)

Neurotypical Development of ToM - 1 hour

    • Infant foundations of ToM:  mirror neurons/imitation, joint attention, global empathy, false understanding beliefs, Understanding “self” and “other,” and empathy 
    • Childhood: primary perspective taking, global empathy, introspection, emotional awareness, simple social reasoning
    • Adolescence: personality coherence, limited social perspective taking

 

  • Adulthood: mentalizing, enhanced social perspective taking motivates adaptive prosocial behavior

 

Diversity in ToM: Implications for pathology - 30 minutes

Under-development

  • Difficulty sustaining social relationships, Autism
  • Impulsivity, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Depression 
  • Anxiety, OCD

Over-development

  • Select Personality Disorders
  • Sociopathic behavior

Application Activity - 20 minutes

ToM as intervention - 35 minutes

Interventions to teach ToM

  • Imitation
  • Social stories
  • Group therapy
  • Cognitive and Emotional Skills Training

Compensatory Interventions

  • Scanning the environment/identifying cues
  • Identifying and avoiding emotional triggers
  • Sensory modulation

Conclusion- 10 minutes

  • Reinforce the importance of ToM and recognizing issues in clients
  • Reinforce how to access intervention activities
  • Q and A
This presentation is open to:
  • Social Workers
  • Professional Counselors
  • Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
  • Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
  • Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
Course Level: intermediate
Level of Clinician: intermediate
  • New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
  • Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
  • Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
  • Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives

Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.

Disability Access - If you require ADA accommodations, please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification. Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling. The grievance policy for trainings provided by the NEFESH INTERNATIONAL is available here Satisfactory Completion Participants must have paid the tuition fee, logged in and out each day, attended the entire workshop, and completed an evaluation to receive a certificate (If this is a pre-recorded program, a post-test with a passing grade of 80% to receive a certificate.) Failure to log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates are available after satisfactory course completion by clicking here.
There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
  • CE You! is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland.
    CE You! maintains responsibility for this program.
Refund Policy: Full Refund until 48 hours before scheduled date.
48 hours before: full refund less $5.00 processing fee. After event no refund will be given.
*exclusions apply for reasonable need and cause.