Sensory Integration and Mental Health: 
Self-Care – Balancing Our Emotional and Professional Selves

A Conversation with Erika Lally, LMHC

  • Moderated by Erin Flynn, MS, OTR/L 
  • Level: Introductory

  • Access: All parts of the course, including assignments, must be completed within a 7 week viewing window.

  • Contact Hours: 1.0 contact hours or 0.1 AOTA CEUs
  • AOTA Areas: Occupational Therapy Service Delivery: Evaluation, Intervention and Outcomes.
  • Audience: OT, OTA, PT, PTA, SLP, Psychologist, Educator, Parent
  • Completion Requirements: To earn contact hours or AOTA CEUs for this course participants must view this course in its entirety, and successfully complete the quiz accompanying each lesson.
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Course overview

When working in relational work, and caring for individuals with sensory processing challenges, understanding and implementing self-care is essential to stay regulated and avoid burn-out, especially during stressful times. This talk will explore the crucial role of self-care and self-reflection for therapists as well as how to integrate these concepts in setting and maintaining healthy professional boundaries. Erika will explain the role that mirror neurons, and the neurobiology of underlying empathy, play in balancing our emotional and professional selves. Lastly, we will discuss how individuals can explore ideas for self-care in order to determine which strategies work best for them.

References are provided.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course participants will be able to:

Define and describe the concepts of emotional and professional self.

Introduce the role of mirror neurons and the neurobiology underlying empathy.

To explain the crucial role of self-care and self-reflection for providers doing relational work and how to integrate these concepts in setting and maintaining healthy professional boundaries.

Erika Lally, LMHC

Guest Speaker

Erika is the owner of Center Psychotherapy with a specialization in treating complex trauma. She additionally provides trauma consultation, training and supervision to help clinicians hone their trauma treatment skills. She has taught extensively through Lesley University and the Trauma Center Certificate Program prior to starting her group practice.

Erika works from a humanist approach and tailors her treatment to individual client needs. She is comfortable in verbal and nonverbal modalities and bases her practice on the belief that individuals have a resiliency and innate drive towards wellness. Treatment approaches include EMDR, art therapy, sand tray and play therapy. Self-care practices include swimming, martial arts and yoga.

Erin Flynn, MS, OTR/L
Moderator

Erin is a certified and licensed occupational therapist and registered with NBCOT with a specialty in pediatrics. She received her MS in occupational therapy from Sacred Heart University and a BA in psychology from College of the Holy Cross. She has worked with children in a variety of settings including public/private schools and Boys & Girls Clubs and has run community-based parent/child sensory motor groups. She is certified in the Program of Essential Competencies in Sensory Integration. She is also trained in the SOS oral motor program, iLs: Integrated Listening Systems home programming, and trauma informed care. She completed the Infant Parent Mental Health Fellowship program at UMass Boston in 2019. She is on the IRB board of SPIRAL Foundation and is a former SPIRAL Foundation Education Coordinator. Being a parent herself, Erin is passionate about working with children and their parents to build positive relationships and understanding.


Disclosure: Erin was compensated for these talks as part of her regular SPIRAL duties. Guest speakers generously donate their time, however, they may benefit if learners choose to enroll in additional courses or programs with them.
ADA/Section 504: If you require special accommodations, please contact courses@thespiralfoundation.org

Cancellation Policies: Available here

Continuing Education: Occupational Therapy Practitioners/ Occupational Therapy Assistants: SPIRAL Foundation is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants by the American Occupational Therapy Association. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA

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