About the Speaker
John Sommers-Flanagan, Ph.D.
Director, Center for the Advancement of Positive Education
University of Montana
John Sommers-Flanagan is director of the Center for the Advancement of Positive Education at the University of Montana, a counselor educator, and author or coauthor of over 100 publications, including nine books and many training videos. His books, co-written with his wife Rita, include Clinical Interviewing (Wiley) and Suicide Assessment and Treatment Planning: A Strengths-Based Approach (ACA Publications). You can learn more about John’s latest venture, the Center for the Advancement of Positive Education (CAPE) at https://www.umt.edu/education/specunits/cape/ or on his blog: https://johnsommersflanagan.com/
Speaker Sessions
- EST
- Virtual
PPS30 - Closing Session: How to Weave Strengths and Wellness into Your Work with Clients who are Depressed or Suicidal
Working with clients who are depressed and/or suicidal can be stressful and emotionally draining. Although we should always come alongside clients and their negative and depressive emotions, lingering too long with negative emotions can be counterproductive for clients and emotionally difficult for counselors. In this closing keynote, John Sommers-Flanagan will describe three psychological and neuroscience-based principles for why embracing a strengths-based and wellness orientation is preferred. Together, we will experience at least two practical strategies for generating positive emotions in our clients and in ourselves.
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