CE Approvals:
This presentation is approved for NV Psychologists directly by the Nevada Board of Psychological Examiners.
This program is also approved for MFTs/CPCs and LCSWs.

Please note: The Nevada Psychological Association is co-sponsoring this event and will be issuing CE certificates to Nevada Psychologists, LCSWs and MFTs that wish to receive 4 CE credits (4 CEs have been directly approved by state licensing Boards). NPA does not maintain responsibility for this program or its content as an APA-approved provider of continuing education.

Click Here to Register 

Co-Sponsored by:
      

About the Workshop:

The primary goal of the conference is to educate our community about the history of psychopharmacology and the risks of over-relying on psychotropic medications and the disease model for what are often normal psychological responses to life.  We also hope to educate the audience about the side effects and challenges inherent in coming off psychotropic medications, particularly antidepressant medication and antianxiety medication. We would also like to highlight scientifically supported psychological interventions that can be effective alternatives to psychotropic medication.  And finally, we would like to give our audience an idea about how psychologists and allied medical professionals might recognize when patient medications may be contributing to their psychological symptoms and what to do if they wish to consult a professional about how to come off their medications.

Learning Objectives:

 At the end of this workshop, attendees will be able to:
1) List several historical factors that led the APA to adopt a disease model, and how it then marketed this model to the public.
2) Describe the findings that gave rise to the chemical imbalance theory of mental disorders, the research that was done to investigate it, and how, within research circles, it was acknowledged in the 1990s/early 2000s that the theory wasn’t panning out.
3) Cite several studies on the evidence regarding the long-term effects of antipsychotics for psychotic disorders, antidepressants for depression, anti-anxiety agents for anxiety, stimulants for ADHD, and public health outcomes, such as the rise in disability rates due to mental disorder since 1987.
4) Understand the ongoing calls for a reconceptualization of psychiatric disorders, and specify several new approaches to treatment for people struggling with such issues. 
5) Delineate the typical side effects of withdrawal from antidepressants as outlined by a consumer who tapered and documented her experience.
6) Specify at least 3 scientifically supported specific psychological interventions for depression and 3 scientifically supported specific psychological interventions for anxiety.  
7) Identify at least 2 specific criteria from a practicing addiction psychiatrist about how to recognize when a patient is suffering from side effects caused by psychotropic medications and when to refer for possible tapering.

Audience:

This workshop is intended for the entire community, both professionals and nonprofessionals.  Though it will be presented at an intermediate level, it will be delivered in language that the average consumer can digest. It will likely be new information for many mental health professionals who have not seen Robert Whitaker speak before because many mental health graduate programs do not cover these data adequately.

About the Presenter/Panelists:

Keynote Speaker:
Robert Whitaker is the author of five books, three of which tell of the history of psychiatry. In 2010, his Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness won the U.S. Investigative Reporters and Editors book award for best investigative journalism. Prior to writing books, he worked as a science reporter at the Albany Times Union newspaper in New York for a number of years. He is the founder of madinamerica.com, a website that features research news and blogs by an international group of writers interested in “rethinking psychiatry.” Robert Whitaker's CV

Panelists:
Brooke Siem (@brookesiem) is a writer and speaker whose work on antidepressant withdrawal has appeared in The Washington Post, New York Post, Psychology Today, and more. Her memoir, MAY CAUSE SIDE EFFECTS is the first book on antidepressant withdrawal to hit the mass market, has received national attention and received the 2023 BIBA Non-Fiction: Memoir Independent Book Award. She is also the founder of the newsletter Happiness Is A Skill, a bi-monthly publication dedicated to the history of psychiatry, the science of antidepressant withdrawal, and the skill of happiness.

Raghu Kiran Appasani, M.D. is an Integrative & Addiction Psychiatrist, Neuroscientist, and Social Entrepreneur focused on bridging the gap between western and eastern practices to create a wholesome society by taking a proactive approach to health. He recently completed his Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at University of California-San Francisco (June 2023). His current interests lie at the intersection of psychodynamic psychotherapy, integrative/nutritional psychiatry, mental health literacy, advocacy, wellness, entrepreneurship, and psychedelics. His alter-ego's life goal is to become a chef integrating farm-to-table experiences in stunning landscapes around the world.

Clinically, Dr. Appasani is trained in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP), Cognitive Processing Therapy for Trauma, Motivational Interviewing (MI), Group Therapy, Exposure Response Prevention. He also completed the MAPS MDMA Psychotherapy Program as a Health Equity Scholar. His clinical interests lie in psychedelic therapy, mood disorders (depression, bipolar), addiction, anxiety disorders, OCD spectrum, eating disorders, trauma, and personality spectrum conditions. Dr. Appasani's CV

David O. Antonuccio, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus in the Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, where he taught for 32 years.  Concurrently, he worked for 24 years at the V.A. Medical Center in Reno.  He has also had a private practice for more than 35 years.  He served on the Nevada State Board of Psychological Examiners from 1990 to 1998.  His clinical and research interests include the behavioral treatment of depression, anxiety, and smoking.  He holds a diplomate in Clinical Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology and is a Fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Society.  He was named Outstanding Psychologist in 1993 by the Nevada State Psychological Association (NSPA), received an Award of Achievement from NSPA in 1999 for his work on depression, was named the 2000 recipient of the McReynolds Foundation Psychological Services Award for “outstanding contributions to clinical science”, and received the APAHC (Association for Psychologists in Academic Health Settings) Bud Ogel Award for Distinguished Achievement in Research in 2006.  He was named the 2011 recipient of the Ira Pauly Award for outstanding residency teaching in psychiatry at the University of Nevada School of Medicine.  

His articles on the comparative effects of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy have received extensive coverage by the national media and are models of careful scholarship.  He is author or coauthor of over 100 publications including the following peer reviewed scientific articles: Psychotherapy vs. medication for depression:  Challenging the conventional wisdom with data (1995), A cost-effectiveness analysis of cognitive behavior therapy and fluoxetine (Prozac) in the treatment of depression (1997), Raising questions about antidepressants (1999), Antidepressants:  A triumph of marketing over science? (2002), Psychology in the prescription era:  Building a Firewall between Marketing and Science (2003), Treating depressed children with antidepressants:  More harm than benefit? (2008), A Patient Bill of Rights for Psychotropic Medications (2011), and Relabeling the Medications We Call Antidepressants (2012). Dr. Antonuccio's CV

Moderator:
Steve Graybar, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist who has divided his time between his private practice and his work at the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. His clinical interests include the psychoanalytic conceptualization and treatment of emotional distress. At present, he is concerned about our culture’s bias toward the medicalization of interpersonal difficulties, developmental challenges, existential dilemmas, and other problems of living.

Dr. Graybar is the former President of the Board of Psychological Examiners for the State of Nevada. He was proud to receive the 2002 NPA James Mikawa Award for outstanding contribution to psychology in Nevada and the 2016 NPA award for career contributions to the association and to the practice of psychology in Nevada. He was honored to receive numerous teaching awards from the UNR School of Medicine. Dr. Graybar's CV

Discussant:
William Danton, Ph.D., ABPP earned his doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Houston in 1975. Following an internship at the San Francisco VA Healthcare System, he was employed by the VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare System as Coordinator of Outpatient Mental Health Services and served on faculty at the University of Nevada School of Medicine.  Dr. Danton retired from the VA as Associate Chief of Staff for the Mental Health Service Line in 2003.  He continues teaching as a Clinical Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada School of Medicine and has a private practice in clinical psychology.

Dr. Danton specializes in hypnosis and cognitive-behavioral psychology. He has been a consistent critic of systemic pharmaceutical overreach. He has published multiple peer reviewed papers on this topic. He was involved the production of a number of media projects, including a promotional video featuring the research collaboration between the Veterans Administration Medical Center and the Medical School, produced with the Department of Educational Support Communications, University of Nevada; Progressive Muscle Relaxation:  A videocassette series, co-produced with J.May, Ph.D.  Used by The U.S. Olympic Ski Teams; Multimedia training packages on hypnosis, psychopathology of everyday life, violence, and suicide; Keeping the Promise A promotional tape for VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System; and Tools for the Mental Game, A hypnosis DVD for golfers, produced in 2004.

Dr. Danton is board-certified in clinical psychology and an Approved Consultant with the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. He is a past president of the Nevada Psychological Association and the recipient of numerous awards, including a Commendation Award for outstanding contributions to planning, teaching and evaluation of continuing education offerings, Interwest Regional Medical Education Center, Salt Lake City, Utah,  Outstanding Psychologist (James Mikawa Award) 2001, Nevada State Psychological Association, and has received Congressional Recognition from Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, Nevada’s First Congressional District, May 19, 2001. Dr. Danton's CV

Program Schedule:

1:00pm to 1:15pm     Introductions and dedications to sponsors

1:15pm to 2:30pm     Robert Whitaker Keynote Address

The Disease Model of Psychiatric Care Has Failed. Now What?
In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) adopted a disease model for diagnosing and treating major psychiatric disorders. The public was soon informed that schizophrenia, depression, and other major disorders were caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. A second generation of psychiatric drugs came to market that were said to be safer and more effective than the first generation, and were said to fix those chemical imbalances, and thus were like insulin for diabetes. Our society organized its thinking and care around that narrative of great progress, which–as a critical review of the scientific literature reveals—was a false narrative. The biological causes of major psychiatric disorders remain unknown; psychiatric drugs induce the very chemical imbalances that were hypothesized to cause psychiatric disorders; and over the long-term, there is substantial evidence that the drugs cause more harm than good. Public health outcomes in mental health have plummeted in the past 40 years.

At the same time, the pathologizing of our children and youth has helped create a mental health crisis in our society, as an ever-increasing percentage of those entering adulthood do so with a diagnosis and a prescription, and a self-understanding that they are mentally ill.

All of which leads to the moment at hand: we need to create a new narrative for thinking about psychiatric disorders and how to best treat them. 

2:30pm to 3:45pm     Award winning documentary “Medicating Normal”

--Impact Award, Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival, 2021

--Virtual Audience Award, The Magnolia Independent Film Festival, 2021

--Best Documentary & Audience Award, People’s Film Festival, 2020

--Best Documentary Jury Award, Woods Hole Film Festival, 2020

--Audience Favorite Feature, International Documentary Film Festival, DOCUTAH, 2021

Fifty million Americans are dependent on, not heroin or cocaine, but on commonly prescribed psychiatric drugs. While the dangers of illegal drugs and opioids are well known, few are fully informed of the dangers of antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, and stimulants before becoming physiologically dependent on them. These medications often provide effective short-term relief for emotional distress and other problems, but pharmaceutical companies have hidden common side effects and long-term harm from both patients and doctors.

Multinational drug companies spend billions of dollars promoting these drugs. Not surprisingly, the narratives extolling their benefits are often the only ones presented in the mainstream media. The other side of the story is not being reported, and it is a story of harm done.

Combining cinema verité and investigative journalism, Medicating Normal follows the journeys of a newly married couple, a female combat veteran, a waitress and a teenager whose doctors prescribed psychiatric drugs for stress, mild depression, sleeplessness, focus and trauma. Our subjects struggle with serious physical and mental side effects as well as neurological damage which resulted from taking the drugs as prescribed and also from attempting to withdraw. Says one psychiatrist, “There’s not a chemical on the planet, to my knowledge, that can require years to taper – not Oxycontin, not crack cocaine, not heroin, and not alcohol. But psychiatric medications, any tapered patient will tell you, can take sometimes years if possible, at all.”

During the course of the film, prominent psychiatrists and scientific experts explain how it came to pass that – shockingly – one in five Americans take these drugs daily, and often for many years. They reinforce the fact that debilitating side-effects including addiction are common, yet not commonly acknowledged. It is the untold story of what happens when profit-driven medicine intersects with human beings in distress.

3:45pm to 5:15pm      Expert Panel: Brooke Siem, David Antonuccio, Ph.D., Raghu Appasani, M.D. and Robert Whitaker, Medical Science Journalist

Brooke Seim will address a patient’s perspective of withdrawing from antidepressants.

David Antonuccio, Ph.D. will address scientifically supported psychological interventions, particularly for depression and anxiety, and particularly in comparison with psychotropic medication.

Raghu Appasani, M.D. will address how mental health professionals can recognize medication induced side effects and when to refer such patients to a medical professional for possible tapering.

Registration Fees

Psychologists (for 4 CE credits) $100.00
Community Members $10.00

About our Co-Sponsors:

The Richard Scott Fee Foundation is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to raising awareness to the often misdiagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the over prescribing of potentially dangerous narcotic medication to our nation’s youth. Our goal – by speaking at events on school campuses and sharing Richard’s story – is to give students, parents, school faculty and even medical professionals vital information that will help them to make more informed decisions regarding their care and positively affect their lives.

Health Psychology Associates was founded in 2015 by Deacon Shoenberger, PhD, Natalie Sanchez, MFT, and Mick Hall, MFT, LADC as an outpatient mental health clinic to provide treatment to underserved populations and training for future mental health professionals. Along the way, we realized that the struggles of some of our patients are exacerbated by a lack of both effective training and community opportunities for clinicians in our area.  In 2023, HPA Community was formed as a nonprofit focused on bringing evidence based training and diverse experiences to enrich our clinical community.  Past and ongoing clinical projects include didactic seminars on Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy for trauma, a Trauma Roundtable conference exploring multi-theoretical approaches to trauma treatment, didactic and process-based seminars and consultation groups for clinicians learning Clinical Behavior Analysis, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Therapy (CT), and book clubs and consultation groups for clinicians interested in learning and consulting on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis, self psychology, and Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT).  Training and consultation groups are offered to and led by both employees of HPA and members of the clinical community from multiple states.  Our hope is to support a robust mental health community that challenges and informs clinicians, and also invites them to continue to train, work, and stay connected in the Northern Nevada mental health community.

General Information:

Workshop Location: In the Grand Ballroom at the Joe Crowley Student Union, University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno NV 89557. Click here for map.

Parking: West Stadium Parking Garage: UNR does not charge parking fees on weekends so there is no charge for parking.

Food and Beverages: Beverages and assorted snacks will be provided.

Refunds & Grievance Policy: Participants may direct questions or grievances to NPA at (888) 654-0050. An administrative fee of $30 will be charged for cancellation of registration. Please note, no refunds will be granted within 10 days of presentation date.

CE Approval: This CE workshop is approved for 4 CE credits directly by Nevada Board of Psychological Examiners, the Board of Examiners for Social Workers and the Board of Examiners for MFTs. The Nevada Psychological Association is co-sponsoring this presentation, however the presentation is not approved for CE credit by the Nevada Psychological Association as an APA-approved provider of continuing education. NPA does not maintain responsibility for this program or its content.

References:

Davies, J., Read, J., Hengartner, M. P., Cosci, F., Fava, G., Chouinard, G., ... & Guy, A. (2019). Clinical guidelines on antidepressant withdrawal urgently need updating. BMJ, 365.

Gotzsche, P. C., & Demasi, M. (2023). Interventions to help patients withdraw from depression drugs: systematic review. medRxiv, 2023-03.

Healy, D., Bahrick, A., Bak, M., Barbato, A., Calabrò, R. S., Chubak, B. M., ... & Waraich, A. (2022). Diagnostic criteria for enduring sexual dysfunction after treatment with antidepressants, finasteride and isotretinoin. International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, 33(1), 65-76.

Healy, D. (2023). Randomized Controlled Assays and Randomized Controlled Trials: A Category Error With Consequences. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 25(2), 119-134.

Junqueira, D. R., Zorzela, L., Golder, S., Loke, Y., Gagnier, J. J., Julious, S. A., ... & Vohra, S. (2023). CONSORT Harms 2022 statement, explanation, and elaboration: updated guideline for the reporting of harms in randomised trials. bmj, 381.

Stone, M. B., Yaseen, Z. S., Miller, B. J., Richardville, K., Kalaria, S. N., & Kirsch, I. (2022). Response to acute monotherapy for major depressive disorder in randomized, placebo controlled trials submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration: individual participant data analysis. Bmj, 378.

Watson, G. L., Antonuccio, D., & Healy, D. (2022). The Silencing of ADHD Critics. Deconstructing ADHD: Mental Disorder or Social Construct?, 3, 400. (Vol. 3). Ethics International Press.

Whitaker, R. (2023). Rethinking Antipsychotics: Evidence-Based Medicine Calls for a Dramatic Change in Their Use. In Psychological Interventions for Psychosis: Towards a Paradigm Shift (pp. 37-57). Cham: Springer International Publishing. 

Conflicts of Interest: Many of the presenters have made a living from providing psychological interventions. However, most have worked collaboratively with prescribers in settings where pharmacological interventions are common place.  However, to our knowledge, none of the presenters take money from the pharmaceutical industry.