IPA Spring Conference: Taking Care of Us
April 28-29, 2023
Honey Creek Resort, Moravia, Iowa

The pandemic and sociopolitical stressors of the last few years have negatively impacted the mental health of so many people. In effort to meet the mental health needs of as many Iowans as possible, many of us expanded our caseloads or took on additional duties in our jobs. Providers in all areas of health care are experiencing burnout at unprecedented rates. Iowans need those of us affected by burnout to not only recover, but also to take care of ourselves going forward so our practices are sustainable.

The theme of our Spring Conference for 2023 is Taking Care of Us. Our goal is to provide IPA members and other Iowa health care providers something of a “self-care retreat”—an opportunity to rest, recharge, and connect while also learning about evidence-based strategies to improve well-being. We will have opportunities to practice yoga, mindfulness, and to get outside for some movement throughout the day. Our venue, Honey Creek Resort, is on Rathbun lake and provides opportunities to spend restorative time in nature. So please bring your yoga mat and your favorite athleisure-wear and join us for this unique and restorative experience!

Day 1: The Neuroscience of Mindfulness-Based Meditation: A Day of Practice and Science
(6 CEs) April 28, 2023, 9am – 5pm
Day 1 Registration

The Neuroscience of Mindfulness-Based Meditation workshop is an all day workshop conducted by Dr. Fadel Zeidan, an associate professor of Anesthesiology at UCSD. Dr. Zeidan will provide an easily understandable delineation of the neural, physiological and psychological processes supporting mindfulness-based pain relief. He will delve into research demonstrating how mindfulness changes the brain, is different from placebo and other meditative practices, and involved processes that are unique and distinct from other mind-body approaches. We will also teach participants how to practice a spectrum of mindfulness techniques, including breath awareness, vipassana, eating and walking mindfulness, and mindfulness-based compassion. Importantly, these techniques are the same as the ones validated in Dr. Zeidan’s research. Further, participants will learn how to share mindfulness with their patients, clients, and loved ones.

Fadel Zeidan, PhD is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego. He is currently serves on the Mind and Life Institute Steering Council, the UCSD T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion Executive Council and the Neuroscience Director at the UCSD Center for Psychedelic Research. Dr. Zeidan has been researching the effects of mindfulness meditation on health for 20 years. He and his laboratory have discovered the neural processes supporting mindfulness meditation and mindfulness-based pain relief. Recently, his team demonstrated that mindfulness meditation is mechanistically distinct from and more effective than placebo, distraction, and relaxation. His research is currently funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, is a five time Francisco J. Varela awardee and has disseminated his findings through traditional media outreach (CNN; NPR; Time Magazine, CBS and others), Tedx and recently personally presented his work to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama in Mongolia.

The Science of Mindfulness Learning Objectives:

1. To understand how mindfulness is operationalized to promote well-being
2. The neural mechanisms supporting mindfulness-based pain relief and health promotion
3. To understand effects of different mindfulness interventions on a spectrum of health outcomes.
4. How to independently practice and teach mindfulness meditation

Day 2: Values, Burnout, and Finding Work-Life Integrity
(6 CEs) April 29, 2023, 9am – 515pm
Day 2 Registration

Many psychologists enter into the field because it offers the opportunity for deeply impactful and rewarding work. However, that work can also take a profound emotional toll on us, especially over the past few years. Many of us are struggling with burnout and finding a sustainable work-life balance can feel more elusive than ever. But what if the solution isn’t in disconnecting, but rather in moving towards deeper connection with what is most important to us, our values? This didactic and experiential workshop will look at the concept of values through an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) lens. Moving beyond how to do values work with our clients, this workshop will focus on how values can be applicable to us as psychologists, helping to prevent burnout and leading to a greater sense of personal and professional fulfillment. We will also examine how values can create a sense of work-life integrity that offers a potentially more sustainable alternative to striving for work-life “balance.” This interactive workshop will provide opportunities for you to explore your own values so that you can get clearer on what ways of living would, for you, make for a meaningful, fulfilling, and sustainable life both at work and beyond.

Jenna LeJeune, PhD is president and co-founder of Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research and Training Center in Portland, Oregon. As a licensed psychologist, Dr. LeJeune is deeply interested in issues of meaning, purpose, and values. In her clinical practice, Dr. LeJeune specializes in using ACT to help those she serves connect with what is most meaningful so that they are able to live lives of purpose and integrity even in the midst of suffering. She is also a study therapist on one of the first clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy in the Pacific Northwest. She is the co-author of the book Values in Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to Helping Clients Explore Values, Increase Psychological Flexibility, and Live a More Meaningful Life as well as numerous other book chapters, journal articles, and other publications largely focused on issues related to values, meaning, self-compassion, and shame. Dr. LeJeune is also a peer-reviewed ACT trainer and provides ACT trainings for professionals around the world.

Values, Burnout, and Work/Life Integrity Learning Objectives:

1. Define what values are from an ACT perspective
2. Explain how values can be used to address and prevent burnout
3. Describe the difference between work-life balance and work-life integrity
4. Identify their own personal values and how those values might inform how they engage with work and beyond
5. Outline concrete steps for incorporating a more values-guided approach to their professional lives