Language as a Therapy: The Transformative Power of Words in Counseling

A live interactive Web Workshop hosted on Google Meet for social workers and licensed professional counselors. Continuing Education Credits Awarded/ Contact Hours: 3 clock hours (ASWB/ACE) (NBCC), 3 CE (MD BSWE)

This is a hybrid event. The event will be hosted at Grace Community Church (8200 Old Columbia Rd., Fulton, MD, 20759) and broadcast online with a link provided upon purchase of admission. If you have purchased a ticket to access the recording of the session, access to the recording will be provided after the session has concluded and the recording has been edited.

*If you are a CentrePointe alum and are interested in attending this session, please send an email to office@cpchope.org. Current students may also qualify for free attendance. Please send an email to office@cpchope.org to learn more about this opportunity.

Course Description:

Language is the medium through which internal experience gains structure, meaning, and direction. While the mind perceives and evaluates reality, it is language that organizes those perceptions into coherent thoughts and narratives. In psychotherapy, language functions not only as a mechanism for positive change but also as a central element in the development and maintenance of many forms of psychopathology. Because individuals are shaped less by external events and more by the interpretations they attach to those events, therapeutic change often begins with reshaping these interpretations. Cognitive and constructive approaches rely on language to challenge unhelpful patterns, reframe experiences, and facilitate more adaptive meaning-making. The ways individuals articulate their thoughts influence emotional regulation, need fulfillment, and overall well-being. Effective therapists therefore attend closely to clients’ language, recognizing that unmet needs often surface through how experiences are described. Through intentional formulations and reflective responses, therapists use language as a powerful interactional tool to negotiate meaning, clarify emotions, and strengthen client agency.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will:

1. Examine the dynamic relationship between language and thought, and how this

interaction shapes human experience.

2. Explore key cognitive processes and highlight cognitive reappraisal as the most

transformative coping strategy.

3. Discuss the fundamental psychological needs underlying mental distress and identify the

language associated with having these needs fulfilled.

4. Understand how counselors use language as a powerful interactional tool to reframe

narratives and promote healthier, more adaptive thinking patterns.

5. Highlight how scriptural truth and mindful awareness align to promote peace, worth, and agency through the renewal of thought and speech.

Course Agenda:

9:00-9:10 Introductions and Objectives

9:10-9:30 Understanding Language: Structure, Meaning, and Mind

9:30-10:00 Cognitive Coping and Thought Regulation/ Video Mindfulness, Acceptance, and

Cognitive Reframing

10:00-10:30 Core Psychological Needs and Mental Distress

10:30-10:40 Break

10:40-11:00 Case Studies for Group Discussion

11:00-11:40 Language in Psychotherapy and Practical Approaches to Healthier Thinking

11:40-12:00 The Transforming Power of God’s Word in Spiritual Integration

12:00-12:15 Q and A

Our Presenter:

Cristina Emrich is a Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia. She works as a professional counselor for CentrePointe Counseling. She has been serving children, adults, couples, and families on a variety of issues including anxiety, depression, mood disorders, life transitions, parenting, relationship issues, and anger management. Cristina earned a bachelor’s degree in educational psychology in Romania, a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at Liberty University, and a Doctoral of Education in Community Care & Counseling: Marriage and Family at Liberty University.

Registration & information:

The cost to attend this event is $60, which includes a certificate of completion.

Space is limited. Cancellations must be received prior to the event date to be eligible for a refund.

Register online at www.eventbrite.com/o/centrepointe-counseling-inc-9832900843. Registration closes on January 7th, 2025.

This live webinar takes place on Google Meet and is fully interactive. Attendees may ask and answer questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor-led discussion

Operating Systems Requirements: Windows 10 or higher, MacOS 10 or higher, Android 5.0 or higher. • Internet Browser: Internet Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge (Chromium based), Safari. • Broadband Internet connection: Cable, High-speed DSL & any other medium that is internet accessible

Please contact Centrepointe Counseling’s Continuing Education Director, Matthew Raeder (mraeder@centrepointecounseling.org.), if you have questions, concerns, or grievances about this course or require ADA accommodation.

Course completion & CE information:

Course completion requirements: Social workers and Professional Counselors must attend the entire course and complete a course evaluation to be eligible for CE credit.

Certificates of completion will be emailed within 7 business days of course completion.

CentrePointe Counseling, provider # 1586, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 02/28/2025 – 02/28/2028. Social workers completing this course receive 3 clinical continuing education credits.

CentrePointe Counseling, Inc. is an approved sponsor of The Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland. Social Workers and Professional Counselors should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval for continuing education credits.

CentrePointe Counseling, Inc. has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6569. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CentrePointe Counseling, Inc. is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.