About this course

Learning Objectives

• Define the somatic concept of presence and describe its relationship to mindfulness and embodied awareness in professional helping relationships.
• Identify at least two ways somatic awareness can support solution-focused conversations and facilitate present-moment engagement with clients.
• Participate in and reflect on a guided mindfulness-based somatic awareness exercise in order to recognize at least one strategy for cultivating presence in professional interactions.
• Describe and apply at least one intentional state-shifting strategy that helps clients move from awareness toward action and future-oriented change.
• Apply a decision-mapping framework to a case example in order to support client decision-making, next-step planning, and integration of present-moment awareness into future goals.

Learning Levels

• All

Course Instructor(s)

• 

  Dr. Liz Lasky, PhD, LCSW, ACC

  Dr. Liz Lasky, PhD, LCSW, is the founder of The Coach Training Program For Helping Professionals™ and lizlasky.com. She is passionate about teaching therapists how to coach ethically and well. Dr. Liz Lasky is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (NY State, MSW from Yeshiva University). She holds a PhD from Yeshiva University in Social Welfare. She is also a New York University Certified Coach and holds the International Coach Federation credential of Associate Certified Coach (ACC). She is an adjunct professor at Fordham University. She is a published author (both in peer reviewed academic journals and her own book), a professional expert for Bravo TV, and presents her research on coaching single women internationally, most notably at Harvard University. She is also a proud Fellow of The Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, Harvard University.

• 

  Eileen Pfefferle, LCSW

  Eileen Pfefferle, LCSW, is a Certified Coach, Certified Sensorimotor Psychotherapist, EMDR Certified, and Certified in Perinatal Mental Health. Eileen has worked with children, adults, and families to expand skills for self-regulation and communication since 2010. As a therapist, Eileen has worked in metro Denver since 2013 as part of multidisciplinary teams in residential treatment and community mental health, including in-home and school-based therapy services and private practice. Eileen has worked with families and individuals impacted by the shared stress of intergenerational trauma, navigating foster care and adoption, adjusting to immigration across generations, and affirming and advocating for people with LGBTQ+ identities.

References

• Lin, P. Y., Tien, Y. M., Kang, L. Y., & Hsu, L. C. (2026). Stand tall, think bright: How embodied experience unlocks the power of posture in emotion regulation. Acta Psychologica, 263, 106351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106351
• Ueno, D., Kimura, K., Ohira, H., & Narumoto, J. (2025). Exploring the interplay of interoception in emotion, cognition, and mental health. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 19, 1676040. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1676040
• Schore, A. (2022). Right brain-to-right brain psychotherapy: Recent scientific and clinical advances. Annals of General Psychiatry, 21(1), 46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12991-022-00420-3
• Gkintoni, E., Vassilopoulos, S. P., & Nikolaou, G. (2025). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in clinical practice: A systematic review of neurocognitive outcomes and applications for mental health and well-being. Journal of clinical medicine, 14(5), 1703. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14051703
• Zhang, Y., & Zhuang, M. (2024). THE IMPACT OF SOLUTION-FOCUSED THINKING ON PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH: THE CHAIN MEDIATION ROLE OF MINDFULNESS AND PERCEIVED STRESS. Age (M±SD), 18, 0-7.
• Zhang, R., Deng, H., & Xiao, X. (2024). The insular cortex: an interface between sensation, emotion and cognition. Neuroscience Bulletin, 40(11), 1763-1773. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-024-01211-4