WFBSA 2027
Save the Date!
April 28th - April 30th 2027

April 28th Keynote 10am-12pm

Dr. Sean Inderbitzen LCSW: Neural Exercises for Autism: A Walk Through Disconnection to Connection

Neural Exercises for Autism: A Walk through Disconnection to Connection, is a talk about how autism, lack of empathy, and empathy intersect in really painful ways. Exploring the role of theory of mind, and the autonomic nervous system in autism, we look at ways to cultivate greater capacity for empathy by helping nervous systems move out of activated states and into safe states. Looking at neurobiology as a lens for attachment, we will explore Neural Exercises. That is practical skills for working with nervous system states which make it hard to shift gears and move towards greater levels of connection.​

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April 28th Breakout Sessions 1pm-3pm​​

Sean M. Inderbitzen, DSW, LCSW: Understanding autistic like behavior through the nervous system

​This presentation is for families and practitioners, and designed to be engaging and collaborative. Learning will be delivered in an experiential, dydactic, and conversational/socratic method, 
and will focuse on ‘autistic-like’ presentations of behaviors through the lens of the nervous system. To do this we will review presenations across diagnosis’ on what appear to be autistic like behaviors: 1. restrictive, repetitive patterns of interest or behavior, and 2. difficulty with social connection, withe emphasis on verbal and noverbal social communication. To make sense of these ‘autistic-like’ behaviors we will discuss the three principles of polyvagal theory (neuroception, hierarchal organization of the nervous system, and co-regulation), and understand these behaviors through a Polyvagal lens. Finally we will explore ways for families to intervene using strategies called applied neural exercises from Dr. Inderbitzen’s book Autism in Polyvagal Theory, with specific attention to evidence based practices from mindfulness and sensorimotor psychotherapy. 

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Iman Khan: Rebranding Mental Health and Quiet Mind 

Authentic connection begins before we enter a counseling session, classroom, workplace, or family conversation. It begins with our own capacity to be present. Helping professionals spend much of their careers regulating conflict, holding space for others, and navigating emotional complexity. Over time, chronic stress and cognitive overload can diminish the capacity to remain present, curious, and attuned to the very qualities authentic connection requires. Drawing from neuroscience, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation, this experiential workshop explores how cultivating a quieter mind can strengthen resilience, therapeutic presence, and relational connection. Participants will experience practical exercises while learning evidence-informed interventions they can integrate into both their professional work and daily lives. The session will also explore the implications for families, where stress and dysregulation rarely exist in isolation. Participants will consider how their own regulated presence can support co-regulation and how simple practices can help families interrupt cycles of reactivity, increase emotional availability, and create greater space for connection.​

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Lani Osicka Liz Sproul & : Healing Through Connection: Empowering Clinicians to Embrace the Magic of Group Therapy

Group therapy can be intimidating for those new to the idea– both for prospective participants, and their referring clinicians. Let alone the therapists who are curious about running groups! This presentation is intended to equip clinicians with the tools and resources necessary to run an effective group. This presentation will provide information and data on the benefits of group, how to properly screen, how to develop successful group curriculum, and tools for recruiting. Additionally, we will break down the types of group therapy, debunk myths about group, and challenge fears and barriers that might exist for providers who are interested in group work. Together we’ll uncover the magic of group therapy and what it can provide for individuals and families from all walks of life. Get ready to participate— groups are interactive and interpersonal, this presentation will be too!

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April 28th Breakout Sessions 3pm-5pm

Iman Khan: Rebranding Mental Health: A Total Health Approach to Human Flourishing in an AI World

As artificial intelligence reshapes how we communicate, work, learn, and access support, the challenge is not simply adapting to new technology, but intentionally preserving the human conditions that allow people to thrive. This interactive presentation introduces a Total Health framework that expands mental health beyond symptoms and diagnoses to include nervous system health, relationships, daily habits, environments, purpose, community, and authentic connection. Participants will explore how these interconnected factors influence well-being across

individuals, families, schools, workplaces, and communities and why human connection becomes increasingly important in a technology-mediated world. Designed for helping professionals, the session begins with an examination of our own patterns of well-being and connection before translating the framework into practice. Professionals will learn how to assist families in creating environments that support regulation, connection, healthy technology use, and belonging across generations. Participants will leave with practical, evidence-informed strategies that can be applied personally and professionally to support human flourishing in an increasingly digital world.

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Sean M. Inderbitzen, DSW, LCSW: Understanding autistic like behavior through the nervous system

​This presentation is for families and practitioners, and designed to be engaging and collaborative. Learning will be delivered in an experiential, dydactic, and conversational/socratic method, 
and will focuse on ‘autistic-like’ presentations of behaviors through the lens of the nervous system. To do this we will review presenations across diagnosis’ on what appear to be autistic like behaviors: 1. restrictive, repetitive patterns of interest or behavior, and 2. difficulty with social connection, withe emphasis on verbal and noverbal social communication. To make sense of these ‘autistic-like’ behaviors we will discuss the three principles of polyvagal theory (neuroception, hierarchal organization of the nervous system, and co-regulation), and understand these behaviors through a Polyvagal lens. Finally we will explore ways for families to intervene using strategies called applied neural exercises from Dr. Inderbitzen’s book Autism in Polyvagal Theory, with specific attention to evidence based practices from mindfulness and sensorimotor psychotherapy. 

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Jason Witt: Let's Get Messy: The Current State of Artificial Intelligence in Family Support

Artificial intelligence is advancing quickly, bringing enormous potential, real concerns, plenty of hype, and a whole lot of messiness. This session offers a practical, human-centered look at what Al is, where it stands now, how it is already being used in everyday life and family support work, and what may be coming next. Rather than treating Al as exclusively either exciting or frightening, participants will explore a balanced "both/and" perspective that considers its usefulness, limitations, risks, and implications for professionals and the families they serve.

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April 29th Keynote 9am-12pm

Brooks Griffin: Living Tomorrow Today ™ | Managing What Matters Most

In work centered on serving others, compassion is more than a professional expectation but it is often the reason we entered the field. But what happens when the demands of today begin consuming the very energy, hope, and sense of purpose we need for tomorrow? In this engaging and thought-provoking keynote, Brooks L. Griffin introduces Living Tomorrow Today™ and his signature Tomorrow Triangle ™ framework, exploring the relationship between Capacity (What I Have), Hope (What I See), and Purpose (What Deserves My Best). Through relatable stories, reflection, and practical insights, participants will discover how to recognize the hidden costs of constant responsibility, identify which part of their Tomorrow Triangle needs attention, and begin making more intentional decisions that support personal well-being, professional effectiveness, and human-centered connection.

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April 29th Ethics and Boundaries 1pm-5pm

Kristin Belkofer, MS, LPC: The Changing Shape of Connection: Ethics, Boundaries, and the Evolving Role of the Therapist

The boundaries between digital and IRL life are becoming increasingly porous, and the norms of therapeutic practice are evolving alongside them. Therapists are faced with new questions about professional identity, self-disclosure, social media, AI, and how to navigate their professional presence across digital and IRL spaces. At the same time, digital culture is changing how people understand connection itself. “Therapy speak” has entered everyday online culture, and more clinicians are embracing social media platforms to educate and connect with the public. Hyperconnectivity can contribute to digital overload and blurred boundaries. Parasocial relationships and constant access to personal information are also reshaping societal expectations around intimacy, availability, and privacy. For some clients, the temptation to substitute simulated or low-risk forms of connection for the vulnerability of real relationships may be increasingly compelling. How do we maintain our ethical responsibilities while remaining compassionate and open to the realities of how people are seeking connection? This interactive four-hour session invites participants to thoughtfully refresh their ethical lens and consider how digital culture is reshaping the role of the therapist. Through conceptual frameworks, clinical scenarios, dyadic and small-group discussion, and creative reflection, participants will develop a more nuanced, relational lens for considering complex ethical questions. They’ll explore concepts such as the “tethered self,” the experience of being “always on” and ever-connected to our devices, as well as dopamine drain and digital burnout. These concepts can offer useful language for helping us and our clients make sense of some of the newer, harder-to-name experiences and risks emerging from digital life. We’ll examine how changing expectations of intimacy and availability shape the therapeutic relationship, and how these shifts may also show up in clients’ relationships beyond the therapy session, including within family systems.

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April 29th Breakout Sessions 1pm-3pm

Brooks Griffin: When Caring Costs Too Much

What happens when your work still matters, your commitment is still there, but your capacity to keep showing up is running low? For professionals who support individuals and families through challenging circumstances, burnout prevention requires more than encouragement to practice self-care. Building on the Living Tomorrow Today™M keynote, this interactive workshop will take participants deeper into the Tomorrow Triangle™ to explore three working states: Burnout, Survival, and Disconnected. Participants will examine how similar feelings of exhaustion or overwhelm can reflect different underlying needs and why the same intervention doesn't work for everyone. Using guided reflection, realistic workplace scenarios, and practical exercises, participants will learn how to identify their current working state and apply three targeted interventions: Lighten, Look Ahead, and Refocus. Attendees will leave with a personalized next-step plan for protecting their well-being while continuing to do impactful work.

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Jason Witt: Let's Get Messier: Hands-On Al for Family Support Professionals

How are family support professionals already using Al? In this interactive, hands-on session, participants will move beyond talking about artificial intelligence and start experimenting with it. Through guided activities and real-world examples, participants will explore practical ways Al can support brainstorming, communication, planning, resource development, problem-solving, skill practice, and other everyday professional tasks while staying grounded in human judgment and ethical practice.

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April 29th Breakout Sessions 3pm-5pm

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Brooks Griffin: Beyond "I'm Fine" | The Conversations That Keep Us Connected

We've all heard it and probably said it ourselves: "I'm Fine", "I'm Just Tired" or "It's Been A Long Week". But what if the words we often heard or say doesn't tell the whole story? In professions built around helping others, authentic connection requires more than good intentions. Helping others requires curiosity, understanding, and the ability to recognize that the same outward behavior may reflect different internal experiences. In this engaging, scenario-based workshop, Brooks L. Griffin expands the Tomorrow Triangle™ beyond personal wellness and introduces a practical approach to strengthening everyday interactions with colleagues, teams, and the individuals and families we serve. Participants will practice moving beyond assumptions, asking better questions, and responding with support that reflects what someone may actually need and not what we think they need. Using the Notice → Ask → Understand → Support → Follow Up conversation model, attendees will leave with practical language and tools for creating more authentic, compassionate, and productive connections. Because human beings were never problems to fix, but they have always been people to understand.​

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Elisha (El) Allen LPC-ITA:  Little Clay, A Lot of Grace: The Art of Making Space for Yourself

We spend so much of our lives holding space for others. We carry their stories, celebrate their victories, sit beside them through their struggles, and pour pieces of ourselves into the people and communities we serve. But somewhere along the way, it’s easy to forget that we deserve that same kindness, compassion and care. What happens when the people who spend their lives caring for others finally give themselves permission to pause? Join us for a meaningful, hands-on experience that invites you to slow down, reconnect, and create something just for yourself. Through the simple, ground process of working with clay, participants will create a personalized keepsake dish while engaging in thoughtful conversations about the invisible weight we carry, the boundaries we need, and the relationships that help sustain us. This isn’t another presentation about everything you should be doing to take better care of yourself. It’s an opportunity to actually experience a moment of care, creativity, and connection without expectations, pressure, or the need to be anything other than yourself. No artistic experience is necessary. Come as you are, enjoy meaningful conversation, embrace a little imperfection, and leave with something you created with your own hands.

 

 

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April 30th Keynote 9am-12pm

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Kristin Belkofer, MS, LPC: Connecting Bravely in their World: A relationship-centered framework for understanding youth digital culture and creating meaningful connection across the digital divide

Children and adolescents are growing up in a complex digital world, where identity, relationships, and meaning-making happen both online and IRL. Their realities are shaped across both spaces as they develop a sense of who they are, where they belong, and how they understand the world. When adults misunderstand or minimize the importance of digital culture in their children’s lives, young people can quickly learn that this part of their world is not something they can safely bring to us. Parents and caregivers often have a fundamentally different relationship with digital culture than their children. This gap in experience and understanding can create a digital divide, and sometimes distance within families. Parents may feel anxious, skeptical, or uncertain about navigating a world that feels unfamiliar while trying to answer very real questions: How will digital media affect my child’s attention, impulse control, and social development? For parents of adolescents and teenagers, the questions become even more complex. How do we help young people make sense of a world that can offer connection and possibility alongside cynicism, conflict, exploitation, and fear? As mental health professionals whose work is grounded in relationships, we are well positioned to offer families guidance, context, and perspective. For better or worse, young people are turning to digital spaces to meet human needs for connection, belonging, identity, creativity, and community. Every game, fandom, TikTok trend, soundbite, or meme a young person loves can offer an invitation into their inner world: who they are, what they value, and what they need. When we accept that invitation with openness and curiosity, digital culture can become a pathway to deeper relational attunement and authentic connection. Drawing from Interpersonal Neurobiology, Affective Neuroscience, Media Studies, Developmental and Community Psychology, Expressive Arts Therapies, and trauma-informed care, this keynote offers relationship-centered frameworks for understanding youth online culture and supporting families in navigating it. Participants will explore how to help parents establish developmentally appropriate digital expectations; understand the attention economy and societal forces shaping young people’s online experiences; and distinguish healthy exploration of identity, belonging, and relationships from experiences that require protection, boundaries, or intervention. Participants will leave with practical tools and language for working with families, greater confidence in engaging young people’s digital worlds, and new ways to transform conversations about technology from sources of conflict into opportunities for curiosity, connection, and authentic relationship.