Cosmetic Psychotherapy: Ethical Considerations – “Is It Therapy, Just Because?”

Date course created: April 2024

With stigma around therapy decreasing with time, we are seeing some newer and emerging characteristics of the broader prospective therapy client pool. Some pop culture shows and movies portray having a therapist as “cool”, “hip”, and even a sign of affluence. What does this mean for how we develop treatment plans for presenting clients who aren’t suffering in the traditional sense?

This course delves into the emerging and intriguing topic of cosmetic psychotherapy. The term “cosmetic psychotherapy” pertains to therapeutic treatment for individuals who experience satisfactory emotional and behavioral functioning but aspire to enhance their performance. Much like the principles underpinning cosmetic surgery and cosmetic psychopharmacology, cosmetic psychotherapy places less emphasis on addressing impairments and more on fostering self-actualization. This course offers an exploration of the ethical intersection where psychology, medicalization, and marketing collide. Clinicians will gain valuable insights into the systemic discussions surrounding the merits and considerations associated with the practice of cosmetic psychotherapy.

**This is a 3-CE noninteractive, self-paced online video course delivered in home study format via an industry-standard online learning platform**

Agenda:

0:00 – 0:30: Psychotherapy Marketing

0:30 – 1:15: 5 Ethical Precepts of Health Communication

1:15 – 1:30: Break

1:30 – 2:00: Social Scripts and Ailing Identities

2:00 – 3:00: The Enigmatic Self

Objectives:

This training will provide participants clinical knowledge and tools to:

a). After completing this training, participants will be able to define the concept of cosmetic psychotherapy.

b). After completing this training, participants will be able to describe the medicalization process and its relevance to the field of psychotherapy.

c). After completing this training, participants will be able to discuss the ethical benefits and concerns of the practice of cosmetic psychotherapy.

Target Audience:

The target audience for this event includes psychologists, social workers, counselors, MFT’s, psychiatrists and other clinical mental health professionals.

Instructional Level: Intermediate

Instructor(s): Corey Petersen, PhD, LCMFT

Material Author(s): Corey Petersen, PhD, LCMFT

Dr. Corey Petersen is a communication specialist and the owner of Communication and Connection Therapy. She completed her Ph.D. in Communication Studies at the University of Kansas, where her research focused on psychotherapeutic language and communication ethics. Prior to her Ph.D., Corey earned Master’s degrees in Marriage and Family Studies and Professional Communication. In addition to her formal education, she has completed training in four Gottman Method programs (Level 1, Level 2, Seven Principles, and Bringing Baby Home), Collaborative Language Couples Therapy, and has further training with various other relationship-oriented theories and models. Corey has been teaching collegiately for over 9 years in both the psychology and communication fields. When she is not teaching, she meets with clients in her private practice.

For additional information about this course, the instructors, or the material authors, please contact Content Assistance at content@onlinececredits.com.

Course Materials & Delivery Method:

• Course materials – The course is composed of a recorded presentation and written materials (e.g. a slide deck and/or other worksheets, manuals, or handouts as provided by the instructor). The slide deck and any additional worksheets or handouts (as provided by the instructor) are made available inside the Lesson module after a course is purchased.
• Delivery Method – this course is a recorded asynchronous, self-paced webinar training, and there is no access time limit or due date to complete it once enrolled. The enrolled learner will stream the recorded presentation and view the materials from their internet connected device via an industry-standard online learning platform.

CE Approvals:

Online CE Credits has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6795. Programs that do not quality for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Online CE Credits is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Mind Works Professional Education, Inc. DBA Online CE Credits, #1974, is approved as an ACE provider 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: July 23, 2024 – July 23, 2025. Social workers completing this course receive [see advertisement] asynchronous distance learning continuing education credits.

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