006. Miracle or Evil, Cure or Heresy: Help Your Patients Understand Medication’s Role in Healing
006. Miracle or Evil, Cure or Heresy: Help Your Patients Understand Medication’s Role in Healing
Categories: RENEW ALASKA CRUISE
Approved for 1.5 CEs for Psychologists, Licensed Professionals Counselors, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, and Chemical Dependency Counselors
Approved for 1.5 CMEs for Medical Doctors, Osteopathic Physicians, and Physicians Assistants
Approved for 1.5 CEUs for Nurses and Nurse Practitioners
Approved for 1.5 IBCC CEs for Pastors, Pastoral Counselors, Teachers, and Coaches
Level: Intermediate
Presenters:
Karl Benzio, M.D.
Summary
Psychiatry has been a grossly misunderstood specialty of medicine, often relegated to medicine’s red-headed stepchild. A common belief among faith-based clients and patients is that biochemical interventions – psychotropic medications especially – are a sign of weakness and that the brain can only heal from specific spiritual interventions, stronger will power, or thinking differently. In this workshop, the Dr. Benzio will describe how his unique prescribing practices of psychiatric medications has assisted many in their healing and transformational journey. Prescribing participants will learn how to describe expectations of medication usage to their patients utilizing a holistic and integrative model. In addition, non-prescribing participants will learn their important role in identifying when a medication evaluation might be advantageous. Lastly, all participants will be equipped with the knowledge of how to maximize the neuroplasticity cascade facilitated by medication to build lasting psychological and spiritual healing.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
- Identify the role of psychiatric medications in a patient’s healing journey and what psychiatric medication can and cannot do for a patient.
- Outline assessment questions to utilizing to determine when to refer someone to a prescriber for possible medication implementation.
- Describe how psychiatric medications facilitate neuroplasticity in the brain and describe a model to help faith-based clients and patients understand and utilize biological interventions such as psychotropic medication, and not feel guilty or as if they are abandoning their faith by taking medication.