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Experiential Techniques for Healing and Growth (SLC)


  • Hearten House 314 West Broadway Salt Lake City, UT, 84101 United States (map)

Co-Creating Transformation: Experiential Techniques for Healing and Growth

Three-day group training, July 18–20, 2024

Hearten House, Salt Lake City, Utah

Facilitated by Aimee Hadfield, LCSW, CET3, ACT, AES

19.25 CEs available

$395 for professionals; $250 for students (use code STUDENT)

(email us if cost is your only barrier to attending)

Limited to 15 participants.

What we’ll cover:

  • Body and Mind: Neuroscience foundations in experiential therapy

  • Ethical Boundaries: Navigating scope and competence

  • Empathy in Action: Principles of trauma-informed care

  • Human Connection and Group Dynamics: Basics of sociometry

  • Navigating the Depth: Phases and sequencing in experiential therapy

  • Show and Tell: Using experiential methods for engaging psychoeducation

  • Past, Present, and Future Taking Shape: Using sculpts, structures, and images to lead to insight quickly

  • Deepening Perspective: Parts work and basic psychodramatic techniques of doubling and role reversal

  • Transforming the Narrative: The power of story and metaphor

  • Insight in Ink and Image: Concretizing new understanding through writing and image creation

  • Being and Doing: Exploring values and behaviors through the lens of role theory

  • Farewell & Forward: Crafting meaningful closures and future visions

More details below. Questions? Email team@heartenhouse.com.

Subject Matter

The training program 'Co-Creating Transformation’ aligns with professional content areas by focusing on the development of counseling skills and interventions, ethical practice, and the integration of current research into therapy. Emphasizing trauma-informed care, mind-body techniques, and group dynamics, the program directly addresses core competencies in human growth and development, social and cultural foundations, and the counseling relationship. Each module is designed to enhance the practitioner's knowledge and practical skills in line with an emphasis on professional identity and practice issues in the counseling profession.

Program Description

This training program is experiential in nature and provides an introduction and overview of several experiential therapy methodologies, and offers a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical skill development. It is structured to cover a wide range of essential topics for modern therapeutic practices, aligning with professional core content areas.

The program begins with an in-depth exploration of trauma-informed care, adhering to SAMHSA's principles, and focuses on understanding the impact of trauma on mental health. It progresses to cover holistic engagement techniques, emphasizing the integration of cognitive, emotional, physical, and cultural aspects in therapeutic practice.

A significant portion of the program is dedicated to teaching embodied experiential methods, where participants learn to use mind-body techniques to facilitate healing and personal growth. This includes training in neuroscience foundations and their application in therapy to enhance mind-body connection and emotional regulation.

Ethical practice in counseling forms a cornerstone of the program, with an emphasis on navigating scope of competence, maintaining professional integrity, and understanding the ethical implications of various therapeutic interventions.

Creative and expressive therapy techniques are introduced, providing participants with innovative tools to encourage client expression, self-discovery, and coping strategies. The program also includes training in group dynamics and sociometry, equipping participants with skills to effectively manage group therapy settings.

Throughout the program, there is a strong emphasis on integrating current research and evidence-based practices into counseling, ensuring that participants are well-versed in the latest developments in the field.

This program is designed not only to enhance the therapeutic skills of participants but also to foster their professional identity and practice issues as counseling professionals. It combines rigorous academic standards with practical, real-world applications, making it a valuable addition to a counselor's educational journey.

This training is approved for 21 contact hours toward experiential certification through ISEP.

Learning Objectives

  1. Define Trauma-Informed Principles: Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of trauma-informed care principles according to SAMHSA's guidelines, and learn how to apply these principles effectively in various therapeutic settings.

  2. Demonstrate an Experiential Technique: Participants will acquire practical skills in embodied experiential methods, learning to use the participant’s body and tangible objects to enhance therapy outcomes and deepen the mind-body connection.

  3. Define Ethical Practice within Therapy: Participants will enhance their understanding of ethical boundaries in therapy, including navigating the scopes of practice and competence and maintaining professional integrity in practice.

  4. Describe Neuroscience Foundations in Therapy: Participants will explore the intersection of neuroscience and experiential therapy, learning how neural pathways and brain-body connections can be leveraged for effective therapeutic interventions.

  5. Describe the Phases of Experiential Work: Participants will gain an understanding of the various phases involved in experiential therapy, learning to identify and implement each phase effectively in practice. This objective includes an exploration of how these phases align with the phase model for trauma treatment.

  6. Identify Three Action-oriented and Expressive Therapy Methods: Participants will develop the ability to identify and implement various creative and expressive therapy techniques, enhancing their capacity to foster emotional expression, self-discovery, and personal growth in participants.

  7. Describe Group Dynamics in Therapeutic Settings: Participants will learn to effectively use group dynamics-based techniques to foster personal growth, self-awareness, and healing, understanding their role in transformative group therapy practices.

Program Registration Requirements

  1. Professional Eligibility: This program is designed for licensed mental health professionals including counselors, therapists, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Other professions involved in direct client care including coaches, leaders, group facilitators, peer support, teachers, etc. may also benefit from this training but must agree to apply information covered in a way that is in accordance with their scope of practice. 

  2. Application Submission: Prospective participants must submit a completed registration form available on our website https://heartenhouse.com/kc23. The form requires personal and professional details, including area of specialty.

  3. Payment of Fees: Complete payment of the registration fee is required to secure a spot in the program. Details of the fee structure are available on the program's webpage. Payment plans and financial assistance options, if available, should be discussed with the program administrator.

  4. Adherence to Code of Conduct: By registering, participants agree to adhere to the program's code of conduct and ethics, which includes maintaining professionalism, confidentiality, and respect for all participants and facilitators.

  5. Continuing Education Requirements: For participants seeking to use this program for continuing education credits, additional requirements as per their licensing board may need to be met and should be verified prior to registration.

  6. Technical Requirements: For programs involving online or hybrid modules, participants must have access to a reliable internet connection and the necessary hardware/software to participate in digital learning platforms.

Cancellation Policy 

Notice of Cancellation:

  • Participants who wish to cancel their registration must notify us in writing. Cancellations can be sent via email to team@heartenhouse.com or by mail to Hearten House, 314 W Broadway #222, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, USA.

Refund Policy:

  • Cancellations received more than 30 days before the start date of the training will be eligible for a full refund, minus a $25 administrative fee.

  • Cancellations received between 30 to 14 days before the start date will receive a 50% refund.

  • No refunds will be issued for cancellations received less than 14 days before the start date of the training.

Substitution Policy:

  • If you are unable to attend, you may transfer your registration to another person. Please inform us of the substitution at least 7 days before the training begins.

Cancellation by Organizers:

  • The organizers reserve the right to cancel or reschedule the training due to low enrollment, instructor illness, or other unforeseen circumstances.

  • If the training is canceled, registrants will receive a full refund of fees paid.

  • If the training is rescheduled, registrants will have the option to transfer their registration to the new dates or receive a full refund.

Acknowledgment of Policy:

  • By registering for this training, participants acknowledge and agree to this cancellation policy.

About the Presenter

Aimee Hadfield, LCSW, CET3, ACT, AES,  is a recognized leader in the field of experiential, embodied, action, and expressive psychotherapy. Licensed in Utah and New Mexico, Aimee utilizes both trauma-informed and trauma-focused approaches to treatment.

She’s passionate about helping people recognize the roles they play in their lives, and helping them actively create the roles they want (while discarding the ones they don’t). 

Along with a deep understanding of psychodrama, sociometry, and group psychotherapy, her unique approach incorporates role theory, narrative therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, parts work, sandtray, Brainspotting, lifestyle medicine, mindfulness, and somatic therapy. Fueled by the belief that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors make perfect sense within the context of one's story and roles, Aimee empowers clients as she co-creates real healing and lasting change with them.

Aimee is the founder of Hearten House in Salt Lake City, a unique therapeutic space achieving the goal of reimagining mental health care. She also runs a successful clinical and consulting practice, facilitating multi-day intensive therapy experiences with clients from all over the world.

Aimee holds a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Family Studies, and over 1000 hours of specialized postgraduate clinical training.


Visit AimeeHadfield.com and HeartenHouse.com for more information. You can also reach us at team@heartenhouse.com, 314 West Broadway #222 Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 or +1 (801) 410-0760.

Co-Creating Transformation has been approved by NBCC for NBCC credit. Hearten House, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. NBCC Approval No. SP-4448.

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Experiential Techniques for Healing and Growth

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Experiential Techniques for Healing and Growth (KC)