Desert–CAMFT
presents
in collaboration with the Central Coast chapter
The Somatics of Shame
with Craig Penner, LMFT
Friday, September 26, 2025 9:30am-11:30am
Online Via Zoom
(link will be provided in confirmation and reminder emails)
2 CE Credits
Description
Shame is a complex “dilemma,” holding varied emotions, beliefs and somatic reactions behind dynamics of hiding and disconnecting. It all feels so awful that it makes it hard to self reflect, no less expose shame with others effectively. A compromised ability to self-reflect well is often a hallmark of dynamics that keep us from working through shame. Thus, shame is a developmental inhibitor. We try to live around it, and yet we live with its constrictions, sometimes for our entire lives. There is often a powerful dynamic that prevents certain beliefs and reactive patterns from ever truly being questioned. When this is exposed and addressed first, it can open the door to examining what has never been able to be seen. The physiology of shame can point us to moments of nervous system activation that require sustained awareness to effectively work through - on somatic, emotional and cognitive levels. We need to notice these pivotal points as they arise in order to pace the activation that drives such strong avoidance.
This presentation is designed to help therapists identify dynamics that make shame difficult to approach, including somatic and physiological aspects. A somatic approach facilitates our ability to observe shifts in activation that are not presented verbally. This allows us to pace the work and create collaborative agreements with our clients to address shame in the midst of powerful urges to hide and avoid.
Education Goals/Learning Objectives
List 2 ways our nervous systems are engaged in shame dynamics.
Describe 3 challenges for clients in addressing shame.
Describe how disconnections are a factor in how shame persists.
Identify 2 advantages of holding a somatic focus when working with shame.
Explain 3 disconnecting dynamics that are helpful for therapists to pay attention to.
Presenter
Craig Penner, LMFT is a psychotherapist and trainer in private practice in California since 1982, currently in Cambria. He brings a process-oriented approach to therapy, with a strong somatic (body/nervous system) focus, and integrates the use of “bilateral stimulation” from EMDR. He has always believed that we have a natural drive to completion and resolution. This has inspired his commitment to develop “Natural Processing,” which is an integration of ways to utilize our own awareness to facilitate that drive. He has been training therapists in this approach across the US and Canada since 2014, and has led consultations and other trainings for over 25 years.
Cost/Registration
$25 for Desert-CAMFT Members
$15 for Prelicensed Members
$35 for Non-members or Guests
Closing date for registration is Thursday, September 25, 2025.
Questions
Please email Chaundra Prehara, Director of Events at chaundraprehara@yahoo.com.
Beyond Couples Therapy: Polyamory and Systemic Practice
with James Gavin Bridges PhD, LMFT, CFLE
Friday, October 24, 2025 9:30am-11:30am
This presentation provides audience members with helpful concepts related to non-monogamy and systemic practice. It goes over relational terms used by the community, important distinction between commonly used language, and encourages therapists to remain curious about clients’ language even after doing their own homework. The presentation will introduce clinicians to key tasks in therapy when working with non- monogamous client systems.
Clinicians will also learn which relational therapy approaches and interventions can be used with non-monogamous clients as they work on relationship structure formation, agreement making, and recovery from relational ruptures. Audience members can expect to learn skills and strategies for working with clients navigating non-monogamy or wanting to be non-monogamous (i.e., opening up). Throughout the presentation, audience members can also expect to work on self-reflection as they contemplate providing therapeutic help to clients in non-monogamous relationship structures.
Education Goals
Learning Objectives
Identify at least 6 key principles of what presenting problems brings non-monogamous clients into therapy.
Name 3 communication interventions that can be used with agreement making for non- monogamous relationship systems.
Identify 5 different theories of marriage and family therapy that can be used when working with non-monogamous systems.
State the 4 main principles of structuring agreement conversations effectively.
James "Jimmy" Gavin Bridges PhD, LMFT, CFLE (he/they) is a licensed couple and family therapist in Massachusetts and Vermont, a certified family life educator through NCFR, an AAMFT approved supervisor and clinical fellow, and part-time faculty at National University in the MFT masters and doctoral programs. He received his doctoral and master’s degrees in Couple and Family Therapy from Kansas State University. He also received two graduate certificates in Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies and Social Justice Education from Kansas State University. His clinical specialization is working with queer and non-monogamous clients. He has presented in university settings, conferences, regional organizations, and online platforms on non- monogamy and couples therapy models. Jimmy has worked in community mental health, group practice, and currently works in private practice with their nesting partner, who is also a therapist.
Closing date for registration is Thursday, October 23, 2025.
Membership!
Desert Chapter — California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (DESERT-CAMFT)
For general info, please email: desertcamft1@gmail.com. For specific departments, please click "Contact" in the menu above.
