Stress Management Therapy & Interventions

Stress Management Therapy & Interventions is organized by The American Institute of Health Care Professionals (AIHCP), Inc..

Course Information:
This course continues in presentation of a comprehensive program of multiple modalities used in a quality and successful stress management consulting practice. While students will review modalities from previous courses, this course emphasis a more comprehensive study of many previously learned and new therapeutic modalities. Many new techniques for various challenging problems and issues are presented. The course and text provide an abundance of well defined exercises that students work with and learn, so as to teach and work with clients. The practice of the exercises provides a real experiential learning application and prepares one to begin a practice. The text is formatted also to allow for its use by clients in conjunction with a teaching program implemented by the stress management consultant. Tools for assessment and criteria for outcomes evaluations are also provided and examined. Course Code: SM 600. Contact hours of education: 30.

This course is particularly designed for those who would like to apply for Certification as a Certified Stress Management Consultant by the American Institute of Health Care Professionals,Inc.

Course Objectives: 
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
• Review and discuss major sources of stress
• Understand and work with assessment tools for stress evaluation
• Understand and discuss the concept of "body awareness"
• Discuss and review issues related to "breathing" including anatomy and physiology
• Discuss how breathing plays an integral role in carrying out stress management exercises
• Describe and practice seven major breathing techniques used in stress management exercises
• Discuss and practice the technique of progressive muscle relaxation
• Review, discuss and practice at least three types of meditation practices
• Understand the rules for effective visualizations
• Define, discuss and practice "applied" relaxation training exercises
• Review and practice a self-hypnosis session for stress management
• Understand how to develop highly effective suggestions for self-hypnosis
• Define and practice autogenic training for stress reduction
• Construct effective autogenic verbal formulas
• Understand, discuss and practice brief combination techniques
• Describe how to produce a self-relaxation audio tape/CD
• Understand and describe ways to refute irrational thinking patterns
• Complete a structured exercise in refuting irrational thinking
• Describe how to use "thought stopping" as a stress management modality
• Discuss a methodology for providing "worry control" in a stress management program
• Discuss the five steps of a coping skills training program
• Discuss the principles of self-responsibility
• Review and discuss methodologies for effective time management
• Describe a methodology for effective goal setting
• Define the elements of assertiveness training
• Discuss eight steps to managing job related stress
• Discuss a quality nutrition program to assist in stress reduction
• Discuss and practice four types of physical exercise as effective modalities in a stress management program.

Course Content:
• Sources of stress
• Reactions to stress
• Symptoms assessment
• Body awareness and body scanning
• Stress awareness diaries
• Breathing work
• Progressive relaxation exercises
• Meditation exercises
• Visualizations
• Creating scared spaces
• Humor and creativity
• Applied relaxation training
• Self-hypnosis
• Developing self-induction scripts
• Autogenics
• Brief combination techniques
• Developing relaxation audio's
• Rational emotive therapies
• Thought stopping and worry control
• Coping skills training
• Goal setting and time management
• Assertiveness training
• Job stress management
• Nutrition for stress management
• Exercise
• Decision making and responsibility