Event Description

Social workers bring a holistic perspective to their work and appreciate the importance of mind body connections in health and wellbeing.

This webinar opens up the world of Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) and its relevance to contemporary social work practice. PNI studies how thoughts, emotions and health are intimately linked. Join Dr Judy Lovas a passionate PNI educator, to explore evidence of mind body interactions and how PNI supports a holistic, scientific clinical approach for clients who have chronic conditions.

This action-packed 2 hours introduces PNI, its historical development and current importance. It explores evidence in communications between nervous, endocrine and immune functions and explains mind body interactions at cellular and molecular levels. This webinar includes the latest understanding of links between distress and disease.

Building on this knowledge, Judy reviews leading PNI research in psychological interventions, lifestyle changes and health. Participants will consider clinical practice through a PNI perspective and explore the “how” of applying PNI during the webinar.

Topics:

• Introduction, definition and brief history of Psychoneuroimmunology 
• Leading PNI research in disease
• Leading PNI research in psychological interventions, lifestyle changes and health
• Relevance of PNI in social work

Who should register? Social workers and allied health professionals who wish to understand interactions between cognition, emotion and immunity and gain deeper understanding of links between mental health and physical well-being. This webinar is particularly relevant for those wishing to learn more scientific evidence in why thoughts, emotions and health need to be treated together.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Understand the clinical history of PNI and evaluate leading PNI research
• Identify links between nervous, endocrine and immune systems and their impact health
• Evaluate benefits of a PNI approach in social work practice

AASW Credentials: Mental Health; Clinical

A follow-up PNI webinar is also available here: Psychoneuroimmunology - Clinical Applications in Social Work