Mental Health Conference: Hands-On!

Agenda

• 8:30 am - 9:30 am

  Check-In

  Check-in for the conference, enjoy a light breakfast, and network!

• 9:30 am - 9:45 am

  Opening

• 9:45 am - 10:45 am

  Keynote: Dr. Adam Saenz

  Title: The Power of Connection Dr. Adam Sáenz is a Harvard-trained, nationally-board-certified psychologists with three decades of clinical experience in the field of mental health. He has served as a supervising psychologist in the Texas A&M Medical School, and he currently serves as the Executive Director of Oakwood Counseling, the counseling and assessment clinic he founded in 2003. Dr. Sáenz also earned a Doctorate of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling from Graduate Theological Foundation with residency at Christ Church college of Oxford University. Dr. Sáenz and his wife, Kim, have been married 30 years. They have four adult children and five grandchildren.

• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

  Keynote: Dr. Margaret Rutherford

  Title: The Silent Risks of Perfectionism: Identifying and Treating Perfectly Hidden Depression Dr. Margaret Rutherford, a clinical psychologist, has practiced for over thirty years in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She’s the host of The SelfWork Podcast which is consistently ranked in the top 50 of US mental health podcasts. Her book Perfectly Hidden Depression focuses a much-needed light on the fact that a perfect-seeming life can camouflage deep emotional pain. The book earned a spot in Parade Magazine’s “Top Ten Books on Depression” for 2021 and has been translated into multiple languages. Her 2023 TEDx talk on the topic, “How to recognize perfectly hidden depression” has earned over 2 million views. Her stand-alone Perfectly Hidden Depression Workbook was published April 1,2026 and is a top new release on depression.

• 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

  Lunch

  Lunch box with sandwich, chips, fruit, cookie, and water/soda is provided with the purchase of a ticket.

• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

  Breakout Session 1

  Choose between two breakout presentations! From Survival to Regulation: Hands-On Tools for Healing in Everyday Life. Speaker: Stephanie Rosebaugh, LMFT, Owner of Grace & Peace Counseling Many of the ways people show up in life—such as anxiety, over-functioning, people-pleasing, or emotional shutdown—are not random, but adaptive survival strategies developed over time. This experiential breakout session will help participants understand how these patterns form, how they show up in daily life, and how to begin working with them in more intentional and sustainable ways. Blending trauma-informed therapy, somatic practices, and real-life application, this session will introduce simple, practical tools for nervous system regulation, emotional awareness, and relational connection. Participants will engage in guided exercises and leave with strategies they can immediately apply in their work, relationships, and personal lives. The Dopamine Affect: Tech Use and Adolescent Brain Development Speaker: Stacey Gagnon, RN, Assistant Director of Yavapai County Community Health Services. This session investigates the neurobiological impact of technology access on developing adolescent brains. We will analyze the "dopamine loop" created by social media, exploring how it drives compulsive behavior.  This session explores how smartphones and social media manipulate the brain’s reward system, leading to rising mental health struggles, disrupted sleep, and learning delays. We will examine the critical intersection of digital consumption and early adversity—a combination that puts youth at extreme risk.

• 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm

  Breakout Session 2

  Choose between 2 breakout presentations! Read the Room Differently: Neurodivergence, Belonging, and the Approaches That Change Everything Speaker: Sera Gray, LCSW, Owner of Wild Lotus Therapy Neurodivergent individuals, including those with autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences, and related profiles, are our neighbors, our students, our clients, and our community members. They navigate the same systems, spaces, and interactions we all do every day, and yet the world around them was largely not built with their needs in mind. The result? Misread behavior, missed connections, missed opportunities to help, and outcomes that harm rather than support. The data is hard to ignore. Research estimates that 20-30% of individuals involved in the justice system have an undiagnosed or unaddressed neurodevelopmental difference. Autistic individuals may avoid eye contact, respond unexpectedly to sudden commands, or go nonverbal under stress, behaviors that are frequently misread as non-compliance, intoxication, or deception. In health, education, and social service settings, the client or student who appears "resistant" or "difficult" may be experiencing sensory overload, processing time differences, or communicating in a way most of us were never taught to recognize. These are not character flaws. They are neurological differences, and they call for a different kind of response. This session is not about blame. It is about building a new approach. Designed for county employees, mental health professionals, educators, and engaged community members alike, this presentation invites attendees to shift from frustration to curiosity, and from compliance-focused responses to connection-focused ones. Participants will leave with concrete, immediately usable strategies for recognizing neurodivergent presentations in real-world interactions, communicating in ways that reduce confusion and escalation, and creating environments, both physical and procedural, that work for more people. Because when our systems and communities work better for neurodivergent individuals, they work better for everyone. Action Changes the Brain: Hands-On Inputs That Improve Cognitive Function and Performance Speaker: Jen Beyst, BST, MCFDT, M.NPN, and Executive Director Cognitive Function Development Institute This interactive session explores how targeted, action-based inputs improve cognitive function and performance by directly engaging the brain’s core systems. Rather than relying on strategy or insight alone, participants will learn how adaptive, real-time engagement strengthens attention, regulation, and decision-making. Attendees will gain practical understanding of how what we do—moment to moment—drives measurable change in brain function and behavior. Jen Beyst is the co-developer of Cognitive Function Development Therapy (CFDT) and founder of the CFD Institute, where she leads the training, certification, and advancement of this applied neuroscience model. Used across populations, CFDT strengthens how the brain functions—improving regulation, clarity, and performance in real-world settings. A Master Neuroplastician®, educational therapist, and certified parent coach, Jen oversees the progression and fidelity of the work while supporting practitioners in delivering measurable, real-world outcomes.

• 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

  Keynote: Dr. Emily Anhalt

  Title: 7 Traits of Emotional Fitness Dr Emily Anhalt is a keynote speaker, psychologist, Emotional Fitness consultant and the Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer of Coa, the world’s first gym for the mind. Dr Anhalt is dedicated to supporting individuals and organisations in adopting a positive and proactive approach to mental wellness. Dr Anhalt is a psychoanalytic psychologist and has over a decade’s experience of clinical work with entrepreneurs, executives, founders and tech employees. She has conducted extensive research, alongside prominent psychologists, with a focus on improving mental and emotional fitness for leaders. Dr Emily Anhalt has Masters and Doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute, Berkeley, California. Prior to that, she attained a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan.

• 4:30 pm - 4:45 pm

  Closing