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Description
2026 NEFESH Summer Conference
July 14–15, 2026 | 2 Days | Online Event
WHAT’S ON OUR MINDS
The Topics We Deal With Every Day These Days
An online conference exploring the clinical realities shaping our work today.
Join us for our Annual Summer Conference featuring live interactive CE credits. Attend the full conference or select individual classes.
FREE for NEFESH Members when attended live | Non-Members: $180
Register using the email linked to your NEFESH membership.
Click “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart” to register.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
NEFESH International gratefully thanks our sponsors for their generous support of this event.
Conference Schedule
The schedule is subject to change, and all times are in EDT.
Tuesday | July 14, 2026
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Supporting Supporters: Clinical Strategies for Working with Parents and Teachers
When a child struggles in school, the mental health professional often becomes the bridge between two vital but disconnected systems: the home and the classroom. Yet our training rarely prepares us to work skillfully with the adults surrounding a child — the parents navigating fear and frustration, and the teachers balancing a classroom while advocating for one student. This session explores how clinicians can shift from child-only interventions to a systems-informed approach that equips parents and educators as active partners in a child's progress.
Drawing on practical frameworks and real-world case examples, participants will leave with concrete, ready-to-use strategies for consulting with teachers, guiding overwhelmed parents, and bridging the gap when home and school are in conflict.
Presented by: Eli Farkas, LMSW and Yonatan Vinnik, LSW
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM
False Start: The Psychology of Sports Betting and What Frum Mental Health Professionals Need to Know
Sports betting has exploded into mainstream American life, and Orthodox Jewish communities are not immune — clinicians, educators, and rabbinical leaders are increasingly confronting it across age groups and settings, often without adequate tools or language.
This presentation examines the psychological mechanisms driving problem gambling in the current landscape — cognitive fallacies, System 1 thinking, near-miss reinforcement, and app design engineered to bypass rational decision-making — and translates that clinical knowledge into practice.
Presented by: Shimmy Feintuch, LCSW, CASAC-G
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Ignite Talks!
The session is anchored by Elan Javanfard, MA, LMFT, who will serve as the primary presenter and clinical facilitator. Elan will introduce the overarching theme of integrative, community-based, and culturally competent care, provide context for each topic, and synthesize the key clinical takeaways throughout the session.
Through transitions, commentary, and reflective prompts, he will guide participants in connecting themes across disciplines and applying them to their own mental health practice.
Designed for intermediate-level professionals, this session emphasizes innovation, conciseness, and actionable learning—offering a high-yield format to close out the conference with clarity and inspiration.
Moderated by: Elan Javanfard, MA, LMFT
Featured Ignite Presenters:
Rabbi Benny Gruen, PsyD (non-clinical), LSW
Revisiting Chosson/Kallah Education and Early Divorce
Based on an informal research project examining perceived causes of early divorce, Rabbi Gruen will discuss findings suggesting inadequate premarital preparation as a contributing factor and explore the potential role of mental health professionals in providing chosson and kallah education.
Bruchy Moskovics, CSW, CCLS
Helping Children Overcome Anxiety Quickly and Effectively
Drawing from her clinical work and psychodrama experience, Bruchy will present practical approaches for helping children move through anxiety efficiently, equipping clinicians and parents with actionable tools and renewed hope.
Caroline (Chani) Silver, LPC
Preparing Therapy Interns for Clinical Practice
Chani will address the gap between graduate training and real-world clinical readiness, sharing her experience of feeling underprepared and introducing innovative technology-based solutions to improve therapist training.
Menachem Hojda, LCSW
Defending Social Work Education and Early Professional Development
This presentation addresses misconceptions about the preparedness of early-career social workers, highlighting research on therapist effectiveness and advocating for foundational clinical development and attunement skills before advanced techniques and certifications.
Mordy Gottlieb, LCSW, CSAT
Therapist Burnout and the Power of Delegation
Mordy will explore how therapists often become overwhelmed by administrative and operational responsibilities, encouraging clinicians to build support systems, delegate non-clinical tasks, and create more sustainable practice models.
Leigh Loffe
The Healing Power of Human Connection in Suicide Prevention
Using the story of a hotline caller who later became a hotline supervisor, Leigh will discuss suicide prevention through the lens of interpersonal neurobiology, emphasizing attunement, compassion, and the transformative impact of meaningful human connection.
Kasriel Gewirtzman, LMHC, DP
When Couples Therapy and Individual Therapy Become Entangled
Kasriel will present clinical scenarios illustrating the complexities and unintended consequences that can arise when couples work and individual therapy intersect, encouraging thoughtful and ethical clinical practice.
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
An Experiential Workshop on Utilizing Humor as a Therapeutic Modality
Humor and storytelling have long been utilized within psychotherapy as mechanisms for enhancing therapeutic alliance, facilitating emotional processing, reducing defensiveness, and promoting cognitive flexibility.
This experiential workshop will examine the clinical application of humor as an adjunctive therapeutic modality across treatment settings. Participants will review relevant literature regarding humor in psychotherapy, observe clinical examples, engage in experiential exercises and role-play demonstrations, and explore both the therapeutic potential and clinical risks associated with humor-based interventions.
Presented by: Edwin Susskind, PhD
Wednesday | July 15, 2026
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
When Families Lock Horns Around Aging
Disagreements that arise in families often increase as issues around aging emerge. A parent or spouse may resist accepting medical or physical care. There are often disagreements among relatives whether an elder has problems with memory or impaired judgment.
This workshop will familiarize clinicians of any level on common issues related to caregiving and aging. We will discuss ways to support caregivers and navigate some of these disagreements.
Presented by: Adina Segal, LCSW and Shira Felberbaum Kedem, LMSW, MS
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Sending Your Client to Their Israel Gap Year: Clinical Risks, Continuity of Care, and What Referring Therapists Need to Know
Each year, many adolescents and young adults with significant emotional, relational, psychiatric, or family-system complexity leave their home communities to spend a gap year in Israel. For referring clinicians, this transition can raise important questions: Is the student stable enough to go? What level of support will they need? How should risk be communicated?
The talk will focus on practical guidance for assessment, preparation, referral, and continuity of care. Particular attention will be given to coordinating care between therapists, parents, psychiatrists, and yeshiva/seminary staff while maintaining appropriate boundaries and confidentiality.
Presented by: Tzachi Fried, PhD; Jon Ifrah, MSW; and Shevi Slome, LMSW
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Fragmented Beauty: A Jungian Perspective on Sexual Compulsions
Most psychotherapeutic approaches to compulsive sexuality and pornography follow an addictions model, with a focus on curbing behavior. This presentation will offer an introduction to a Jungian perspective on the unconscious processes of compulsivity.
This presentation will compare and contrast a Jungian psychological perspective with a Jewish religious perspective on attraction, desire, and beauty and their impact on working with sexual compulsivity.
Presented by: Yitzi Horowitz, LCSW
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Tele-Therapy with Children and Teens: Yes, It Really Works! Best Practices and Strategies for Effective Virtual Therapy with Young Clients
As tele-health continues to expand within child and adolescent mental health services, clinicians are increasingly challenged to create meaningful therapeutic engagement through virtual platforms. This workshop will explore evidence-informed and practical strategies for conducting effective tele-therapy with children across developmental stages.
Topics will include building rapport remotely, adapting play-based and behavioral interventions for virtual settings, collaborating with parents, maintaining attention and participation online, and addressing common challenges such as avoidance, dysregulation, and screen fatigue.
Presented by: Rabbi Chaim Ellis, LCSW
4:15 PM - 5:45 PM
Bridging the Divide: The Essential Role of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Behavioral Health
Behavioral health treatment increasingly requires an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to effectively address the complex intersection of trauma, mental illness, neurobiology, medical conditions, family systems, substance use, and social determinants of health.
This presentation explores the critical role of interdisciplinary collaboration in behavioral health settings and examines how clinicians, physicians, educators, social workers, case managers, legal professionals, and allied health providers can work together to create more cohesive, trauma-informed, and patient-centered systems of care.
Presented by: Malkie Schick, LCSW
Webinars included in this package:
Supporting Supporters: Clinical Strategies for Working with Parents and Teachers
False Start: The Psychology of Sports Betting and What Frum Mental Health Professionals Need to Know
An Experiential Workshop on Utilizing Humor as a Therapeutic Modality
When Families Lock Horns Around Aging
Fragmented Beauty: A Jungian Perspective on Sexual Compulsions
Bridging the Divide: The Essential Role of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Behavioral Health
Accreditation
⚠ Please Note
Not all sessions share the same accreditation. Please see accreditation for each individual class below.
Supporting Supporters: Clinical Strategies for Working with Parents and Teachers:
False Start: The Psychology of Sports Betting and What Frum Mental Health Professionals Need to Know:
Ignite Talks:
An Experiential Workshop on Utilizing Humor as a Therapeutic Modality:
When Families Lock Horns Around Aging:
Sending your client to their Israel gap year: Clinical Risks, Continuity of Care, and What Referring Therapists Need to Know:
Fragmented Beauty: A Jungian Perspective on Sexual Compulsions:
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0122.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0275.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0774.
- This program meets the requirements for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. These CE credits may be applied toward AASECT certification and renewal of certification. AASECT Core Knowledge Areas: {category_letter}. May be used for Sex Therapy Area {category_st}.
- CE You! is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland.
CE You! maintains responsibility for this program.
Tele-Therapy with Children and Teens: Yes, It Really Works! Best Practices and Strategies for Effective Virtual Therapy with Young Clients:
Bridging the Divide: The Essential Role of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Behavioral Health:
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0122.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0275.
- Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0774.
- CE You! is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland.
CE You! maintains responsibility for this program.
This presentation is open to:
- Behavior Analysts
- Social Workers
- Professional Counselors
- Therapists
- Psychologists
- Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
- Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
- Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
This online class is offered at an introductory level, and is beneficial for a beginner level clinician:
- New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
- Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
- Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
- Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives
Additional information
- Refunds: Registrants who are unable to attend a Therapy Express seminar or live webinars may ask for, and will receive, a credit or refund (your choice). Refund requests will be processed within 3 business days. When an attendee knows in advance that they are unable to attend we ask that they inform Therapy Express ahead of time by emailing [email protected] or by calling or texting 607-249-4585 this allows us to free up the spot in the training in the event that a training is at or near capacity.
- Disability Access: If you require ADA accommodations, please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification.
- Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly.
- The grievance policy for trainings provided by Therapy Express is available here
- Satisfactory Completion: Certificates are available after satisfactory course completion in your account or by clicking here
- Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.
- There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
- System Requirements: Any device (such as a computer, tablet, or phone), Dual-Core 2 GHz or higher processor, and at least 4 GB of RAM capable of running a Zoom session, along with a stable internet connection.
- Although early registration is recommended for this class in order to ensure the best experience, attendees may register and join until the start of the program