Spread the word and pass the flyer to your colleagues

Joseph (Joe) R. Ferrari, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology and Vincent DePaul Distinguished Professor at DePaul University, Chicago, IL, since 1994. He was the founding Director of the PhD program in Community Psychology and now Director of the MS in General Psychology program.  Dr. Ferrari is a Fellow in the Association for Psychological Science (APS), American Psychological Association (APA), the Society for Community Research and Action (APA/Div 27), Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) and Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) and member of the Soc. for Experimental Social Psychology (SESP). DePaul awarded him the ‘Excellence in Research’ award in 2001, and in 2009 the ‘Excellence in Public Service’ award in part for his work on procrastination research and global community action work.  Dr. Ferrari is also the Editor of the Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community (Taylor & Francis, Inc).  

END PROCRASTINATION NOW:  Pause, Ponder, Plan, Produce
Procrastination – the intentional delay of important tasks or decisions to the point of feeling personal discomfort is prevalent in 20-25% of adult men and women. Pervasive, yet not well understood, chronic procrastination is self-sabotaging, involving self-regulation failure, and a strategy adopted toward social esteem protection.

Chronic procrastination involves, for instance, self-presentation concerns, parental authority styles, identity formation, social support settings, social comparison processes, perfectionism, myths around thrill seeking experiences, and interpersonal dependence.

In this interactive presentation, Dr. Joseph Ferrari (DePaul University) presents a review of the science helping us understand the ‘causes and consequences’ of procrastination. Why do you procrastinate?  When will you procrastinate?  How does your procrastination impact you? others? and living a satisfied, successful life?

Dr. Ferrari presents his approach to exploring the phrase “everyone procrastinates, but not everyone is a procrastinator” suggesting that procrastination is not simple delay, dawdling, or waiting. He will emphasize how procrastination is NOT about time. Dr. Ferrari also offers suggestions based on empirically validated research on the ‘cures’ of procrastination.

In this session you will learn:

1.  Everyone procrastinates, but not everyone is a procrastinator.
2. Chronic procrastination is NOT about time management.
3. Procrastination is learned, it can be unlearned ~~ even old dogs learn new tricks with different bones & slower pace.
4. Live life focused on Prevention, not Procrastination; WE live in community, it does not revolve around ME.

Lois McElravy (Lessons from Lois) is a professional speaker, humor expert and brain injury thriver.

In 1990 a utility truck crashed into the back of Lois’ car. The resulting brain injury may have destroyed her life plans, but not her spirit. Learning to laugh and hangin' on with humor rescued Lois from her daily distress and despair. Twelve years later her brain function improved. Lois delivered her first humor keynote in 2005, inspiring and motivating international audiences with her hilarious and heartfelt message of perseverance and hope.

Lois is a member of the National Speakers Association, Brain Injury Association of America, Governor’s Vocational Rehabilitation Advisory Council, Montana Traumatic Brain Injury Council, and AATH Humor Academy (Association for Applied Therapeutic Humor). 

Brain Injury and ADHD, Beast or Blessing?
Lois McElravy took for granted her extraordinary ability to get things done. By the time she turned 33 years old, Lois had earned a reputation as the Go-To-Girl. She knew how to figure things out and get the job done. Living with a brain injury and acquired ADHD for over twenty years has taught Lois that sometimes people try with their best abilities to do something right and still get it wrong. Lois can still do anything she sets her mind on doing, but now it requires a different approach and assistance.

Lois’ insight and ability to effectively communicate from a survivor’s perspective provide a rare opportunity for organizing professionals to gain a new awareness of the complexities of working with persons living with a brain injury or ADHD. Learn Lois’ top ten organization strategies for people living with energy fluctuations or cognitive challenges, plus insider tips to help CD clients look for patterns, recognize triggers, and develop the personalized systems and strategies they need to move from misery to management and enjoy their life.

Objectives of this session for professional organizers:

1.  Gain a new awareness of the complexities of working with persons living with a brain injury or ADHD. Professional organizers will be better equipped to help their CD clients look for patterns, recognize triggers, and develop the personalized systems and strategies they need to manage their lives.
2. Learn Lois’ top ten organizational strategies for people living with energy or cognitive fluctuations.
3. Learn guidelines on how to be specific when you ask for or offer your help
4. Learn humor tips and strategies for coping with frustration and releasing stressful emotions. (Can be used by professionals for their own coping and also taught to their clients.)  Plus get Lois’ Secret Weapons Stress Busters.
5. Learn seven guidelines for introducing humor in sensitive situations.
6. Recognize your value and importance as a professional organizer.

Hangin’ on with humor when life looks ugly…
As Lois McElravy shares her emotional journey of adjusting to an abrupt life change caused by a brain injury, she highlights the turning points and lessons learned. Through stories, Lois illustrates the critical difference that on-going assistance, a consistent support system and a sense of humor made in her ability to cope and adjust to living with a brain injury, build her speaker business, and live a meaningful, productive, happy life.

In this session, professional organizers will be stimulated to examine how they deal with adversity and acquire tools they can apply to improve their own situations or offer to clients. Take-aways include: guidelines on how to be specific when you ask for or offer help; humor tips and strategies for coping with frustration and releasing stressful emotions; plus seven guidelines for introducing humor in sensitive situations.

In this session, you will learn:

1. Duplicate and apply humor strategies (and use props) to reset stressful emotions. Humor strategies can be shared with clients for their personal use, also.
2. Learn the guidelines for using humor in sensitive situations and be alert to them.
3. Identify with the level of complexity a CD client experiences with a task that seems simple to the organizer.
4. List ten organizational strategies specific for persons who have energy or cognitive fluctuations. Explain how to be specific when asking for help or offering your help.
5. Recognize the importance of the professional organizer job.

Francis Wade has a mission of making time management improvements easy for people everywhere, forever.

With two engineering degrees from Cornell University, Francis has been researching productivity improvement with a focus on using cutting edge thinking and technology to help overcome old barriers.

He started his career at AT&T Bells Labs and now runs Framework Consulting headquartered in Florida.  He also runs 2Time Labs, where he researches and pioneers the principles of Time Management 2.0.

Francis moved to Kingston Jamaica, 6 years ago, and uses the Internet extensively to share ideas with professionals around the world.  He authors content on blogs, video, radio shows and social networking platforms as he completes his book, “Perfect Time Management.”

When he is not working, Francis is an enthusiastic triathlete and is usually busy running, cycling or swimming in preparation for upcoming races.

Baby Steps - Radically Reducing Your Clients’ Time Clutter: 101
As Professional Organizers, it's becoming a rare pleasure to work with clients who can give 100% of their attention to a 1 hour consultation… without distractions. It's not happening because of some widespread character flaw. Instead, the combination of old habits and new technology are wreaking havoc, especially among those who are already disorganized, simply because they have never been taught the fundamentals of time management. They are hardly alone in this respect, but they do face an uphill task because they aren't as skilled at crafting their own home-grown systems. We can make a big difference by applying tools that break down complex results into simple baby steps that help produce real change.

In this session, you will learn:

1. How to diagnose a client’s time management profile using 2 of the 7 fundamentals of time management
2. How to show clients the need to build a fool-proof plan for change lasting 18 months or more e.g. smartphone abuse
3. The flawed methods that clients have created to manage their time and how to upgrade them
4. An introduction to a method of coaching that involves breaking down a complex result into single, baby steps

Optional Post Conference Workshop - Time Clutter: 201.  Pick up where 101 left off and explore 5 additional fundamentals of Time Management 2.0.  Click here for details and registration information.

Dr. Fred Luskin has completed extensive research on the training and measurement of forgiveness therapy. His research demonstrates that learning forgiveness leads to increased physical vitality, hope, greater self–efficacy, enhanced optimism and conflict resolution skills while decreasing hurt, anger, depression and blood pressure as well as the physical and emotional toll of stress.

He has worked with men and women in Northern Ireland who have had family members killed as well as financial advisors after the stock market crash of 2000 to enhance their conflict resolution and stress management skills.

Dr. Luskin is the author of the best seller Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness and Stress Free for Good. He is the Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects and an Associate Professor at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.  He also serves as the Co Chair of the Garden of Forgiveness Project at Ground Zero in Manhattan.

Forgive For Good
An inability to forgive oneself and others is an obstacle to emotional well-being and conflict resolution, sometimes leading to diminished physical well being.
In this eye-opening workshop, Dr. Luskin will review Stanford Forgiveness research that shows the power of forgiveness education/therapy to enhance emotional and physical well-being.   The remaining time will be an explication and guided practice in the 9 steps of forgiveness that form the Forgive for Good methodology.

In this session you will learn:

1. How to use simple mind body practices to enhance forgiveness
2. How to use narrative approaches to minimize grievances
3. How a practical definition of forgiveness scaffolds the forgiveness process
4. That forgiveness is a teachable skill
5. That a good deal of research supports the practice of forgiveness to enhance emotional, physical and relationship well being.

In order to gain the most benefit from attending the session, attendees are highly encouraged to read Forgive for Good prior to conference.

Patrick Corrigan is Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Psychology at the Illinois Institute of Technology. A licensed clinical psychologist for more than 30 years, he has been principal investigator of federally funded studies on rehabilitation and consumer operated services. Ten years ago, he became principal investigator of the Chicago Consortium for Stigma Research, now the National Consortium on Stigma and Empowerment (NCSE). 

Central to NCSE is the Center on Adherence and Self-Determination (CASD). In the past few years, Corrigan has partnered with colleagues from the Department for Veteran Affairs and Department of Defense to develop and evaluate anti-stigma programs meant to help veterans and enlisted personnel, returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, seek out services for Post Traumatic Stress and other Disorders as needed. 

Corrigan has published eleven books and more than 250 papers.  He is editor of the American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation.

Don’t Call Me Nuts! Beating the Stigma of Mental Illness
One of the greatest barriers to people in recovery is the stigma of mental illness.  Personal empowerment is one of the best ways to overcome the stigma.  This session will review the public and self-stigma of mental illness and most effective ways to challenge these stigmas.

In this session you will:

1. Gain knowledge about the public stigma of mental illness including common stereotypes regarding individuals with mental illness and how these stereotypes lead to prejudice and discrimination.
2. Gain knowledge about the self-stigma of mental illness and the impact that self-stigma has on individuals with mental illness.
3. Learn about the most common approaches to challenging the stigma of mental illness.
4. Learn about the most effective approach for challenging the stigma of mental illness.

Gail Shields & Karen Shinn
Gail Shields and Karen Shinn are Co-founders of Downsizing Diva, a company of kindred spirits to help seniors and their families deal with the challenging task of moving from a family home to a condo, retirement residence or care community. They are Certified Professional Consultants on Aging (CPCA), Silver Leaf Members of Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) and members of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM.) Together, Gail Shields and Karen Shinn are Downsizing Diva! As pioneers in this rapidly-expanding field, Gail and Karen are thrilled to be published authors – they wrote the book on moving and called it, GO! The Essential Guide to Organizing and Moving.

Walk in Their Shoes!
If you’re working with clients who are chronically disorganized, the chances are, you will be working with a number of older clients. “Walk in their shoes” is the culmination of years of experience in Senior Move Management and reflects a commitment to advocacy and education for those wishing to serve this cohort.  If you want to know what day-to-day living is like for your senior clients, we are here to tell you. Actually, we are here to SHOW you. You won’t get any closer than this!

In this entertaining, high-energy, inter-active session, participants will have a unique, first-hand experience in the world of their aging clients. The focus will be on the major factors affecting the working relationship between Organizer and client including diminished sight, hearing loss, aphasia and decreased mobility/motor skills. Participants will draw conclusions about best practices when working with clients experiencing a variety of age-related challenges.

In this session you will:

1. Learn how to develop loyal, satisfied customers among the fastest-growing segment of the population (60+).
2. Gain a deeper understanding of the physical aspects of working with seniors.
3. Gain insight into how simple tasks become more difficult when physical challenges are present.
4. Be sensitized to the unique needs of this client group

 
Dale Davison, M. Sp.Ed., ACAC, is a credentialed professional ADHD Executive Functioning coach. She follows the Code of Ethics of and has passed the rigorous requirements of Core Competencies of the Institute for the Advancement of ADHD Coaches (IAAC).

Dale earned her Masters degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Behavior Disorders, ADHD, Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia at Arizona State University.  Her internship was at the Neuropsychiatric Institute UCLA.  She taught remedial reading, was an educational specialist, and an educational diagnostician.  She was president of D. Gordon & Associates, a national retail advertising agency. She completed post-graduate courses in Life Coaching and ADHD Coaching from the foremost trainers in the U.S. 

Professional memberships are with CHADD (Children & Adults with ADHD), ACO (ADHD Coaches Organization), ADDA (Attention Deficit Disorder Association), and the ACA (American Counseling Association). 

ADHD:  What the Science Says
ADHD is a neurobiological condition that can wreak havoc with productivity and success at home, work and with relationships.  This session will review the latest research on executive functioning and explore the role of coaching in providing your clients with the structure, accountability and motivation needed to achieve their goals. 

In this session you will learn:

1. Myths about causes of ADHD
2. Brain functioning, neurons and anatomical differences
3. Executive functioning and willpower
4. Accompanying feelings
5. Multi-modal treatment
6. Implications for professional organizers