The Clinical Hypnosis Society of New Jersey is pleased to welcome Alwin Wagener, Ph.D., LPC, NCC.
Please join us on Saturday, September 21, 2024 as Alwin Wagener, Ph.D. presents: “Revisioning Dreamwork in Counseling: The Embodied Cognition Theory of Dreaming”
This program will be held
virtually on Zoom from 11AM to 1PM EDT.
The Clinical Conversations are free to members of ASCH, its component sections, and SCEH. There is a $15 fee for nonmembers. All proceeds go to fund the Stephen R. Lankton Scholarship Award.
Description: This presentation introduces the Embodied Cognition Theory of Dreaming (ECTD), which is a newly published theory, grounded in and aligned with research findings in cognitive, psychological, and neurological science. ECTD explains how dreams organize schemas in response to what affects individuals in waking and trains individuals in those schemas. As such, it provides a science-based explanation of dreams that grounds clinical dreamwork. Building from an understanding of ECTD, participants will learn to effectively work with clients' dreams in a culturally competent and ethical manner. This approach not only deepens clients’ self-understanding but also provides opportunities to modify schemas, making them more adaptive.
Biography: Alwin E. Wagener, PhD, LPC, NCC is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He received his doctorate in Counseling and Counselor Education from The University of North Carolina in Greensboro, masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Western Carolina University, and bachelors in philosophy from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Wagener has a long-term interest and focus on dreams and their clinical importance. On the topic of dreams and dreamwork, he has presented at international, national, and regional counseling conferences, created and led workshops for students and clinicians, and provided invited guest lectures for graduate students. In addition, his main academic writing focuses on how dreams, nightmares, and metaphors can inform and be used in counseling to support growth and healing among clients.
He recently published in the International Journal of Dream Research a theory, The Embodied Cognition Theory of Dreaming, explaining the functions of dreaming and has developed guidelines and an approach for clinical dreamwork congruent with multicultural counseling competencies. He believes that counselors are trained with all the necessary skills to work with client dreams and hopes to provide guidance that leads to more frequent and effective dream work in professional counseling.
Training health and mental health professionals since 1986