Upcoming Webinars
The Desperate Identities of Dangerous Men: Understanding Mass Attackers by Understanding Personality Disorders (Webinar)
Presenter: Peter Langman, PhD
APA approved for 3CE
LIVE WEBINAR – Friday, January 30, 12-3:15pm
Platform: Virtual through Zoom
Presentation Overview:
Program Description
How do we make sense of mass attackers? All too often we focus on things that happened to them: school shooters were bullied, workplace attackers were terminated, and so on. Yet, the overwhelming majority of people who experience such stressors do not become killers. Such explanations fail to consider who the people were that these things happened to. In other words, personality is often ignored as a factor in violence.
Though there is no profile of a mass attacker, there are common personality traits that occur in a wide range of perpetrators. One commonality is that they are psychologically fragile people with profound vulnerabilities. How these vulnerabilities manifest, however, varies dramatically. Using the work of Theodore Millon and other personality researchers, this presentation examines critical dynamics that shed light on the psychology of mass killers.
The presentation will begin with a brief overview of Millon’s model of personality and how it differs from DSM-V-TR. Following this, several personality disorders will be discussed. Each will be illustrated through the writings of perpetrators, highlighting how the traits increase the risk of violence. Understanding the dynamics of these perpetrators can aid in identifying people who may be on the path of violence.
About the Speaker:
Peter Langman, Ph.D., is a psychologist, author, and internationally recognized expert on the psychology of school shooters. He is the author of School Shooters: Understanding High School, College, and Adult Perpetrators and Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters, and he provides trainings for professionals in mental health, education, and law enforcement. His work has been featured by major media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NPR, the BBC, and The Today Show, and his research has been cited in congressional testimony and presented to President Obama following the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Dr. Langman has worked with children and adolescents for more than twenty years and holds degrees in psychology from Clark University, Lesley University, and Lehigh University. His website, www.schoolshooters.info, serves as a comprehensive resource on school shooting research.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Explain the connection between psychological fragility and violent behavior
- Describe two personality processes which can lead to people becoming more prone to violence
- List three personality disorders commonly observed in violent perpetrators
Secure Your Own Oxygen Mask First: Mindful Approaches to Therapist Burnout Webinar
Presenter: Chris McCurry, Ph.D. (Private Practice, Seattle)
APA approved for 3CE
ON-DEMAND WEBINAR
Platform: Virtual
NOTE: This webinar is recorded for on-demand viewing. Materials available through 12/31/25.
Presentation Overview:
This webinar will examine the phenomenon of burnout, along with the related concepts of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma using questionnaires, self-report measures and discussion. A variety of strategies for monitoring and managing burnout will be introduced.
This webinar is being co-sponsored by LPA and a coalition of other state psychological associations and is organized by the Alaska Psychological Association.
Program Description:
Burnout: “A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that result from long-term involvement in work situations that are emotionally demanding” (Schaufeli & Greenglass, 2001). Clinical psychology is just such an emotionally demanding work situation. As clinicians, we are vulnerable to this physical and emotional exhaustion as well as other signs of burnout such as irritability, discouragement, sense of low personal accomplishment, reduced attention and concentration within session, poor decision-making, and compromised therapeutic relationships. This webinar is intended for psychotherapists who wish to better understand and manage the symptoms of professional burnout in order to be more effective and resilient in this challenging work.
In this webinar, we will examine the phenomenon of burnout, along with the related concepts of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. Using questionnaires, self-report measures, and discussion we will consider our vulnerabilities and risks for burnout, as well as our resources and strengths. We will identify life domains where we can develop “career-sustaining behaviors” that will not only reduce or prevent burnout but will greatly enhance our work satisfaction and effectiveness. A variety of strategies for monitoring and managing burnout will be introduced, with particular attention to recent contributions from mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies. A bibliography of relevant journal articles and books is provided.
About the Speaker:
Chris McCurry, Ph.D. has been a clinical psychologist practicing in Seattle, Washington, since 1991. He trained with acceptance and commitment therapy cofounder Steve Hayes at the University of Nevada, Reno. Dr. McCurry has given over 60 workshops, nationally and internationally, including webinars on professional burnout for the Nevada and Washington state psychological associations.
NOTE: This webinar is recorded for on-demand viewing.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
- Identify the various manifestations of burnout and how they can impact both personal and professional well-being
- Assess their own risks for, and manifestations of, burnout within specific aspects of personal and professional life
- Develop and implement a plan for career-sustaining behaviors
