You are human first, clinician second. The helpers and healers who treat those who need help are becoming more isolated, burnt out and, more than ever, are at an increased risk of depersonalization, and depression. What can we do? Improv. Improv? Yes! Improv! 

Come to this session and learn how we can use comedic improv as a tool for self-care and as part of clinical practice. By applying the basic fundamentals of improv, we can move from isolation to connection. We will learn to drop our barriers and guards and be comfortable with doing so. Using basic improv techniques allows every individual to overcome self judgment, drop preconceived notions to serve the situation/circumstances and not our own agenda and be more comfortable about collaboration, communication and connection with others. 

This workshop is great for individual and small group practices as well as larger mental health systems. If reading this description made you a little nervous, then you are exactly who should join us. Follow the fear!

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of our session, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize factors that lead to burnout
2. Gain skills to help maintain the balance of clinician and patient needs
3. Utilize comedic improv techniques as a tool for self-care, better communication, and deeper personal connections
4. Let go and have a little fun

Student discount and sliding scale available. Please contact us at chicagominds@gmail.com for details.

Workshop participants who opt to receive CE certification, please select the CEU option. This workshop fulfills requirement for 2 CE credits. CE sponsorship is approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), credits are applicable to LCSW and transferrable to LCPC in Illinois. If you have a different licensure or are licensed outside of Illinois, please check with your licensure body before purchasing.

Please note that we require your live attendance in order to issue CE certificates. If you are unable to attend live, please let us know at least 24 hours before the event.

About the Speakers

Ashley Whitehurst is a graduate of iO and Second City Conservatory and Music Conservatory, and currently teaches at Second City Training Center and elsewhere in the Chicagoland area. She’s also a writer, performer, director, producer, and podcaster. She’s very bad at boasting, so she put it all here for you (yes, you!) to read: www.ashleywhitehurst.com. When she’s not working a day job or doing comedy stuff, she plays video games, runs, reads, thinks about sports, plays piano, and tries to help her dog understand that the cat absolutely does not want to play with her.

Niki Aquino, LCSW is an Individual, Family, and Group therapist with Mind Chicago. She was introduced to improv by way of the Second City Music Conservatory and has since performed throughout Chicago including the Second City etc stage. As a therapist, Niki specializes in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). A graduate of the MSW program at Loyola University Chicago, Niki has a rich background providing evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment for youth and families in inpatient, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs. Niki is a successful amateur baker and connoisseur of Marvel films.