Understanding Your Jewish Clients: Cultural Competency When Working With the Jewish Population

ON-DEMAND WEBINAR

Instructors: Jeremy Lichtman, PsyD & Simi Lichtman, LCSW

Instructional Level: Introductory

1 CE credit for Psychologists

Price: $25

This is a recording of a previously held live webinar. In order to receive CE credits, users will be required to pass a post-test after watching the video. 

Description

Despite a history of distrust of the mental health establishment, the number of Jewish clients seeking therapy is on the rise and beginning to match the rate of the general population who seeks mental health services. Over 6% of the New Jersey population is Jewish (World Population Review, 2023), making it likely that therapists in this state will encounter a number of Jewish clients over the course of their careers. While courses and trainings focused on cultural competency among mental health providers abound, the inclusion of Jewish culture is often lacking. For example, in a survey done of 43 graduate-level multicultural counseling textbooks, only 16 included a section on Judaism or antisemitism (Goldberg & Dixon, 2011). This workshop will familiarize participants with the Jewish community and its many denominations, including the various Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox populations. Participants will gain insight into the role of antisemitism in inculcating feelings of insecurity in contemporary Jewish populations. Furthermore, this workshop will cover specific examples of ways in which Jewish identity and religious observance can impact clinical work. Finally, professionals will learn strategies to apply these insights clinically, thereby fostering a stronger therapeutic rapport when working with Jewish clients. 

Learning Objectives

As a result of attending this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe how instances of historical trauma, Jewish tradition, and current antisemitism impact mental health.
• List ways in which professionals can improve cultural competency when working with Jewish clients.

Instructor Bios

Jeremy Lichtman, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist and director at Central Therapy, as well as a Visiting Clinical Supervisor at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Dr. Lichtman specializes in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders; Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD; and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for adolescents with mood disorders, emotional dysregulation, self-injurious behaviors, and suicidality.

Simi Lichtman, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and director, clinician, and business manager at Central Therapy. Simi specializes in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples, as well as working with survivors of trauma, particularly interpersonal violence.

The speakers do not have any conflicts of interest for this program.

Contact Us

For questions, please contact: ce@gsapp.rutgers.edu or call (848) 445-3577

Continuing Education Information

Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) 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-0123.

LMFT/MFT and LPC/LAC Licensed in New Jersey: Programs approved by the American Psychological Association are acceptable sources of continuing education credits. Please see https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/regulations/Chapter-34-Subchapters-10-31-Professional-Counselors.pdf, Section: 13:34-15.4 APPROVAL OF COURSES OR PROGRAMS on page 27. For all other professional licenses and certifications, please reference your issuing state board regulations regarding reciprocity of continuing education credits.

Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.