Online workshop

Friday, November 29, 2024  
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

What time is this for me?

8 million people in Canada have chronic pain and this number is growing (Government of Canada, 2021). Occupational therapy professionals therefore encounter many clients experiencing chronic pain in a variety of practice settings. Several evidence-informed self-management techniques can support people living with pain, including meditation (e.g., la Cour & Petersen, 2015), cognitive behaviour therapy (e.g., Knoerl et al., 2016), acceptance and commitment therapy (e.g., Hughes et al., 2017), expressive writing (e.g., Ziemer, 2014), gratitude journalling (e.g., Boggiss et al., 2020) and visualization (e.g., Álvarez-García & Yaban, 2020). Occupational therapy professionals can teach these self-management techniques to help people with pain participate in their meaningful occupations.

This workshop is ideal for occupational therapy professionals who wish to increase their understanding of chronic pain and strategies that can be used to support people living with pain. An overview of chronic pain and the occupational therapy role will be provided. Participants will gain fundamental information on how the following self-management techniques can support people living with pain: meditation, cognitive behaviour therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, expressive writing, gratitude journalling, sensory modulation and visualization exercises. Lecture, self-reflection, case studies, and group discussion will be utilized to assist you in furthering your knowledge and clinical reasoning.

Preliminary workshop agenda

Learning objectives:

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

1. Define chronic pain.
2. Understand the occupational therapy role in supporting people living with pain.
3. Describe how meditation and visualization exercises can support people living with pain.
4. Describe how cognitive behaviour therapy can support people living with pain.
5. Describe how acceptance and commitment therapy can support people living with pain.
6. Describe how expressive writing and gratitude journalling can support people living with pain.
7. Describe how sensory modulation can support people living with pain.

Target audience:

Occupational therapists (OTs), occupational therapist assistants (OTAs), and students in occupational therapy or OTA/PTA programs who wish to gain knowledge on practical self-management strategies for people living with pain.  

Please note: Each participant is responsible to ensure they apply the information within the context of their licensure, provincial/territorial legislations, institution regulations, scope of practice, etc.

Areas of practice
Acute Care, Autism/Neurodiversity, Brain injury/Concussion/Spinal Cord, Caregiver/Family Education, Case Management, Chronic Disease Management, Chronic Pain, Generalist, Hand Therapy, Health Promotion & Wellness, Indigenous Health, MSK Rehabilitation, MVA Rehabilitation, Neurology, Older Adults, Orthopedics, Occupational Therapist Assistant, Palliative/EOL Care, Primary Care, Return to Work

Client age group
Adolescents (13-19 years old), Adults (20-64 years old), Older adults (65+ years old)

Workshop level
Beginner (0-2 years of experience in this specific practice area)

Please note: Participants with more than this stated level of experience are welcome to attend the workshop. The workshop content will be geared towards those with 0-2 years of experience.

Presenter:

Zara Dureno, Reg. OT (BC)

Zara Dureno is an occupational therapist with her Master of Occupational Therapy from the University of British Columbia and undergraduate degree in psychology with a focus on neuroscience. She is passionate about all things neurological health and has a practice base of clients with concussion, mental health and chronic pain diagnoses. She has a lived experience with chronic pain, having recovered from a serious horse back riding injury. She has taken many courses and done a lot of research on these subjects. Zara has done several presentations both locally and internationally and is very passionate about this field of care on a personal and professional level.

Registration fees

Early bird rates: Registration and payment completed by September 25, 2024

Regular rates: Registration and payment completed after September 25, 2024

Registration deadline: November 29, 2024 at 9:59 a.m. (Eastern Time)

Please note that CAOT does not offer group registration fees. 

*It may be more cost effective to become a CAOT Member or Associate rather than pay the non-member rate. See “Can a non-member register for a Workshop?” in our Professional Development FAQs to know which membership category you are eligible for.  

Included in your registration fee:

Online workshop, access to the recording for a period of 14 days following the workshop, electronic copy of presentation slide handouts, opportunity to network and make connections with other occupational therapists interested in this topic, electronic certificate of attendance.

Cancellation/refund policy

All cancellation/refund requests must be sent in writing to  education@caot.ca. All cancellation requests received by November 13, 2024 will be given a full refund minus a $50.00 administrative fee. No refunds will be given after November 13, 2024. Substitutions and transfers requests received by November 20, 2024 are permitted and are subject to a $50.00 administrative fee.

If you are exceptionally unable to complete the workshop, please reach out to  education@caot.ca by 25 days following the end of the workshop for extended access to the recording (up to one month after the end of the workshop) or a one-time transfer to another offering of the same workshop if currently open for registration. 

CAOT reserves the right to modify the workshop title, description, registration dates and information on the workshop webpage. CAOT will notify participants on or before October 18, 2024 if there is insufficient registration by that date and reserves the right to cancel a Workshop due to insufficient registration up until November 1, 2024. CAOT reserves the right to modify the offering, interrupt Workshops, change the timing of a Workshop, cancel a Workshop or change the technology for the Workshop due to the presenter no longer being able to present the Workshop, severe weather, power failure, building closures or other special circumstances that are beyond the control of CAOT by notifying participants as soon as possible. If the Workshop is cancelled by CAOT, registrants will receive a full refund of the registration fee. CAOT will not be responsible for other costs or expenses incurred by registrants as a result of any such changes.

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