May 15, 2026 - Central Ohio Mental Health Professionals Conference

This is a conference for Ohio Mental Health Professionals, hosted by Teal Saguaro Wellness. At this conference, attendees will attend a total of six educational CEU workshops. Details about the workshops will be released soon, but conference pre-registration is now open for a discounted registration cost of $75 - That's ten bucks a CEU, lunch, and networking and socializing with other awesome professionals!

Conference Itinerary:

• 8:00am - Check-In / Morning Refreshments Open.

• 9:00am - Conference Begins with welcoming remarks.

• 9:10am - Morning All-Conference Presentation (1 CEU)

  • Room A - Nicholas Bolton, LPCC, SEP - "Healing Beyond Words: Supporting Safety and Integration Through Body-Based Trauma Care"​

    • Describe how trauma shapes autonomic nervous system organization and impacts safety, presence, and relational engagement.

    • Identify nervous system–informed principles, including orienting and pacing, that support physiological safety and integration without overwhelm.

    • Apply body-based and relational strategies, demonstrated experientially, to support trauma integration within clinical sessions.

• 10:20am - Breakout Session 1 Choices (1 CEU):

  • Room A - Taylor Lechner MFN, RD, LD - "Nourishing the Nervous System: How Minerals, Gut Health & Hormones Shape Your Mood, Stress, and Emotional Resilience"

    • Explain how nutrient depletion, gut health, and blood sugar dysregulation influence nervous system function and emotional regulation.

    • Identify key nutritional and physiological contributors to anxiety, burnout, and emotional dysregulation that are often overlooked in conventional care.

    • Apply foundational nutrition-focused strategies to support nervous system regulation, stress resilience, and emotional well-being in clinical or wellness settings.

  • Room B - Lisa Bushman, LPCC - "Using Sound Therapy to Impact Mental Health Disorders"​

    • Be able to describe the subtle energy systems of the body.

    • Be able to explain the fundamentals of using sound to release trapped emotion and energy from the body.

    • Be able to explain the importance of combining modalities with sound to maximize treatment/healing effects.

• 11:30am - Breakout Session 2 Choices (1 CEU):

  • Room A - Julieann Ash M.S., BCET - "Get to Calm: Executive Function Tools That Support Clarity and Emotional Regulation"​

    • ​Identify the impact of executive functions on cognitive clarity in order to reduces emotional overwhelm.

    • Apply strategies to improve executive function with resulting improved cognitive clarity and emotional stability.

    • Evaluate interventions strengthening initiation, organization, management of time and materials in order to improve self-efficacy and cognitive clarity.

  • Room B - Christa Green - "When the To-Do List Becomes the Enemy: A Root-Cause Approach to Motivation, Daily Load Management, and Self-Care in Neurodivergent Clients"​

    • Identify at least four neurological root causes that contribute to motivation failure and daily self-management breakdown in neurodivergent clients; including dopamine dysregulation, working memory overload, time blindness, and interoceptive disconnect.

    • Apply a minimum of two session-ready strategies to support neurodivergent clients in managing their daily load and sustaining better self-care practices. These strategies include time anchoring, minimum viable self-care planning, the body budget check-in, and/or one visible thing rule to support neurodivergent clients in managing their daily load and sustaining self-care practices.

    • Formulate appropriate referral language for introducing educational therapy as a collaborative team-based intervention, and describe how a tag-team model of care differs from a traditional parallel-service referral.

• 12:40pm - Lunch & Networking Time

• 1:20pm - Afternoon Keynote Presentation (1 CEU)

  • Room A - Preston Moore - "Turning Stigma into a Superpower:  Addressing Mental Health & Stigma in the Clinical Setting"​

    • Apply at least two client-centered communication strategies that reduce resistance and improve engagement when discussing mental health, substance use, and recommended levels of care.

    • Analyze how family and social dynamics influence client perceptions of stigma, treatment readiness, and behavioral follow-through, and integrate this understanding into clinical interactions.

    • Utilize practical strategies to communicate mental health and addiction concepts in ways that increase client understanding, reduce defensiveness, and support active participation in treatment.

• 2:30pm - Breakout Session 3 (1 CEU):

  • Room A - Kaela Vance, LPCC-S - "Anxiety Isn’t Just in Your Head: A Gut–Brain Approach to Mental Health"​

    • Identify gut-related patterns that may contribute to anxiety presentation.

    • Integrate a gut–brain lens into assessment and case conceptualization.

    • Differentiate psychological vs. physiological contributors to anxiety symptoms.

  • Room B - Dr. Rachel Nelms, ATR-BC, LPCC, LCPC - "Beyond Words: Using Creative Expression in Grief and Trauma Processing"

    • Analyze how creative expression supports grief processing beyond verbal methods.

    • Apply art-based strategies that promote grounding and emotional stabilization.

    • Evaluate approaches enhancing identity reconstruction following trauma and loss.

• 3:40pm - Breakout Session 4 (1 CEU):

  • Room A - Elizabeth Mintun, LISW-S - "Mindfulness as Medicine: Supporting Nervous System Regulation in Clinical Practice"

    • Describe the foundational principles of mindfulness and how mindfulness-based practices support nervous system regulation and stress reduction.

    • Identify the physiological and psychological benefits of mindfulness for clients experiencing anxiety, stress, and emotional dysregulation.

    • Explain how mindfulness can be integrated as a clinical intervention, referral option, or adjunctive support within a holistic, integrative mental health care model.

  • Room B - Emily Hanlon, LISW-S - "From Striving to Soothing: Embodied Parts Work with Expressive Arts Practices"​

    • Analyze how expressive arts practices engage both the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

    • Practice experiential interventions, engage in self-observation, and apply core principles to clinical work with clients.

    • Evaluate parts work interventions that support and strengthen secure internal attachment.

• 4:45pm - Closing Remarks.

• 5:00pm - Conference Concludes.

About the Conference Host - Kaela Rae Vance, LPCC-S:

Kaela is a Central Ohio Therapist whose clinical focus areas are grief and trauma. As a result, Kaela often sees patients also struggling with Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD. Kaela is trained in numerous modalities, including CTG, TF-CBT, and EMDR. Kaela honed her skills in grief and trauma counseling through her experience at the Family Support Program within Nationwide Children's Hospital Big Lots Behavioral Health Services as a Pediatric Trauma Therapist. Prior to her tenure at NCH, Kaela gained valuable experience at Columbus Springs, as an In-Patient Clinical Counselor. In spring of 2022, Kaela launched and grew her private counseling practice in Dublin, Ohio, which in January 2024 evolved into Teal Saguaro Wellness.

About the CEU Provider - Strongblossom, Inc.:

Strongblossom, Inc. is an approved provider of continuing education by the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board for counselors, social workers, and marriage/family therapists. Approval #: RCST112403. Strongblossom is a Michelle Risser company. Michelle has been a therapist for over 20 years, certified in EMDR through EMDRIA, with advanced training in perinatal mental health through Postpartum Support International. In addition to counseling, Michelle provides clinical and business consulting, burnout coaching, and continuing education.

About our Event Partners:

• Emerald Psychiatry & TMS Center provides compassionate, evidence-based mental health care for individuals navigating depression, anxiety, PTSD, and related concerns. Led by Medical Director Dr. Scott Yoho, their multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants delivers comprehensive psychiatric and medication management services, ensuring patients receive high-quality, collaborative care tailored to their needs.

• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center offers compassionate, evidence-based treatment for mood, anxiety, trauma-related disorders, and co-occurring conditions for individuals of all ages. With a multidisciplinary team and a full continuum of care—from residential and partial hospitalization to intensive outpatient and virtual treatment—Pathlight meets patients where they are and supports long-term recovery with personalized clinical care and family-centered resources.

• Sun Behavioral Columbus provides compassionate, evidence-based inpatient and crisis stabilization services for individuals experiencing acute mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, trauma-related disorders, and substance use concerns. With 24/7 access to care, their multidisciplinary team delivers individualized treatment focused on safety, stabilization, and connection to ongoing support, helping patients transition into the next phase of their recovery with confidence and continuity of care.

• Within Health offers comprehensive, evidence-based virtual treatment for eating disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and trauma-related concerns. Their multidisciplinary team provides integrated medical, therapeutic, and nutritional care through a fully remote model, increasing access to high-quality support for individuals across a variety of settings. With a focus on whole-person healing and sustainable recovery, Within Health delivers personalized care that meets clients where they are while supporting long-term wellness.

CEU Descriptions and Objectives:

Descriptions of all CEU presentations will be released when the event is officially launched later in January.

CEU Event Credits:

Event attendees will be required to complete a CEU evaluation at the completion of each presentation. Attendee will receive a certificate of completion for 1.0 CEU credit for each presentation attended / evaluation completed. CEU credits can only be awarded to individuals who check-in prior to each presentation beginning, check-out at the conclusion of each presentation, and complete the required CEU evaluation for each presentation.

Food & Beverage:

A light snack and bottled water will be provided to attendees, and lunch catered from McAlisters Deli and Rebol (you may make an entrée selection when you register).

Event location:

Teal Saguaro Wellness, 555 Metro Place North, Dublin, Ohio 43017. Be sure to check your email after submitting your RSVP. If you do not receive your confirmation email with additional event details, please email info@tealsaguaro.com

RSVP Cancellation:

Registration is required to attend this event. All registrations for this event are non-refundable.

Registration Prerequisites:

Please note, RSVP is required for this event, we're unable to accommodate walk-in guests due to seating and catering limitations. Unless otherwise approved, attendance is contingent upon attendee being employed in the mental health field. If an registrant is found to not meet these prerequisites for this event, the registrant will be contacted and asked not to attend. Future events are being organized for additional topics and be offered to a broader audience. Full event policy can be found here.

Questions about this event?

Reach out via email at info@tealsaguaro.com

Event Sponsorship or Presenter Opportunities:

If you would like to help host future events or be considered as a presenter at a future event, please reach out via email at info@tealsaguaro.com