Professional Trainings
Provide Support for Clients with Screen Overuse Issues
Digital Media Treatment & Education Center offers professional trainings for therapists and related fields, medical professionals, educators, and students. Finally, a training developed to meet your clinical needs and answer your questions about how to recognize and treat digital media overuse and addictions. Learn meaningful, effective techniques you can actually use in your work with Introduction to Digital Media Overuse: Assessment, Intervention & Treatment.
Jean Rogers, Founder,
Screen Time Action Network
“Introduction to Digital Media Overuse gave me the confidence to speak clearly about a topic vital to the health and wellness of our young people. The complex cognitive processes and real physical consequences involved in tech overuse can get lost in public discourse and misuse of the word ‘addiction.’ Dr. Kennedy and Tracy Markle demystify different types of media overuse and provide the information that can lead to diagnosis, treatment, and hope.”
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Work Effectively with the Digital Media Overuse Issues that Hinder Progress for the People You Serve.
- But how do you approach screen time issues with clients effectively?
- Where is the line between digital media overuse and addiction?
- When does problematic internet use or digital media overuse require treatment?
Course for Professional Training
Introduction to Digital Media Overuse: Assessment, Intervention, & Treatment gives participants a foundational and clinical understanding of the FITS-IA treatment approach developed and refined by leaders in the field of digital media overuse and addiction Tracy Markle, LPC and Dr. Brett Kennedy, PsyD.
This is the same material used in our live, professional training sessions, now available in a 6-hour, automated course you can view at your own pace on any device with streaming video capability. It’s drawn from decades of clinical experience and expertise, current research trends, and the FITS-IA treatment approach.
To celebrate the launch of this automated course, we’re offering enrollment at a special, introductory price. There’s never been a better time to take this professional training on digital media overuse and internet addiction.
Work Effectively with the Digital Media Overuse Issues that Hinder Progress for the People You Serve.
Too much screen time is a problem area for people of all ages and commonly co-occurs with one or more of these factors: declining academic performance, workplace performance issues, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and behavioral problems.
- But how do you approach screen time issues with clients effectively?
- Where is the line between digital media overuse and addiction?
- When does problematic internet use or digital media overuse require treatment?
And, most importantly:
If a change to digital media behaviors is necessary… where can you find resources on effective interventions?
Course for Professional Training
Introduction to Digital Media Overuse: Assessment, Intervention, & Treatment gives participants a foundational and clinical understanding of the FITS-IA treatment approach developed and refined by leaders in the field of digital media overuse and addiction Tracy Markle, LPC and Dr. Brett Kennedy, PsyD.
This is the same material used in our live, professional training sessions, now available in a 6-hour, automated course you can view at your own pace on any device with streaming video capability. It’s drawn from decades of clinical experience and expertise, current research trends, and the FITS-IA treatment approach.
To celebrate the launch of this automated course, we’re offering enrollment at a special, introductory price. There’s never been a better time to take this professional training on digital media overuse and internet addiction.
Who needs this professional training on digital media overuse and addiction?
If you work with clients, students or patients who want to make changes in their lives, but can’t seem to overcome the digital media habits creating a barrier to their progress, this course is for you:
- Therapists
- Educators
- Medical providers
- Professionals working in the helping or educational fields
- Students of the helping or educational fields
If you encounter client situations like this in your work, you’ll benefit from this course.
- College student needing help with low motivation and procrastination resulting in academic failure. He also spends 10-12 hours a day playing video games.
- Parent seeking help for their 11 year-old who becomes aggressive when an attempt is made to stop him from playing Fortnite or Roblox.
- Teen girl sending explicit pictures of herself to others due to social pressure and wanting to fit in.
- Young woman with social anxiety and depression says that scrolling through social media and watching videos helps her cope.
- Husband in couple’s therapy complains his wife ignores his attempts to connect with her because she’s absorbed in her phone, scrolling on social media and playing mobile games.
- Man hasn’t been physically intimate with his wife in some time because he only gets aroused by online pornography.
- Young man experiencing “failure to launch” lives with his parents, sleeps all day, and plays video games all night. His parents never let him experience any of the negative consequences of his actions. They pay for his therapy and wonder how long it will take the therapist to “fix” him.
Some of these people are struggling with internet addiction, but most are not. What is true of all of them is that their digital media overuse is making it impossible to address the underlying issues negatively affecting their lives. Without protocols and procedures in place to treat the digital media overuse, no professional is going to be able to help them make lasting changes.
Based on the FITS-IA Approach
This professional training is based on the FITS-IA approach. FITS-IA is a systemic treatment approach that prioritizes involvement from both the individual and the family. It provides protocols and procedures for you to:
- Eliminate the negative impacts of digital media overuse
- Teach and implement healthy digital media habits.
- Support recovery and long-term change for individuals and families
- Improve family relationships
- Teach effective emotional regulation and self-care skills
- Support interpersonal relationships through face-to-face social connections and community engagement.
Hear how we helped a teenager tackle problematic social media use with the FITS-IA approach
On “The Screenagers Podcast,” Tracy Markle tells host Dr. Delaney Ruston how she approached working with a teen and her mom to tackle social media overuse. The teen was struggling in high school, not going to class, avoiding engaging with peers, and isolating in her bedroom. Anxiety was a particular complaint and the teen was spending upwards of 12 hours a day on social media.
A Success Story
After 6 months of treatment, the teen was able to demonstrate control over her social media use, improve her relationship with her mother and even go to school without her phone because she knew it helped alleviate her anxiety.
The Course Modules
Module 1: Intro to Digital Media Overuse
In this section, you’ll learn the difference between digital media overuse and addiction. We’ll cover the short history of behavioral addictions officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association up to the DSM-5-TR, and the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision. We’ll also review two avenues for behavioral addiction treatment: abstinence and harm reduction. Including what those look like for clients with digital media overuse issues.Module 2: Brain Science, Research, and Persuasive Design
We spend a lot of time on psycho-education during our assessment process, so this module reviews the key factors that lead to digital media overuse: brain science, development, and persuasive design. Participants will learn the latest research findings as well as a brief history of behavioral psychology and its impact on digital media today.Module 3: Problematic Gaming & Compulsive Spending
In this module we begin our review of the 5 types of digital media overuse with a focus on gaming and compulsive spending. Here’s what you’ll learn.
- The common factors and diagnoses that often accompany these conditions
- How gaming disorder is recognized in the ICD-11 and the Appendix of the DSM-5.
- Why we rarely diagnose children with addictions
Problematic Gaming/Gaming Disorder
- Four categories of games that are most problematic for users
- An analog gaming alternative that, when utilized effectively, can be implemented as part of a harm reduction approach.
- Typical motivations for gamers to game
- Intervention and treatment protocols for problematic gaming or gaming disorder.
Compulsive Spending
- The many forms compulsive spending can take online
- Focus on the most common form of compulsive spending we see in treatment: In-game spending
- The various types of in-game spending
- How persuasive design is employed to get users spending compulsively in games
- Key interventions to employ for compulsive in-game spending.
Module 4: Social Media, Information Overload, and Pornography
We conclude our review of the 5 types of digital media overuse with social media, information overload, and pornography. Here’s what you’ll learn:
Problematic Social Media Use/Social Media “Addiction”
- The latest research on the reach and affects of social media on individuals, generations, and societies.
- Affects of social research on mental health, development, and social-emotional well-being.
- Interventions for problematic social media use and addiction.
Information Overload
- A definition of information overload and common profiles of people drawn to it
- Common platforms where information overload takes place and the different needs fulfilled by different content.
- Interventions for information overload.
Online Pornography
- Review the different kinds of interactive sexual behaviors facilitated by online platforms that can become problematic for users.
- The science behind online pornography’s effects on the brain and how these effects are aided by persuasive design.
- A review of the debate between psychologists over the legitimacy of sex addiction and the difference between pornography addiction and sex addiction.
- Common complaints reported by heavy online pornography users
- A review of the World Health Organization’s adoption of compulsive sexual behavior disorder, in the ICD-11.
- Interventions for problematic pornography use and addiction
- Key areas to help you assess the degree and severity of a client’s use
Module 5: Assessment
This section is a detailed review of the protocols and processes we use to complete a thorough, comprehensive assessment that looks at the intersecting biological, psychological, and social factors critical in treating digital media overuse and contributing to a fuller understanding of the client. Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Essential tools and components of an effective clinical assessment.
- Including all members of the family who are immediately impacted
- Identifying the presence of digital media overuse and co-occurring disorders, how they’re triggering the overuse problem, and clarifying recommendations for the client.
- Following the tenets of the biopsychosocial assessment process.
- Understanding the symptoms, personality traits, and diagnostic criteria for digital media overuse and addiction.
- Providing appropriate referrals and engaging in appropriate collaboration
- An introduction to the threat assessment developed by dTEC® that we perform in addition to a typical threat assessment to address some of the very specific concerns with digital media overuse and addiction.
Module 6: The FITS-IA® Approach
This section is a detailed review of all the critical components necessary to effectively implement the FITS-IA® (Family engagement, Integrated Treatment, Social connection-Internet Addiction) approach.- You’ll receive basic knowledge about assessing family members, evaluating parenting factors linked to digital media overuse, and key components of developing a family agreement to minimize or eliminate digital media overuse.
- The Integrated treatment component is reviewed and key components are discussed to include in your treatment setting.
- Social connection and important factors and treatment approaches that promote social recovery are discussed
Learning Objectives
- Develop an understanding of the FITS-IA® treatment approach and the critical components required to effectively use it.
- Identify the 5 types of digital media overuse (DMO).
- Differentiate between DMO and digital media addiction.
- Identify and understand the common co-occurring symptoms, behaviors and diagnoses associated with DMO.
- Recognize effective harm reduction and abstinence-based approaches to the intervention and treatment of DMO.
Get Real Techniques from Therapists Who Treat Digital Media Overuse Every Day.
- Assessment, intervention and treatment protocols for all five types of digital media overuse
- Symptoms, personality traits, and diagnostic criteria for digital media overuse and addiction
- Effective harm reduction and abstinence-based approaches
- Key components of developing a family agreement to minimize or eliminate digital media overuse
Study at your own pace.
Use any device that streams video.
Just one payment.
No subscriptions.
One-time Payment. No Subscriptions.
Instructors:
Tracy Markle, MA, LPC
& Dr. Brett Kennedy, Psy.D., CSAT
Used to Train Professionals at these Organizations
Instructors Featured On
Digital Media Treatment & Education Center (dTEC®) Co-Directors Tracy Markle and Dr. Brett Kennedy have been featured on the following platforms as part of their mission to educate others on the latest research and treatment of digital media overuse and addiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is This Course For?
This course is intended for professionals and students who seek foundational and clinical information about digital media overuse and addiction issues. Professionals include, but are not limited to, psychologists, licensed professional counselors, licensed professional counselor candidates, addiction counselors, marriage & family therapists, social workers, educators, school counselors, occupational therapists, nurses, physicians, other health-related professionals.
Who Teaches This Course?
It’s designed and taught by nationally renowned digital media overuse and addiction experts Tracy Markle, MA, LPC, founder of the Digital Media Treatment & Education Center (dTEC®) in Boulder, Colorado and dTEC® co-director Dr. Brett Kennedy, Psy. D. Both Tracy and Dr. Kennedy have specialized in digital media overuse and addiction treatment and education for over twenty years. They’ve conducted this training for mental healthcare providers, addiction treatment professionals, healthcare providers, educators, mental health advocates, and students.
How Long is This Course?
The course is a total of 6 hours divided into several short lessons that can be reviewed at your own pace.
What is FITS-IA®?
FITS-IA® is an evidence-based treatment approach for digital media overuse & addiction developed by Tracy Markle, founder of the Digital Media Treatment & Education Center. It stands for Family engagement, Integrated Treatment, Social connection — Internet Addiction. FITS-IA® assesses and treats those struggling with DMO in the context of their functioning within their families and social systems in order to implement real-time, effective intervention and treatment approaches to stabilize the compulsive behaviors and treat common co-occurring diagnoses, such as social anxiety and depression. Participants of the course will have the opportunity to conceptualize the FITS-IA® approach.
How Long Do I Have Access to the Course?
Course participants have access to the automated course for 90 days from purchase. They also receive a 90-page downloadable workbook with key insights from the course and room to take notes.
What Kind of Tech Do I Need to Access the Course?
You can view the course on any device with internet access and video streaming capability. Including mobile devices.
What Else Do I Get With the Course?
A 90-page, illustrated, downloadable workbook with key insights from the course and room to take notes, plus a certificate of completion when you finish.
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