Your source of online continuing education for counselors

Welcome to Connections Counseling

We have a clinical and a continuing education mission

To empower clinicians and relieve distress.

Clinical Mission

The primary purpose is to relieve distress that occurs when people have mental health or substance abuse problems. Connections Counseling Psychotherapy LCSW PLLC is a group of therapists who are passionate about the practice. (See About Us). We’re currently focusing on Motivational Interviewing (Tina), on supervision (Lynne), on couples’ work, addictions and trauma (Ruth), on developmentally-based psychotherapy and couples’ work (Richard), on trauma-informed mental health counseling and existential therapy (Andrew). We work with, and refer to, Afua Forson, MD, who specializes in attachment-based therapy, marriage and family therapy, and trauma work. Our intern, Ahlena, will be seeing individuals in therapy who are beginning to work on trauma. We’re working with clients in both NYC and New Paltz. For insurance information, see About Insurance. Give us a call (845-255-5022) to schedule an appointment. Most clinicians are doing only virtual work at this time.
We are accepting new clients, though we have a three-month wait list for trauma work.

Educational Mission

We are making three free webinar courses available for clinicians in 2024-2025. Healing the Opioid Crisis with M.O.R.E. describes the mindfulness oriented method which has had proven success with opioid misuse, and is presented by its creator, Eric Garland, Ph.D., LCSW. Essential CBT for Substance Use Disorders describes and demonstrates the use of CBT with substances for which it has had proven success: alcohol, marijuana, and stimulants. It is presented by Ruth Campbell, LCSW, Ph.D. and Richard Coleman, LMSW. Ethics for the Counseling Professions describes a harms and benefits analysis of ethical dilemmas in three challenging areas: the use of technology, work with immigrants, and substance use disorders. It is presented by Tim Campbell, Ph.D., a bioethics researcher with the Institute for Futures Studies. The free courses are connected with research studies. Read more about the courses by clicking on the links. The goal of the continuing education program of Connections Counseling Psychotherapy LCSW PLLC is to ensure that clinicians have access to affordable, high quality education in their field. A secondary goal is to perform research that would result in knowledge about the effectiveness and sustainability of evidence based clinical practices. The latest publication that has come from Connections CEs research is available online at: Campbell, R., Dewan, S. (2023). Organizational facilitation of Latino substance use disorder treatment: Impact of COVID-19, Health Equity, 7-1, 722-730. DOI: 10.1089/heq.2022.0184.

Why should you take a course with us?

There are plenty of reasons, but here are a few:

Recognized Content

Courses that are not only informative and engaging, but also recognized by some of the most prestigious organizations in the field

Approved CEs

Courses have been approved by the New York State Education Department to sponsor continuing education for NYS social workers (#SW-0747) and mental health counselors (#MHC-0272), marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0115) and Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselors (NYSOASAS ETP #1435)

Highest Standards

We maintain responsibility for this program and its content. This means that when you take a course with us you can be confident that it will meet the rigorous standards set by these organizations.

About the courses at Connections Counseling

Years of Practice | Based in NY state

Connections Counseling, PLLC has been formed to benefit persons with distress. The training arm of the organization (Connections CEs) also has been formed to benefit clinicians who work in the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Mental Health (MH) fields. Our belief is that clinicians benefit from continuing education in Best Practices, and the result of the dissemination of Best Practice coursework is better treatment, better health and better mental health.

Our Mission

“Our primary goal is to relieve distress that occurs when people have mental health or substance abuse problems. A secondary goal is to ensure that clinicians have access to affordable, high quality education in their field