Enhance your practice with this exceptional Masterclass.
Invisible No More: Psychotherapy for Clients with Autoimmune Disease
Invisible No More:
Psychotherapy for Clients with Autoimmune Disease Masterclass
Expand your knowledge and grow your practice with this foundational continuing education course for mental health professionals on understanding, validating, and supporting clients with autoimmune diseases—an often invisible and misunderstood group—through every stage of their illness journey.
Invisible No More:
Psychotherapy for Clients with Autoimmune Disease Masterclass
Expand your knowledge and grow your practice with this foundational continuing education course for mental health professionals on understanding, validating, and supporting clients with autoimmune diseases—an often invisible and misunderstood group—through every stage of their illness journey.
Invisible Illness, Visible Impact: Therapeutic Tools for Working with Autoimmune Disease
Mental health professionals are increasingly encountering clients living with autoimmune diseases—yet few have been trained to understand or support this population. Autoimmune conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis can be life-altering, often invisible, and deeply misunderstood, even in clinical settings.
This groundbreaking course equips therapists with the insight, sensitivity, and clinical tools to work effectively and compassionately with clients living with autoimmune disease. Drawing from lived experience, clinical practice, and emerging research, this training bridges the gap between physical illness and psychological care.
You’ll learn how to validate complex, often dismissed symptoms, avoid common therapeutic pitfalls, and provide trauma-informed support from pre-diagnosis to long-term coping. Whether you're new to this population or looking to deepen your competency, this course offers essential guidance for making your practice more inclusive, informed, and empowering.
Meet Your Instructor:
Nicoletta C. Skoufalos, PhD
| Nicoletta C. Skoufalos, PhD, is a psychoanalytically oriented clinical psychologist specializing in the intersection of chronic illness and mental health. With over a decade of experience treating individuals living with autoimmune diseases, Dr. Skoufalos brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to her work. She is a passionate advocate for greater understanding and visibility of invisible illnesses in psychotherapy and has contributed to multiple organizations dedicated to supporting individuals with autoimmune conditions. Her work aims to foster more compassionate, informed care for marginalized medical populations. |
This course awards 10.0 CE Credits.
Format: Text-based with video
Multiple Choice Questions: 48
CE Credits: 10.0
Instructional Level: Intermediate
Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Identify the clinical and psychological challenges commonly experienced by individuals with autoimmune diseases.
Describe the impact of delayed diagnosis and medical invalidation on mental health.
Recognize the trauma and identity disruption associated with receiving an autoimmune diagnosis.
Apply psychoeducational and therapeutic strategies that validate client experiences and foster resilience.
Avoid common therapeutic pitfalls that may inadvertently reinforce stigma or dismissal.
Integrate knowledge of autoimmune diseases into case conceptualization and treatment planning.
Target Audience: Psychologists, Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), Marriage & Family Therapists (LMFT), Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC),
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, Behavioral Health Coaches and Case Managers, Graduate Students and Interns in Mental Health Fields
Approval Statements
American Psychological Association
The Hatherleigh Company, Ltd. is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Hatherleigh Company, Ltd. maintains responsibility for the program and its content.
National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.
The Hatherleigh Company, Ltd. is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved CE credit hours for programs that meet NBCC requirements. Programs for which NBCC-approved CE credit hours will be awarded are identified on the Website. The ACEP is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. Our NBCC provider number is #5448.
National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC)
The Hatherleigh Company, Ltd., is approved by the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) . Our NAADAC provider number is #62695.
Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
The Hatherleigh Company is approved by the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services for New York State which covers Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors (CASAC); Credentialed Prevention Professionals (CPP); and Credentialed Prevention Specialists (CPS). Our OASAS provider number is 0011.
Course curriculum
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A message from your instructor
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How to use this course
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Before we begin...
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Introduction to Lesson 1
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Autoimmune Disease: The Invisible Illness
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Test your learning
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Introduction to Lesson 2
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The Role of Trauma: Pre-Diagnosis and Beyond
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Test your learning
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Introduction to Lesson 3
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Loss, Grief, and Repeat…
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Test your learning
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Introduction to Lesson 4
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The When and What to Say
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Test your learning
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Introduction to Lesson 5
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Common Defenses & Reactions
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Test your learning
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About this course
- $179.00
- 29 lessons
- 0.5 hours of video content