Course Overview
Via live interactive webinar
Course Description:
Note: If you need to miss more up to one evening class, please contact us for make-up options. This course is not offered via on-demand because it is immersive and interactive.
6 consecutive Tuesdays from October 20th, 2026 through November 24th, 2026. Time–6:30 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. EST.
October 20, 2026
Week 1: Overview of Deconstructing Anxiety Theory
October 27, 2026
Week 2: Finding the Core Fear and Chief Defense
November 3, 2026
Week 3: The Alchemist: Asking “What Happens Next?”
November 10, 2026
Week 4: The Witness: Entering the Doorway of the Body
November 17, 2026
Week 5: The Warrior’s Stance and The Resisting Resistance Exercises
November 24, 2026
Week 6: Vision Questing: Transforming Fear into Fulfillment
With the revolutionary understanding that anxiety (fear) is at the root of all suffering, you will gain insight into the five core fears–“universal themes of loss”–we all share, including: abandonment (loss of love), loss of identity, loss of meaning, loss of purpose, and fear of death. We develop our primary defenses, usually early in childhood or at times of trauma, as our best attempt to protect ourselves from these fears, but always at too great a cost. This leaves us constantly holding vigil, on the lookout for the surfacing of the fear. We build our entire personality upon this fear-defended dynamic. When it spins out of control, an anxiety disorder develops.
The theory and techniques offered in this workshop, such as “The Alchemist”, “The Witness”, and “The Warrior’s Stance”, will teach you how to uncover the core fear and chief defense quickly and reliably. These will be understood as the architects of personality and the creators of our perceptual world. Armed with this knowledge, new strategies for “doing the opposite” of the chief defense and its secondary defenses have proven extremely successful in even the most anxious clients. Incorporating psychodynamics, mindfulness, Gestalt, CBT, and transpersonal psychology, participants will undergo the actual techniques being presented, making for a rich and highly experiential presentation.
At the deepest level, we will pinpoint the precise moment where resistance is created and how to release it. This leads to the ultimate goal of letting go "the resistance to resistance”, a key to transforming our entire view of Self and redefining the limits of the human experience. The way is then paved for the final section on “Vision Questing”, wherein the five core fears are fully resolved, and one may live their lives with a solid sense of identity, meaning, purpose, love, and even a true freedom from the fear of death.
Come prepared for an exciting adventure into the deepest regions of the unconscious, where the hidden fears at the source of our difficulties live, to bring them out into consciousness, available for rapid and lasting transformation.
Learning Objectives:
Upon the completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Describe how and why fear distorts our experience of objective truth.
- Explain why anxiety is posited as the true source of any kind of suffering.Define the terms “core fear” and “chief defense” according to Deconstructing Anxiety theory.
- List and describe the 5 universal core fears.List some common chief defenses in Western society.
- Trace the stages of personality development according to the DeconstructingAnxiety model.
- Explain why “all defenses backfire”.Apply the principle of “doing the opposite” of the chief defense for resolving anxiety.
- Distinguish the three ways of “doing the opposite” laid out in the model.
- Demonstrate the exercises for finding the Core Fear and Chief Defense.
- Utilize the Deconstructing Anxiety exercises for transforming fear into Fulfillment.
- Delineate the 5 component thoughts of the core defense of control.
- Identify and resolve the “Resistance to resistance” at the heart of all defenses.
- Describe the 5 Ingredients for Fulfillment.
- Facilitate the “Vision Questing” process.
Sources and Resources (click to expand):
Fitzke R. E., Marsh D. R., Prince M. A. (2021). A longitudinal investigation of themeaning-making model in midlife adults who have experienced trauma. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 70, 2878–2893. doi: 10.1002/jclp.23272
LaFreniere, L & Newman, M. (2020). Exposing worry’s deceit: Percentage ofuntrue worries in generalized anxiety disorder treatment. Behavior Therapy, 51(3),413-423.
Maddock, A., Blair, C. (2023). How do mindfulness-based programmes improve anxiety, depression and psychological distress? A systematic review. Current Psychology, 42,10200–10222. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02082-y
Maffly-Kipp, J., & others. (2024). When meaning in life protects against fear of death: The moderating role of self-alienation. Journal of Personality, 92(1),123–138. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12875?Wiley Online Library
Noda, S., Shirotsuki, K., & Nakao, M. (2024). Low-intensity mindfulness andcognitive–behavioral therapy for social anxiety: A pilot randomized controlledtrial. BMC Psychiatry, 24, 190. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-05651-0?SpringerLink
Park, C. (2022). Meaning making following trauma. Frontiers in Psychology,23(13). doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.844891Pressman, T. (2019). Deconstructing Anxiety: The Journey from Fear to Fulfillment. Rowman and Littlefield.
CE Credits: 15 CE Live Online Contact Hour(s)
Note: Live interactive webinar is considered the same as live in person by most states. Please confirm with your local board.
Core Wellness, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0569 and for mental health counselors, #MHC-0167, psychologists, #PSY-0236 and for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0142. Note: This course provides 15 Clinical Contact Hour(s) live online credits (via interactive webinar) or live in person.
Core Wellness, LLC is authorized by the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners to sponsor social work continuing education programs and maintains full responsibility for all programs. Our credits are accepted via reciprocity by the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Board of Psychologists. Please verify with your board.
ASWB ACE Approved
Core Wellness, LLC, #1745, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 5/18/2024 to 5/18/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 15 Clinical continuing education credits.
NBCC ACEP Approved
Core Wellness, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7094. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Core Wellness, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
APA Approved
Core Wellness, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Core Wellness, LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
APT Content
Upon purchase, all material (link to join the live/webinar, handout and evaluation form) instantly post to your account
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support@corewellceu.com Upon the submission of your evaluation form, the completion certificate is posted to your account
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Time Zone and Currency
All times listed are EST (New York time); All prices are in USD.
Cancellation, Policies and RefundsFee covers: Attendance, course material and CE award to those who complete the course. Registration is open until the course sells out (when this occurs, purchase option is disabled). Please contact us with any questions or for extenuating circumstance and we will try our best to help.
In person/Live webinars: Purchases made within 7 days of an in-person or live webinar are non-refundable. A full refund or site credit is available within 7 days of purchase. In person refunds incur a 10% administration fee after 24 hours pass from the time of purchase.
After the 7-day window, you may: A) Transfer your registration to a colleague B) Access the on-demand version C) Receive site credit valid for one year from purchase date.
On-Demand webinars: You have 7 days from purchase to request a refund. After 7 days—or once a completion certificate has been issued—refunds are no longer available.
Subscriptions: Are non-refundable after the initial 30-day trial, or after any videos have been completed or a single completion certificate has been issued. You may cancel at any time to avoid future renewals; access will continue through the end of the paid billing cycle.
We understand that extenuating circumstances or technical issues may arise, please contact us and we will try to find a mutual solution. For further questions, please see the
FAQ section or
contact us. In the rare event of a training cancellation, a notification and full refund (for the course fee only) will be automatically sent to you via your email on file.
Accessibility AccommodationsTo request an accommodation, please
contact us in writing with at least 30 days prior notice and we will do our best to fulfill your request.
The presenter and Core Wellness hereby declare that no conflict of interest, competing interest, or commercial support for the CE program are present. Presenter receives compensation for program delivery and sales as well as sales of his/her personal books and products.
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