9 Hours / 9 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Cultivating Emotional Balance is presented by Paul Ekman, PhD, Eve Ekman, MSW, PhD, and Ryan Redman, MA.

Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB) is an educational training committed to utilizing the experience of emotion as a path for supporting a constructive emotional life and cultivating genuine happiness. By integrating the wisdom traditions of modern psychology, current emotion research, and contemplative practices, CEB provides a secular platform for transformation. This program implements guided meditation instruction, emotion mapping, group activities, partner reflections, and an in-depth investigation of universal emotions.

In this program, participants develop attention, restore motivation, identify the root causes of enduring happiness, discuss burnout, explore contempt and shame, investigate different pathways of empathy, practice self-compassion, and build connections through vulnerability and trust. Ultimately, with the tools of CEB, we can draw upon our human capacity to wisely and compassionately actualize individual and collective well-being and establish a wholesome relationship with the planet.

 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe emotional and conative intelligence through group discussions and introspective practices
  • 2 Describe cutting edge research from Neuroscience and Affective Psychology on emotion, empathy, burnout, and compassion
  • 3 Describe a cause/effect model of personal and professional burnout and apply the model to life at work, home and with colleagues
  • 4 Describe and investigate sources of enduring happiness, purpose, and meaning
  • 5 Describe mindfulness skills for working with emotion at work and throughout the day
  • 6 Describe contempt, disgust, shame and guilt and learn remedies for working with these difficult emotions
  • 7 Describe communication skills for establishing trust, vulnerability, compassionate listening, and emotional resilience
  • 8 Describe relationship skills for avoiding empathic distress

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for mental health and allied professionals who want to enhance their skills in cultivating emotional balance and well-being through evidence-based practices such as emotion regulation, mindfulness, and self-compassion. It is suitable for those specializing in clinical psychology, counseling, and related mental health fields focused on supporting emotional health.

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Clinical psychologist
    • Counselor or therapist
    • Social worker
    • Marriage and family therapist
    • School psychologist or counselor
    • Allied professional in mental health and wellness

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at all experience levels who wish to deepen their understanding and application of emotional balance in clinical and personal contexts.

    Beginner:
    New to contemplative practices or emotion-focused interventions; seeking foundational knowledge of emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and the integration of current emotion research into practice.

    Intermediate:
    Familiar with basic mindfulness and emotion regulation strategies; looking to expand skills in emotion mapping, group facilitation, and addressing complex emotions such as shame, contempt, and burnout.

    Advanced:
    Experienced in applying contemplative and evidence-based approaches; interested in refining advanced skills in self-compassion, empathic communication, and facilitating transformative group processes.

  • Practice Setting

    Mental health and allied professionals who participate in this training typically work in environments dedicated to supporting emotional well-being and psychological health. These settings are designed to foster safety, confidentiality, and trust, enabling clients to explore and address emotional challenges. Professionals may work individually with clients, facilitate group sessions, or collaborate within multidisciplinary teams. Their practice environments often emphasize evidence-based interventions, ongoing professional development, and a commitment to holistic care.

    • Outpatient mental health clinics
    • Private therapy or counseling offices
    • Community mental health centers
    • Hospitals and integrated healthcare systems
    • School counseling or psychology departments
    • University counseling centers
    • Employee assistance programs (EAPs)
    • Nonprofit organizations focused on mental health and wellness
    • Residential treatment facilities
    • Telehealth or virtual therapy platforms

Presented By

Eve Ekman, MSW, PhD, Senior Fellow at the University of California Berkeley Greater Good Science Center,

Eve Ekman is a Senior Fellow at the University of California Berkeley Greater Good Science Center, Director of Cultivating Emotional Balance Training Program and volunteer clinical faculty at the UCSF Department of Pediatrics. Ekman draws from an interdisciplinary set of skills and knowledge from her professional work and personal practice in clinical social work, integrative medicine, emotional awareness, contemplative science, and meditation

View More Programs from this Presenter
Eve Ekman, MSW, PhD

Presented By

Ryan Redman, MA, Co-founder and the Executive Director of the Flourish Foundation

Ryan has been teaching meditation for the past 20 years. Ryan is a co-founder and the Executive Director of the Flourish Foundation, a social-profit dedicated to inspiring systemic change through heartmind cultivation promoting personal well-being, benevolent social action, and environmental stewardship. Ryan has created and facilitated a number of workshops and retreats for healthcare providers, educators, and mental health professionals domestically and abroad. In addition to working at the Flourish Foundation, Ryan leads teacher trainings in North America for Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB) and co-founded Cultivting Emotional Balance Inc. with Dr. Eve Ekman and Lani Potts. Ryan has served a pivotal role in developing curriculum for both CEB teachers and students internationally. Through his work at Flourish and CEB, Ryan continues to pursue his passion of creating and facilitating programs that inspire social change and community development through ethics and values, meditation, and experiential inquiry. Ryan is actively involved in local community service as a Rotarian and a Hospice volunteer. Along with his love for teaching and philanthropy, Ryan is a devoted husband and father of two growing boys. With his family he enjoys gardening, backpacking, hiking, unicyling, Nordic skiing, soccer, and surfing.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Ryan Redman, MA

Presented By

Paul Ekman, PhD, Paul Ekman Group LLC

Dr. Paul Ekman, Professor Emeritus in Psychology at UCSF, is the co-discoverer of micro expressions and a pioneer in facial expression, deception, and emotion research. He has authored fourteen books and more than 100 published articles, holds several honorary doctoral degrees, and was named in Time's 2009 list of “100 Most Influential People in the World. Dr. Ekman’s current work emerges from his close relationship with the Dalai Lama and has resulted in a focus on emotional awareness and global compassion.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Paul Ekman, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Introduction to Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB), history, lineage, and group guidelines

  • Exploring happiness and the purpose of human life, along with practices like Harvesting Joy and the 4 Balances

  • Identifying emotional imbalances: Hyper (fear, anger), Hypo (callousness, depersonalization), and Dysfunctional (boundary loss)

  • Personal examples of emotional imbalances across conative, attention, and cognitive areas

  • Restoring conative balance through practices like Journaling, Dyads, and Reflection

  • Understanding universal emotions, display rules, and the three-phase timeline of emotions

  • Mindfulness techniques: Present-centered, retrospective, and prospective mindfulness to cultivate attention and steady the mind

  • The process of developing attention with practices like counting, labeling, and meditation reflection

  • Group activity on contempt and disgust triggers, practicing empathetic joy as an antidote

  • Exploring shame, guilt, and the neuro-scientific pathways of empathy, self-compassion, and compassion practices

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE 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-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.