The Psychology of Peak Experiences

The Psychology of Peak Experiences (2HR)

$32.00

Course Description

Peak experiences—moments of deep joy, insight, and transcendence—play a vital role in psychological well-being and personal growth. In this webinar we will explore the psychological foundations of peak experiences, drawing from humanistic psychology, positive psychology, and neuroscience to understand their transformative impact. You will learn how to help clients cultivate, integrate, and sustain these experiences to enhance resilience, meaning, and overall life satisfaction. Through experiential exercises and case discussions, you will gain practical strategies to support clients in accessing and applying peak experiences for lasting psychological benefits.

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

Identify the characteristics and psychological significance of peak experiences in personal and therapeutic contexts.
Describe the cognitive, emotional, and neurological mechanisms that contribute to the occurrence of peak experiences.
Implement therapeutic strategies to help clients cultivate and integrate peak experiences to foster resilience, fulfillment, and personal growth.

Social workers completing this course receive 2 Clinical asynchronous continuing education credits.

For other board approvals, this course qualifies for 2 hours of Clinical continuing education training.

Course Instructor: Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW

Recording Date: 12/12/2025

Course Format

NBCC ACEP # 7091, CE Training Workshops has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP #7091. Programs that do not qualify are clearly identified. CE Training Workshops is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. CE Training Workshops designates this continuing education activity for 3 continuing education hours.

CE Training Workshops, LLC, #1770, 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: 08/02/2025 to 08/02/2028. Social workers completing this course receive 3 Clinical continuing education credits.

Meet Your Facilitator

Dreya Blume, LCSW, has traveled a long and winding road to arrive where she is today,as a therapist, coach, author, and group facilitator.

She has taught English in Thailand, Japan, Australia, and Hawaii. She has worked in psychiatric wards, served as a case manager, and eventually launched her own private therapy practice.

She has taught part-time as an adjunct professor for over twenty years, led multi-day international retreats, and written seventeen books, with an eighteenth on the way.

Syllabus

Introduction

This course explores the nature of peak experiences and their psychological and therapeutic significance. Participants will examine how moments of heightened meaning, connection, and presence influence mental health and how clinicians can help clients recognize, cultivate, and integrate these experiences to support resilience and growth.

Objective 1: Identify the Characteristics and Significance of Peak Experiences

Participants will explore the historical foundations of peak experience research and the defining qualities that distinguish these moments from everyday experiences. The course will examine how peak experiences influence well-being, identity, and long-term mental health.

Objective 2: Describe Cognitive, Emotional, and Neurological Mechanisms

This section focuses on the brain processes associated with peak experiences. Participants will explore how shifts in attention, emotional regulation, and quieting of the mind support entry into “the zone,” with particular attention to the role of the Default Mode Network and related neural systems.

Objective 3: Implement Therapeutic Strategies to Support Peak Experiences

Participants will learn practical approaches for introducing the concept of peak experiences to clients and helping them integrate these moments into daily life. A range of clinical strategies will be reviewed to foster resilience, fulfillment, and personal growth through intentional engagement with peak experiences.

Summary and Q&A

The course concludes with a review of key concepts and an opportunity for reflection and discussion to support clinical application.