Procrastination & Mental Blocks

CPD

Faculty

Justin Lyons, MS, OTR/L Related seminars and products

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Justin Lyons, MS, OTR/L, is a licensed occupational therapist and professional life and mindset coach specializing in motivation, executive functioning, and social-emotional development across the lifespan. As the founder of Special Connects, he designs innovative social and fitness programs that blend sensory-motor activities, movement, and experiential games to foster connection, strength, and sustained motivation. His signature programs, including Fit-Fun-Connect, serve both adolescents and older adults, showcasing his expertise in tailoring interventions for neurodiverse and developmentally diverse populations.

With extensive experience in private schools, sensory clinics, home-based therapy, vocational support center, and camp settings, Justin bridges evidence-based OT principles with practical strategies to build executive functioning skills and persistence. Certified as an Irlen Diagnostician and Clinical Primitive Reflex Specialist, he brings a unique blend of clinical expertise, program development, and life coaching to his lectures and workshops – delivering neuroscience-based tools with humor, curiosity, and a genuine passion for connection.
 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Justin Lyons is the owner of Special Connects, LLC and has an employment relationship with Community Mainstreaming Associates. He is an independent contractor for the Department of Education, NYC. Justin Lyons receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Justin Lyons has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Additional Info

Access never expires for this product.

For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com.

Objectives

1. Differentiate the functional roles of mesolimbic and mesocortical dopamine pathways in regulating motivation, valuation, and task initiation.
2. Evaluate how dopamine dysregulation contributes to motivational challenges in ADHD and other neurodiverse populations.
3. Choose sensory-motor and movement-based interventions to regulate arousal and dopamine signaling, to promote motivation and persistence.
4. Integrate neurolinguistic strategies, including growth mindset and internal dialogue reframing, with movement-based approaches to strengthen motivation and executive functioning outcomes.
5. Apply intervention strategies to clinical cases representing diverse populations and presentations.
6. Choose techniques for introducing motivation strategies to clients of varying ages and cognitive levels.

Outline

1. MODULE 1: Why “Try Harder” Never Works

• The neuroscience behind the gap between knowing and doing
  • How dopamine actually works (hint: it’s not about pleasure)
  • The two reward pathways most clinicians don’t know about – and why they matter
  • Time blindness: Why your client can’t “just plan ahead”
  • ADHD-related avoidance vs. anxiety-driven procrastination: Assessment questions that reveal the root
  • Case discussion: Identify what’s actually blocking your client

1. MODULE 2: Rewiring the Inner Critic

• Neurolinguistic strategies that shift self-defeating narratives
  • “What you speak is what you get”: Language patterns that build – or destroy – motivation
  • Scripts for reframing effort, failure, and ”laziness”
  • Growth mindset in practice (beyond the buzzword)
  • Role-play demonstration: Coaching conversations that actually land
  • Hands-on: “Rewiring  Self-Talk” worksheet practice

1. MODULE 3: From Stuck to Started

• Behavioral tools for initiation, persistence, and follow-through
  • The ABC framework: Scaling goals to energy (not willpower)
  • Implementation intentions: The science of “if/then” planning
  • Environmental scaffolding that makes the right choice the easy choice
  • Adapting strategies for kids, teens, and adults
  • Hands-on: “If/Then Plan” client handout walkthrough

1. MODULE 4: Body First, Brain Follows

• Sensory and movement strategies that bypass cognitive resistance
  • Why movement isn’t just a break – it’s a brain primer
  • 12+ sensory strategies to regulate arousal before demanding tasks
  • 12+ movement-based activation techniques (including the “finger skiing” method)
  • Adapting for clinic, school, home, and workplace settings
  • Hands-on: Task Tension Sprint + Brain-Body Start-Up Sequence

1. MODULE 5: Putting It All Together

• Case studies and clinical application across populations
  • Case 1: Adolescent with ADHD and school refusal
  • Case 2: Adult professional with executive dysfunction and perfectionism
  • Case 3: Child with sensory processing differences and task avoidance
  • Group intervention planning: Select strategies for each case
  • Integration exercise: Build a plan for YOUR caseload

Target Audience

• Occupational Therapists
• Psychologists
• Counsellors & Therapists
• Social Workers
• School-Based Clinicians
• ADHD Coaches
• Speech-Language Pathologists
• Rehabilitation Professionals
• Especially valuable if you work with:
  • Children, teens, or adults with ADHD
  • Clients with executive functional challenges
  • Neurodiverse populations (autism, learning differences)
  • Anyone who struggles with motivation, initiation, or persistence