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Digital Seminar

Procrastination and Mental Blocks

The Ultimate Toolbox of Strategies for ADHD, Executive Functioning Deficits & More

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Not yet rated
Speaker:
Justin Lyons, MS, OTR/L
Duration:
4 Hours 15 Minutes
Copyright:
12 Jan, 2026
Product Code:
POS150522
Media Type:
Digital Seminar
Access:
Never expires.


Description

  • 20+ movement and sensory strategies to spark attention and action
  • Turnkey solutions to enhance motivation and executive functioning
  • Client handouts to teach self-talk, if/then plans & more to replace avoidance with action

 

I can’t count how many times I’ve heard it: “I want to … I just can’t get myself to do it.”

They’ve got the insight. The plan. The support.

But still – no follow-through.

I’ve been there too. As both a clinician and a coach, I’ve worked with neurodiverse kids, teens, and adults who had the insight, the goals, and even the support – but still couldn’t move forward. And no amount of “try harder” advice ever helped.

That gap between knowing and doing used to frustrate me, too. Until I realized the problem wasn’t discipline – it was how we define and activate motivation.

This training was born out of the challenges I’ve faced with neurodiverse clients who were labeled “lazy” or “unmotivated” – when in reality, their brains just needed a different approach.

In this workshop, I’ll show you what traditional models miss – how sensory processing, dopamine dysregulation, and executive dysfunction are at the heart of shutdowns, procrastination, and stuckness. And I’ll give you brain-based, body-informed strategies that actually work.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Leverage brain-body strategies to prime the brain for action
  • Teach discipline as a scaffolded skill, not a personality trait
  • Rewire self-talk and shift inner narratives to support sustainable change
  • Boost task initiation and follow-through with behavioral neuroscience-based tools

Whether you’re a mental health clinician or a rehab professional, you’ll walk away with clear, practical techniques you can use the next day – no fluff, no shame, and no cookie-cutter advice. Just real tools for real brains.

Justin Lyons, MS, OTR/L

CPD

Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.



CPD

This online program is worth 4.25 hours CPD.



Handouts

Speaker

Justin Lyons, MS, OTR/L's Profile

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


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 centers, and camp settings, Justin bridges evidence-based OT principles with practical strategies to build executive functioning skills and persistence. Certified as an ADHD Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP) and a Clinical Primitive Reflex Specialist (CPRCS), 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. He is an independent contractor with the New York Department of Education. 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 for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)

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 in ADHD and other neurodiverse populations.
  4. Integrate neurolinguistic strategies, including growth mindset and internal dialogue reframing, with movement-based approaches to strengthen motivation and executive functioning outcomes.

Outline

Neurobiology of Motivation

  • Dopamine and reward pathways in ADHD and executive dysfunction
  • Executive functioning deficits – the hidden culprit behind motivation and persistence struggles
  • Limitations of the research and potential risks

Mindset, Self-Talk & Neurolinguistic Strategies

  • Growth mindset principles applied to motivation and discipline
  • Identify and reframe self-defeating language
  • Coaching scripts for shifting client narratives around effort and failure
  • Neurolinguistic habits that can lead to lasting change and develop grit in clients
  • Experiential activity: “Rewiring Self-Talk” client worksheet

Behavioral Tools for Initiation and Persistence

  • ABC goals-setting framework: scaling goals to energy and motivation levels
  • Implementation intentions to overcome procrastination
  • Habit scaffolding and environmental cueing to support discipline
  • System supports: Tips for healthy family and educator involvement
  • Experiential activity: “If/Then Plan” client handout

Brain-Based Sensory & Movement Tools to Jumpstart Motivation

  • Sensory-motor input and movement as motivation activators
  • Regulate arousal through vestibular, proprioceptive, and tactile input
  • Sensory “primers” ‘to prep for cognitive or behavioral tasks
  • 10+ sensory strategies to prime attention and engagement
  • 10+ movement-based activation techniques for task initiation
  • Experiential activities: Task Tension Sprint and Brain-Body Start-Up Sequence

Target Audience

  • Counsellors
  • Social Workers
  • Addiction Counsellors
  • Therapists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Physical Therapists
  • Art Therapists
  • Physicians
  • Marriage and Family Therapists
  • Case Managers
  • Nurses
  • Health Coaches
  • Other behavioral health and rehab professionals

Reviews

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