Procrastination and Mental Blocks
The Ultimate Toolbox of Strategies for ADHD, Executive Functioning Deficits & More
- Speaker:
- Justin Lyons, MS, OTR/L
- Duration:
- 4 Hours 15 Minutes
- Language:
- Presented in EN, subtitles in EN and FR, handouts in EN and FR
- Format:
- Audio and Video
- Copyright:
-
Jan 12, 2026
- Product Code:
- POS150522
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar - Also available: Live Webinar
Description
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
Credit
Program Information
Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationshipsAll 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.
NOTE: Tuition includes one free CE Certificate (participant will be able to print the certificate of completion after passing the online post-test (80% passing score) and completing the evaluation). Instructional methods will include PowerPoint, didactic lecture, and others.
Continuing Education Information: Listed below are the continuing education credit(s) currently available for this non-interactive self-study package. Program content is reviewed periodically per accrediting board rules for currency and appropriateness for credit. Credit approvals are subject to change. Please note, your licensing board dictates whether self-study is an acceptable form of continuing education, as well as which credit types are acceptable for continuing education hours. Please refer to your licensing board's rules and regulations. If your profession is not listed, please contact your licensing board to determine your continuing education requirements and check for reciprocal approval.
For other credit inquiries not specified below, please contact info@pesi.com or 800-844-8260 before purchase.
Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of your profession. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your profession's standards.
For Planning Committee disclosures, please see the statement above. For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.
Earn up to 4.0 CE hours. Please see below, for more details, as credit amounts vary by jurisdiction and profession.
PESI, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association to offer continuing education for counsellors and psychotherapists. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the program. This self-study activity is approved for 4.0 credit hours.

PESI, Inc., #1062, 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: January 27, 2026 - January 27, 2029. Social workers completing this course receive 4.0 Clinical continuing education credits.
Course Level: Intermediate Format: Recorded asynchronous distance. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance.
Canadian Social Workers: Canadian provinces may accept activities offered by providers approved by the ASWB ACE program for ongoing professional development.
This self-study activity qualifies for 4.0 continuing education clock hours as required by many national and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Save your activity advertisement and certificate of completion, and contact your own board or organization for specific requirements.

This self-study course has been approved by PESI, Inc., as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #77553. PESI, Inc. is responsible for all aspects of their programming.
This self-study course offers 4.0 continuing education contact hours in the Counseling Services skill group. Full attendance is required; no partial credit will be awarded for partial attendance.

PESI, Inc. is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Nurses completing these self-study materials will earn 4.0 contact hours. Expires: 01/05/2029.
Handouts
| File type | File name | Number of pages | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual - Procrastination and Mental Blocks (12.2 MB) | 72 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Manual - Procrastination and Mental Blocks - French (12.2 MB) | 72 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Manual - Procrastination and Mental Blocks - Italian (12.2 MB) | 72 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Manual - Procrastination and Mental Blocks - German (12.2 MB) | 72 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Manual - Procrastination and Mental Blocks - Spanish (12.2 MB) | 72 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Speaker
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
Program Information
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)Access never expires for this product.
Questions?
Visit our FAQ page at https://www.pesicanada.ca/faq or contact us at https://www.pesicanada.ca/contact-us.
Objectives
- Differentiate the functional roles of mesolimbic and mesocortical dopamine pathways in regulating motivation, valuation, and task initiation.
- Evaluate how dopamine dysregulation contributes to motivational challenges in ADHD and other neurodiverse populations.
- Choose sensory-motor and movement-based interventions to regulate arousal and dopamine signaling, to promote motivation and persistence in ADHD and other neurodiverse populations.
- 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
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