Intended Audience & Objectives

Since its development in 1938, electroconvulsive therapy has remained a crucial part of the psychiatrist's armamentarium in the treatment of major mental illness. Continued research has resulted in numerous refinements in treatment technique. Recommendations in the last decade regarding optimal practice have included important new ideas regarding patient selection, stimulus dose titration, and outpatient maintenance strategies. The International Society for ECT and Neurostimulation (ISEN), in accordance with its mission to promote the safe and effective use of ECT, commissioned a task force in 1997 to study the training and credentialing of clinicians in this treatment modality. As a result of this task force, this full-day course on ECT, with an exam, was developed.

This course has been developed for psychiatrists, other physicians, and nurses involved in the administration of ECT.

Intended Audience

Psychiatrists, other physicians, and nurses involved in the administration of ECT.

Objectives

At the conclusion of the course, participants should be able to:

Identify the indications for electroconvulsive therapy and appropriateness of patients.
Evaluate patients to determine appropriateness for unilateral or bilateral treatment.
Understand stimulus settings for present ECT devices.
Identify and manage common ECT complications.
Develop effective continuation and maintenance treatment strategies for patients with recurrent illness.

The ECT Certificate Course exam will be available to participants at the conclusion of the course and can be completed on-site. Participants who choose not to take the exam may still be eligible to receive CE credit for the course.

Practicum sessions are designed to provide attendees with ample time to engage with and complete the course objectives. However, ISEN does not certify individual competency.

Program

Morning Sessions

7:30am – 8:00am	Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00am – 8:15am	Welcome & Opening Remarks Sohag Sanghani, MD
8:15am – 9:00am	Patient Selection, Preparation, and Management in ECT Joshua Bess, MD
9:00am – 9:45am	ECT Adverse Effects and Their Management Richard Weiner, MD, PhD
9:45am – 10:00am	Break
10:00am – 10:45am	Leveraging the Role of Nurses in ECT Services Paula Bolton, MS, CNP, ANP-BC & Donna Ecklesdafer, MSN, RN
10:45am – 11:30am	The Use of Anesthesia in ECT Georgios Petrides, MD
11:30am – 12:15pm	Decisions in the Course of ECT Sohag Sanghani, MD
12:15pm – 12:30pm	Q & A Session
12:30pm – 1:15pm	Lunch

Afternoon Sessions

Practicum Sessions

Practicum Session A: Seizure Monitoring/Ictal EEG Interpretation

Peter Rosenquist, MD

Practicum Session B: ECT Devices

Georgios Petrides, MD and Rachel Katz, MD

Practicum Session C: Patient Preparation

Charles Kellner, MD and Amy Aloysi, MD

1:15pm – 2:00pm	First Practicum Rotation
2:00pm – 2:05pm	Rotate Practicums
2:05pm – 2:50pm	Second Practicum Rotation
2:50pm – 2:55pm	Rotate Practicums
2:55pm – 3:40pm	Third Practicum Rotation
3:40pm – 3:45pm	Return to General Session
3:45pm – 4:15pm	Q & A Session
4:15pm – 4:30pm	Closing Remarks
4:30pm – 5:30pm	ECT Certificate Exam

ECT Course Faculty &
Planning Committee

Rebecca Morgan, MPA, APR, CAE - Executive Director, ISEN

Principal and CEO, Nisha Leadership Solutions Association Management Company

Woodbridge, Virginia

Daniel F. Maixner, MD - President, ISEN

ECT Program Director, Professor of Psychiatry, Michigan Medicine

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Irving M. Reti, MBBS – Vice President, ISEN, Program Committee Chair

Director, Brain Stimulation Program, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore, Maryland

Sohag Sanghani, MD, MPH - Secretary, ISEN/ISEN ECT Course Director

Director, Division of Interventional Psychiatry Asst. Professor, Zucker

School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York

Adriana P. Hermida, MD

Professor, Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Director

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia

Pamela Sullivan, MD

Chief of Behavioral Health Services

Louis A Johnson VA Medical Center

Clarksburg, West Virginia

Colleen Loo, MBBS (Hons), FRANZCP, MD

Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New South Wales and the Black Dog Institute

Sydney, Australia

M. Justin Coffey, MD

Professor of Psychiatry, Geisinger College of Health Sciences

Chief Medical Officer, Workit Health

Danville, Pennsylvania

Joan Prudic, MD

Clinical Professor of Psychiatry Columbia

University Irving Medical Center New York, New

York

Donna Ecklesdafer, MSN, RN - Nursing Director at Large/ISEN Nursing ECT Course Director

Neuromodulation Clinic Manager Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services Grand Rapids,

Michigan

Phern-Chern Tor, MBBS, MMed (Psy) - Treasurer, ISEN

Director of the Centre for Interventional Psychiatry

National University Hospital of Singapore

Singapore

Randall Espinoza, MD, MPH - The Journal of ECT, Editor

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington,

Medical Director at the Garvey Institute Center for Neuromodulation

Seattle, Washington

Richard Jaffe, MD, ISEN ECT Course Director

Clinical Associate Professor (Adjunct), Psychiatry

Temple University School of Medicine

Philadephia, Pennsylvania

Amy S. Aloysi, MD, MPH

Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Director

MSHS ECT Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

New York, New York

Charles H. Kellner, MD

Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston South Carolina

Georgios Petrides, MD

Chairman, Department of Behavioral Health and Psychiatry, Trinitas Regional Medical Center

RWJ Barnabas Health

Elizabeth, New Jersey

Paula Bolton, MS, CNP, ANP-BC - Nursing Committee Co-chair/Membership Committee

Co-Chair/ISEN Nursing ECT Course Director

Program Director Nursing Administration, Neurotherapeutics, Internal Medicine McLean

Hospital Belmont, Massachusetts

Richard D. Weiner, MD, PhD

Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Duke University Medical Center

Durham, North Carolina

Donel Martin, PhD - Psychology Director at Large

Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist and Academic Researcher

University of New South Wales

Sydney, New South Wales

Peter Rosenquist, MD

Interim Chair, Professor

Leon Henri Charbonnier Endowed Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior

The Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia

ECT Certificate Course Registration Fees

Category	Early Bird Rates	Regular Rates	Onsite Rates
ISEN Physician Members	$945.00	$1,050.00	$1,150.00
ISEN Other Clinician Members	$945.00	$1,050.00	$1,150.00
ISEN Nurse Members	$345.00	$375.00	$400.00
ISEN Residents/Fellows/Student Members	$345.00	$375.00	$400.00
Non-Member Physicians	$1,345.00	$1,450.00	$1,550.00
Non-Member Other Clinicians	$1,345.00	$1,450.00	$1,550.00
Non-Member Nurses	$445.00	$475.00	$500.00
Non-Member Residents/Fellows/Students*	$445.00	$475.00	$500.00

Register for the Course

Select your country and attendee category.

$1,450.00

CountryAttendee Category

*Requires status verification - Registration

All registrants must submit a current copy of their medical license, or practice equivalent, in order to participate in this event. Trainee, student, fellow, and resident registrants must verify their status with an enrollment or training verification letter. Verification documents only need to be submitted once and will apply to both the 2026 Annual Meeting and the 2026 ECT Certificate Course. Documentation must be uploaded to the verification form using the Upload Verification Documents button below no later than April 26, 2026.

Upload Verification Documents

ISEN Annual Meeting
& ECT Course Reception

Date: May 15, 2026

Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Location: North Point Lounge, Hyatt Centric Fisherman's Wharf

Join us for an unforgettable evening as we kick off the ISEN 35th Annual Meeting! This special reception is the perfect opportunity to network and connect with colleagues, speakers, and leaders in the field of ECT and neurostimulation.

Enjoy

Heavy Hors d'Oeuvres to satisfy your appetite

Beer and Wine with two complimentary drink tickets per guest (additional beverages available for purchase)

Take advantage of this chance to mingle, share ideas, and celebrate the start of an exciting conference! We look forward to welcoming you to an evening of good food, great company, and meaningful connections.

Who's Invited?

All Conference and Course Attendees

Cost

$30 per person

Reserve your reception tickets

How many people will be in your party including you?

Hyatt Centric Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco exterior at dusk

Venue and Accommodations

Venue Information

Hyatt Centric Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco

555 North Point St, San Francisco, CA 94133

Located near Pier 39, Hyatt Centric Fisherman's Wharf is the perfect place to start your next San Francisco adventure. Relax in our spacious hotel rooms and suites with soothing nautical tones. Dine at Brick & Beam where you'll find local culinary favorites and craft cocktails. There are countless ways to experience the city by the bay from our family-friendly hotel in Fisherman's Wharf.

Venue Information