Upcoming Courses

2nd Annual Virtual Conference: Advances in Mindfulness and Acceptance Based Clinical Tools for Treating Adolescents and Young Adults

April 30, 2021 | Zoom Video-conference | Online

This one-day virtual symposium brings together experts to provide state of the art updates on evidence-based mindfulness and acceptance approaches to improving lives of adolescents and young adults struggling with a broad array of obstacles to living a rich, full and meaningful life. The symposium is appropriate for mental health professionals and students who are new to ACT and mindfulness as well as those who are well versed in practicing these approaches in their clinical work.  Participants will learn from case examples, experiential exercises, and group discussions, and will have opportunities to network with professionals with shared interests in treating adolescents and young adults.  A “data-blitz” in the afternoon will provide opportunities to learn a snapshot of some of the latest clinical research in this area.

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

  1. Discuss unique aspects and challenges of providing culturally informed mindfulness- and acceptance-based treatments for adolescents and young adults.
  2. Identify acceptance and mindfulness tools as they are applied to working with adolescents and young adults dealing with a variety of stressors including anxiety, minority stress, emerging and intersecting identities, and emerging psychosis.
  3. Assess current thinking on the rationale for acceptance and mindfulness-based approaches to treatment of adolescents and young adults.
  4. Determine factors that have been associated with happiness and fulfillment across the lifespan.
  5. Identify current limitations and future directions for enhancing practice of acceptance and mindfulness tools for treating youth and young adults.

Download Conference Full Details

Meet our conference presenters here

Share your work at our virtual poster session and data blitz!  Click here for details.

Conference Program (EST Time Zone):

8:45-9:00 Log in – check out our virtual poster session!
9:00-9:05 Welcome/Introduction
Michelle Friedman-Yakoobian/ Matcheri Keshavan
9:10-10:00 What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from Studying Lives Across Eight Decades Robert J. Waldinger
10:05- 10:50 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Daily Life (ACT-DL) in Early Psychosis Inez Myin-Germeys
10:55- 11:40 The Link Between Experiences of Racism and Stress and Anxiety for Black Americans: A Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Coping Approach Tahirah Abdullah-Swain
11:45-12:45 Lunch Break
12:45-1:30 Shaping Bravery in Adolescents with Anxiety and OCD: Integrating ACT and Exposure and Response Prevention Lisa Coyne
1:35- 2:20 Acceptance and Mindfulness through a Gender and Sexual Minority Stress Lens: Working with Adolescents and Young Adults Matthew Skinta 
2:25-2:50 Discussion/ audience questions with Drs. Waldinger, Abdullah-Swain, Coyne, Skinta, Keshavan and Friedman-Yakoobian
2:50-3:50 Data Blitz: Series of 5-minute talks covering a bite-sized bit of the latest research in acceptance/mindfulness treatments for youth.
3:50-4:00 Wrap up/closing remarks Michelle Friedman-Yakoobian
* There will be a 5 minute “zoom break” between each presentation throughout the day.*

Faculty:

Tahirah Abdullah-Swain, PhD Co-founder of BARE Mental Health & Wellness, and an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Lisa Coyne, PhD Clinical Psychologist in Private Practice; ACT and Clinical RFT Trainer; Former Senior Software Engineer at Ireward Health, Inc.
Michelle Friedman-Yakoobian, PhD Assistant Professor of Psychology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, BIDMC; Clinical Director Cedar Clinic
Matcheri Keshavan, MD Stanley Cobb Professor and Academic Head of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Medical School
Inez Myin-Germeys PhD Professor of Contextual Psychiatry and head of the Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven.
Matthew Skinta PhD, ABPP Assistant Professor, Roosevelt University; Fellow of the Academy of Clinical Health Psychology
Robert J. Waldinger, MD Director, Harvard Study of Adult Development, Director, MGH Center for Psychodynamic Therapy, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital

Accreditation:

Physicians: There are no Category I credits available to Physicians for this conference. This conference qualifies for Category II credits.

Psychologists: The Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical School, a major teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists and maintains responsibility for this program. This Symposium offers 5.5 CE credits

Counselors: The Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5689. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This seminar meets the criteria for 5.5 clock hours

Nurses: This symposium meets the specifications of the Board of Registration in Nursing in Massachusetts (244 CMR).

Social Workers: This program is eligible for 5.5 credit hours and has been approved by the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Registration:

Fee includes CEU’s and two months access to conference recording):

Registration before 3/1/21 $99
Student registration before 3/1/21 $50
Registration 3/2/21-4/29/21 $125
Student registration 3/2/21-4/29/21 $75

 Share your work at our virtual poster session and data blitz!  Click here for details.