Welcome Message from Program Chairs

Emily Bilek, Ph.D., ABPP (she/her), Program Chair
Clinical Associate Professor, University of Michigan

Krystal M. Lewis, Ph.D. (she/her), Associate Program Chair
Clinical Psychologist, National Institute of Mental Health

As your 2023 ABCT Program Chairs, we joyfully welcome you to ABCT’s 57th Annual Convention in Seattle, WA. The Pacific Northwest has unparalleled natural beauty, and the city of Seattle boasts a rich cultural history. Take some time to explore the city while also enjoying our enriching ABCT Annual Convention. As always, we aim to uphold the ABCT vision of promoting “human wellness and the understanding and treatment of behavioral, emotional, and health problems through science” by disseminating high-quality research and clinical presentations. The 2023 Annual Convention offers a unique opportunity to gather with colleagues across mental health disciplines and all levels of experience to exchange expertise and share what brings us joy.

In developing a program around the theme of “Cultivating Joy With CBT,” we are most excited to bring you innovative and cutting-edge research and clinical presentations focused on improving well-being by reducing burden of disease; examining interventions dedicated to well-being and meaning making; increasing inclusivity to combat systemic injustice and historical exclusion of minoritized populations; improving access to care; understanding risk factors and systemic barriers facing mental health professionals; and combating stigma in mental health and clinical research. We accepted a diversity of submissions, some of which relate directly to the theme and many others which showcase novel assessment and therapeutics, highlight consequences of psychological illness, explore response to treatment, share advanced statistical methods, and focus on implementation and dissemination research.

2023 Lifetime Achievement Award Address | 2023 Invited Addresses

In addition to these keynote addresses, please mark your calendars for three additional invited talks:

Invited Panels | Clinical Grand Rounds

In addition to selecting invited speakers, this year we also prioritized an equitable and data-driven review process initiated by last year’s chairs. This entailed upholding changes related to masking reviews and offering more objective reviewer rating scales. In response to feedback from members, we omitted review criteria related to convention theme and attempted to disseminate the review criteria more broadly in advance of the submission deadline. (Volume 46, issue 6, of the Behavior Therapist contains a detailed description of our review and selection process).

We are thrilled with the resulting peer-reviewed convention programming consisting of 221 Symposia, 81 panels, 42 clinical round tables, 3 clinical grand rounds, and 1,300 posters. These presentations encompass a broad range of topic areas, including (but not limited to): addictive behaviors; ADHD; anxiety; autism spectrum; culture, race, and ethnicity; dissemination and implementation science; eating disorders; LGBTQ+; obsessive compulsive and related disorders, parenting, suicide and self-injury. For a more detailed overview of the accepted submissions and topic areas, please see the 2023 ABCT Convention itinerary planner.

Along with offering top-notch presentations, the ABCT Annual Convention is a great place to meet up with colleagues, make new connections, and spend time engaging in self-care. We encourage you to participate in our special programming focused on joy and well-being, which includes a cardio dance class on the morning of Saturday, November 18 at 7:00 AM. Additional thematic programming will be announced as the convention approaches.

As we look forward to the convention, we invite you to reflect on and align with your values so that we can continue to move the field forward by enhancing treatments, decreasing barriers to care, celebrating and supporting trainees, reducing stigma, and promoting a culture of inclusivity. To that end, we encourage all attendees to bring a welcoming, generous, and curious attitude with you to the convention. You might operationalize this by attending a presentation on a topic you know very little about, thanking a colleague who has been influential in your career, or perhaps sharing a positionality statement at the beginning of your presentation. If none of these suggestions speak to you, we welcome you to ask yourself: How can I foster joy at ABCT this year?

It has been an honor to serve as your program chairs for the 2023 ABCT Annual Convention. Words cannot express our gratitude for the opportunity granted to us by President Jill Ehrenreich-May and the ABCT Board. We give thanks to the 2022 program chairs, Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo and Emily Thomas, for being such excellent models and for guiding us during the transition into our roles. Convention planning is a team effort, and we would also like to acknowledge the 2023 Convention Committee for their steadfast dedication and commitment to planning such a wonderful convention. ABCT Central Office staff, especially Mary Jane Eimer and Stephen Crane, are invaluable to the success of the Annual Convention and organization; thank you for being so patient and generous with your wisdom. We would also like to thank Jacqueline Howard who provided significant administrative support in the convention planning process.

Last, we want to extend our deepest appreciation to those on the Program Committee who volunteered their time as scientific reviewers. There were many hands involved in creating this wonderful scientific program and we give thanks to all.

Wishing everyone a joyful and fulfilling conference. We can’t wait to see you there!