Stefan Hofmann, a past president of ABCT, and other therapists talk about the price we pay for the protection of social distancing. It’s a fascinating look at troops in the bush, explorers in the Arctic, and others in remote, isolated areas, extrapolated for the modern world of enforced social distancing.
There are reasons we feel depressed and anxious when we’re alone, and it traces back to our earliest days. Man vs wooly mammoth; mammoth wins every time; bunch of men vs mammoth and you know what’s for dinner.
A new study, published in Journal of the American Medical Association, and highlighted by the National Institutes of Health, compared 230 people in three groups: yoga, stress reduction, and CBT. They found that all three were effective in limiting the distress in General Anxiety Disorder (or GAD), with stress reduction instructions showing the smallest improvement, and CBT the largest, both immediately and over time. That latter part is important because it show-cases the long-lasting effects CBT has in reducing GAD’s symptoms.
Keep up with the yoga, but if you suffer from anxiety, be sure to explore CBT.
The Race, Disparities, and Intervention Laboratory, located at the University of Southern California Department of Psychology, is directed by Stan Huey, Ph.D.
Student Lab Members
We asked each of the ABHC Lab's ABCT student members:
What is your area of research interest?
How has ABCT been helpful to you?
If a student were thinking about joining ABCT, what activities would you recommend they get involved in?
Katharine Galbraith, M.A.
I am interested in the development and evaluation of substance use interventions for at-risk and justice-involved youth, particularly with respect to the relationship between trauma exposure and substance use outcomes. I am also interested in studying gender-specific risk factors for involvement in the juvenile justice system.
ABCT has been very helpful in keeping me informed about the most up-to-date findings on the treatment of psychopathology.
I would highly recommend attending ABCT's annual conventions, and presenting a poster if you can! It's a great way to network and connect with other folks conducting cutting-edge work in your field.
Nina Jhaveri, M.A.
I study patient engagement with technology-enabled interventions as a potential means to reduce disparities in health and mental health.
ABCT has offered me a means to learn from researchers within and outside my area of study, and develop my knowledge of psychological science in an interdisciplinary way.
I recommend joining a Special Interest Group (SIG) within your area of interest and also perhaps outside your area of interest!
Sylvanna Vargas, M.A.
I am interested in studying mental health disparities.
ABCT offers very high-quality annual conventions where I have been able to learn a lot about my field and network with people who have similar and overlapping interests. It is most inspiring to attend talks by keynote speakers and come together to think and learn about the future of our field. This past year, I was applying for internship and I attended several informational and networking events for internship sites and applicants hosted by the ABCT annual convention. It was exciting to meet representatives from sites I had applied to before interviews started!
Present your work at the annual meetings, join the list serve to hear about opportunities and important discussions, and participate in networking events at the ABCT convention! If you are applying for internship in the next 2 years, make sure you attend the informational events the year before you apply. The year you apply, join the meet-and-greet events hosted by ABCT and by specific sites.
Crystal Wang, M.A.
My research primarily focuses on cultural mechanisms behind mental health disparities. I also am interested in culturally adapted interventions, specifically for East Asian populations.
The ABCT annual convention has been critical to my education in clinical psychology, both in the realms of research and practice. Attending the annual convention has also allowed me the opportunity to meet and collaborate with other researchers in my field.
I would encourage students to present their work at the ABCT annual convention, or to even just attend and get exposure to the incredible work of prolific researchers across the globe. In addition, I recommend signing up for the ABCT list serve, which highlights helpful research and career opportunities.
Other Lab Member
Miriam Rubenson, M.A.
Stan Huey, Ph.D.
Dr. Huey is an Associate Professor of Psychology and American Studies and Ethnicity at USC. He received his B.A. in Anthropology and Psychology from UC Berkeley in 1990 and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from UCLA in 1998. He did his clinical internship and postdoctoral work at the Medical University of South Carolina, then joined the USC faculty in 2000. Dr. Huey teaches courses addressing mental health and diversity, and recent classes include culture and mental health, the psychology of African Americans, and the psychology of racial bias. He is also Director of Graduate Studies in the Psychology Department.
Research in the Race, Disparities, and Intervention Laboratory focuses on reducing disparities in behavioral health by optimizing treatments for high-risk populations, particularly under-resourced ethnic minority youth. The lab uses randomized trials, longitudinal methods, and meta-analysis to address important questions about treatment effects and mechanisms with (1) externalizing youth, (2) youth/adults in criminal justice settings, and (3) ethnic minorities with mental health problems. In recent years, the lab's work has focused on developing and testing brief interventions for ethnic minorities with diverse psychosocial problems; some studies assess the relative benefits of culturally tailored vs. "generic" intervention strategies, and others utilize brief strategies to improve treatment engagement.
How long have you been a member of ABCT?
I've been a member off and on for more than 20 years.
How often and why do you attend the ABCT convention?
I attended a few times as a grad student in the 1990s and once or twice in my early faculty years, but then drifted away. After attending the diversity-themed convention in 2017 and last year's convention in Atlanta, I finally realized that ABCT was my intellectual home. If COVID-19 cooperates and the 2020 convention is held in Philly, I'll be there.
How do you stay current with developments in the field, both research and practice?
Interesting question. Because meta-analysis is part of my research profile, my students and I are constantly involved in literature searches. So that's one method. Being an ad hoc journal reviewer is another way. Also, lots of articles come my way through list serves, contacts with colleagues, and things I just stumble across while reading a book or article.
But a lot of my knowledge of new research comes through regular contacts with students in my lab. When I'm reading drafts of student theses or manuscripts, having weekly meetings with students, or discussing research progress in lab meetings, I'm constantly being introduced to new material and ideas. It's one of the many ways that being a mentor enriches my professional life.
How has ABCT helped you/your lab professionally?
Beyond the excellent talks I've attended at conventions over the past few years, what I appreciate most about the annual meeting is connecting with friends and colleagues.
Does your lab have any traditions? What does your lab do together for fun?
My students certainly deserve a more fun-loving, socially skilled advisor, but they're stuck with me! However, we do have a cool end-of-year dinner to celebrate lab achievements, welcome incoming students, and bid farewell to students who are heading for internship or graduating.
What advice would you give prospective trainees?
Try to make sure you're a good fit with the potential mentor and lab. Websites are important sources of info (see mine here), but look beyond the quick summaries of research interests you see online. Read a few of their recent articles. Consider emailing them to learn more about current projects and whether they're planning to admit new students. If they're giving a talk at the ABCT convention, think about approaching them afterwards with a good question about the talk, your business card, and maybe praise for their work (some of which you've hopefully read).
Why look at neuroscience for clinical practice?
Neuroscience provides formulations to frame how clinicians talk with patients; strategies for optimizing behavioral interventions; and targeted interventions.
One generally doesn’t expect to see a soft drink and a therapeutic approach in the same story, but here we are, as Pepsi’s new offering, Driftwell, an aid for “coronasomnia,” was introduced. The article, which described the new soft drink, its ingredients, and proposed launch date, ended by quoting a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine who noted that for those who are combatting insomnia, CBT remains the gold standard.
Stabilizing Chaos: Fostering Psychological Resilience in the Wake of Adverse Events
Presented by Lata McGinn, Ph.D.Yeshiva University
Cognitive & Behavioral Consultants
In ABCT's continued effort to support our members, we are offering a free 1-hour podcast, "Stabilizing Chaos: Fostering Psychological Resilience in the Wake of Adverse Events." It is our hope that this information will be of assistance as we partner to meet the increased mental health needs of our community. The COVID-19 pandemic, the economic downturn, and the racist killing of George Floyd have led to national crises and have impacted all of our lives in unprecedented ways. For many in our communities, including essential workers and those who have lost family and friends as a result of the virus, the risk for trauma exposure is high. This podcast will offer practical strategies rooted in Psychological First Aid (PFA), an evidence-based approach for fostering resilience, helping people effectively cope in the aftermath of a trauma, and preventing the development of pathological symptoms. The webinar will also describe maladaptive coping that increases the chances of developing pathological symptoms, and present CBT strategies that prevent onset of symptoms and help individuals adaptively cope with chronic stress. The goal of this webinar is to support clinicians to feel prepared to navigate the increase in trauma exposure and chronic stress that their clients may soon be, or already are, experiencing. Participants will learn common trauma reactions, risk and resilience factors, the components of PFA, how to apply PFA and other CBT principles during these crises in a virtual setting.
Please note that this webinar will not be eligible for CE credit.
Have you visited ABCT’s YouTube channel
ABCT’s YouTube channel has great information, including how-to demonstrations giving you immediate nearly anxiety-free competency with starting telehealth in your own practice or getting tips on how to teach a class online, or, if you want to be on the receiving end, tips for getting into graduate school.
There’s also a slew of videos celebrating the pioneers who have shaped CBT theory and practice. Profitable, enjoyable, easy-to-digest material.
We, your publishers, love coming to the ABCT Annual Convention. Like everyone who attends, we are here to network and to learn, and in our case - we hope - to inform. We get to meet existing authors, prospective authors and editors; and we get to show readers and potential readers both the latest releases as well as established classics and publications that ABCT members and others have created. We aim to showcase the best of ABCT for ABCT.
Unlike online stores, where you may have to search through millions of products, in the ABCT convention exhibit hall attendees can see carefully curated selections of books, journals, and other information resources that are relevant for your professional development. Some may even be a bit of fun. You can pick them up, browse them, compare them with other publications to get the one that is right for you and/or your clients.
Another great thing is that you can usually choose whether to buy and take your favorite book with you to read straight away - or have it shipped home for free.
And our meeting discounts save you money as well. Just a couple of examples: New Harbinger is currently offering a 30% discount online, with a meeting discount of 30% and free shipping. Or you can save over $10 on $30 books in Hogrefe's Advances in Psychotherapy series with the meeting discount and "4 for 3" offer.
Another neat thing is that many of our authors like hanging out at their publishers' booths, so if you're lucky you may even be able to chat with this expert in the exhibit hall - if you've not already attended a talk or symposium.
The select band of publishers that continue to support ABCT help make the exhibit hall educational and professionally informative. So come by your favorite publishers' booths at the Annual Convention: delve into great publications and choose the right one(s) for you, to read right now or later, save money, and chat with the experts who've written them - or maybe even discuss your own ideas with your favorite publishers.
Dorothy Smyk, Foreign rights Director (New Harbinger)
Cory F. Newman, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Center for Cognitive Therapy
Outstanding Training Program
Jesse R. Cougle, Ph.D., Director, Florida State University's Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program
Outstanding Service to ABCT
Carmen McLean, Ph.D., National Center for PTSD
Distinguished Friend to the Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
Rod Holland, D.Clin.Psych., WCCBT and EABCT
Philip Tata, D.Clin.Psych., WCCBT and EABCT
President's New Researcher
Jessica L. Schleider, Ph.D., Stony Brook University
Anne Marie Albano Early Career Award for the Integration of Science and Practice
Jami M. Furr, Ph.D., Center for Children and Families, Florida International University
Virginia A. Roswell Dissertation Award
Amy R. Sewart, M.A., UCLA
Leonard Krasner Dissertation Award
Michael Best, M.Sc., Queen's University
John R. Z. Abela Dissertation Award
Natalie Rodriguez-Quintana, M.P.H., Indiana University
Student Research Grant
Colin M. Bosma, M.A., University of Maine
Honorable Mention: Shirley Wang, B.A., Harvard University
Student Travel Award
Poppy Brown, University of Oxford
Beliefs About the Self and Others in Paranoia
Elsie Ramos Memorial Student Poster Awards
Abel Mathew, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, "Evaluating the Role of the Approach Avoidance Training on Action Tendencies in Individuals With Skin Picking Disorder"
John McKenna, Suffolk University, "Sexual Assertiveness as a Predictor of Consent Attitudes and Beliefs Among LGBTQ+/Non-Binary Young Adults"
Oliver G. Johnston, University of Connecticut, "Identifying Intervention Targets for Oppositional Defiant Disorder Symptoms in College Students"
Spotlight on Mentors
Elise M. Clerkin, Ph.D., Miami University
Genelle K. Sawyer, Ph.D., The Citadel
Norman B. Schmidt, Ph.D., Florida State University
ADAA Travel Awards
Christal Badour, Ph.D., University of Kentucky
Nicholas Jacobson, M.S., Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Champions Program
This award recognizes outstanding individuals who are not members of ABCT but who have shown exceptional dedication, influence, and social impact through the promotion of evidence-based interventions and who have thereby advanced the mission of ABCT.
Visit our Champions page for full details on how to nominate and for a full listing of champions
photo courtesy of Geralt
Celebrate Diversity
The Clinical Directory and Referral issues committee is highlighting the large number of SIGs that cover racial and ethnic diversity within ABCT:
Call for Papers: Special Issue of Behavior Therapy
The impact and treatment of sleep disorders
Sleep disorders are a significant public health problem in general, and are particularly elevated among psychiatric populations. This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge research on the treatment of sleep disorders as well as work that makes significant contributions to our understanding of how sleep disorders impact the treatment of comorbid psychological disorders. Some of the essential questions that this special issue will seek to address include:
1. What is the efficacy or effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapies for sleep disorders, including traditional and eHealth interventions?
2. How do sleep disorders impact the treatment outcomes of comorbid psychological disorders?
3. What are the mechanisms that may explain the connection between sleep disorders and other psychological disorders, and how can this inform treatment planning?
This is not an exhaustive list, but instead illustrates the type of research questions of interest. Studies that assess sleep disorders using interview or polysomnography methods are encouraged. Papers for this special issue must highlight the clinical value of the findings. In addition to original research, review articles, short reports, brief commentary, case reports, and meta-analyses are invited.
Please direct inquiries and submit proposal abstracts to Carmen McLean (carmen.mclean4@va.gov) no later than February 1, 2019. If invited to contribute, final papers will be due July 1, 2019. Papers not considered for the special issue are of course still welcome for submission to the journal as an author initiated manuscript.
ABCT is delighted to announce a new partnership with PsyberGuide.
Please watch these pages for an expanding list of CBT-relevant apps being reviewed by the staff at PsyberGuide and the editors at Cognitive and Behavioral Practice.
PsyberGuide (PsyberGuide.org) is a non-profit website reviewing smartphone applications and other digital mental health tools. Its goal is to help people make responsible and informed decisions about the technologies they use for management of mental health. PsyberGuide is committed to ensuring that this information is available to all, and that it is free of preference, bias, or endorsement.
PsyberGuide is funded by One Mind, a leading non-profit organization supporting collaborative brain research to provide patients who suffer from brain disease and injury better diagnostics and treatment. With over 325,000 emerging digital health technologies, and an estimated 15,000 of those designed for mental health, One Mind recognized the lack of advice or guidelines to help people navigate the expanding marketplace of mental health apps. Thus in 2013, One Mind established PsyberGuide to address this growing problem.
In 2017, One Mind welcomed Dr. Stephen Schueller as Executive Director. Dr. Schueller is an Assistant Professor of Psychological Science at University of California. Irvine. His work focuses on expanding the accessibility and availability of mental health services through technology.
PsyberGuide & ABCT established this partnership with the aim of disseminating reviews of digital mental health tools to a broad audience of researchers, psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental-health practitioners who are interested in using these tools in their practice of behavioral, cognitive, and biological evidence-based principles.
In the coming months, app reviews from both PsyberGuide and Cognitive and Behavioral Practice will be integrated on both sites to expand the reach of information on available apps. ABCT will be developing a dedicated app review page which will host a sample of relevant PsyberGuide reviews. PsyberGuide will also link to C&BP reviews on their site, where relevant.
PsyberGuide Executive Director, Dr. Stephen Schueller, said "ABCT has been a leader in advancing the use of innovative behavioral and cognitive treatments. Technological behavioral and cognitive treatments will play a role in the future of mental health care and we're excited to team with ABCT to ensure researchers and practitioners are equipped to effectively use technology to help improve people's lives."
Cognitive and Behavioral Practice's apps are reviewed with the idea of providing guidance to clinicians in choosing apps that allow them to best serve the needs of their clients. Reviews will often cover cost, targeted clients, basic purpose, the research data behind them, as well as quick overviews of their utility.
To see Cognitive and Behavioral Practice's review apps, click on the app that most interests you:
MMFT Review Summaries
Anxiety Coach
Anxiety Coach is an app for iOS devices ($4.99 at time of publication; Mayo Clinic, 2016) marketed as a self-help program for anxiety for children and adults. The primary focus is to help individuals understand and identify anxiety symptoms, create a hierarchy, and develop plans for exposure tasks. The program was designed by clinical researchers with expertise in CBT for anxiety. There is potential to support ongoing therapy, such as to allow patients to provide real-time data when reviewing between-session anxiety and exposure details with a therapist. Whiteside and colleagues (2014) have published case studies and reported feasibility/acceptability data which are promising. Our expert reviewer felt that the focus of the app on helping users conduct exposure tasks is unique and valuable, and the program had good navigation and an easy to follow user interface.
SuperBetter is an iOS app and website that is marketed to help users pursue goals, which can include mental health goals. The app was developed using game theory and mechanics that mimic "behaviors and techniques that have been clinically shown to give individuals more control over their thoughts and feelings" according to the developer, Jane McGonigal, who has authored books on the subject of leveraging gaming to increase well-being. There are video-game features like "power-ups," "quests," "Power Packs" and a "Community" where individuals can join in to engage in forums or play together as "Allies." Our reviewer found a strong development team and breadth of content, but felt the overall quality of the content lacking in terms of potential to promote clinically significant levels of improvement without active or guided practice with real-world behavior change. Preliminary RCTs have shown feasibility, though attrition rates continue to be a concern. Our reviewer recommends caution if considering this as a stand-alone option for depression or as an adjunct to face-to-face therapy without further data on effectiveness and further development of human safety plans.
Sleepio is a 6-week treatment program for insomnia delivered online and through mobile app. The program includes evidence-based components including psychoeducation, relaxation techniques, cognitive thought challenging sleep scheduling and sleep tracking compatibility (with other wearable trackers). Our reviewer felt the navigation was easy to use and the platform engaging. The program has been tested in a large RCT and smaller trials with promising results. The program is more costly than online competitors ($300 for a 1-year subscription). Our reviewer felt it was a good option as stand-alone first-line intervention and a model internet-based CBT intervention.
TicHelper.com is an 8-week online treatment program for Tic Disorders in youth (8-adolescence) based on the empirically-supported Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) protocol and developed in collaboration with experts who developed and tested CBIT. The program includes evidence-based components including psychoeducation, training in developing competing responses and multiple videos to illustrate concepts. There is also some parent-focused content. Our reviewer felt the program was age-appropriate, appealing and easy to navigate. While the online program does not offer the tailoring allowed in face-to-face individual therapy, there are branching structures which allow some tailoring of content. There is pilot feasibility data on the prototype but no research trials published at the time of this review. Our reviewer notes that the strengths outweigh the weaknesses and the program is unique in the market of targeting this condition and using evidence-based treatment components.
Triple P Online is an online self-help parent training program aimed at reducing child behavior problems through evidence-based "positive parenting practices." The program is available through the website, www2.tripleponline.net, at time of review for $79.95. The program is comprised of 8 video-based modules. Our expert reviewer found the program to include high-quality content with relevant and easily locatable resources, and felt the navigation was easy-to-use and appealing. The program's main weakness lies in its lack of monitoring and adaptation to the user's state (e.g., child's and parent's behaviors), and real-time reminders for desired actions. Overall the program was found to be a valuable parent training resource for addressing child behavior problems by our reviewer.
Psychotherapy.net is an online magazine and video library and production company targeting clinicians, educators, and clinical trainees. At present, the website offers two video steaming subscription plans for individual use: 1) a "Choice plan", which allows access to 2 monthly videos for a fee of $39 each month; and 2) an "Unlimited plan" for $79 monthly, which allows unlimited access to the full online library of over 200 training videos. The primary strength of the website is the breadth of available psychotherapy training videos, which cover several major theoretical orientations, modalities, and clinical populations. However, our expert reviewer notes that the resource is limited by the current absence of information related to evidence-based practice recommendations.
ABCT weighs in on the effects on children of being separated from their parents
Members consulted the literature on this, and posted results from the literature. Needless to say, the findings don't paint pretty pictures. Studies included refugees in Christmas Island, survivors of natural disaster in Australia, left behind children in China, and more.
Detention is not good for children; children in detention handle it better if with their parents; Chinese children left behind as their migrant parents work fair worse than children who accompany their migrant parents even though the living conditions are tougher; foster care, when parents are alive, is sometimes a source of confusion.
Problems are detailed in our posting, with full coverage here
click below for more helpful material, organized alphabetically
In ABCT's continued effort to support our members, we are offering a free 1-hour podcast, "Stabilizing Chaos: Fostering Psychological Resilience in the Wake of Adverse Events." It is our hope that this information will be of assistance as we partner to meet the increased mental health needs of our community. The COVID-19 pandemic, the economic downturn, and the racist killing of George Floyd have led to national crises and have impacted all of our lives in unprecedented ways. For many in our communities, including essential workers and those who have lost family and friends as a result of the virus, the risk for trauma exposure is high. This podcast will offer practical strategies rooted in Psychological First Aid (PFA), an evidence-based approach for fostering resilience, helping people effectively cope in the aftermath of a trauma, and preventing the development of pathological symptoms. The webinar will also describe maladaptive coping that increases the chances of developing pathological symptoms, and present CBT strategies that prevent onset of symptoms and help individuals adaptively cope with chronic stress. The goal of this webinar is to support clinicians to feel prepared to navigate the increase in trauma exposure and chronic stress that their clients may soon be, or already are, experiencing. Participants will learn common trauma reactions, risk and resilience factors, the components of PFA, how to apply PFA and other CBT principles during these crises in a virtual setting.
BEHAVIOR THERAPY
