2025-2026 Board of Directors

Clinical psychologist specialize in ACT, Mindfulness, FAP and CFT. Peer Reviewed ACT Trainer and Fellow for ACBS. ACT trainer and supervisor along Latin America in the Spanish speaking population. Board President of ACL Foundation (Live with Awareness, Courage and Love). Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. I have been involved also in body work and somatic training for the last 30 years also a certified Eutony teacher. In this area I have been integrating somatic experiences with Mindfulness and ACT in the form of Embodied Metaphor into my clinical work and has presented around this topic extensively. Author of a general public book Una vida valiosa from Random Penguin House in Spanish and delivered ACT for the general public interventions. Co-author of The ACT Workbook for Anger with Dr. Robyn Walser and wrote several publications in the area of the therapeutic relationship and couples work.

Statement: I have been serving ACBS for the last 11 years so I know it's heart and soul. As a South American non-native English speaker, I am driven by a passionate commitment to fostering diversity, promoting inclusion, and effecting meaningful change within our community. Diversity is a fundamental pillar of strength. Our field flourishes when we embrace a wide spectrum of perspectives, experiences, and voices. As president, I pledge to prioritize initiatives that amplify underrepresented voices and cultivate a culture of belonging where every member feels valued and empowered to contribute their unique insights and talents. I am also dedicated to creating an environment where individuals from all walks of life feel welcomed and supported in their professional journeys. By fostering a culture of openness and collaboration, we can harness the full potential of our diverse membership to tackle the complex challenges facing our field and society at large.

Patricia J. Robinson, Ph.D., (or Patti) is a international expert in behavioral health integration. She is co-founder of Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or “FACT” and the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model. The PCBH model is a group of strategies that provide a platform for delivery of FACT. Over the past 7 years, the country of New Zealand has scaled up and now offers FACT in primary care clinics to most of its citizens. Her passion is to make the world a better place, and she plans to change primary care by asking the people who use primary care to speak to their doctor about integrated care (http://SpeaktoYourDoctor.com). With Jeff Reiter, she has co-authored 3 editions of Behavioral Consultation in Primary Care: A Guide to Integrating Services. As the president of Mountainview Consulting Group, Patti has trained many trainers and thousands of healthcare team members (http://Mtnviewconsulting.com).

Statement: I want to be of service to the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science, and, after being a member since its inception, I finally have time to support its work with greater focus and intention. If elected president, I hope is to support unity and clarity in action among the diverse group of 9,000 ACBS members. People that know me would describe me as a quiet worker capable of diligence and persistence and always leading with respect.

Rhonda Merwin, PhD is an Associate Professor at Duke University Medical Center, a Peer-Reviewed ACT Trainer, and the Founder of ACT at Duke, a research, clinical and training program in Duke University’s School of Medicine. She also has the honor of being a Fellow of ACBS and a current Member-at-Large Board Member. She chairs the ACBS Publications Committee, dedicated to the quality and success of the Journal of Contextual and Behavioral Science, a committee that she has served on since 2015. She currently directs CBS SuperLab, an effort to bring together CBS researchers and labs from around the world to advance CBS research. Dr. Merwin is also a clinician and a teacher, and the author of ACT for Anorexia Nervosa: A Guide for Clinicians. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health (among other sponsors), and focuses on multi-level, multi-dimensional factors that influence maladaptive eating and weight control, and the delivery personalized interventions in real time.

Statement: "Act as though what you do makes a difference. It does."-William James. What we do matters; how we spend our time, where we invest our energy. I choose to spend it here- in an organization of passionate individuals devoted to the alleviation of human suffering. As I type those words, I appreciate the significance of this charge. How might we reimagine ourselves or our organization to maximize our impact? Because, while all acts matter, I believe we have untapped potential to address the challenges facing human beings. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, organized citizens can change the world.”-Margaret Mead. I believe that CBS can make a difference; that we can make a difference with the strength of our collective and diverse ideas and skills, and a structure that empowers and inspires individuals to engage and reminds them that what they do matters. As President, I will identify ways to maximize our potential, keeping science at the forefront (as clinicians, researchers, teachers, etc.) and empowering individuals to work together toward common values/goals.

I am a Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. I’ve been learning ACT since 2004 and now teach as a Peer Reviewed Trainer. I’m also a Fellow of ACBS. My research programme focusses on ACT for long term health conditions, and more recently I have specialised in ACT for cancer and end of life. I’ve previously served ACBS as Chair of the Training Committee from 2011 to 2015, and as President, then Past President of the UK and Republic of Ireland Chapter from 2017 to 2020. I served on the Conference Strategy Committee from 2017 to 2020 and was joint programme chair for the World Conference in Dublin in 2019. I am a member of the Strategic Pillar on Competency and Dissemination.

Statement: I have previously served ACBS at the Chapter level and Internationally. In these roles I bring good organisational skills, careful and sensitive diplomacy and an ability to commit and follow through. I am able to listen to multiple perspectives and to help groups to reach consensus. As Training Committee Chair I led the committee in developing greater transparency of process and greater detail of evaluating the basic science competencies for peer reviewed trainers. These experiences show my abilities in working on international committees. I was elected to the role of Secretary / Treasurer in October 2023 to complete the term of office of the previous role holder. I would like to continue to serve the organisation in this role. I have contributed to discussion of sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy, and have at times brought a critical perspective to the board, whilst talking from the heart.

Dr Alison Stapleton is a Chartered Psychologist of the Psychological Society of Ireland, Postdoctoral Fellow at Smithsfield Clinic and University College Dublin, and a Lecturer in Psychology at Dublin Business School and the Institute of Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy. Alison coordinates the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) Neurodiversity-Affirming Research and Practice Special Interest Group (SIG), served on the Steering Committee for the ACBS Relational Frame Theory SIG, and currently works at ACT Now Purposeful Living, a leading provider of ACT training in Ireland. Alison regularly delivers national and international level trainings, and has experience working in psychological services to identify, accommodate, and support a range of neurotypes. Alison has published two book chapters and 13 scientific articles, most recently contributing to The Oxford Handbook of ACT and a systematic review of adults’ experiences of being identified as autistic in adulthood (manuscript submitted for publication).

I want to make ACBS a welcoming space for all, particularly neurominorities and "first-generation" academics. Collective strength lies in diversity, and harnessing that strength depends on accessibility; inclusion isn't just a "seat at the table" - it's having a voice and being heard too. I want to bolster meaningful inclusion in ACBS.

I want to improve communication between ACBS members and non-members. Productive collaborations and mutual exchanges of ideas and methodological approaches will increase variability in the field, highlight areas for redress and growth, and better our science.

Dr. Sarah Pegrum is a psychologist, author and ACT Peer-Reviewed Trainer based in Newfoundland, Canada. She is currently the co-president of the Women in ACBS SIG, past president of the Atlantic Canada Chapter, a member of the PRT training committee, and a member of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion SIG. Dr. Sarah Pegrum works with people with a wide range of struggles and specializes in body image, weight stigma and eating disorders. She is also passionate about supervision and training and has been delivering training at local, national, and international levels on topics related to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), clinician supervision, and body image concerns for over 10 years. Her practice and training are deeply rooted in values of authenticity, safety, accessibility, compassion, curiosity, connection, and humour.

Statement: I have been incredibly fortunate in my career to have access to CBS training and community. The knowledge I’ve gained and the relationships I’ve built through ACBS have shaped not only my clinical work but also my personal growth, sense of purpose and belonging. Learning from others in this field has been a true gift in my own journey, and I seek to share that gift by fostering accessibility to training and the community for others. I believe in the power of creating and furthering inclusive spaces that welcome, support, and empower for both individual and collective growth.
If elected as Member-at-Large, my goal is to broaden access to training, mentorship, and resources while fostering meaningful connections within ACBS. I want to help create and nurture spaces where people feel valued, seen, and encouraged to contribute because I believe that a thriving, diverse, and connected ACBS community benefits us all.

I am a psychiatrist and currently working as a researcher at Cansagligi Foundation, Center for Contextual Behavioral Science. My medical education was completed at Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine in 2008, followed by my psychiatry residency at Istanbul Bakirkoy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Research and Training Hospital for Psychiatry and Neurology in 2014. Throughout my psychiatry residency training, I have dedicated my focus to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches, conducting research in various areas including emotion, affective disorders, stigma, and trans-diagnostic processes. Since 2013, my involvement with ACT and RFT has been profound. I am a founding member of the Turkiye chapter and previously served as president of the Turkiye chapter (2015-2017).
I contribute as a trainer and supervisor in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy trainings facilitated by the Turkish Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. Recently, my specialization has extended into psycho-oncology and trauma.

Statement: I’ve been engaged with the ACBS community for over a decade and have been deeply impressed by its non-judgmental and accepting attitude since day one. This inclusive stance, welcoming of differences, cultivates a profound sense of belonging. My ongoing participation underscores the alignment of this community with my core values: openness, compassion, teamwork, togetherness, and continuous learning. If elected, I am committed to advancing these values further, and here are some of my objectives:
- Uniting clinicians and researchers from diverse geographic locations who may have varying approaches to psychotherapy education and practice but encounter similar challenges under the umbrella of ACBS, fostering greater communication among them and promoting collaborative efforts.
- Expanding the ACBS network into countries where community networks are still developing, introducing CBS principles to newcomers.
- Creating supportive environments for early-career researchers and clinicians to engage meaningfully with experienced ACBS members.

Maria Koushiou, PhD, is a licensed School and Clinical Psychologist in Cyprus and an Assistant Professor at the University of Nicosia. Her research focuses on children and youth, exploring body image and maladaptive eating behaviors, early development in children with congenital heart disease, and psychological flexibility in unaccompanied refugee minors (UMs). Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to the development of research projects within multidisciplinary, international collaborations.
Dr. Koushiou has extensive clinical experience with youth in private and public sectors. She has provided psychological support in a refugee reception center and was one of the lead psychologists in Cyprus’s first pilot foster care program for UMs. Currently, she works at the country’s biggest private referral center for pediatric heart and endocrinology diseases, applying ACT. She also, represents Cyprus Psychologists’ Association on the Board of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity at the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations.

Statement: During my doctoral studies (completed in 2016), I had the privilege of learning and practicing along some of the experts in CBS. Since then, ACT has profoundly shaped my professional and personal journey. As a scientist-practitioner, my mission is to use CBS to alleviate human suffering and empower individuals from diverse and underprivileged backgrounds. Through my work with unaccompanied refugees, pediatric populations and those experiencing hardship, I am continually called to put these values into action.
If elected, I would be honored to work for and with the ACBS community towards: strengthening communication among members—particularly among junior members and young professionals; supporting CBS dissemination across Europe, addressing challenges faced by professionals in smaller, geographically isolated states and advancing our science to better respond to the complexity of human experience. I look forward to connecting with colleagues to enhance our collective impact.

Hello! My name is Brendan, and I’m a doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Western Michigan University (WMU), working with Dr. Amy Naugle in the Study of Emotion and Adversity Laboratory. Since arriving at WMU, I’ve developed a strong passion for behavior analysis (and, in doing so, a newfound appreciation for my last name), and a deep respect for functional contextualism and modern behavior therapies such as ACT, Behavioral Activation, and FAP. I’m interested in psychotherapy process and outcome research for individuals facing significant life adversities, particularly grief, bereavement, and chronic or terminal illnesses. My personal experiences as an athlete have led to my current research which examines the impact of unique adversities on the health and well-being of student-athletes, with an eye on psychological flexibility as a moderating factor. Outside of school, I cherish time with my wife, her amazing family, and our friends.

Statement: Attending my first ACT Bootcamp in D.C. this past October strengthened my passion for contextual behavioral science and the ACBS community. Inspired by Dr. Miranda Morris and the Mid-Atlantic ACBS Chapter, I organized and led a taskforce to successfully establish the Michigan Chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. This ties into one of my most deeply held values – to do life relationally. I desire collaboration and community with others, and as student representative, that would be one of my focal priorities. If elected, I would work to bring others in, amplify student voices, and foster a supportive atmosphere for those that wish to engage in the ACBS community. I want to work alongside others to help humans flourish through research, practice, and service grounded in contextual behavioral science.