Lea Stephany, France
Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?:
My name is Lea Stephany, I am a first-year Master student in Psychology at the University Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès. Since the beginning of high school, I have been interested in behavioural science and wished to pursue my studies in a subject related to that field.  Later on as I chose psychology, the lack of information and lessons about other behavioural sciences in the undergraduate years pushed me to read a lot on my own, and to start an independent learning on subjects such as linguistics, cognitive and behavioural therapies for instance. As I went through my Erasmus exchange in Turkey, I had become a fervent defender of CBT. But throughout this exchange, I met many people from diverse backgrounds, and I went through a period of questioning and rethinking. I became aware of certain flaws in the traditional CB approach, and became interested in mindfulness, metaphors, and acceptance. I started once again an independent learning on these subjects, and as I came back to France to carry on with my first year of Master, I had the opportunity to work on the study of a Mindfulness Acceptance and Commitment Based Group Therapy.  Throughout my curriculum I had the opportunity to study in 3 different universities. I spent my first undergraduate year at the university of Strasbourg (France) and then moved to Toulouse (France) where I was selected in third year to go on an exchange program to Izmir (Turkey). Being able to study in different universities was of great benefit for my personal experience, as the professors often approached common psychology subjects from a different perspective. Some of the courses that I attended at Yasar University in Izmir even came in profound contradiction with my own assumptions. Facing divergence in basic opinions pushes me to question myself, and these divergences are often the motor of my reflexion.

How did you become interested in CBS?:
I think I always was interested in CBS! Since my early teenage years, I was interested in language and its effect on people as well as brain processes, behaviours and so on. Many questions that I asked myself about the impact of bilingualism, voice hearing processes, the use of metaphors through literature, music in our heads etc…, motivated me to make researches on my own, and the more I learned, the more I wanted to know! Many of these questions, that stayed with me along the years, were partly answered by the study of the Relational Frame Theory.  I now believe that RFT is a major psychological theory that allows us to explain numerous human behaviours, and that its contribution to a better understanding of human functioning is only starting.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?:
Throughout the past year, I worked on a research project which aimed to compare two groups of patients struggling with anxiety syndromes. We compared the evolution of the symptoms as well as the changes in the psychological flexibility at post-therapy and at long term. The results were very interesting, as we discovered that patients who took part in the therapy up to 4 years before, and who continued practicing the exercises and the techniques taught in the therapy, saw their psychological flexibility increase even after the therapy. Even though the group was small, it was great to come up with positive results allowing us to take into account the importance of follow up sessions and of the weekly practise of the exercises.  As for my application interest, I wish to be accepted in the University of Grenoble, which hosts a Master’s degree specialised in third waves psychotherapies. And after the acquisition of my M.A., I aim to carry out abroad internship’s to perfect my practical experiences.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?:
Going to Seville in June was a completely unique experience. After working on ACT and RFT for only a year, being suddenly propelled in this bright environment was more than I could ever hope. I was able to assist to workshops wonderfully presented, to meet open minded, diverse and kind people, to express myself freely, question, and be answered, and most of all, I felt fully welcomed in the ACBS community, even though I had begun only shortly.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?:
Yes. The main thing that stood up for me was the total rupture with the conventional hierarchical system. As a student, only recently discovering the professional world, it seems to me that French society has profound roots in the respect and courtesy due to higher ups, and depending on your social and economic status, a set of implicit rules are meant to be followed.  If my first experience with the ACBS community was so unforgettable, it may be thanks to the open and horizontal relations that took place in the World Conference. Being able to step up to anyone, say hello and introduce myself, no matter one’s reputation, amazed me and enabled me to gain confidence in myself.

What will you be taking back from your experience that might be helpful to you?:
Besides the great deal of unvaluable knowledge acquired by attending the conferences and workshops, I came back to Toulouse with the deep motivation of pursuing my studies on ACT and RFT. The encounter with professionals coming from all over the world, who shared with me their practises and experiences, reinforced my will to learn more, practise and exchange on ACT.  I also came back with a huge list of books and articles to read, websites to explore, and podcasts to listen! I am now as motivated as ever to continue on this path, and proof at hand: I will be going to an ACT workshop in Lyon in mid-October !

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?:
I am more than thankful to have been given this opportunity, and hope that many other students will benefit from the diversity scholarship. I can only thank the whole ACBS community for providing me with these unforgettable memories, and hope the amazing community spirit stays on trend!

Are you wondering how you can help to disseminate CBS in the developing world through scholarship opportunities like this? Please consider donating to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund via Paypal by using the button below. Your donation will help us continue to bring increased diversity to our annual conferences by providing funds for individuals who come from diverse backgrounds and who would not be able to attend an ACBS conference without this added financial support.

Every dollar/euro/yen goes to helping those in need -- not a nickel goes to administration. Money collected for this fund is distributed by an ACBS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Scholarships are awarded based on need and merit. 

Please note that this contribution does not qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution, according to USA tax law ... but it's a nice thing to do.

Claire Turner, New Zealand
Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?:
I grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. Aspects of my childhood were very difficult, and led to psychological difficulties. These impacted my relationships, my studies, and my quality of life. I am slowly making my way through an undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Auckland, while focusing on my recovery. I aim to become a clinical psychologist in the future.

How did you become interested in CBS?:
I was first introduced to contextual behavioural science through participating in individual and group Acceptance Commitment Therapy. I found adopting a curious, open and compassionate stance to my difficult experiences to be transformative. I was drawn to ACT’s non-pathologizing and pragmatic approach, and its emphasis on values based living.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?:
Currently I am interested in RFT as a clinical intervention. I am also interested in applying a phenomenological approach to mental distress, and in the peer movement and peer co-development of research projects.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?:
This was my first world conference. It was interesting, engaging and valuable. I met with and talked to others pursuing values-based lives, and felt reassured and encouraged. One highlight was presenting about my lived experience in an ACT for groups and ACT for acute experiences symposium. Another was witnessing challenging and honest roleplays. There was a great mix of intellectual and emotive material, and didactic and partner work. In bringing memories of the World Con to mind, I feel very grateful for my experiences, and encouraged in both my personal and professional journey.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?:
On a social outing, I witnessed a community member cry at the beauty of the Seville Cathedral. His bravery in sitting with and expressing his emotion was very inspiring, and encapsulates, I believe, the essence of the ACBS community. I talked to people who were not just talking the talk, but were walking the walk. Their humanness and pursuit of values directed living, particularly honesty and authenticity, bring a lightness to my heart.

When I think of the CBS community, I am reminded of the quote, “who are you when nobody is watching?” To act in a values consist way honours not only others, but myself, and as I learn the importance of this, I keep in mind the thousands of others throughout the world sharing not only my interests but the values underlying the pursuit of these interests.

What will you be taking back from your experience that might be helpful to you?:
In attending the World Conference, I clarified what I most valued and found important to me. I was able to put my current difficulties around completing my university degree into a wider perspective, and investigate how, in small ways, I can live out my values in my daily life.

Since the conference I have been learning to slow down, to use patience, and to trust in my journey and that I will return to university to finish my degree when I am well enough.

The opportunity to view presentations and also to present to others has encouraged me to spread the word about ACT in my local community. Since arriving home I have presented a workshop on ACT to a group of peer support workers. I have represented the health consumer perspective on a digital health strategy in New Zealand, and on the issues of housing and employment for mental health service users. I have submitted an application to consult on issues for consumers within inpatient wards.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?:
Thank you, most sincerely, for the opportunity to learn at the World Conference. Thank you to those who donated to the diversity scholarship fund, and thank you to those that I talked with. Seville 2017 was and is very important to me.
 

Are you wondering how you can help to disseminate CBS in the developing world through scholarship opportunities like this? Please consider donating to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund via Paypal by using the button below. Your donation will help us continue to bring increased diversity to our annual conferences by providing funds for individuals who come from diverse backgrounds and who would not be able to attend an ACBS conference without this added financial support.

Every dollar/euro/yen goes to helping those in need -- not a nickel goes to administration. Money collected for this fund is distributed by an ACBS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Scholarships are awarded based on need and merit. 

Please note that this contribution does not qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution, according to USA tax law ... but it's a nice thing to do.

Sara Runga, New Zealand
Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?:
Kia ora! My name is Sara, I am of indigenous Māori decent, and I come from New Zealand! I am currently undertaking my thesis for the degree of Master of Applied Psychology in Behaviour Analysis (MAppPsy-BA) at The University of Waikato.  My decision to journey into postgraduate studies stemmed from my personal experience battling a mental health illness. I understand that times such as these can be extremely tough for individuals and their loved ones, and I want to be able to provide these people with the tools they need to lead healthy and rewarding lives.

How did you become interested in CBS?:
I was introduced to CBS during the first year of my masters program in 2016. ACT seemed like a natural extension to the behaviour analytic work I had started becoming passionate about! I was excited to come across an approach that felt like something I could, and have been, applying to my own life! One of the many things I love about ACT, is that it incorporates a holistic approach to achieving health and wellbeing, thus aligning with indigenous Māori frameworks of health.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?:
I am interested in the application of ACT to health-related issues such as obesity, particularly for indigenous populations. In New Zealand, we have extremely high rates of obesity amongst our indigenous Māori and Pasifika communities, and I am interested in adapting ACT principles to weight loss methods.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?:
My experience at the World Conference this year was beyond amazing! The environment facilitated my learning in ways that I hadn’t expected! I particularly enjoyed the practical workshops that incorporated role play exercises as they provided ideas for integrating the ACT matrix into practice.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?:
One thing that I find really inspiring about the CBS community is that we share the same values. It’s as though we all have a common purpose, and it goes beyond our work into our everyday lives. Everyone I met was genuinely supportive and caring of one another, and I just love that!

What will you be taking back from your experience that might be helpful to you?:
Attending this conference has been such a rewarding experience and it is really difficult to pinpoint one exact moment that has been helpful because the truth is, the whole experience was totally invaluable! Receiving this scholarship gave me the opportunity to connect with fellow students, researchers, and practitioners from across the world, whom of which I would never had met had I not been in attendance! Listening to the presentations of the many world renowned researchers at the conference was awe-inspiring, and allowed me to attain skills and knowledge that I can take forward into my research pursuits, employment, community volunteering, and my own life!

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?:
Thank you to the diversity committee for choosing me as a recipient of this scholarship! I am incredibly grateful for the experiences I had, and the people I met as a result of attending the conference! Also, a big thank you to those who contributed to the diversity fund, without your support, I would not have made it here and attending the world conference has truly made a difference to my work, my education, and my life!

Are you wondering how you can help to disseminate CBS in the developing world through scholarship opportunities like this? Please consider donating to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund via Paypal by using the button below. Your donation will help us continue to bring increased diversity to our annual conferences by providing funds for individuals who come from diverse backgrounds and who would not be able to attend an ACBS conference without this added financial support.

Every dollar/euro/yen goes to helping those in need -- not a nickel goes to administration. Money collected for this fund is distributed by an ACBS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Scholarships are awarded based on need and merit. 

Please note that this contribution does not qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution, according to USA tax law ... but it's a nice thing to do.

Paola Ricardo, New Jersey

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
My name is Paola and I am currently a third-year doctoral student pursuing a combined degree in Clinical and School Psychology at Kean University. I am Colombian born and migrated to the U.S. in my teens. While this transition was not easy at the time, I can now say that I am grateful that my parents made the difficult decision to uproot our family, so we could pursue new opportunities. My experience as an immigrant who has been able to navigate two different cultural experiences has informed my desire to pursue a higher degree and to support the work with underserved populations, as in my experience psychological treatment is not as widely available as it should be. I also happen to be a student who returned to graduate school after having worked six years in the mental health field and though I wish I would have started graduate school sooner, this experience has truly enriched my graduate school experience.

How did you become interested in CBS?
Prior to pursuing a graduate degree, I had become a yoga teacher and a meditator. The value that I found in acceptance and contemplative practices through my own experience colored the lens through which I saw the human experience. When searching for graduate programs, I realized how important it was for me to find a training program where I could incorporate these interests and where this kind of work would be supported. In addition, having worked with teenage girls experiencing behavioral difficulties prior to graduate school, shaped the way I conceptualized mental health challenges and it peaked my interest in learning about behavioral science. In finding Kean University, I found mentors that could support my work and interests and who introduced me to contextual behavioral science and ACT.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
My research interests are found in the intersection where mental health and the development or maintenance of chronic health difficulties meet. At this time, I am especially interested in how our relationship with food can influence chronic health difficulties that occur as a result of poor lifestyle choices. I am especially interested in the use of acceptance-based practices, yoga, and meditation as a means of cultivating behavioral changes that can lead to changes in lifestyle.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
2018 was my first year at ACBS World Conference as I culminated my second year of graduate school. I had the opportunity to meet a number of wonderful people who were truly open to share knowledge, useful information, and who wanted to ensure I ventured to meet others within a community that prides itself in its generosity and willingness to share. In signing up as an ambasadee through the ambassador and ambasadee program, I met Grant Dewar, a health psychologist who introduced me to a number of people and who encouraged me to talk to participants of diverse interests while sharing with me what is like to be a health psychologist. I especially remember meeting for lunch with the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee, the committee that facilitated and made possible my participation at ACBS world conference. Its members were as generous, open, and easy going as I thought they would be based on my virtual interactions with them and what my experience at ACBS world con had shown me so far. Given my experience with them and my shared interests with the committee’s mission, I asked whether it would be possible to join as a student member. Luckily for me it was.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
Yes, I think their desire to share and cultivate a community that pursues shared values. In my interactions with those who have been part of this community for some time, I noticed that there was a desire to make me feel like part of this community. There did not seem to be a hierarchy which is something I truly appreciated as a student.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
Besides learning from the valuable workshops and presentations, I was able to learn more about the community and its values. Attending the conference also increased my confidence as an ACT practitioner, leading me to take on the opportunity to co-lead a workshop with one of my mentors while presenting to experienced practicing licensed psychologists.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
Yes, I want to express my gratitude to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and its members for the valuable work they perform. Because of them I was able to engage in the enriching experience of presenting at ACBS World Conference and today I get the opportunity to learn from a diverse group of professionals through my participation as a student member in the committee. I also want to extend my gratitude to those who make this scholarship possible through their donations and for giving developing professionals the opportunity to bring their work to this valuable space.
  

Are you wondering how you can help to disseminate CBS in the developing world through scholarship opportunities like this? Please consider donating to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund via Paypal by using the button below. Your donation will help us continue to bring increased diversity to our annual conferences by providing funds for individuals who come from diverse backgrounds and who would not be able to attend an ACBS conference without this added financial support.

Every dollar/euro/yen goes to helping those in need -- not a nickel goes to administration. Money collected for this fund is distributed by an ACBS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Scholarships are awarded based on need and merit. 

Please note that this contribution does not qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution, according to USA tax law ... but it's a nice thing to do.

Gilliam Grannum, Pennsylvania

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
My name is Gillian Grannum and I am a clinical psychologist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. I am newly licensed in Pennsylvania and am pursuing my license in California. I completed my masters and doctoral degrees at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology in Pasadena, CA. Currently, I am living in a small town in east-central Pennsylvania and am providing individual and group therapy within a large behavioral health organization.

How did you become interested in CBS?
I was introduced to contextual behavioral science by way of instruction in acceptance and commitment therapy in my graduate program. I was drawn to ACT because it honors the person’s experience by recognizing the universality of these human experiences but remaining focused on how a particular individual can navigate the inevitable emotional pain of life. As one who has studied theology and is interested in spirituality, I also really appreciated how ACT draws from wisdom and spiritual traditions in incorporating forgiveness, acceptance, peace, openness, equality, and mindfulness. I was able to incorporate ACT in my clinical work during my internship and postdoctoral residency, and was fortunate to have a postdoctoral supervisor whose primary treatment approach was acceptance and commitment therapy. However, aside from ACT, I had relatively little exposure to contextual behavioral science more broadly until the ACBS World Conference.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
Contextual behavioral science principles have been central tenets in my clinical work. One area of growing specialty is with clients from racial/ethnic, gender, and sexual minority backgrounds, and I am increasingly concerned about the current political climate within the U.S. and the vulnerability of those from disempowered communities. I do believe that ACT’s principles of respect of one’s experience, concern about one’s values, and acknowledgement of the reality of pain and suffering – all of which are often minimized, challenged, and denied by the larger society in the lives of marginalized peoples – are crucial to allow me to provide care that truly honors my clients and their experiences. With regard to research interests, my doctoral graduating class included seven African American women and we have remained personally and professionally connected via an informal network. The principles of acceptance and commitment have been key components of the foundation that has contributed to our continued growth and development, and I am excited about opportunities to share our experiences with broader research and clinical communities. We will be leading a symposium at the American Psychological Association convention this year on how our “Sister Circle” approach to social networks has contributed to our own professional development and selfcare, and much of my contribution to our presentation has been influenced by values-based work within the context of community, which I experienced firsthand this year at the ACBS conference. I am also exploring opportunities for community education and dissemination of research in the context of spirituality and mental health; to that end, I will be presenting on issues of emotional health to people of faith in the Los Angeles area this spring.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
I found the World Conference to be intellectually stimulating, personally refreshing, and incredibly rewarding. The broad range of topics and rich content was initially overwhelming and vastly exceeded my expectations. One of my goals in attending the conference was to find “my tribe,” clinically speaking, and, by the end of the first day, I definitely felt that I was surrounded by like-minded people. It was extremely helpful to participate in experiential workshops where the instructors were not only teaching skills to use with clients, but were modeling generosity, vulnerability, courage, and acceptance with every exercise and role play. I felt very welcome by the Diversity Committee and its co-chairs, and am happy to now be working with the committee in promoting issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion for ACBS.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
Although I attended the conference alone and did not know anyone when I first arrived, I was immediately struck with the sense of community that infused the World Conference. The feeling of openness and welcome was a pleasant surprise, and it was easy to meet people and form connections. It is a cliché to say that learning should be fun, but unfortunately, in far too many settings, there seems to be an assumption that having fun is frivolous and unbecoming and that there is little room for individuality, creativity, subjectivity, or expressiveness in professional contexts. The CBS community certainly challenges that notion by making space for laughter, tears, vulnerability, challenge, and growth within a context of mutual respect and acceptance.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
The biggest challenge I faced throughout the conference was constantly weighing my desire to obtain information that could be helpful for my colleagues, peers, and trainees at my job against my hunger to engage with presentations and workshops that resonated with me and addressed my own professional and personal needs. Ultimately, I came to understand that much of what was personally appealing to me would also benefit others, because it tended to center around living into and out of one’s values. Although at times I wish I could have cloned myself to be able to attend several workshops at once in order to be exposed to cutting-edge research, learn new clinical techniques, and be guided by the wisdom of masters in the field, I was continually reminded that the effectiveness of the work that I hope to do is not predicated on my knowing as much as I can, but on my accepting my capabilities and my limitations as I open myself to a life of authenticity and wholeness.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
I’m very grateful to the entire ACBS community and Diversity Committee for providing this opportunity and hope to continue my involvement with ACBS for years to come.

Are you wondering how you can help to disseminate CBS in the developing world through scholarship opportunities like this? Please consider donating to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund via Paypal by using the button below. Your donation will help us continue to bring increased diversity to our annual conferences by providing funds for individuals who come from diverse backgrounds and who would not be able to attend an ACBS conference without this added financial support.

Every dollar/euro/yen goes to helping those in need -- not a nickel goes to administration. Money collected for this fund is distributed by an ACBS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Scholarships are awarded based on need and merit. 

Please note that this contribution does not qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution, according to USA tax law ... but it's a nice thing to do.

Emily Munoz, Texas

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
My name is Emily Munoz and I am from Corpus Christi, TX! I’ve recently completed a M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi. I currently work for a non-profit organization that provides services to victims of intimate partner violence and I continue to be involved in research at TAMUCC. I hope to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in the near future.

How did you become interested in CBS?
I became interested in CBS after being exposed to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in a class. I found ACT really interesting, and a natural extension of my developing interest in behavioral approaches to psychological difficulties. I eventually joined a research lab that focused on social intimacy, as well as Functional Analytic Psychotherapy, which gave me the opportunity to learn more about CBS.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
I am interested in the application of CBS to the area of interpersonal violence, particularly sexual violence and dating/domestic violence.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
I had a great experience at the World Conference! This was my first time attending and presenting at an international conference and I left feeling very inspired by the community, and the work that I was exposed to there.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
One thing that stood out to me about the CBS community was how supportive and friendly everyone was. I also really enjoyed the panel discussions on the #metoo movement and Women in CBS. I thought it was really great that the conference provided a space to discuss social issues and how these issues impact the work that we do.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
Something that I have taken with me from my experience at ACBS actually came from Dr. Lisa Coyne’s plenary talk. She encouraged the audience to accept the fear and uncertainty we often face as clinicians and scientists. I believe she said, “what if we stepped into the magnitude of the problem - into the uncertainty - into the vulnerability to see what is possible.” This was particularly impactful for me both personally and professionally, and it’s something that I think about often as I move forward in my career.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
Thank you to the Diversity Committee for selecting me for this scholarship!
 

Are you wondering how you can help to disseminate CBS in the developing world through scholarship opportunities like this? Please consider donating to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund via Paypal by using the button below. Your donation will help us continue to bring increased diversity to our annual conferences by providing funds for individuals who come from diverse backgrounds and who would not be able to attend an ACBS conference without this added financial support.

Every dollar/euro/yen goes to helping those in need -- not a nickel goes to administration. Money collected for this fund is distributed by an ACBS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Scholarships are awarded based on need and merit. 

Please note that this contribution does not qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution, according to USA tax law ... but it's a nice thing to do.

Laís Nicolodi, Brazil

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
My name is Laís Nicolodi, I’m Brazilian and I live in the city of São Paulo. I’m currently a Master’s Degree student at University of São Paulo in the field of Behavioral Science and Feminism Issues, and my main object of study are the effects of how a patriarchal culture can influence in society as well, such as the power imbalance between men and women in general. I’m also a clinical psychologist in São Paulo, working especially with women issues and LGBT community.

How did you become interested in CBS?
I’ve started to learn more about the CBS when I was an undergraduate student of psychology. Since I’ve started to become more involved with the Brazilian community of ACBS, I had the opportunity to discuss with great people how could we add efforts to think of a way to promote welfare of political minorities in our environment, especially as clinical psychologists professionals. I’ve had clinical supervisors that were experts in FAP, and it was amazing to find out that there were already studies in the field of behavioral therapies that sought to consider gender and racial variables inside the relation between the patient and therapist.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
As a clinical psychologist committed with the values of Human Rights, especially considering the background where I’m inserted in (the Latin-American community of women) I believe that Behavioral Contextual Science, mainly Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, can contribute to develop therapeutic processes that contemplates the reality of vulnerable women who have suffered gender violence, in a sensitive and generous way, and that considers the social background of a structural racism and sexist social system.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
The year of 2019 was the year of my first ACBS World Conference, and it was also my first International Conference of my entire life. I’m so grateful and honored to have had the opportunity to meet incredible people from all over the world. The conference had not just contributed to me in a professional way as a better psychologist, but also contributed to me in my personal development as a human being. Meeting Steven Hayes in person and having the opportunity to learn with him more about ACT was very inspiring and stimulating.

The ambassador and ambasadee program also made me feel very welcomed because I’ve met great women who were very friendly and welcoming with me, such as Holly Yates, Miranda and Temple Morris, and Mary Hughes. Everybody from the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee were amazing too, people like Lucia Loureiro helped me a lot to make me feel more included in the ACBS Conference. Also, the Women’s SIG and the Diversity Equity and Inclusion SIG provided me great opportunities for meeting people from different countries from all over the world, such as Poland and Hong Kong, and share our experiences in common as students with different backgrounds and who lived very far from there. It was very warming to find out the members of Latin America that were present there too, because it made me feel even more connected with the ACBS community. And finally, it was wonderful to meet all the Brazilian community who were present in the ACBS Conference, I would never been able to meet them inside Brazil if it wasn't for the Conference of this year.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?                                                                      I would like to highlight one of the best moments I’ve had in the ACBS Conference. The Janet Helms Plenary about Power Dynamics of White Racial Identity in Social Interactions was very potent and inspiring because of everything I believe in. I was positively surprised by CBS community for choosing such a great and inspiring professional such as Janet Helms for the plenary. It was great to feel that everybody in the audience were so open-minded to discuss about white privilege and power relations among society. It made me feel honored to be a part of a community that includes racial debates inside the context of psychology and contextual behavioral sciences.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you? 
I could say that 100% of my entire experience in the Conference was very helpful to me. Considering my main values as a psychologist committed with political values that fights against violence against women and structural racism, I would say that the lessons I’ve learn in Janet Helms’s plenary I will carry with me in my practice as a psychologist for all time. The Steven Hayes’s lectures that I’ve participated in, as well, have also helped me a lot to improve my professional skills as an ACT therapist. Those were the 2 most helpful events for me during the conference because both of them were very aligned with everything I believe in, especially in my clinical application as a contextual behavioral therapist.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
I would never been able to live all these great experiences if it wasn’t for the scholarship program developed by the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. Thank you once more for everything you provided. And congratulations for the initiative, I hope even more students from all over the world from different background, especially political minorities, may have the same opportunities very soon.
 

Are you wondering how you can help to disseminate CBS in the developing world through scholarship opportunities like this? Please consider donating to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund via Paypal by using the button below. Your donation will help us continue to bring increased diversity to our annual conferences by providing funds for individuals who come from diverse backgrounds and who would not be able to attend an ACBS conference without this added financial support.

Every dollar/euro/yen goes to helping those in need -- not a nickel goes to administration. Money collected for this fund is distributed by an ACBS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Scholarships are awarded based on need and merit. 

Please note that this contribution does not qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution, according to USA tax law ... but it's a nice thing to do.

Jan Topczewski, Poland

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
My name is Jan Topczewski. I am a 1st year student of PhD programme in psychology at SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw, Poland. I’m also engaged in LGBTQ mental health activism - I work as acounsellor and training consultant in LGBTQ crisis hotline hosted by Lambda Warsaw Association. We are one of the very few organisations providing free mental health services (individual and group therapy, workshops, email counselling, crisis hotline) for gender and sexually diverse folks, and currently the only one doing it on a country-wide scale. We serve individuals who experienced extreme violence and abuse based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, “conversion therapy” survivors, LGBTQ minors or people coming from low socioeconomic background who cannot afford counselling with properly trained and culturally-sensitive clinicians.

How did you become interested in CBS?
In 2014, during my 1st year of BA in psychology, I attended Joe Oliver’s brief workshop on using ACT with people with unusual (psychotic) experiences. It was my first contact with Relational Frame Theory and concept of experiential avoidance. I found it really compelling, but I had not fully appreciated it until I started reading about CBS approach in general. For me pragmatic roots, depathologizing stance towards human suffering and sensitivity to social justice were especially important aspects. It turned out that combining scientific “precision, scope and depth” with deep social engagement is possible and people are already doing it. I knew I had to get on board.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
My PhD research project is focused on functional-contextual account of self/perspective taking difficulties in people coming from violent, invalidating environments (and commonly labeled as having “borderline personality disorder”). My hope is that recent developments in RFT will prove to be useful in understanding self(ing)-related challenges faced by people with such experiences.

As a practitioner, I’m very much interested in applying mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches to empower the LGBTQ community. Moreover, the intersection between critical psychology and contextual behavioral science is very relevant for my work. Every day I see how providing psychological support for individuals without addressing cultural practices contributing to "problems in living" is not enough. Hence, my interest is also in PROSOCIAL approach, the work of Bernard Guerin and in experimental communities inspired by B.F. Skinner’s Walden Two.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
It was a period of intensive experiential learning. I was doing mainly RFT track and every day I had some "aha" moments. Entering new community without knowing almost anyone was very challenging, but it gave me the opportunity to talk and share with many people. There was a lot of "small things" that made a huge difference - smiles, meaningful conversations, acts of encouragement, tears, hugs. After six months, the memories are still vivid and heartwarming.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
Egalitarianism. People were approachable and warm regardless of their degree and profession. I felt the spirit of openness and cooperation instead of competition. Scientific culture shaped in such manner is absolutely unique.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
I refined my understanding of empirical and conceptual advances in RFT, which really helps me with my doctoral research. I also had the opportunity to take first steps towards collaboration with other CBS labs.

At the same time it was an important week for clinical skills building. Attending workshops such as “Process-based CBT, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Diversity” facilitated by Aisling Curtin, Matthew Skinta and lore dickey reoriented my development as a counsellor. During deeply moving real-play with Aisling, I remember thinking: “This is really how I want to work...”

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
I'd like to express my gratitude to DEI Committee and numerous donators. This experience wouldn't be possible without your hard work and support. Thank you!

Are you wondering how you can help to disseminate CBS in the developing world through scholarship opportunities like this? Please consider donating to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund via Paypal by using the button below. Your donation will help us continue to bring increased diversity to our annual conferences by providing funds for individuals who come from diverse backgrounds and who would not be able to attend an ACBS conference without this added financial support.

Every dollar/euro/yen goes to helping those in need -- not a nickel goes to administration. Money collected for this fund is distributed by an ACBS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Scholarships are awarded based on need and merit. 

Please note that this contribution does not qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution, according to USA tax law ... but it's a nice thing to do.

Desmond Bull, Lanham, Maryland (USA)

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
I am Desmond Bull. I am originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa. I currently work as an ABA Therapist in Washington DC and Maryland. Being in the field for the last two years has been an eye-opener for understanding behavior and means to shape them. I like to spend my time researching ways to build my skills and learn new intervention techniques.

How did you become interested in CBS?
My interest in contextual behavior science stems from being in the field of behavior analysis and intervention.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
I am interested in researching more about ACT and how mindfulness can be therapeutic in certain situations. The concept has always intrigued me. I currently research and implement breathing and other mindfulness techniques in ABA, but ACT would be an interesting new path to research.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
The conference in 2020 was like none other. It was initially scheduled to take place in New Orleans, but because of the covid 19 pandemic, it went virtual! Virtual, though somewhat limiting, provided opportunities for new learning and a different form of coming together. At the beginning, I had some issues with stable internet access. Once my internet struggles were over, I was able to participate in the conference fully. I listened to a variety of speakers as they went over several behavior shaping techniques. My personal favorite was the small breakout rooms. While it was an opportunity for more personal learning, it also provided us the chance to network and get to know other participants.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
The CBS community is particularly dedicated to impacting knowledge of contextual behavioral science in different forms. From the conference, the community projects a deep willingness to help interested individuals understand this concept. The community is full of professionals working in the field and they are willing to share their experience in a moment's notice. This is indeed the most noticeable part of the community - a community of professionals who understand the need to impact knowledge through their own experiences in the field.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you? 
There have been a couple of meaningful takeaways I got from the conference. Unfortunately, from the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, our work has been limited to online and limited in-person contact. The various sessions that taught us techniques to adjust certain behaviors and identifying triggers for them were particularly helpful. Being in the field and seeing some of the behaviors displayed on regular basis helped me put the speakers' words in better applicable contexts. Some of the strategies I learnt have been helpful in everything from de-escalating problematic behaviors to teaching alternative soothing behaviors to individuals. I look forward to having the opportunity to implement some of these techniques in a consistent manner when normalcy returns.

Are you wondering how you can help to disseminate CBS in the developing world through scholarship opportunities like this? Please consider donating to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund via Paypal by using the button below. Your donation will help us continue to bring increased diversity to our annual conferences by providing funds for individuals who come from diverse backgrounds and who would not be able to attend an ACBS conference without this added financial support.

Every dollar/euro/yen goes to helping those in need -- not a nickel goes to administration. Money collected for this fund is distributed by an ACBS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Scholarships are awarded based on need and merit. 

Please note that this contribution does not qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution, according to USA tax law ... but it's a nice thing to do.

Sandi James, Malaysia

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
My name is Sandi James. I am a registered Psychologist from Australia, currently living and working in Malaysia as a Senior Lecturer and Psycholgist in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Univeristi Malaysia Sabah. I arrived in Sabah in 2014, and was recently able to return to accept a new contract for that position after living and working in the addiction field in Thailand for 2 years and spending most of 2020 stuck in the UK after the borders closed due to COVID-19 in March. I worked in public and private mental health services in Australia prior to coming to Sabah and am currently a PhD candidate with La Trobe Univeristy researching alcohol use in the Kadazan culture here in Sabah. I am also completing my certification for registration with the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP).

How did you become interested in CBS?
I first came across ACT via Russ Harris and his book TheHappiness Trap. In my work I focus quite a lot of the words we use and the connections between words, feelings and actions. RFT fit nicely into this exploration and after looking into this further I was directed to the ACBS. Since that time I have joined, and been active in, a few SIGS and interest groups with a particular interest in LMIC and practice with diverse communities.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
Initially I planned to present research we have been doing looking at Ultra Brief Psychological Interventions, a protocol a colleaugue and I produced in 2017 to assist health service staff in Malaysia provide brief psychological interventions to patients they are seeing. Time restraints and workload has previously not enabled medical professionals and other health service staff to provide any interventions other than pharmacotherapy treatment.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
I attended a number of sessions during the world conference and was most inspired by the range and diversity of the other particpants and presenters. My own personal circumstances throughout 2020 meant that I was unable to commit to the live sessions a lot of the time but when I did I found the speakers and presentations to be interesting and hopeful. I will attend again in 2021 in hopefully better circumstances for us all.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
The warmth, compassion and understanding of the CBS community is something that always stands out for me, and this was again evident throughout the conference.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you? 
The thing that impacted me most was the level of passion and engagement within CBS community. This is the stand out feature for me and something that increased further during the conference.

Are you wondering how you can help to disseminate CBS in the developing world through scholarship opportunities like this? Please consider donating to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund via Paypal by using the button below. Your donation will help us continue to bring increased diversity to our annual conferences by providing funds for individuals who come from diverse backgrounds and who would not be able to attend an ACBS conference without this added financial support.

Every dollar/euro/yen goes to helping those in need -- not a nickel goes to administration. Money collected for this fund is distributed by an ACBS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Scholarships are awarded based on need and merit. 

Please note that this contribution does not qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution, according to USA tax law ... but it's a nice thing to do.

Nguyen Tran, Seattle, Washington (USA)

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
My name is Nguyen Tran. I am currently a Clinical Research Coordinator at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Professionally, I am helping a team of psychologists developing virtual behavioral parent training for children with ADHD. On the side, I am working on developing questionnaires to measure homophobia using ACT framework. I am a first-generation Vietnamese immigrant, person-of-color, and LGBTQ-identified ACT enthusiast. I am an aspired researcher and psychologist. My research interest is in equity and LGBTQ issues.

How did you become interested in CBS?
In 2015, I got my first job as a clinical case manager at a local non-profit, where I fell in love with clinical work and ACT. Since then, I’ve learned more about CBS. In 2017, I often attended the Washington Chapter meeting and it was then that I was introduced to Dr. Jonathan Kanter, who is mentoring me throughout my research journey/adventure. Dr. Kanter also gave me a book on FAP, which piqued my interest in CBS as a whole.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
As mentioned above, equity is an important value of mine. At the moment, Dr. Kanter and I are developing a new way to measure homophobia. In the future, I would like to contribute some more in using ACT in the LGBTQ+ community, as well as increasing access to care and decreasing stigma.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
ACBS was the first World AND virtual conference that I attended. The experience was immensely positive. I was in awe listening to incredibly knowledgeable and passionate folks presenting their findings and experience. Two talks stood out to me the most, which was “Looking Back to Stay Ahead: Recasting ACT as Behavior Analysis” by Dr. Emily Sandoz and “Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) and the Soul of the Clinician: Cultivating the Sacred in Therapy and Beyond” by Dr. Mavis Tsai and Dr. Robert Kohlenberg. Dr. Sandoz’s talk stood out to me because she explained ACT in a way that was understandable to someone like me, who doesn’t have a clue about behavior analysis. Dr. Tsai and Kholenberg’s presentation solidifies and demonstrates what I know about FAP for the very first time.

I attended multiple SIG meetings, getting to know people from all around the world, and am now part of the leadership team of the Sexual Gender Minority SIG. These opportunities will never come across without the help of the DEI Scholarship.

Overall, the conference is an experiential exercise. I learned, laughed, and bonded with people who are staying up past midnight to attend a talk that interests them. I was assigned to a breakout room with folks from New Zealand, half a world away.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
It is not an understatement to say the CBS community is extraordinarily welcoming. I was also struck by how willing to help everyone was to me. As a proclaimed outsider, who is not a clinician or researcher, I entered the conference timid and unsure of what I have to say. But I was constantly supported and my voice was always uplifted when I speak.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you? 
Everything I experienced had been helpful for me, both professionally and personally. I was able to connect with Dr. Skinta, who helped me with my LGBTQ project with Dr. Kanter. I was able to know and work with amazingly brilliant folks in the SGM SIG. I learned different research methods and ways to look at data differently, which now informs my research.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
I am incredibly grateful that the community welcomes everyone with open arms, especially me. Without a doubt, I commit to pay this opportunity forward and I hope the organization will continue supporting new students and other non-traditional learners/CBS-enthusiasts in the future.

Are you wondering how you can help to disseminate CBS in the developing world through scholarship opportunities like this? Please consider donating to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund via Paypal by using the button below. Your donation will help us continue to bring increased diversity to our annual conferences by providing funds for individuals who come from diverse backgrounds and who would not be able to attend an ACBS conference without this added financial support.

Every dollar/euro/yen goes to helping those in need -- not a nickel goes to administration. Money collected for this fund is distributed by an ACBS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Scholarships are awarded based on need and merit. 

Please note that this contribution does not qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution, according to USA tax law ... but it's a nice thing to do.

Melody Sylvain, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
I am a BCBA and have 11 years of experience in the field. My clinical interests include strengthening psychological flexibility and working with children & adolescents on the autism spectrum.

How did you become interested in CBS?
ACT and RFT have been wonderful in terms of the contribution to my skills and knowledge as a professional. I believe that it is very important for behavior analysts to be more and more concerned with the application of ACT within our work.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
Adolescents and young adults with autism, conducting ACT functional analyses, supporting parents of individuals with autism, and using ACT in supervisory and mentoring relationships.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
It was phenomenal. I learned a great deal and truly enjoyed presentations from Emily Sandoz, Tom Szabo, and Evelyn Gould. 

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
I enjoy the fact that the majority of the CBS community is open, vulnerable and exemplifies what it looks like to apply behavioral science to their own lives. I would like to see more diversity and representation among the
speakers and more people of color at the next conference. 

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
Clinical applications particularly from the interbehaviorism perspective. 

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
No. Thank you very much for the opportunity to attend. I have truly enjoyed it.

Deirdre James, Houston, TX, USA

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
Hello my name is Deirdre James and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I am originally from Philadelphia but I am currently practicing in Texas. I work full time in an academic setting and also provide therapy to clients in my private practice. I have spent some time working as a behavior therapist with children in multiple environments. I also enjoy working with people coping with trauma, grief, women's issues, couples, and individuals with anxiety and depression. I hope to continue to enhance my therapeutic skills to help as many people as possible manage the challenges of life. 

How did you become interested in CBS?
I originally became interested in Contextual Behavioral Science through a professional therapist social media group. They introduced me to my first official Acceptance and Commitment Therapy training. In that group I joined a cohort and was able to learn more about the application of ACT with clients. The mentor group lead me to the ACBS website and suggested I attend the conference. 

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
I hope to write and publish a book about feelings for elementary students using ACT and RFT as a basis for the book. I would like to highlight release activities for children to see ways they can physically express their emotions appropriately. I am also interested in researching how ACT can be helpful with Perinatal mental health and grief.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
I really enjoyed the conference. One of my favorite parts was the small interest group meetings that gave me the chance to talk to some leaders in the ACBS community. One of my favorite quotes was "Just because you said it once doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say it again. You don’t always need something new. Educate your clients to see. Keep repeating. Keep singing the same songs until the client sings along. Repetition is the mother of learning." I believe that has helped me grow as a therapist and know that sometimes you do have to encourage clients with the same information. Before I felt the need to always give them something new to try in fear of sounding like a broken record. It just gives me comfort in knowing that repetition is important. The meditation/yoga sessions were also a great addition to a virtual conference. It allowed me to get movement and stay engaged in the learning and community.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
The thing that stood out to me the most was how welcoming everyone was during the conference. People were willing to share resources to help further my knowledge of contextual behavioral science. There is an abundance of information in the CBS community. I look forward to continuing learning from the people I met and the resources they shared.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
I honestly learned more about Relational Frame Theory and contextualism. But one of the most helpful things I learned from the conference is to incorporate writing time into my sessions. I now prompt my clients to write letters of compassion to themselves when they find it difficult to be compassionate. I have facilitated multiple experiential exercises for clients to notice what they are feeling and to separate themselves from the feeling.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
I really appreciate the opportunity to learn and grow from the conference and look forward to being a part of the community. I would love to volunteer in some capacity if there are opportunities available to do so.

William Hwang, Milwaukie, OR, USA

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
I am a clinical psychologist practicing in the Portland Metro Area in Oregon. I received my Psy.D. degree in Clinical Psychology from the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver. Before my graduate school training, I worked at a behavioral health facility for at-risk children and adolescents in Leesburg, Virginia and spent some summers working as a camp counselor at a summer camp for children who needed extra help with emotional and behavioral challenges.

How did you become interested in CBS?
I was exposed to ACT, really for the first time, during my graduate school training at the University of Denver and was immediately drawn to it. In 2014, I attended the ACT bootcamp in Reno, Nevada (perhaps you were at the Eldorado too!) which furthered my interest in all things CBS. Afterwards, I continued to further my understanding of concepts like RFT and helped other students grasp these ideas as a graduate assistant for our program's ACT course. I have continued to utilize CBS throughout my work, primarily with individual clients in an outpatient setting.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
My interests lie predominantly in the application side of things as opposed to research - you would understand why if you viewed my grades in my past statistics courses. I am interested in helping people let go of limiting beliefs and living freer, fuller lives. CBS has been a wonderful organizing framework by which change has been possible both for the clients I work with as well as myself in being able to relate to ourselves with more kindness, courage, and confidence. I believe there is still a lot of work that can be done to help us humans, especially with nondominant identities, discover and defuse from the subconscious messages we have internalized about what society says we can and cannot be in this world. Values work in ACT has been extremely helpful in giving my clients the motivation to overcome stigma and self-doubt.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
It was amazing to attend the World Conference this year and engage in workshops led by ACBS practitioners around the globe. The virtual nature of the conference allowed for access in a way that may have been prohibitive in another year due to travel limitations. I appreciated being able to get a more intimate glimpse into what life might be like for fellow ACBS members and presenters by seeing people in their personal milieu during the video conference meetings.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
I loved to see the CBS community's great sense of humor be showcased throughout this year's World Conference. It touched my heart and made me quite proud when multiple presenters paid homage to the native and indigenous peoples who have been displaced from the land on which the presenters' very institutions are situated. This spoke to how deeply embodied and enacted the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion are in the culture of ACBS. Lastly, it inspired me to see a multitude of mental health practitioners of different races, ethnicities, and other diverse backgrounds serving not only as attendees but as presenters. This sort of role modeling and representation is what has given me the confidence to become a psychologist myself and I imagine it means the world to other burgeoning therapists and researchers as well.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
These annual conferences help remind me of the reasons I chose this calling in the first place and help me connect to a shared cause bigger than myself or another one ACBS member. I learned so much this year from how we can experience guilt and do it anyway to the way to conceptualize attachment as a form of psychological inflexibility to how to gamify therapy. These ideas have been poignant ones that I have been able to incorporate into my subsequent work with clients.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
Keep on changing and inspiring the world! Hope to see you next year!

Bianca R. Augustine, Norfolk, VA, USA

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
I identify as a Black, French-Creole female, originally from a small town in the Acadian area of Louisiana, USA. Throughout my upbringing, I was often one of few, if not the only, person of color in many spaces that I occupied. This continued throughout college, my master’s program, my doctoral program, and now in my professional spheres. Additionally, I am a first-generation college student and recently completed my Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at a large university in Virginia, USA. Now that I have completed my studies, I work as a Resident in Counseling in Virginia, specializing in trauma and sex/sexuality concerns. ACT is my primary modality for treatment and has been beneficial in serving my clients, most of whom belong to minoritized populations. Additionally, I teach master's counseling courses for two universities in the USA as an adjunct professor. Sadly, many of the students I have taught were not familiar with ACT, nor other CBS modalities of counseling. It brings me so much joy to introduce ACT, CFT, and other CBS.

How did you become interested in CBS?
During my master's and Ph.D. programs, none of the faculty in my departments studied, researched, taught, or utilized ACT, leaving me to learn about this modality independently with limited mentorship. Fortunately, two of my peers in my master's program independently attended an ACT workshop, and shared their newfound knowledge with me. This ignited my interest and passion for ACT, fostering my exploration of ACT modalities, books, research, and trainings and later CFT!

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
My clinical and research interests revolve around two broad areas- trauma and sex/sexuality concerns. More specifically, within the field of trauma counseling, I am especially interested in and specialize in traumas unique to individuals identifying within historically oppressed and minoritized populations, especially those identifying within the Black diaspora. I am also very passionate about and specialize in counseling sexology, or counseling issues related to sex, sexuality, and gender. I have found ACT very useful in helping my clients engage in valued living as a means to healing from and/or coping with trauma, including race-based traumas, while further developing their resilience. Similarly, ACT has been extremely beneficial in my work within the field of counseling sexology, as I aim to help clients identify and live within their sexuality-related values, defuse from uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, and live a fuller life!

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
My experience at the 2021 World Conference was nothing short of amazing! I attended numerous workshops that were very beneficial for my personal and professional growth. At this year's World Conference, I was also introduced to CFT!!

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
An aspect of the CBS community that stands out the most to me is its dedication to social justice and multiculturalism. Of the multiple professional organizations I belong to and numerous conferences I have attended, CBS continues to not only discuss social justice and multiculturalism, but also puts these discussions into action.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
There were so many concepts and ideas I took back from the World Conference 2021! At this year's conference, I was exposed to CFT. As a result, I have begun integrating CFT into my clinical work and have begun teaching my master's counseling classes about it. Furthermore, the conference provided me with further information regarding the implementation of ACT that I have infused into my clinical work. Workshops I attended at the World Conference also strengthened my overall knowledge of and passion for ACT and provided me with valuable information that I was able to share with my students, mentees, and colleagues. Furthermore, workshops I attended inspired me to develop workshops/presentations on the use of ACT with the populations I am most passionate about, including individuals within the Black diaspora, those in romantic partnerships, and individuals identifying as affectionate or gender expansive.

Shatangela Gibbs, Southfield, MI, USA

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
I am Shatangela Gibbs, I am currently work as a high school counselor and Psychotherapist in Michigan. I have been in the field for the last 3.5 years and it has been very rewarding as well as an educational journey.

How did you become interested in CBS?
I became interested in contextual behavior science after taking a training in ACT.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
I am interested in doing more research in ACT with women of color experiencing trauma. Learning how mindfulness could be implemented to assist with managing triggers. 

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
My experience with the World Conference this year was very interesting. Once i figured things out it was exciting to participate in the different sessions and meeting other professionals from different parts of the world was refreshing and inspirational to a new clinician like myself.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
Diversity and the willingness of the professionals who participated in the conference to impart knowledge and to assist with connecting me to other professionals who had similar interest that could mentor me and help me to explore CBS much deeper than I had imagined.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
Learning about different techniques that can be used to assist clients with deescalation, understanding of self, and coping strategies that can be adaptive to any client. It was an overwhelming amount of knowledge and I am
grateful that I had this opportunity to connect with so many professionals.  

Luana Karina Pereira, Bahia, Brazil

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
I'm a black woman from Bahia, a state in Brazil, and I finished my bachelor in Psychology in 2017. In 2018 I started to work as a clinical psychologist, and while I was doing that, I started to notice that some people (as black and LGBTQ+ ones) didn't fit really well in cases I used to read in books or listen to at conferences. Because of that, I started to research about minorities and specially black people's subjectivity. Since then I study, write and talk about antiracist clinical practices in Behavior Analysis.

How did you become interested in CBS?
Since I was in my first year at the university I'm interested in Behavior Analysis, because it made sense for me since the first time I heard about Skinner's work and the way radical behaviorism understands the human behavior. After my first contact with the field I volunteered myself to help in conferences as a monitor, and my interest only grew. When I had contact with the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy it also made sense to me, because it gives to people hope and choice to be the person they want to be guided by their own values, I think that's beautiful. So when I discovered ACBS I knew it would be the perfect place to learn and improve my practice as psychologist (and as a person as well), and it's been a real pleasure to be part of this community.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
I'm interested in subjects related to minorities' mental health, as women, black people, LGBTQIA+ people, and the interseccionality of race, sexual orientation and gender. My research at this moment is focused on how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy can help black people to face racism and improve their mental health.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
It was an awesome experience for me. Firstly, because I was completely grateful for the opportunity to represent my country and my people there. Secondly, because it was my first ACBS Conference at all, and I couldn't be there if the ACBS team didn’t have a scholarship like this. Thirdly, because I could learn so much from every researcher and speaker that was there too! I never imagined that one day I would meet Mavis Tsai and Steven Hayes in person. They are my big references as clinical psychologist since the beginning of my career! It was a pleasure to meet them, meet other speakers I admire and be closer to people that have the same concerns as I do about how to implement diversity, equity and inclusion in our field.

Besides, I met many different people, from many different places, and everyone was very kind, receptive to me. It was new and funny to get emotional in some workshops (as Mavis' ones) with people I never saw in my life! This happened because I felt confortable to be open and experience everything, so once again, thanks to all ACBS team. It was also a great opportunity to be closer to the Brazil chapter of ACBS, and other Brazilian researchers that do really interesting works here in Brazil that I didn't know. Beyond the profesional side, I'm sure I can say I made friends there, and this is really valuable to me.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
In general, it was a great surprise seeing themes related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in many researchs and speeches. I didn't see this kind of discussion at CBS a few years ago, and now I can see many researchers doing important efforts to fix that gap. I want to highlight the plenary of Matthew Skinta about how CBS community needs to be engaged to eliminate prejudice, because this is our responsability too. It was also great to see some diverse people as speakers there, as Táhcita Mizael, Janini Vaidya, Rhonda Magee, etc. It's really important to have diverse people as speakers, because people like me can relate to them, and this inspires us to keep doing what we do, even knowing how hard it is.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
I came back to Brazil with the inspiration and desire to get closer to CBS community, because now I know that has a large space to research about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on our field. It was wonderful learning more about Process Based Therapy, because it's new and very promising in our field, and I think it can help a lot to improve minorities' mental health. I also could learn more about CBS applied to minorities, what helped me to be a better researcher and therapist. After the Conference I started to write papers in partnership with one of the researchers I got closer there, and I also got in groups of interests in Brazil Chapter. A few weeks ago I was invited to be speaker in a workshop from ACBS Brazil conference to talk about Racism and Psychotherapy, and there I could talk a little bit about my experience in the World Conference. It was really great to do that and I want to keep doing it!

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
I just want to say thank you again, and ask you guys to keep doing things like this. I'm sure our field only grows with the inclusion of diverse people, because there are many valuable contributions we can make, but this is possible only if we have the opportunity to be there, to improve our knowledge and to show our perspectives about the world.

Steven Tran, Oakland, California, USA

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
My name is Steven Tran. I am originally from Boston, MA and currently live in Oakland, CA. I am a third-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium at Palo Alto University. My current practicum placement is at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where I primarily work with Veterans who struggle with substance use. My clinical interests include LGBTQIA+ psychology, substance use, mood disorders, group psychotherapy, and individuals with marginalized cultural identities.

How did you become interested in CBS?
My first exposure to CBS was a workshop led by a local ACBS San Francisco chapter member during my first year of graduate school. I was drawn to Relational Frame Theory and the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. This initial exposure led me to further explore this framework and how I can apply them in my clinical work.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
My current research is on investigating adolescent substance use. I am working with Dr. Karen Osilla at Stanford University School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. I hope to utilize the research literature in CBS to further inform my research.
As a trainee, I hope to continue applying acceptance and change-based approaches in my work with individual and group settings.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
I attended the World Conference 2022 in San Francisco, California. This was the first in-person conference since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was excited about the World Conference since I have not attended any in-person conferences since beginning graduate school in Fall 2020. Through this experience, I was able to meet many researchers and fellow students who are engaged in cutting-edge research and clinical work. This conference sparked a new level of motivation and interest in integrating CBS into my graduate school training and coursework. I am truly grateful for the connections that I have made.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
In attending the World Conference, I am inspired by the warmth and passion that the CBS community exudes. The countless presenters and attendees were extremely open to meeting new people and explaining concepts in ways that met people where they were at. I also enjoyed how the CBS community is attuned to diversity, equity, and inclusion in research and clinical work.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
Since the World Conference, I have been reflecting on what I learned. I hope to continue bringing in my takeaways into the classroom and my clinical work.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
I would like to thank the ACBS DEI Committee and those that made the World Conference 2022 possible. This experience is a highlight in my graduate school training. I hope to continue participating in the ACBS community and my local chapter in the many years to come in my professional career. Thank you so much!

Ela Ari, Istanbul, Türkiye

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
I am Dr. Ela Ari from Istanbul, Turkey. I am a full-time faculty in psychology department in Istanbul Medipol University. I am also an ACT therapist and co-founder of “Resilience Akademi”. My research and teaching is mostly on Organizational Psychology and Resilience.

How did you become interested in CBS?
Early in 2017-18 I started to do behavioral research on mindfulness and self-compassion. Then, I encountered the use of ACT model in organizational psychology. During Covid, I got my clinical psychology master’s degree. Then, I became an ACBS member and got more familiar with CBS. Recently, I integrated some ACT principles/exercises in the resilience programs to employees and communities that I am working with.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
I established a Resilience Lab in my university. Currently, we are working with implicit emotion regulation and its relationship with psychological symptoms, developing a multifactorial resilience scale. Recently, we published a research article on how we disenfranchise for others and self-disenfranchise grief and loss. We are planning to include compassion interventions to take this research to another level. We are also experimenting on time perception and psychological flexibility. Currently, we are working on a mobile application for end users to build mental resilience. I would like to collaborate with different CBS researchers in these areas and/or cross-cultural aspects.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
It was a wonderful experience for my academic, research and practice purposes. Meeting my former friends and hanging out in San Francisco was lovely. Meeting with new people was also exciting. I had an ignite talk where I tap danced to show how to regulate emotions between therapy sessions. This might be the most joyful talk that I’ve ever given with all audience tap dancing with me. I also had a poster presentation about “Retrospective Time Perception: The influence of heart rate on time estimation on Anxiety and Mindfulness”. The questions and comments for the study were very lifting.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
Definitely yes. First, it was an inspiring experience in terms of research applications that are conducted around the World. On the other hand, I learned a lot in terms of clinical practice. I enjoyed every moment of all three days that I was there.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
I had a chance to meet famous CBS researchers in person and was surprised to see how approachable, humble, and helping they were. I want to try to come again or join online. It was very nurturing.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
I have been in many conferences throughout my academic life. This was the best experience I have ever had, including Follies Night!

Melody Sylvain, Abu Zaby, United Arab Emirates

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
I am a Haitian-American Behavior Analyst born and raised in Florida, USA. I have lived in the UAE for the past few years with my partner where I have worked in schools, homes and centers providing behavior analytic training and mental health support for families and educators. I love nature, yoga, traveling and all things mental health and wellness and do my best to treat others with kindness and respect while advocating for a more just world.

How did you become interested in CBS?
I became interested in CBS through my own challenges with anxiety in 2019 as well as through my experiences working with anxious individuals. I sought support and consultation from ACT trainers in order to become a more knowledgeable clinician when working with those who struggle with anxiety. I found ACT and CBS so helpful for myself and my clients and I have been connected with the ACBS community ever since.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
I am interested in the application of ACT to support parents and school teams who support individuals experiencing behavioral challenges. I am also interested in the applications of movement, yoga, and physical embodiment as it relates to overall mental health and wellness.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
I enjoyed meeting so many new faces and presentations from people all over the world such as Brazil and Kenya. It was nice to see so many incredible projects and how people have benefited globally from CBS. I especially appreciated connecting with such a variety of different professionals outside of behavior analysis which I always love.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
I was able to commute with some people who were staying near to my accommodation, when we met at a coffee shop one morning before the conference. I was also able to do the same thing when leaving the conference on a few occasions. I really appreciate the effort that many CBS community members make to connect and collaborate in these small ways.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
I really enjoyed the panel discussion on interbehaviorism and continued my research and readings on this topic once I returned home.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
The CBS community at the World Conference in Cyprus was not as diverse as I would have liked, and I only met two other Black people in attendance at the conference. I would love to see more people who look like me at future conferences.

Devin Guthrie, Texas, USA

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
I’m a disabled, nonbinary, existential psychologist and acceptance and commitment coach from Texas. I trained as a clinical psychologist for several years at Texas A&M University and graduated with a PhD in social and personality psychology in August 2023. Although I’m keeping a hand in terror management and end-of-life care research and am always open to new collaborations, since graduation I’ve focused on beginning to practice as a “Life & Death Coach” (using my clinical experience as a foundation for life coaching, my end-of-life doula experience for death coaching, and ACT to ground them both). My abiding interests are meaning in life, death & dying, and the psychology of climate crisis.

How did you become interested in CBS?
As soon as I learned about ACT in my second semester of my clinical psychology PhD program, I knew I wanted to practice it. Entering graduate school, I had reservations about cognitive behavioral therapy. Thought challenging seemed often unproductive and while I understood the pragmatic necessity of behavioral activation, it can be a very reductive approach. Originally, I had been most interested in practicing existential-humanistic therapy. This too, however, was unsatisfying in a way that was difficult to pin down. For instance, when I asked Kirk Schneider in a workshop how to help a physically suffering client find meaning worth living for, he told me, “All you can do is say, ‘I’m here with you.’” From one frame of reference, that is profoundly true. From another, I believe clients have a right to receive more guidance from a therapist. In ACT, I saw a workable marriage of the behavioral and existential approaches. So, I began to train in and practice ACT and eventually research and publish on it by the end of my PhD.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
As a person with chronic pain, I’ve witnessed ACT’s applications in my own life, and I enjoy using it in my work with disabled clients. However, I’m even more excited about continuing to push the boundaries of what ACT can do in two other areas: Death anxiety and eco-anxiety. As an existential psychologist and terror management theorist, most of my research has focused on what makes life meaningful in spite (or because) of the inevitability of death. Now, working in hospice and other end-of-life contexts, I get to use ACT as a guide to help individuals answer that question for themselves.

I view eco-anxiety as a form of death anxiety, only amplified because it regards the death of the species as well as that of the individual. Applying ACT to this new and growing problem is what I’m most passionate about and what I presented on at the conference.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
This was my first World Conference, and it was so much more than I expected and so much better than any other work-related trip I’ve been on. Everyone I met was both interested and interesting, and the workshops were incredible! If I hadn’t known I could watch all of them online after the fact, I’m not at all sure I could have appropriately defused from the opportunity cost regret.

Going into the conference, I had two major fears: The first was discrimination, for either my gender or requiring a motorized wheelchair. The second was that my presentation topic, how to use ACT to cope with imminent ecological collapse, wouldn’t be well-received. These had all been major issues for me in my academic communities in Texas, and they were all groundless with ACBS. No one made me feel excluded or burdensome for my differences, and everyone who saw my presentation or who I discussed it with separately was very encouraging and eager to talk about ACT and climate crisis.

I was deeply impressed by the quality of the conference’s organization, content, and the people I met there. I’m extremely grateful to have received the DEI scholarship that allowed me to attend, and I hope to return!

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
So many things! The warmth, welcome, kindness, curiosity, openness, passion, and compassion I saw at the ACBS World Conference was remarkable, a drastic contrast from other professional communities I’ve known. The attendees had so much more than a common interest; we had a shared set of values that instantly made me feel like I belonged. I was excited about the diversity of the community and the attention given to diversity in the conference content. The number of presentations specifically dedicated to DEI issues like race, gender, queerness, disability, neurodivergence, and social justice was really encouraging. Of all the excellent presentations I watched, what stood out and impressed me most were those that included subjects that are still fairly far outside of mainstream awareness such as polyamory and even ones that make me personally uncomfortable like client-therapist romantic feelings. The subjects people feel uncomfortable addressing are often the ones where the most the most progress needs to be made.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
So many things! After graduating only two weeks after the conference ended, I began practicing in hospice and other end-of-life contexts, so while I learned from every recorded presentation, the things I learned about death and grief from Robin Walser, Jennifer Gregg, Ray Owen, and the creators of the BEACHeS intervention have helped me most directly in my practice.

I met many amazing people, all of whom encouraged me to get more involved. Post-conference, I’ve become active in the peer supervision group, Pain SIG, and Climate Justice and Action SIG, and will be cohosting a ClimatACT Workshop with my SIG on 1/13/24.

The last and possibly most personally important thing I took back with me was the knowledge that I’m now part of a community, that people want to hear what I have to say, and that I have a role to play. Based on the exemplary models I watched, the discussions I had, and the encouragement to develop my IGNITE talk into a full workshop I received, I’ll be hosting my own, original ACT for Apocalyptic Anxiety Workshop in just a few days. I’m nervous and very excited!

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
Right now, I just want to share again my deep gratitude for the DEI scholarship I received, the people who accepted my presentation, and everyone who welcomed me into this wonderful community. I’m so glad I get to be a part this. And (committees willing) I hope to have quite a bit more to share with you this summer in Argentina!

Sara Cristina Robayo Perez - Bogotá, Colombia

Could you please tell us a little about you and your background?
I am a psychologist with a master's in clinical psychology from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and a PhD student in Psychology at the Universidad de los Andes. I have four years of experience providing individual clinical care to cisgender adults and trans and non-binary people. I currently work in a program promoting health care for children and adolescents with rare diseases. My line of research centers on social connection among Colombian trans and non-binary people. I am also coordinating a research project that evaluates the effect of Functional Analytical Psychotherapy on interpersonal intimacy repertoires of trans and non-binary people.

How did you become interested in CBS?
Since my undergraduate studies, I have had access to several books and classes about contextual behavioral therapies. I particularly became interested in Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and I joined a study group in which I participated in research activities and experiential exercises. During that time, I realized that I wanted to delve into the FAP's change mechanisms. Later, I had the chance to research on FAP's therapeutic effect on Colombian gay men. I consider that contextual behavioral therapies enable clinical psychologists to translate behavioral principles within the therapeutic context and promote the client´s behavioral change.

Could you tell us about your research and application interests?
My experience working with Colombian TGNC (transgender and gender non-conforming) individuals in both clinical and research contexts has underscored the importance of developing research using cost-effective therapies like FAP, tailored to meet this population’s unique needs and the contextual barriers they face. Currently, I am working on FAP’s application with TGNC individuals who hold intersectional identities. This population may encounter additional stressors and often have limited access to social support.

On the other hand, given the idiographic approach and growing evidence base of behavioral contextual therapies, I am particularly interested in exploring their mechanisms of change to foster social connection in Latinx people.

Could you tell us about your experience at the World Conference this year?
This was my first time attending the ACBS World Conference. I was genuinely thrilled to meet researchers and psychologists from around the world who share interests and passion for contextual behavioral therapies. Every person I met was so interesting and shared brilliant ideas and updates on their work. At the beginning, I was a bit scared since English wasn’t my first language, but the logistic team was very helpful in providing the help I needed. It was an amazing opportunity to get in touch with the latest technological advances in contextual therapies and the contributors behind these achievements. During the Conference, I had the chance to share the findings of a FAP application with Colombian gay men. Despite my doubts and fears, I felt a warm response from the audience, who were willing to share their knowledge and support. This experience also made me realize how research like this buil ds the foundation of science and how forming social networks is essential for constructing and disseminating knowledge.

Was there anything that stood out to you about the CBS community?
I'd like to start by saying that this event was much more than I had imagined. One of the most memorable aspects of my experience at the conference was the warmth and appreciation that experts and professionals from around the world showed toward the work of Latin American researchers. The presentations and thematic axes illustrated the scope of contextual sciences and their contributions across different contexts and professional areas. I can also highlight the growing interest in and development that contextual therapies have gained on our continent. Finally, I would like to underscore the importance of events like the Conference to promote contextual therapies as an opportunity to develop prolific lines of research sensitive to the needs and values of our culture.

What did you take back from your experience that has been helpful to you?
Throughout this event, I certainly understood the importance of creating local and international social networks to facilitate the dissemination of our research work. Attending events such as the ACBS Conference facilitates the exchange of research teams that can promote academic collaborations and support the development of research. At the conference, I connected with professionals who taught me a lot about therapeutic work with populations with intersecting identities. These reflections on clinical considerations derived from this meeting have strengthened my work with third-wave therapies, making me more aware of how my identity categories influence my clinical practice and the application of behavioral principles.

Since the conference, I have become more willing to take interpersonal risks, reaching out to others who share my research and professional interests to explore opportunities for collaborative work.

Do you have anything else that you would like to share with the community?
I want to express my deep gratitude to the DEI fellowship committee for this opportunity and to everyone who allowed me to present my research team’s work. I am proud and grateful to have participated in this conference—for the inspiring people I met, the networks I built, and the professional growth it fostered. I see huge potential in contextual therapies to address pressing issues in behavioral health. Spaces like this conference are essential for advancing contextual sciences and supporting the growth of the professionals who attend.