California, USA Dissemination Activities 2022

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!