Michigan Chapter Election Candidate Bios & Platform Statements

Ballot closes May 24, 2026 at Midnight EDT

Please vote here!

You will be able to vote to confirm the candidates for President-Elect and Student Representative.

President-Elect:

Joe Uppal

Bio:
Joseph Uppal, MSW, LMSW, is a licensed therapist with over fifteen years of experience, including the founding and development of a successful independent practice in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He works with chronic pain, anxiety, OCD, and trauma, drawing on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Contextual Behavioral Science as the foundation of his clinical work. Joe is deeply committed to evidence-based, values-driven care, helping clients develop psychological flexibility so they can build meaningful, workable lives, even in the presence of difficult thoughts, emotions, and experiences. He has been a member of the Michigan Association for Contextual Behavioral Science since 2021. He has also provided multiple professional trainings for Jackson Healing Clinic, a private practice in Jackson, Michigan, with over 40 clinicians. Joe is passionate about mentoring emerging clinicians and staying connected to the research shaping the CBS field. He is honored to be considered for the President-Elect position.

Platform:
If elected as President-Elect of MIACBS, my primary focus will be growing and strengthening our membership community across Michigan. CBS and ACT have transformed my own clinical practice, and I believe more therapists, researchers, and students in our state deserve access to a vibrant, supportive professional home where these ideas can take root. I will work to make MIACBS more visible — to practitioners who may not yet know we exist, to training programs where future clinicians are being formed, and to underserved regions of Michigan where connection to a community like ours can make a real difference. I also want to ensure that our members feel genuinely engaged — through meaningful events, peer consultation opportunities, and pathways for members at all career stages to get involved. Growing this community is how we grow the impact of CBS across Michigan, one practitioner, client, and community at a time.

Student Representative:

Madison Dirickson

Bio:
I completed my undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno, with an emphasis in behavior analysis. As a research assistant in Dr. Steven C. Hayes’s lab, I discovered my passion for contextual behavioral science, ACT, and RFT. While at UNR, I presented a research poster at ACBS on the use of brief acceptance prompts to increase tolerance to experimentally induced pain. I went on to earn my master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of Southern California under the mentorship of Dr. Jonathan Tarbox, conducting research on functional analysis of ACT processes in individuals in 12-step recovery programs. I am now a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at Western Michigan University, where my research focuses on standardized, process-based assessment using novel computer-generated network analysis. I’ve used ACT and Process-Based Therapy for the past four years with diverse clinical and disability populations—and I’m deeply committed to bridging science and practice through CBS.
 
Platform Statement:
I’m passionate about helping students get excited about contextual behavioral science and creating spaces where that excitement is welcomed, shared, and celebrated. As an undergrad, I was the student who couldn’t stop talking about behavior analysis, ACT, and RFT, even when it didn’t match the energy of those around me. I want the Michigan ACBS chapter to be a place where students like that can find each other—where being a “CBS nerd” is a strength, not an outlier. I believe that diverse perspectives fuel innovation in both research and clinical practice. If elected, I will advocate for an inclusive, student-centered community where everyone, regardless of background or experience level, feels welcome to contribute ideas, ask questions, and collaborate. My goal is to foster opportunities for connection, learning, and mentorship that reflect the values of contextual behavioral science: openness, curiosity, and compassionate action.