Couple and Family Specialty
Recently, APA’s Council of Representatives renewed couple and family psychology (CFP) as a specialty in professional psychology. A specialty is a defined area in the practice of psychology that connotes special competency acquired through an organized sequence of formal education, training and experience. There are only 16 specialty areas in APA, so this recognition is significant. We have much to celebrate. Please join us as we mark this important development for Div. 43 at the upcoming APA convention.
Convention Highlights
Celebration
Our extended celebration takes place Friday, Aug. 9, 3-8:00 p.m. in the Marriott, Grand Horizon Ballroom A.
Dialogue with Experts
At 3:00 p.m., participants will have the opportunity to dialogue with our CFP experts.
Presidential Panel
At 4:00 p.m., Tom Sexton, who spearheaded our specialty petition will facilitate a panel, Working with Couples and Families in the 21st Century. This panel will feature Gonzalo Bacigalupe, Robert-Jay Green, Nancy Ruddy and Corinn Elmore . This panel will demonstrate that CFP work is interdisciplinary (e.g., CFP and health psychology; CFP and multicultural psychology, CFP and child psychology, CFP and LGBTQ psychology, etc.). We hope to attract a wide audience from other divisions and from APA at large that may have a systemic orientation to psychology or may work with couples and families, yet that may not identify as CFPs.
Awards
At 5:00 p.m., we will celebrate our distinguished CFP award winners.
- Robert-Jay Green will receive the prestigious Family Psychologist of the Year Award for his outstanding and sustained contribution to the field of couple and family psychology.
- Nadine Kaslow will receive the Distinguished Contribution to Family Psychology Award for her special involvement in the advancement of couple and family psychology.
- Linda Berg-Cross will be awarded the Caroline Attneave Diversity Award for her contribution to the promotion of diversity of CFP.
- We will honor Tom Sexton with the Distinguished Service Award for all that he has done for our division and our specialty.
Party
A Specialty Celebration Social is planned from 6-8 p.m. with good food, drink, entertaining conversations and live music. We hope that you will join us on Friday and bring your friends.
Program
Our Div. 43 convention program will continue to highlight the centrality of CFP in what psychologist do.
We will kick off the convention with Pre-Convention Workshop: Setting A New Agenda for the Psychology of LGBTQ Youth and Emerging Adults. We are co-sponsoring this event, along with Divs. 7, 9, 27, 37 and 44 through a CODAPAR grant.
We will also have many symposiums such as: Engaging Minority and Underserved Couples; Mentoring At-Risk Youth; ACT Treatment of Domestic Violence and Sexual Misconduct; Paternal Experience of Perinatal Loss; Couple Psychology with Gender and Sexual Minorities; Culturally Responsive Psychoeducation for Latinx Couples; Cultural and Technological Challenges in Families; and Immigration Incarceration and Couple Violence.
Invited Guest: Alexandra Solomon
We have invited Alexandra Solomon from the department of psychology at Northwestern University and author of Loving Bravely to give an address. Alexandra is a dynamic speaker. Please come to Taking Sexy Back: Supporting Emerging Adult Women’s Sexual Self-Awareness on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
Hospitality Suite
In addition, please make the hospitality suite (Hyatt, Room TBA) your second home while at the convention. We will have food, drinks and a place to chat with others. This year, in addition to the student/ECP presentations and student/ECP party, we are having division discussion groups such as: Teaching CFP, Using Your Existing Clinical Data for Research, Establishing and Maintaining a Private Practice and Person of Therapist Issues. Join us.
CE Program After Convention
We are committed to providing education not just at convention but also throughout the year. We have kicked off our CE online program with a four-part webinar. Spearheaded by Andy Benjamin, Div. 43, American Academy of Couple and Family Psychology, the American Board of Couple and Family Psychology and the National Register of Health Service Psychologists have collaborated to offer a series led by Sue Johnson, PhD, titled "Emotionally Focused Couple Psychotherapy: A Path to Healing and Sustaining Intimacy."
In case you missed it, Part I is now available for archived viewing. Participants found Sue’s presentation style riveting and her content was outstanding. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in expanding their perspectives on couple therapy. Please visit the webinar page online to watch Part 1 and sign up for Part II, coming in September.
Welcome and Thank You
Last but not least, I am pleased to welcome our new board members: President-Elect Shalonda Kelly, VP for Education Linda Berg-Cross, VP for Practice Patricia Pitta, Treasurer Molly Burrets (Gasbarrini) and Student Representative Katherine Finkelstein. Much appreciation and thanks go to our outgoing board members Ruth Morehouse, Allison Hill, Shelley Riggs and Shawndeeia Drinkard. You each add greatly to our division.
Thanks also to John Bakaly, the outgoing fellow’s chair. Please welcome our new Fellows Chair Caroline Clauss-Ehlers, as well as our latest fellows: Shalonda Kelly, Robin Deutsch and Pat Pitta. They will each give a short talk on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. On Thursday, from 8-10:00 p.m., all fellows and interested fellows are invited to come for dessert in the Hospitality Suite.
Please do not hesitate to contact me or any of the board members if you have any questions about the upcoming convention events or any other division activities. Our goal is to make Div. 43 an exciting and fulfilling home base for you.