CACBT-ACTCC hosted the 14th Annual Conference in hybrid format at the Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto, May 9-11. The conference was well received, with 77% of survey respondents reporting it to be of “excellent” or “exceptional” satisfaction!
The CACBT-ACTCC 2024 conference theme was “Addressing the Challenges of a Changing World”, a theme close to our hearts. Clinical needs and priorities are changing in meaningful ways, responsive to the urgent and evolving realities of our natural world, our political landscape, our health system pressures, and more. How to deliver evidence-based, values-directed, and integrative services in this dynamic field is a collective challenge - and opportunity, which our conference was designed to address. All eight speakers offered a fabulous blend of the latest science and its applications for clinical practice, presented in engaging ways.
The program included three Keynote Addresses, three 90-minute Clinical Skills Training sessions, and two half-day workshops which addressed climate change anxiety, substance use care, lessons learned from understanding moral injury in health care workers during COVID, cultural adaptations of CBT, applications of CBT with Indigenous peoples, applications of CBT within the family context, helping teens overcome sleep difficulties, and use of mindfulness in management of anxiety and mood difficulties.
We had approximately 265 attendees register with around 182 indicating they wanted to participate in person and 83 opting to join virtually. As attendees could choose to join virtually or in person throughout the conference, we found the numbers fluctuated from session to session, which is typical for a hybrid conference.
The conference also included an in-person poster session with 52 presenters, with a 30-minute period during which online attendees could speak with presenters. The poster session was a roaring success, with huge engagement from our attendees, and a wonderful vibe in the room. We would like to thank all poster presenters for their informative poster presentation and valuable contribution to the conference.
We would like to thank our fabulous speakers, Dr. Shadi Beshai, Dr. Dillon Browne, Dr. Colleen Carney, Dr. Kim Corace, Dr. Emily Haigh, Dr. Sean Kidd, Dr. Margaret McKinnon, and Dr. Zindel Segal.
CACBT-ACTCC was pleased to congratulate:
CACBT-ACTCC 2024 Fellows:
Dr. Stephanie Cassin
Dr. Peter Farvolden
Dr. Noah Lazar
Jack Rachman Research Poster Award:
Sophie Kudryk, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, More non-heterosexual undergraduate students are classified as high social anxiety following COVID-19
Keith Dobson Clinical Poster Award:
Spencer Metcalfe, Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, Beyond symptom reduction: Cognitive behavioural therapy improves engagement in psychologically meaningful activities.
Student Professional Development Awards (two reserved for students with marginalized background):
Rei Jamalifar (McMaster University) – “An Investigation of Patient and Therapist Ratings of OCD Homework Quality and Quantity”
Parisa Sepehri (Concordia University) – “Integrating Process Interventions in CBT: A Case Presentation for Anger Management and Chronic Suicidal Ideation”
Ashlee Coles (Memorial University of Newfoundland) – “The Prevalence of Cannabis Use Disorder in Individuals with Anxiety or Related Disorders: A Systematic Review”
Sandra Krause (Concordia University) – “Incorporating Culture into CBT for OCD: Teasing Apart Religious Identity From Obsessive Beliefs”
Outgoing Board Members:
Thank you to our outgoing board members who were an integral part of the CACBT board: Dr. Jacquie Cohen, Jelani Adams, and Dr. Jessica Dere. We appreciate your dedicated volunteer service and invaluable contributions which have made a lasting impact on CACBT-ACTCC.
Thank you/ Merci to the Conference Planning Committee (Dr. Lena Quilty, Dr. Christine Korol, Dr. Jacquie Cohen, and CACBT-ACTCC’s superb Executive Director, Diana Dunnell). Many thanks to Dr. Rob Ferguson for working with sponsors and exhibitors, our Abstract Review Committee, poster judges, and our volunteers, who worked hard to ensure that the conference was well organized and enjoyed by all attendees. Thank you especially to Student Affiliate Representative Dalainey Drakes, who led the volunteer team and managed social media, and to Jenae Goffi who close work with the Conference Planning Committee, the conference venue, and vendors made this conference possible! See you in May 2025 in Banff!