Please be aware that the schedule reflects the Eastern Time Zone. The programming schedule will be continuously updated leading up to the event.
Breakout Sessions 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Helping Estranged Adults Navigate Difficult Family Events: Part 1 [International Insights]
Karl Melvin MA, MIACP
Family estrangement is a complex phenomenon, both in its cause and impact, but also in the different forms an estrangement can take. And due to the enduring bonds and social ties of family relations, in the event of ongoing conflict and estrangement, family members may need to spend time around each other for a variety of reasons. This practical workshop looks at five specific struggles clients might face when interacting with estranged family members and the factors that influence them.
(1) Guilt and Shame, often due to the impact the estrangement might be having on others over this period.
(2) Indecision, often due to the number of decisions to make and the potential for further conflict as a result of each decision.
(3) Lack of Support.
(4) Hypervigilance, due to overwhelming emotions around this period.
(5) Managing Dysfunctional Family Dynamics.
Forensic Neuroscience
Jerrod M. Brown, PhD
At the nexus of neuroscience, psychology, and the law, forensic neuroscience is the innovative subfield focused on better understanding the role of neural mechanisms (e.g., brain structure and function) in problematic and antisocial behaviors. Specifically, professionals working in this interdisciplinary field apply knowledge and methodologies from neuroscience and related disciplines to elucidate the causes of criminality and other concerning behaviors as well as to better understand the complexities of complex human behavior, head injury, memory, deception, and much more.
Attachment-Based Family Therapy: The Essential Elements, Part 1
Guy S. Diamond, PhD
In family therapy with adolescents and young adults, parents often don’t want to participate, and adolescents don’t want to be there! So how do we engage them? Attachment based family therapy activates parental caregiving instinct and adolescent attachment desire to engage them in the repair of core relational ruptures. We will use lectures, slides and video examples.
A Neurodiversity Affirmative Model in Working With Plurality, Part 1 [Neurodiversity Network Track]
Catherine N. Keech, LMFT
Clinicians who attend this training will receive a culturally complex historical overview of the Plural Movement and how this intersects with DID and OSDD clinical work. Some basics for understanding and approaching clinical work from a neurodiversity affirmative framework will be explored in the training and how this has differed from historical precedent. This work differs from establishment precedent as it looks a feedback from many lived experience clinicians, including Dr. Jaime Marich and Dr. Emily Christensen which may not match with what is taught be establishment figures in the field. It also includes cultural concepts of plurality that exist in many cultures as histories as this deeply matters in truly culturally inclusive clinical work. We will look at some basic skills in working with plurality as well as an overview and initial navigation of complex trauma in DID and OSDD systems.
Transforming Chaos into Connection: A Systemic Approach for ODD, Part 1
Michael Whitehead, PhD, LMFT
Explore a systemic, play-based approach for treating disruptive behavior disorders in children and adolescents. This workshop will examine the BISON model, temperament-informed assessment, and evidence-informed interventions. Participants will enhance their skills at engaging families, and increase their clients' emotional regulation. This workshop is designed for clinicians working with oppositional, defiant, or aggressive behaviors in clients ages 2–17.
Parallel Realities: Addressing the Impact of MH/SUD in Custody Issues, Part 1
William Northey, MFT
High-conflict custody disputes involving mental health or substance use disorders often present therapists with fragmented family narratives, distorted perceptions, and entrenched polarization. This presentation explores systemic strategies for navigating these “parallel realities,” where each party clings to conflicting truths. Drawing from clinical cases, narrative therapy, and structural family approaches, participants will learn tools for building consensus, reducing triangulation, and enhancing therapeutic neutrality.
Therapist Effects: Why Some Therapists Are More Effective Than Others, Part 1
Rick Miller, PhD
Recent research has clearly documented that who provides the therapy is much more important than what therapy model is used for effective therapy. The question then becomes, what differentiates outstanding therapists from average, (or struggling), therapists? This workshop will discuss what research has discovered as characteristics of outstanding therapists. What you learn might surprise you!
Decolonizing and Reimagining Systemic Therapy Practice, Part 1
Jamila E. Holcomb, PhD, LMFT
Leslie Anderson, PhD, LMFT
This session explores how colonial structures continue to shape systemic therapy. Using liberation psychology and decolonial frameworks, this workshop will critique Eurocentric models, examine the effects of systemic oppression, and explore current limitations in serving marginalized populations. Through experiential learning and applied case analysis, participants will develop more culturally attuned and socially just clinical practices.
Family Play Therapy with Transgender and Gender-Expansive Children [QTAN Track]
Shea Hughes-Brand, PhD, LMFT-QS, RPT-S
Allie Hotchkiss, BA
It is essential that clinicians providing care to transgender and gender-expansive (TGE) children thoroughly understand key issues that TGE children may face outside of the therapeutic setting. This hour-long presentation will include an overview of terminology, standards of care, and adaptable family play therapy interventions that will allow TGE children to feel seen and heard in the therapeutic setting.
Breakout Sessions 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Helping Estranged Adults Navigate Difficult Family Events: Part 2 [International Insights]
Karl Melvin MA, MIACP
Family estrangement is a complex phenomenon, both in its cause and impact, but also in the different forms an estrangement can take. And due to the enduring bonds and social ties of family relations, in the event of ongoing conflict and estrangement, family members may need to spend time around each other for a variety of reasons. This practical workshop looks at five specific struggles clients might face when interacting with estranged family members and the factors that influence them.
(1) Guilt and Shame, often due to the impact the estrangement might be having on others over this period.
(2) Indecision, often due to the number of decisions to make and the potential for further conflict as a result of each decision.
(3) Lack of Support.
(4) Hypervigilance, due to overwhelming emotions around this period.
(5) Managing Dysfunctional Family Dynamics.
Attachment-Based Family Therapy: The Essential Elements, Part 2
Guy S. Diamond, PhD
In family therapy with adolescents and young adults, parents often don’t want to participate, and adolescents don’t want to be there! So how do we engage them? Attachment based family therapy activates parental caregiving instinct and adolescent attachment desire to engage them in the repair of core relational ruptures. We will use lectures, slides and video examples.
A Neurodiversity Affirmative Model in Working With Plurality, Part 2 [Neurodiversity Network Track]
Catherine N. Keech, LMFT
Clinicians who attend this training will receive a culturally complex historical overview of the Plural Movement and how this intersects with DID and OSDD clinical work. Some basics for understanding and approaching clinical work from a neurodiversity affirmative framework will be explored in the training and how this has differed from historical precedent. This work differs from establishment precedent as it looks a feedback from many lived experience clinicians, including Dr. Jaime Marich and Dr. Emily Christensen which may not match with what is taught be establishment figures in the field. It also includes cultural concepts of plurality that exist in many cultures as histories as this deeply matters in truly culturally inclusive clinical work. We will look at some basic skills in working with plurality as well as an overview and initial navigation of complex trauma in DID and OSDD systems.
Transforming Chaos into Connection: A Systemic Approach for ODD, Part 2
Michael Whitehead, PhD, LMFT
Explore a systemic, play-based approach for treating disruptive behavior disorders in children and adolescents. This workshop will examine the BISON model, temperament-informed assessment, and evidence-informed interventions. Participants will enhance their skills at engaging families, and increase their clients' emotional regulation. This workshop is designed for clinicians working with oppositional, defiant, or aggressive behaviors in clients ages 2–17.
Parallel Realities: Addressing the Impact of MH/SUD in Custody Issues, Part 2
William Northey, MFT
High-conflict custody disputes involving mental health or substance use disorders often present therapists with fragmented family narratives, distorted perceptions, and entrenched polarization. This presentation explores systemic strategies for navigating these “parallel realities,” where each party clings to conflicting truths. Drawing from clinical cases, narrative therapy, and structural family approaches, participants will learn tools for building consensus, reducing triangulation, and enhancing therapeutic neutrality.
Therapist Effects: Why Some Therapists Are More Effective Than Others, Part 2
Rick Miller, PhD
Recent research has clearly documented that who provides the therapy is much more important than what therapy model is used for effective therapy. The question then becomes, what differentiates outstanding therapists from average, (or struggling), therapists? This workshop will discuss what research has discovered as characteristics of outstanding therapists. What you learn might surprise you!
Decolonizing and Reimagining Systemic Therapy Practice, Part 2
Jamila E. Holcomb, PhD, LMFT
Leslie Anderson, PhD, LMFT
This session explores how colonial structures continue to shape systemic therapy. Using liberation psychology and decolonial frameworks, this workshop will critique Eurocentric models, examine the effects of systemic oppression, and explore current limitations in serving marginalized populations. Through experiential learning and applied case analysis, participants will develop more culturally attuned and socially just clinical practices.
Exploring Black Male Silence and Culturally Informed Care
La-Quesha Robinson, PysD
Kiyatana Sapp, DSW
This presentation will examine the cultural and systemic roots of Black male silence and its impact on mental health. Attendees will explore research-informed, culturally responsive strategies to engage African American men in care, evaluate risks of misaligned interventions, and identify community-based practices that promote healing, connection, and emotional well-being.
Trauma-Informed Teaching and Mentoring in CFT Training
Monica Whitlock, PhD
This presentation will examine the various meanings of trauma-informed practices and discuss how those practices can be implemented and enhanced in the training of couple and family therapists. We will consider these practices within the context of university and departmental pressures, state regulatory boards and accreditation standards, and the trauma that students bring with them into their training.
Queer Adjusted Systemic Lens: Affirming Queerness in Relational Work [QTAN Track]
August Tousignant-Stanton
This workshop will introduce the Queer Adjusted Systemic Lens (QASL), a clinical model that centers queeridentity in systemic therapy using attachment and feminist theory. Participants will explore the model’s core tenets, view taped role plays, and gain practical tools for affirming queer clients while navigating risks such as systemic resistance and the limitations of traditional clinical neutrality.
Breakout Sessions 1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Addressing Gaps & Opportunities for Supervisors in Healthcare [Family Therapists in Healthcare Network Track]
Max Zubatsky, PhD, LMFT
Ruth Faucette, PhD
This talk will introduce the necessary supervision skills to help assess and develop new professionals working in these care settings. The presenters will share content from previous research, as well as their own experiences in working in healthcare and other industries. The presentation will offer multiple ethical scenarios for attendees to discuss, specifically supervision challenges for trainees working with medical professionals and other non-MFTs. Attendees will also learn about the future directions of MFT supervision and what gaps still exist in the training and education of supervision skills in healthcare and medicine.
Therapeutic Approaches for Older Adults
Jade Rice, MA
This training helps behavioral health providers support older adults through common emotional and psychological challenges of aging. Participants will identify key issues, explore disenfranchised grief, and learn at least three therapeutic interventions to enhance resilience and quality of life. The session promotes compassionate, affirming care that empowers aging clients to navigate change with dignity, purpose, and emotional support.
Supporting Trans Students & Trainees: Social Safety Perspectives [QTAN Track]
Coltan J. Schoenike, MS
This workshop will explore recent findings from a dissertation study of transgender and gender diverse student experiences in COAMFTE programs in tandem with discussing social safety perspective, a recent reframing of minority stress concepts. Together, these conversations will highlight tangible guidance for faculty, mentors, and supervisors to create more inclusive environments for the transgender and gender diverse therapists of tomorrow.
My Mind Matters: Interest-Based Therapy with Autistic Children and Teens [Neurodiversity Network Track]
Liz McDonough, MFT
The DSM traditionally labels autistic special interests as “highly restricted and abnormal in intensity or focus.” Unfortunately, dismissing or pathologizing these interests can lead to masking, depression, and isolation among autistic youth.
When clinicians approach these interests with genuine curiosity and playfulness, they not only create a platform for social-emotional growth but also an anchor for positive autistic identity. By incorporating these passions, therapy leads to authentic connection as well as breakthroughs in trust, emotional regulation, and confidence.
This lively session will provide didactic brain science, interactive exercises, engaging case examples, multi-modal play approaches, and actionable tools to support clinicians in promoting growth in autistic young people.
Reframing Perfectionism Through a Systemic Lens
Jessica Vartanyan, PsyD
This workshop will explore perfectionism and people-pleasing as survival strategies rooted in family systems and trauma, contributing to anxiety and depression. CBT, somatic, EMDR, and attachment-based interventions will be presented to challenge unhelpful beliefs, regulate the nervous system, and promote self-compassion and relational healing for lasting change.
Illuminating Hidden Skills: Micro-Practices that Spark Agency
MarieNathalie Beaudoin, PhD
This presentation introduces three innovative sets of concrete micro-practices that heighten agency and resilience when working with individuals who are less forthcoming about their experiences. In a field that often relies heavily on problem-focused talk, these practices offer fresh ways to engage clients who may not feel comfortable or safe discussing their struggles. Drawing on work with young people who have endured severe trauma, distrust adults, or come from less talkative cultural communities, these approaches go beyond traditional therapy to show that much of the work can be accomplished by increasing experiences of skills rather than reducing occurrence of problems. Participants will explore specific questions and embodied strategies—adapted from narrative therapy, positive psychology, and interpersonal neurobiology—that help clients recognize and build on overlooked yet relevant skills, experiences, and values. These practices provide practical, creative ways to address problems by supporting clients in feeling capable, motivated and hopeful.
Updates for Supervisors to Stay Current on Best Practices [Advancing Supervision]
Toni Zimmerman, PhD
The author and her colleagues just finished writing the 3rd edition of the supervision book required for the AAMFT supervision courses. In this workshop, I will share some exciting current trends and best practices for systemic supervision. Topics will include Sociocultural attunement, trainee's competency with safety assessments, remediation, impairment, self of trainee/self of supervisor, creative modalities, and ethical/legal.
Really Being Strength-Based in Systemic Family Therapy
Jennifer Benjamin, PhD, LPC
This training moves beyond theory to show how systemic family therapists actively integrate family strengths and resources into treatment. Through video examples, participants will learn practical strategies for using lived experiences, cultural values, and relational strengths to build caregiver leadership, improve emotion regulation, and foster collaborative, sustainable change.
Voices of Color in Systemic Family Therapy: 2005 to 2025 and Beyond
Mudita Rastogi, PhD, LMFT
Elizabeth Wieling, PhD
The presenters will reflect on their journey as then-early career professionals that led to publishing Voices of Color (2005) and empirical research on the lived experiences of minoritized therapists within the field of SFT and AAMFT. They focused on building community across diverse national and international groups including creating trauma modules to address the epidemic of global mass traumas.
Access MFTs: Advancing Licensure Portability
Patricia Barton
Amanda Darnley
Roger Smith
Join AAMFT staff for an overview of the Access MFTs effort focused on easing barriers in licensure portability. Highlighting efforts from the 2025 legislative session and looking ahead to the plans for 2026, this session will highlight the ways MFTs can get more involved in this initiative.
Breakout Sessions 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Black and Brown Romantic Love and Narrative Couple's Therapy, Part 1
April Lancit, LMFT
This workshop will explore Black romantic relationships are rooted in cultural strength and has been shaped by systemic trauma, invisible generational wounds, and evolving identity roles. These partnerships reflect a complex interplay of resilience, resistance, and redefinition as couples navigate love, healing, and connection within the context of historical and ongoing marginalization.
The Friendship Care Space: Exploring Friendship in Therapy, Part 1
Kristyn Crowder, MS
This workshop explores the clinical importance of friendship in mental health. Clinicians will gain tools to assess and support clients’ friendships through a lens of relational theory and social self-care. The Friendship Care Space invites therapists to expand their work with individuals and friend pairs seeking connection, healing, or clarity in their relationships.
Couples Therapy When Partners Trigger Each Other: The Flash Technique, Part 1
Philip E. Manfield, PhD
Couples’ conflicts often degenerate into each partner trying to prove that the other is the problem. Each partner’s perception is filtered through their own history of adverse events. The Flash Technique, an outgrowth of EMDR, is an evidence-based method of painlessly resolving partners’ upsetting memories. Currently supported by 27 published papers, it is the ideally intervention for couples therapy.
Copy-Paste Parenting: A Modern Genogram in Practice, Part 1
Jamie Given, LMFT
This workshop will explore Copy-Paste Parenting, a metaphorical framework that expands genogram-based work using seven symbolic rooms. Rooted in Family Systems Theory and attachment research, the session will equip participants with reflective tools to uncover inherited patterns, examine intergenerational influence, reimagine family dynamics, and support meaningful generational change in both individual and family work.
The Highly Effective Family Therapist: What the Top 15% Do Differently, Part 1
Diane R. Gehart, PhD
Why do some therapists consistently get better results—no matter their theoretical approach or experience level? In this workshop, participants will learn about recent research that identifies four key factors that distinguish highly effective clinicians and explore how to apply these research-based competencies in clinical practice. Includes live demonstration interview.
Balancing Power, Growth, and Gatekeeping Within Supervision, Part 1 [Advancing Supervision]
Jade Rice, MA
This course offers an overview of Feminist Theory in clinical supervision, focusing on addressing power imbalances and fostering collaboration. Participants will explore when to use hierarchical interventions, apply self-of-therapist awareness, and maintain professional boundaries. Emphasis is placed on ethical practice, supervisee development, and integrating feminist principles to support growth within supervisory relationships.
Law and Ethics: Mandatory Reporting
Joe Cooperstein
James Punelli
In this workshop, attorneys James Punelli and Joe Lynn Cooperstein will discuss legal and ethical issues related to mandated reporting of child abuse or neglect. This will include discussions of legal standards, ethical obligations, and the impact of these requirements on the duty of confidentiality.
Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy: Assessment & Treatment, Part 1
Michael Argumaniz-Hardin, PhD
This presentation introduces Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy (STST), a model developed by Virginia Satir to support lasting change in individuals, couples, and families. Rooted in humanistic and experiential principles, STST emphasizes the intrinsic worth of each person and the capacity for transformation through congruent communication and systemic awareness.
Participants will explore STST’s unique approach to assessment, which prioritizes internal experience—thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and relational patterns—over behavioral diagnosis. The session will also highlight collaborative goal setting, with a focus on enhancing self-esteem, decision-making, and personal responsibility (Broide-Miller et al., 2024).
Drawing from clinical literature and applied practice, the presentation outlines key interventions that access clients’ Life Energy to foster change across intrapsychic and relational systems. Attendees will leave with a grounded understanding of STST’s core principles, practical tools for implementation, and an appreciation of both the strengths and limitations of this approach in contemporary therapy.
The Future of MFT Training: AI and Simulated Practice [Telehealth and Technology Network Track]
Jay Burke, PsyD
Sofia Georgiadou, PhD
This workshop will demonstrate how AI-powered platforms like Simcare.ai can support clinical skill development in MFT training through simulated client interactions. Presenters will share applied examples from their own instructional use and discuss pedagogical strategies, benefits, and risks associated with simulation-based learning. The session will also address integration into both synchronous and asynchronous formats.
Narrative Therapy, EMDR & Traumatized Addicted Adolescents, Part 1
George A. Pate, PhD, LMFT-S
Autumn Collings, MS
Kristi Zimmerman, MA
Many adolescents in addiction treatment have experienced complex trauma from extensive physical and sexual abuse. In our experience, EMDR alone often results in a re-experiencing of trauma. Integrating EMDR with narrative and other post-modern therapies facilitates a firmer grounding process, fewer abreactions, and a sense of hope for clients who are easily overstimulated. We will also address the emotional and physical risks of therapists working in these intense settings, and the possible emotional risks of overstimulation and triggering while attending this session.
Breakout Sessions 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Professional Burnout: Symptoms and Recovery Using Differentiation [Family Therapists in Healthcare Network Track]
Jacqueline Williams-Reade, PhD, LMFT
As MFTs who are relied upon to support client and family mental health, teach and supervise other professionals, conduct important research, or a variety of other offerings, it is crucial that we foster both professional success and personal well-being in order to ensure our positive contributions and longevity in the field. Burnout is an increasingly harmful challenge faced by many professionals, but MFTs are especially at risk. For our professional and personal roles, we must learn how to spot the signs of burnout in ourselves and our clients and provide support to help ourselves and others treat and prevent burnout. This workshop will equip participants to identify the symptoms and stages of burnout and learn essential strategies to facilitate prevention and treatment. The presenter will provide literature-based information mixed with personal anecdotes to educate, normalize, and treat burnout syndrome.
Black and Brown Romantic Love and Narrative Couple's Therapy, Part 2
April Lancit, LMFT
This workshop will explore Black romantic relationships are rooted in cultural strength and has been shaped by systemic trauma, invisible generational wounds, and evolving identity roles. These partnerships reflect a complex interplay of resilience, resistance, and redefinition as couples navigate love, healing, and connection within the context of historical and ongoing marginalization.
Narrative Therapy, EMDR & Traumatized Addicted Adolescents, Part 2
George A. Pate, PhD, LMFT-S
Autumn Collings, MS
Kristi Zimmerman, MA
Many adolescents in addiction treatment have experienced complex trauma from extensive physical and sexual abuse. In our experience, EMDR alone often results in a re-experiencing of trauma. Integrating EMDR with narrative and other post-modern therapies facilitates a firmer grounding process, fewer abreactions, and a sense of hope for clients who are easily overstimulated. We will also address the emotional and physical risks of therapists working in these intense settings, and the possible emotional risks of overstimulation and triggering while attending this session.
Addressing Trauma and Relational Wellbeing in a Global Context
Mona Mittal, PhD
Mudita Rastogi, PhD
Elizabeth Wieling, PhD
In an increasingly interconnected world where the boundaries between local and global realities are shrinking and trauma exposures are rising, presenters introduce modules developed to promote training on traumatic stress, ambiguous loss, trauma in children, parent-child relationships, families and communities, and vicarious trauma for providers working across global settings. Note: All presenters are equal contributors to this project.
Couples Therapy When Partners Trigger Each Other: The Flash Technique, Part 2
Philip E. Manfield, PhD
Couples’ conflicts often degenerate into each partner trying to prove that the other is the problem. Each partner’s perception is filtered through their own history of adverse events. The Flash Technique, an outgrowth of EMDR, is an evidence-based method of painlessly resolving partners’ upsetting memories. Currently supported by 27 published papers, it is the ideally intervention for couples therapy.
The Friendship Care Space: Exploring Friendship in Therapy, Part 2
Kristyn Crowder, MS
This workshop explores the clinical importance of friendship in mental health. Clinicians will gain tools to assess and support clients’ friendships through a lens of relational theory and social self-care. The Friendship Care Space invites therapists to expand their work with individuals and friend pairs seeking connection, healing, or clarity in their relationships.
Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy: Assessment & Treatment, Part 2
Michael Argumaniz-Hardin, PhD
This presentation introduces Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy (STST), a model developed by Virginia Satir to support lasting change in individuals, couples, and families. Rooted in humanistic and experiential principles, STST emphasizes the intrinsic worth of each person and the capacity for transformation through congruent communication and systemic awareness.
Participants will explore STST’s unique approach to assessment, which prioritizes internal experience—thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and relational patterns—over behavioral diagnosis. The session will also highlight collaborative goal setting, with a focus on enhancing self-esteem, decision-making, and personal responsibility (Broide-Miller et al., 2024).
Drawing from clinical literature and applied practice, the presentation outlines key interventions that access clients’ Life Energy to foster change across intrapsychic and relational systems. Attendees will leave with a grounded understanding of STST’s core principles, practical tools for implementation, and an appreciation of both the strengths and limitations of this approach in contemporary therapy.
Copy-Paste Parenting: A Modern Genogram in Practice, Part 2
Jamie Given, LMFT
This workshop will explore Copy-Paste Parenting, a metaphorical framework that expands genogram-based work using seven symbolic rooms. Rooted in Family Systems Theory and attachment research, the session will equip participants with reflective tools to uncover inherited patterns, examine intergenerational influence, reimagine family dynamics, and support meaningful generational change in both individual and family work.
The Highly Effective Family Therapist: What the Top 15% Do Differently, Part 2
Diane R. Gehart, PhD
Why do some therapists consistently get better results—no matter their theoretical approach or experience level? In this workshop, participants will learn about recent research that identifies four key factors that distinguish highly effective clinicians and explore how to apply these research-based competencies in clinical practice. Includes live demonstration interview.
Balancing Power, Growth, and Gatekeeping Within Supervision, Part 2 [Advancing Supervision]
Jade Rice, MA
This course offers an overview of Feminist Theory in clinical supervision, focusing on addressing power imbalances and fostering collaboration. Participants will explore when to use hierarchical interventions, apply self-of-therapist awareness, and maintain professional boundaries. Emphasis is placed on ethical practice, supervisee development, and integrating feminist principles to support growth within supervisory relationships.