Originally posted on https://paradigmtreatmentcenters.org/apa-features-paradigm/

The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest professional organization of psychologists in the country, with nearly 120,000 members nationwide. Each year the APA hosts an impressive annual conference, and this year’s Chicago event welcomed Paradigm Treatment Centers as official exhibitors for the very first time!

The conference was attended by over 12,000 scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students from all over the country, and the response to Paradigm Treatment Centers and our state-of-the-art programs and facilities was overwhelmingly positive.

Paradigm Treatment Centers’ Chief Operating Officer Dustin Wagner and Program Director Lucy Bramwell attended the event, and their experiences were simply stellar. “Attending and having a booth at this year’s APA conference in Chicago was a great opportunity to learn more about where the field of psychology is heading.  Now that we are providing treatment to young adults, as well as teens and families – its particularly helpful to see what other services are out there and expand our network of partners,” said Dustin.

One of the main highlights for our team were the many deeply relevant and informative talks that were held throughout the conference. One particularly interesting presentation focused on the importance of creating safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ youth, featuring Dr. Caitlyn Ryan. She talked about her initiative, The Family Acceptance Project, which is a research, intervention, education and policy enterprise that works to prevent health and mental health risks for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) children and youth, including suicide, homelessness and HIV – in the context of their families, cultures and faith communities.

Another fascinating presentation came from mental health activist Kevin Hines, who shared his inspiring story of overcoming suicidality while living with bipolar disorder. Other talks that our team highlighted covered themes of gender inclusivity and awareness in classroom settings, as well as social norms pertaining to masculinity and its implications on male mental health.

In addition to the fantastic selection of speakers and panelists, our team was delighted to meet literally hundreds of mental health practitioners, activists and enthusiasts from all over the country, forging new relationships and connections from state to state. We look forward to future conferences and events with APA.