From December 9-13th, eight thousand five hundred mental health practitioners, from countries around the globe, gathered in Anaheim, California to attend the “Evolution of Psychotherapy” conference.  Held every five years since 1985, the conference started big and has grown only larger.  “Only a few places in the US can accommodate such a large gathering,” says Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D., who has organized the conference since the first.

The event, held every five years, brings together 40 of the field’s leading researchers, practitioners, trend setters, and educators to deliver keynote addresses and workshops, host discussion panels, and offer clinical demonstrations on every conceivable subject related to clinical practice.  Naturally, I spoke about my current work on “Achieving Clinical Excellence” as well as served on several topical panels, including “evidence based practice” (with Don Meichenbaum), “Research on Psychotherapy” (with Steven Hayes and David Barlow), and “Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (with Marsha Linnehan and Jeff Zeig).

Most exciting of all, the Evolution of Psychotherapy conference also served as the official launching point for the International Center for Clinical Excellence.  Here I am pictured with long-time colleague and friend, Jeff Zeig, and psychologist and ICCE CEO, Brendan Madden, in front of the ICCE display in the convention center hall.

Over the five days, literally hundreds of visitors stopped by booth #128 chat with me, Brendan, and Senior ICCE Associates and Trainers, Rob Axsen, Jim Walt, Cynthia Maeschalck, Jason Seidel, Bill Andrews, Gunnar Lindfeldt, and Wendy Amey.  Among other things, a cool M and M dispenser passed out goodies to folks (if they pressed the right combination of buttons), we also talked about and handed out leaflets advertising the upcoming “Achieving Clinical Excellence” conference, and finally people watched a brief video introducing the ICCE community.  Take a look yourself:.

More to come from the week in Anaheim….