Meet Our Keynote Speakers

Leslie Sokol, PhD, a licensed psychologist, is an internationally recognized leader in the field of cognitive behavioral therapy with over 40 years of experience in practice, teaching, and research making her a luminary in the field. She was a past Director of Education and one of the principal instructors at the internationally acclaimed Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. She is one of the leading CBT speakers in the world providing teaching and training to professional and paraprofessional groups, both nationally and internationally, on a multitude of CBT topics. Dr. Sokol has been the principal trainer for the largest CBT dissemination project in the United States, where almost 2500 LA county providers have achieved proficiency in delivering evidence-based treatment. Additionally, she has personally sphere headed training to certify multitudes of individuals as both providers and trainers of evidence-based treatment in Monterey and Ventura counties, as well as psychiatry, psychology, social work, and nursing programs in Hong Kong. Over the past ten years she has been disseminating CBT to all department of mental health providers in Oklahoma. To enhance these trainings, Dr. Sokol and Dr. Fox have written CBT training manuals to enhance dissemination and skill acquisition, The Ultimate CBT Workbook and The Comprehensive Clinician’s Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Teaching and Supervising Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dr. Sokol is a distinguished founding fellow of the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies, past president, and Chairman of its Credentialing Committee for 25 years. She is a fellow of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), President of the International Association of Cognitive Psychotherapy (IACBT) and a board member of World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (WWCBT). Dr. Sokol served as Chairman of Behavioral Science for the Mercy Suburban Hospital Family Practice Training Program for over 20 years where she trained medical staff in evidence based work and psychosocial skills. In her role in the hospital, she also served as the staff psychologist in cardiac rehab, physical rehab, nursing homes, hospice, family practice centers, and hospital consultation. Grant funding allowed her to personally provide psychological services to all HIV positive patients in the hospital catchment area. Her early work on panic disorder included one of the landmark published trials showing the efficacy of CBT in the treatment of Panic. Dr. Sokol has co-authored numerous books and book chapters. Some of these include: Think Confident, Be Confident for Teens: A Cognitive Therapy Guide to Overcoming Self-Doubt and Creating Unshakable Self-Esteem, Think Confident, Be Confident: A Four-Step Program to Eliminate Doubt and Achieve Lifelong Self-Esteem, , and The Think Confident, Be Confident Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help you Create Unshakable Self-Confidence and Reach your Goals.

Dr. Brinen is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, specializing in Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy for Psychosis (CT-R). He is a co-originator and co-author of the CT-R manual and directs psychotherapy training for Vanderbilt’s psychiatry residency program. Dr. Brinen has led international presentations on cognitive therapy for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and played a key role in disseminating CT-R across large health systems.

Professor Riskind is a specialist in cognitive-behavioral research and treatment for anxiety, mood, and related disorders, with notable books such as *Cognitive Vulnerability to Emotional Disorders* and upcoming works on anxiety and depression co-morbidity. He has published extensively in academic journals and chapters, and has served as editor of the *International Journal of Cognitive Therapy*. Riskind is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and has held leadership roles in both the Academy and the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy.

Dr. Lata K. McGinn is a clinical psychologist, Co-Founder and Co-Director of Cognitive & Behavioral Consultants (CBC), and a tenured Professor of Psychology at Yeshiva University. She is an expert in cognitive and behavioral therapies (CBT) for anxiety, trauma, OCD, depression, and related conditions, and has developed several interventions, including the Mind-Action-Mood Program to prevent anxiety and depression in schools. Dr. McGinn is a leader in the global CBT community, serving as president of the World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (WCCBT), and has received numerous awards for her contributions to the field, including being named a Beck Scholar and a Fellow of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

Steven D. Hollon, Ph.D. is the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Psychology at Vanderbilt University. His research focuses on the nature and treatment of depression with an emphasis on the enduring effects of psychosocial interventions. He is a former editor of Cognitive Therapy and Research, past president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) and the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology (SSCP), and the former chair of the steering committee advising the American Psychological Association (APA) on the development of clinical practice guidelines. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Award for the Application of Psychology from the APA as well as awards for Distinguished Scientific and Distinguished Professional Contributions to Clinical Psychology from the Society of Clinical Psychology (Division 12 of APA). He has over 350 publications and has mentored over 20 doctoral and post-doctoral advisees. He and his colleagues established that both cognitive therapy and behavioral activation are as efficacious as and more enduring than antidepressant medications. His studies also have suggested that specificity of treatment response is heavily moderated (medications only separate from pill-placebo and psychotherapy from nonspecific controls among patients with more severe depressions) and that change in diathetic core beliefs mediates the enduring effects found for cognitive therapy. Recent work with colleagues has extended the efficacy of behavioral activation to low and middle-income countries and he has become interested in the possibility that depression is less a disorder than an adaptation that evolved to serve a function. If so, then antidepressant medications may suppress symptoms at the expense of prolonging the underlying episode and cognitive therapy may more directly facilitate the function that depression evolved to serve (resolving complex problems).

Mehmet Sungur is professor of psychiatry at Istanbul Kent University. He received training in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), sexual and marital therapies at the Institute of Psychiatry (King’s College), London. He is accredited as a ‘cognitive behaviour therapist’ by the Europoean Association of Behaviour and Cognitive Therapy (EABCT). He is a founding fellow member, certified cognitive therapist/supervisor of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy (ACT) and International Advisory Board member of the Beck Institute (BI). He is the immediate past president of the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy (IACP) and has been one of the past presidents of the EABCT. Dr Sungur is now the president of the European Federation of Sexology (EFS) and also a board member of the recently established World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (WCCBT).He is also a board member of the World Assocition of Sexual Heath(WAS) His clinical practice covers a wide range of clinical syndromes with a special emphasis on cognitive behavioural treatment of anxiety disorders and sexual and marital problems. He has presented workshops and keynotes in many international congresses. He played a leading role in the dissemination of the practice of CBT and sex-couple therapy. He is the president of Turkish Association of Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (TACBT) since its establishment. He has received some national and international awards, including “Schizophrenia Reintegration Award”, “Gold Medal from European Federation of Sexology”, “Julia Heiman Honorary Award” for his contributions in the area of couple and sex therapy. He has published more than 100 papers mainly about CBT and sexual disorders and written many books and book chapters on CBT.His books on “ Making Peace with Uncertainty” and “Love-Marriage and Infidelity” are published in Russian and being translated to English. He is on the advisory and/or editorial board of many national and international journals and has currently committed himself to the training of mental health professionals in clinical applications of CBT and couple-sex therapy. He has been the president of 8 international and many national congresses.

Emory University

Dr. W. Edward Craighead is a distinguished clinical psychologist and educator with a career spanning several decades, having served as a professor and director of clinical training at institutions like Penn State University, Duke University, and the University of Colorado-Boulder. He has co-authored 13 books, including the widely used *Psychopathology*, and has held leadership roles in major professional organizations, including as Past-President of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) and the Society of Clinical Psychology. In addition to his academic and scholarly work, Dr. Craighead established a clinical center serving over 1,500 patients annually and co-founded an APA-accredited Child and Adolescent Internship program with his wife, Dr. Linda Wilcoxon Craighead.

Janeé M. Steele, PhD is a licensed professional counselor, counselor educator, and diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies. She owns Kalamazoo Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy, PLLC, where she provides therapy, supervision, and training in CBT. Dr. Steele is also author of the book, Racism and African American Mental Health: Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Empower Healing with a foreword by Dr. Judith S. Beck, co-author of the book, Black Lives Are Beautiful: 50 Tools to Heal from Trauma and Promote Positive Racial Identity, and author and co-author of many peer-reviewed journal publications. She additionally serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, Secretary for the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies, and is an appointed member of the Research and Knowledge Committee of the American Counseling Association. As an educator and trainer, Dr. Steele is appreciated for her practical expertise and her direct yet nonjudgmental approach to instruction. Her presentations are well-organized and engaging, blending theoretical insights, empirical research, skill building, and interactive audience participation.

David M Clark is Emeritus Professor of Experimental Psychology at Oxford University. He is well-known for his pioneering work on the understanding and psychological treatment of anxiety disorders. Together with colleagues he has developed effective cognitive therapies for social anxiety disorder, panic disorder and PTSD. Since 2005 he has also focused on how to disseminate effective psychological treatments within the English and international healthcare systems. He is an architect of the English Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) program, and continues to advise various governments. He has received Distinguished Scientist / Lifetime Achievement Awards from the British, Canadian and American Psychological Associations. The latter described his work as “pure genius with a real-world application”.

Robyn D. Walser, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized clinical psychologist, educator, and author. She is the Director of Trauma and Life Consultation and Psychology Services, Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and Director of Research at Bay Area Trauma Recovery Clinical Services. Dr. Walser has contributed significantly to the dissemination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and holds a pivotal role in implementing ACT in one of the US’s largest national healthcare systems. She also works at the National Center for PTSD, where her work focus is on trauma recovery, depression, and moral injury. A writer and scholar, Dr. Walser has co-authored nine influential books on ACT, including the widely respected The Heart of ACT: Developing a Flexible, Process-Based, and Client-Centered Practice Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Her research and clinical expertise have made her a sought-after voice in advancing the application of ACT to address a variety of complex psychological challenges. Since 1997, Dr. Walser has led ACT workshops worldwide, bringing her deep understanding and passion for process-based, experiential learning to therapists and clinicians. Known for her compassionate and client-centered approach, Dr. Walser’s teaching emphasizes the integration of evidence-based practices with human connection and flexibility. Whether through her books, articles, or live training, Dr. Walser continues to influence the evolution of ACT and inspire professionals in their pursuit of effective, transformative therapy. To learn more about her work, visit robynwalser.com.

Dr. Patricia Resick is the past president of both the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. She began developing Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) in 1988 and has led extensive research on its efficacy and effectiveness ever since. In 2006, she launched an initiative to disseminate CPT across the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and she has contributed to the DSM-5 through two sub-workgroups. Additionally, Dr. Resick served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.