July/August 2015

Many of us had a wonderful ACBS World Conference experience in Berlin this month! If you were unable to attend, the Washington chapter of ACBS is putting on their own conference this September (for more information, see below). They have an exceptional line-up of presenters, and we hope you consider attending. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

2015 – 2016 OACBS Board Members

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2015 OACBS Board election. We would like to welcome David Maxey as our new President-Elect and Jesse Burrell as our returning Student Representative. As always, if you have feedback, suggestions, or ideas about how to make OACBS even more awesome, please feel free to contact your current OACBS Board members:

President: Brian Thompson, PhD (Portland)
President-Elect: C. David Maxey, MA (Portland)
Past-President: Jenna LeJeune, PhD (Portland)
Secretary-Treasurer: David Brillhart, PsyD (Salem)
Member-At-Large: Meghan Marty, PhD (Portland)
Student Representative: Jesse Burrell, MA (Newberg)

On-going OACBS Projects

OACBS Website

Are you wondering how you can get more involved in OACBS? We are looking for volunteers to help develop the OACBS website. If you are interested participating in this project, please contact Scott Rower, PhD.

ACT Study Groups

The first round of ACT/CBS study groups were a success, with 2 on-line groups and 3 in-person groups each focusing on a different ACT or CBS-related book. We hope to start a new round of study groups in the fall. So if you are interested in joining, or, better yet, willing to host a future study group, please contact Jenna LeJeune, PhD.

Student Outreach

Just a reminder that OACBS has created a listserv just for graduate students! Our aim is to create a safe space for students to discuss ACT and RFT-related issues amongst themselves. We’d like to thank OACBS members Paul Guinther, PhD and Sandy Bushberg, PhD for agreeing to be moderators. To join, send an email to our Google Group. Please note: this listserv is for students only. If you would like to be involved in student outreach, please contact Jesse Burrell, MA.

OACBS Memberships

Is your OACBS membership up-to-date? If you have questions about your OACBS membership or would like to change the e-mail address at which you receive OACBS announcements, please contact Meghan Marty, PhD.

ACBS Updates

ACBS World Conference

The 13th ACBS World Conference just wrapped up in Berlin, Germany. It was the most well attended conference to date, with over 1,000 participants from 6 continents (we’re still working on Antarctica!). And your Oregon Chapter was very well represented with at least 8 people from our little corner of the world making the trip out there. For those who were not able to be there, the theme was “Global Concerns, Global Community” and the CBS work that is happening around the world was truly inspiring to hear about. Everything from using ACT interventions to address the Ebola crisis and sexual violence against women in Sierra Leone to training lay practitioners to better meet the mental health needs of those in more underserved areas in developing nations. And our own OACBS member and ACBS President, Jason Luoma, gave an inspiring presidential address about shame, compassion, and ways to increase connection and nurturing in our communities that was met with a resounding standing ovation. He made OACBS proud! So, if you missed the chance to get to the WorldCon this year, mark your calendars because next summer the conference is going to be on the West Coast of the US for the first time ever, in our very own backyard of Seattle, WA! We’ll keep you posted about ways to get involved.

WACBS Conference

If you couldn’t make it to Berlin this year for the ACBS World Con, the Washington chapter of ACBS has put together their own ACBS conference this September 11-12 in Seattle. The line-up features leading trainers in ACT, RFT, Functional Analytic Psychotherapy, and Compassion-Focused Therapy. The conference is being held in a peaceful retreat center area near UW. The WACBS conference offers a chance to learn from some of the top names in contextual behavioral science. You can register here (PraxisCET.com/WACBS15). Use the code WACBS15 for $75 off your registration.

Upcoming Professional Trainings

The opportunities listed below may be of interest to OACBS members. Please note, these trainings are not endorsed by OACBS and the information is simply provided as a convenience to members.

Member Spotlight

Jesse BurrellJesse Burrell, MA
Newberg, Oregon

What type of work do you do? Graduate Student

What got you interested in contextual behavioral science (ACT, FAP, RFT, etc.)? I went to the Founders’ ACT Bootcamp last year in Reno, NV. The intensive training there changed the way that I viewed psychotherapy and how I navigate my personal life. It was a life changer for me and I haven’t looked back.

What is your favorite ACT metaphor? People are sunsets, not math problems.

Name your top 3 values. Grace, Connection, Investment

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? I enjoy immersing myself in outdoor activities, playing interactive games with friends, and creating music and art.

What might other OACBS members not know about you? My family-parents and brother- sings together a lot as a quartet. We like a capella music which has harmony lines for a soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.

The Beatles or the Rolling Stones? The Beatles for karaoke nights. The Rolling Stones on my radio.

If you are interested in being in a future “Membership Spotlight,” please click here: Membership Spotlight Questions

Member News

ACT on the Radio

OACBS member Brian Goff, PhD was recently interviewed by Sheila Hamilton, host of KINK’s “Speaking Freely” show. In the past month, the show has focused on mental health issues. Dr. Goff had a chance to provide valuable information about ACT with the general public, as well as share links to on-line ACT information and lists of ACT-oriented therapists. In case you missed it, the full interview can be found here: Brian Goff speaks about ACT

ACT with Compassion

OACBS members Dr. Jason Luoma, Dr. Jenna LeJeune, and Dr. Melissa Platt are announcing a website called ACTwithCompassion. This website is about one year old and offers a variety of materials and resources for therapists who work with clients who self-critical or shame prone. Here is a recent summary of the first year of content in a blog post.

The website offers a range of resources including:

If you want to get the newest website content sent straight to you, feel free to connect on Twitter or Facebook or sign up for the newsletter here. Hundreds of therapists are already connected with the website.

Do you have ACT or CBS-related information/activities that you would like to share with the rest of the OACBS members? We would love to hear about it! Please forward the information to Meghan Marty

New OACBS Members

Welcome to our new members. We look forward to your contribution to our chapter!

Michael Brekelmans
Theresa Ferrante
Julie Wilson
Maggie Stoeckel
David Neal
Valerie Neck
Steve Baker
Erika Eisele
Beverly Hansen
Salvatore Dinovo
Christina Cruz

If you have feedback about the newsletter, would like to contribute information, or would like to help prepare the newsletter, please contact Meghan Marty, PhD, OACBS Member-at-Large.