Inviting OAMFT members to a Holiday Social! Come network, and celebrate the holiday season with your peers.

When: Sunday, December 3rd at 1:00-4:00pm (EST)

Where: Jack Astor’s, Shops on Don Mills, 1060 Don Mills Road, North York, ON, M3C0H8

As a token of our appreciation for your support over the years, we’re delighted to offer each attendee a $30 gift card to be enjoyed towards your meal and drinks.

A $10 non-refundable registration fee will be applied at checkout to secure your spot. Kindly be aware that we have limited space available for 45 individuals, so we encourage you to secure your spot by registering early before capacity is reached! After capacity is reached, all new registrants will be added to the wait list.

“Family Healing and Recovery: Family Systems Now”

Recorded On: Saturday, November 4th, 2023
Time: 10am – 12pm and 1pm – 3pm (EST)
Optional Networking with the Board: 3 – 3PM (EST)
Where: Zoom
Presented By: Shelly Smith-Acuña PhD

Key Information:

– All live participants of the Bonus Conference will earn 4.0 CEU.

– OAMFT members who sign up for and attend the AGM will automatically be registered for free for the Bonus Conference. Please sign up here for access to both: AGM & Free Bonus Conference Sign Up.

– Non-members are able to sign up for the Bonus Conference at regular price.

There will be opportunities for Theoretical Understanding, Applications and Skillful Practice, Networking Opportunities, a Q & A and much more…

Conference Description:

Families need our help more than ever! In a time of increased distress and challenge, family therapy can be an invaluable resource to promote healing and recovery.  Family relationships can be especially powerful in providing safety, support, guidance, and care, yet many family systems are strained and disconnected.

This session will begin with an overview of family systems theory, highlighting the foundational elements of systems theory in establishing a therapeutic relationship.  Specifically, systems theory offers a structure to understand context, communication, culture, and change that can ground and organize the therapy practice.

Following this overview, systems theory will be applied in through the lens of three therapeutic approaches:  Behavioral, Emotional, and Multigenerational. Systems theory offers a unique and highly effective way of integrating these three perspectives, creating a collaborative approach to systems change.

Finally, case material will be used to illustrate the application of this integrative approach. Break-out rooms and exercises will be used to allow participants to engage directly with the material.  The ultimate goal of the session is to provide a conceptual structure and practical tools to support the work of contemporary family therapists.

About Our Speaker: Shelly Smith-Acuña PhD

Shelly Smith-Acuña, Ph.D., is a professor the Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP) at the University of Denver (DU), where she has been on faculty for 31 years and was Dean for 10 years. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Loyola University of Chicago, completed an internship at Northwestern Hospital, and received post-doctoral training at the Family Institute at Northwestern University.

Dr.  Smith-Acuña’s areas of research and teaching include couple and family therapy, with a particular emphasis on gender, culture, and multigenerational issues. Her scholarship focuses on the application of psychological systems theory to improve the human condition, as seen in her book, Systems Theory in Action. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the National Councils of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP) and the Colorado Psychological Association (CPA). She also maintains a private practice, working with couples, families, and individuals with relationship issues.