Message From the Program Chair
John D. Otis, Ph.D.
Welcome to San Francisco and the 44th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and
Cognitive Therapies. I would like to thank ABCT President Dr. Frank Andrasik and the entire ABCT Board
for inviting me to serve as the 2010 Program Chair. Serving as Program Chair has been an incredible
opportunity and has given me an appreciation for the behind-the-scenes efforts that occur each year to
make the ABCT convention an intellectually stimulating and enjoyable event for over 5,000 members. It
has been an honor to work for all of you.
The theme of the 44th Annual Convention, “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Unifying Diverse Disciplines
With a Common Thread,” is intended to emphasize the relevance of cognitive-behavioral theories across
varied topics and disorders and across diverse health- and mental-health-related professions and
disciplines. While there are many specialties within the fields of physical and mental health, our shared
understanding of the importance of applying evidence-based cognitive behavioral practices is a common
thread that joins us together.
Clearly, this is a message that resonated strongly with ABCT members. We received 1,965 submissions
this year, many of which were in areas that had been underrepresented in the past. The 2010 ABCT
program schedule is packed with diverse offerings in every time slot, so it is recommended that
members use the ABCT Itinerary Planner, located on the ABCT website (www.abct.org/conv2010), to
plan their daily schedule online and in advance of the conference so that they can take full advantage of
this year’s exciting and innovative presentations and addresses.
In keeping with this year’s conference theme, Dr. Edna Foa, recipient of last year’s ABCT Lifetime
Achievement Award, and one of Time Magazine’s 2010 World’s Most Influential People, will deliver her
Invited Address, “Disseminating Evidence-Based Treatments Within Systems and Across Countries:
Lessons Learned From Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD.” Dr. Foa will discuss the urgent need to
disseminate evidence-based treatments around the world, factors that hinder successful dissemination,
and ways to overcome them.
Dr. Albert Bandura, a pioneer in social cognitive theory, social learning theory, self-efficacy, and one of
the most influential psychologists of our time, will present our second Invited Address, “On Alleviating
Urgent Global Problems by Psychosocial Means.” Dr. Bandura will elucidate how to translate theory into
everyday practice and how to construct theoretical, translational, and social diffusion models to affect
society-wide changes.
In his Invited Address, “Alternative Strategies for Changing Multiple Behaviors,” Dr. James Prochaska, a
pioneer in behavior change for health promotion, will discuss how proactively delivering tailored
interventions to populations at home can result in changes in multiple health behaviors simultaneously.
This innovative approach has the potential to produce comprehensive impacts while reducing costs and
demands on participants and providers.
Helen Mayberg, M.D., will bring our conference to the cutting edge of cognitive neuroscience with her
Invited Address, “Paths to Recovery: Targeting Dysfunctional Limbic-Cortical Circuits in Depression.” Her
presentation will address distinct brain changes associated with different antidepressant treatments,
and she will review the potential future clinical applications of functional imaging (fMRI) to optimize
diagnosis and treatment.
On Saturday, Dr. Frank Andrasik will deliver his Presidential Address, “Behavioral Medicine: Expanding
our Reach.” Dr. Andrasik will discuss the origins of behavioral medicine, new directions for intervention,
and methods for enhancing dissemination efforts. The 2010 ABCT conference also features new
presentations in the areas of behavioral medicine/health psychology, severe mental illness, couples
treatment, presentations on the NIH Loan Repayment Program, advice for early-career professionals, as
well as advice from experts on recent changes in the NIH grant application process.
This year, the Clinical Grand Rounds will feature Dr. Shelia Eyberg, the developer of Parent Child
Interaction Therapy (PCIT), who will perform a live demonstration of PCIT. Dr. Judith Beck will
demonstrate how to use a case conceptualization diagram in her presentation, “Case Conceptualization
of Core Schemas Using Cognitive Therapy.” In addition, Drs. Edna Foa and Patty Resick will perform live
demonstrations of prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy for PTSD on the same
individual. For those ABCT members seeking more intensive training, we have an incredible and diverse
lineup of 25 Workshops, 8 Institutes, and 8 Master Clinician Seminars throughout the conference. Please
be sure to reserve your place now as these seats will definitely fill up early.
I would like to express my appreciation to the members of the 2010 Program Committee who spent
hours reviewing applications and helping to shape this year’s conference. We had many new faces on
the committee this year and I hope they will continue to be interested in participating. To the “Super
Reviewers,” including Drs. Grant, Rosenthal, Bell, Schare, Sexton-Radek, Hofmann, Del Vecchio,
Gallagher, Albano, and Lawrence—thank you for going above and beyond the call of duty.
I would like to thank the Convention and Education Planning Committee Chairs for developing an
exceptional program, including Patricia Averill (Institutes), Scott Compton (AMASS), Sandra Pimentel
(Continuing Education), Jillian Shipherd (Workshops), and Bruce Zahn (Master Clinician Seminars). I
would like to express my thanks to last year’s Program Chair, Dr. Lata McGinn, for her guidance and
support. I would like to express special thanks to Mary Ellen Brown, Director of Education and Meeting
Services, for her patience, humor, and knowledge—Mary Ellen truly oversees the entire ABCT
convention. I would like to thank Christina Porter, our ScholarOne representative (the website where
you entered your submissions for this conference), for her professionalism and outstanding service. I
would also like to thank my ABCT Program Chair Assistant, Kristen Sanderson, for her assistance in
helping me to organize this year’s conference. And I would like to thank my wife, Dr. Donna Pincus, for
all of her support throughout my term as Program Chair.
What an incredible location for our 44th Annual Convention—San Francisco! We are excited to have the
Hilton San Francisco Union Square as our conference site. The hotel is located in the heart of the city,
within walking distance to many of San Francisco’s famous neighborhoods, such as Chinatown, Nob Hill,
the cable cars, shopping, dining, theatre, and nightlife. The hotel even has a spa and an outdoor pool for
between-presentation rejuvenation. Our Local Arrangements Chair, Dr. Allison Harvey, has creative
entertainment options waiting for you at the booth this year, so please stop by and see her and her
team when creating your plans for extracurricular activities while in San Francisco. While this is a city
with a great deal to offer, this is not the year to miss the ABCT Saturday-night dance party!
Once again, it has been a pleasure to serve as Program Chair. See you at the conference!
— John D. Otis, Ph.D.
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