Regional counseling psychology conference being held at WMU

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The 31st annual Great Lakes Regional Counseling Psychology Conference will be held Friday and Saturday, April 13-14, in Sangren Hall on Western Michigan University's Main Campus.

Those planning to attend may preregister at wmich.edu/greatlakescp or register on-site. The deadline for early registration is 11:59 p.m., EST, Friday, March 23. Early registrants receive a discounted price.

Community members as well as WMU students and employees may attend the 2018 conference, which will include paper presentations, roundtable discussions and poster presentations. This year's theme is "Respectful Dialogues and Beyond: What Are We Doing?"

The theme celebrates counseling psychology's role in engaging in difficult conversations, often around challenging topics and in times of controversy and great need. It also echoes an initiative of the American Psychological Association's Division 17 president, Dr. Arpana G. Inman, who will be a keynote speaker.

Keynote talks

• "LGBT Well-Being: The Importance of Research-informed Public Policy Advocacy" will be presented Friday by Dr. Judith Kovach, project director of the Michigan Project for Informed Public Policy. Kovach's address will be in honor of Dr. James M. Croteau, a WMU faculty member who died in 2016 and had been nationally known for his research, training, clinical work and publications that focused on such areas as racism awareness; racial healing; and lesbian, gay and bisexual issues in the workplace and on college campuses.
• "Respectful Dialogues: Holding the Tension" will be presented Saturday by Inman, president of the American Psychological Association's Society of Counseling Psychology. Inman is a professor of Counseling Psychology and chair of the Department of Education and Human Services at Lehigh University.

Pre-conference workshops

Two concurrent pre-conference workshops will be offered Friday. Those planning to attend may register at wmich.edu/greatlakescp or on-site.

• "Reflections on Ethical Dilemmas in Therapy and Supervision" will be presented by Dr. Sharon L. Bowman, professor and chair of counseling psychology, social psychology and counseling at Ball State University.
• "Please Don't Box Me In! Exploring the Importance of Identity and Intersections of Identity in Counseling Relationships" will be presented by Dr. Shannon Chavez-Korell, professor of psychology at the Michigan School of Professional Psychology.

Additional information

The Great Lakes Regional Counseling Psychology Conference is the longest-running annual regional conference of the Society of Counseling Psychology. This year's event is being hosted by WMU's counseling psychology program. Drs. Kelly McDonnell and Beverly Vandiver, professors in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology, are co-chairing the conference.

Prospective attendees may register for one preconference workshop, the conference only, or one preconference workshop and the conference. To register or obtain more information, visit wmich.edu/greatlakescp. Direct questions to Vandiver at beverly.vandiver@wmich.edu or (269) 387-0709.

Free parking will be available behind Sangren Hall in Lot 41. For directions to WMU or a campus map, visit wmich.edu/maps/print.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.