Dear ISSTD members,
It was so great to connect with you all at the 2024 annual conference that was held in Frisco, Texas, just this March. I was particularly thrilled with the amount of fellow Texans that I was able to meet, many of whom were attending the ISSTD conference for the first time. This year was extra special for me as it marked my first year as ISSTD’s newly appointed treasurer, following Michael Coy’s promotion to president-elect.
Indeed, there is something magical about attending an in-person conference. There is so much energy, excitement, and collective effort in the air. When I first started in the field, I felt very alone and isolated in my work with complex trauma and dissociative disorders in West Texas. Finding the ISSTD was like finding an oasis in a desert of understanding.
This year’s conference was extra exciting because I was able to attend with several colleagues and supervisees that work all over Texas. We were also able to host the official bookstore for the conference for a second year in a row. The Phoenix Arise Shop was able to work with five different publishers as well as independently published authors in our field. We were able to provide access to dozens of amazing books and resources as well as host a donation drive for Beauty After Bruises. Beauty After Bruises is a non-profit organization that provides Therapy Boxes to recipients that have a dissociative disorder and are unable to access quality care due to distance or other restrictions. We were able to donate many products for this amazing cause with the support of conference attendees. Thank you all for your kindness and generosity.
If you find yourself lonely in this field, I encourage you to reach out and get involved. Volunteering with ISSTD has been a wonderful opportunity for me to build connections with others and has sustained me through tough clinical times. Furthermore, there is no substitute for “being with” others in person. There is something magical in the air when you are surrounded by colleagues. I hope to see you all in person at the 2025 annual conference that will be held in Boston, Massachusetts March 13-17.
Thank you for filling up my cup for the next year!
Nicole Black
ISSTD Treasurer