Happy February ISSTDWorld! Thank you for stopping by to read about what the Virtual and Regional Conference Committee (VRCC) has been up to in its third year of being a committee! The goal of the VRCC is to support the continued growth of ISSTD’s regional and virtual trainings. As a group, this committee includes both ISSTD staff and volunteers who meet to recommend locations for future conferences, brainstorm and develop conference themes and their corresponding branding, and support marketing initiatives to get the word out to the regions where conferences will be held. This committee also works closely alongside the Webinar Committee to create continuity between regional conferences and the yearly webinar series, and with the Center for Advanced Studies Committee to ensure continuity and cohesion with the overall education components across ISSTD training and education.
The VRCC was up to a lot in 2023, planning the following virtual and regional conferences:
- The Toronto, Canada, Regional Conference (September 21-22, 2023), featuring D. Michael Coy, Alana Tappin, Cassandra Harmsen, Kristina Cordeiro, Rebecca Tzalazidis, George Radosavljevic, and Marlee Salisbury.
- The Psychodynamic-Psychoanalytic Seminar Day (November 17-18, 2023) featuring Ira Brenner, Elizabeth Howell, Shelly Itzkowitz, Rick Kluft, John O’Neil, Adah Sachs, and Valerie Sinason.
- The 2023 Virtual Conference (October 21-22, 2023), “(Re)building hope, (Re)orienting safety, and (Re)stabilizing treatment with complex trauma and dissociation,” featuring Sandra Bloom and Frank Corrigan as plenary speakers.
As we shift into 2024, the VRCC is working hard to plan for the upcoming virtual and regional conference offerings. We are pleased to share that this year’s regional conference will be in Washington, DC, the Seminar Day will focus on EMDR Therapy, and the Virtual Conference will be on November 9-10, 2024. Please stay tuned for email and ISSTDWorld updates containing information about the DC regional conference dates and presenters, and how to submit a proposal to present at the 2024 Virtual Conference!