| 2026 Convention Schedule |
 Convention Schedule
Continuing education hours approved for NYS LMHCs, LMSWs, LCSWs, LMFTs, Licensed Psychologists, and OASAS credentialed professionals, and NBCC. Pending approval for NYS LCATs.
FRIDAY, APRIL 10th
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Pre-Convention Intensive Workshops
Must be added on to Convention registration to attend
The Mirror & Its Messages: An Egostate Focused Look At Countertransference
6 CE Hours Rejecting Compulsions With a Values-Driven Approach to OCD Treatment
6 CE Hours Lift Every Mother: Reducing Barriers to Maternal Substance Use Care
3 CE Hours Kink101: Increasing Culture Competence with Kink-Identified Clients
3 CE Hours Grief: Theoretical Frameworks and Practical Applications
3 CE Hours Maintaining Appropriate Boundaries and Ethical Obligations as Mental Health Practitioners
3 CE Hours Neurodiversity Affirming Care
3 CE Hours Empowerment, Compassion and Wellbeing: Using Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
3 CE Hours 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
President's Opening Reception
Included in Full Convention Registration - Must Indicate Attendance During Registration
 Join Steven Perdek, MBA, LMHC-D and NYMHCA & NYMHCA Institute Boards of Directors and Staff to commence the 2026 Convention.
Enjoy an open bar, hors d'oeuvres, and live music entertainment. SATURDAY, APRIL 11th
7:00 AM - 8:15 AM
Buffet Breakfast
Pre-Registration Required
8:15 AM - 9:30 AM
Opening Remarks & General Session
 Trauma-Informed Care in 2030: Adapting Models for Emerging Global and Social Stressors
Presented by Dr. Tenise Wall, LCSW, CASAC-MC
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Breakout Sessions
(1 CE Hour) Breaking the Silence: Addressing Male Loneliness Through Socialization Skills in Clinical Practice Paws, Purpose, and Prevention: Integrating Animal-Assisted Interventions in Mental Health Care
The Peacekeeper Program
Shared Wisdom, Shared Strength: A Collaborative Approach to Counselor Wellbeing
Interrupting Unconscious Processes in Groups That Reinforce Racist Societal Norms
Embracing the Goodbye: Loss and Growth during the Termination Phase
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Coffee Break & Exhibitors
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Breakout Sessions
(1 CE Hour) NYMHCA Legislative Initiatives Updates
Loneliness Epidemic: Social Isolation's Impact on Our Mental Health
Bridging the Gap: Building Peer Support Ecosystems
The Use of Bibliotherapy to Escape, Reflect, and Heal
Perinatal Mental Health 101
Therapy in Turbulence: Clinical Interventions for Practicing in a Polarized Political Climate
12:00 PM - 1:45 PM
Lunch & Keynote Presentation
Somebody Stole My Fairytale
Featuring  Kelly Swanson
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Poster Presentations
Coffee Break & Exhibitors 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Breakout Sessions
(1 CE Hour) Supporting Counselors in Treating Serious Mental Illness (SMI): Insights from the EnTRy Model Exploring Identity Through Multimedia Expression and Building Silent Conversations
Shattered Mirrors: Navigating Identity in the Wake of Secondary Loss
Future Directions in Infidelity Recovery: Evidence-Based Tools for the Next Generation of Therapists
Supporting Your Birthing Person Client Post Perinatal Loss
Cannabis Clarity Initiative: Counseling Through Cannabis Misinformation and Cultural Shift
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM
Coffee Break & Exhibitors
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM
Breakout Sessions
(1 CE Hour) Couples Therapy 101: Charting the course from vulnerability to vitality
Culture Meets Neuroscience: Exploring Pathways for the Future of Counseling Asian Clients
When Productivity Eclipses Care
From OnlyFans to Street Work: Navigating the Complexities of Sex Work in Clinical Practice
The Way In: A Sensory Framework for Self-Regulation in Therapy
Autism and Gambling: Understanding Risks and Interventions
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Counselor Educators Meeting
Student Forum
7:45 PM - 10:00 PM
The Decompression Session
Check your notes at the door. Bring your random facts to the floor. Test your knowledge with a night of trivia with Pete Kelly ( @OnAirPete), afternoon host on 100.9/107.1 FM The Cat and That Trivia Guy NY Includes light hors d'oeuvres and cash bar.  SUNDAY, APRIL 12th
7:00 AM - 8:15 AM
Buffet Breakfast
Pre-Registration Required
8:15 AM - 9:30 AM
Closing Remarks & General Session
 LGBTQQIA+ Affirmative Therapy: Educating the Next Generation of Mental Health Clinicians
Presented by Dr. Joseph Franco, LMHC, NCC, ACS
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Breakout Sessions
(1 CE Hour) Facilitating Counseling Engagement with Orthodox Teenage Girls From Hallway to Healing: Designing a Counselor-in-Residence (CIR) Program that Works
Beyond the Torch: Building a Legacy of Authentic and Inspired Leadership
Sex Matters 101: Learn Essential Sexual Health Concepts and Resources
Understanding How Use of AI Impacts Individual Development
Beyond Exposure: The Role of Emotional Processing in Virtual Reality–Based Psychotherapy
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Coffee Break & Exhibitors
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Breakout Sessions
(1 CE Hour) Silver Years, Golden Connections: Honoring Sexual Well-Being in Older Adults
Curious, Not Replaced: An Intro to AI Confidence for Clinicians
Supervision Stories, LGBTQ+ Counselors' Perspectives: A Phenomenological Hermeneutic Approach
Growing Together: Building Resilience and Professional Identity through Supervision
Examination of the Relationship Between the Legalization of Cannabis and the Increase in Psychosis
Let's Talk About Sex, Baby: Counselors' Experiences & Barriers Providing Sex Counseling
12:00 PM - 12:15 PM
Coffee Break & Exhibitors
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
Breakout Sessions
(1 CE Hour) From Resistance to Readiness: Utilizing MI and ACT-based strategies in Pediatric OCD Treatment
When ERP Gets Stuck, Navigating Common Roadblocks in OCD Treatment
Beyond Stability: Empowering Recovery Through IMR and Digital Innovation
OCD Treatment: Challenging therapists’ myths and clients’ beliefs about Exposure Response Prevention
AI in Clinical Practice: Personalizing Anxiety and OCD Treatment for Youth
Culturally Responsive Counseling with Chinese International Students in an Era of Global Uncertainty
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New York Mental Health Counselors Association, Inc.
&
The NYMHCA Institute, Inc.
146 Barrett Street, Suite 2
Schenectady, NY, 12305
1-800-4-NYMHCA
(800-469-6422)
New York Mental Health Counselors
Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization and a state
chapter of
the American
Mental Health Counselors Association.
The
NYMHCA Institute, Inc. is an affiliated but separate 501(c)(3)
charitable non-profit organization.