Psychology Conference Research Articles

Enhancing Consumer and Planetary Well-Being by Consuming Less, Consuming Better

The urgent need to address unsustainable consumption practices has become increasingly evident. While much traditional consumer behavior research serves to stimulate consumption, the focus needs to shift towards encouraging more sustainable consumption patterns. This commentary synthesizes insights from a roundtable discussion at the 2023 Society for Consumer Psychology Conference, which comprised an exploration of novel, creative, actionable, and theoretically sound avenues for getting people to consume less, consume better. The commentary tackles three essential questions: (1) What do we mean by consuming less, consuming better? (2) Who is/are responsible for such behaviors? (3) How do we get people to consume less, consume better? In doing so, it lays out several future research directions.

Burnout and compassion fatigue in coaches: A case for coach-care

This article discusses the empirical research presented at the 2023 BPS Coaching Psychology Conference: Integrating Research and Practice. Employing constructivist grounded theory (CGT), the research sought to address a gap in the literature (Charmaz, 2006, 2014). In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 diverse professional coaches to understand their personal experiences of burnout and/or compassion fatigue as a coach. The resulting theoretical model, termed the INRR Model™, seeks to explain the development of and recovery from these phenomena, proposing that they arise from a combination of factors, including the nature of the work, personality and/or coping style, and the broader environment. The coaching profession is inherently demanding, often exposing coaches to high levels of emotional intensity or emotional labour (Kemp, 2022). If left unchecked, this can lead to compassion fatigue and burnout (Brotheridge & Grandey, 2002; Rosefield, 2023). Increasingly, coaches are working with clients facing significant stress, complex challenges, and struggles to cope with role demands in their work and personal lives (Arloski, 2021), a trend exacerbated by the post-Covid-19 landscape. These findings underscore the critical need for compassionate self-care, or coach-care, to be prioritised by coaches, supervisors, training organisations, and accreditation bodies. Further research is warranted to deepen our understanding of these issues and develop effective support strategies.

An integrated approach to coaching for individual thriving

The purpose of coaching psychology is to apply knowledge and methods from the psychological sciences to promote human thriving. This article builds on a presentation given at the British Psychological Society’s coaching psychology conference in June 2023. It begins by arguing for the need for an integrated model of thriving that is relevant for coaching. It then reviews the history of psychological research into thriving and associated concepts and presents an overview of current models of thriving in psychology. Finally, the paper proposes an integrated model of coaching for thriving: the 4Es of energy, engagement, expansion and exploration. This model is intended to help coaches operationalise the psychological research on thriving as a focus for coaching psychology practice and research.

The 2020 Counseling Psychology Conference and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned in Cultivating Change Through Liberation

Simultaneous to the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, the 2020 Counseling Psychology Conference was in the final stages of preparation. It was impossible to hold the conference in the midst of university restrictions on nonessential travel and government restrictions of large gatherings. We document the 2020 Counseling Psychology Conference as originally planned for historical purposes and describe the leadership challenges associated with cancellation. Further, we describe the virtual events arising from the 2020 Counseling Psychology Conference that were held to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Counseling Psychology. Finally, we make recommendations for the field's constituent professional organizations and future leaders for planning future national conferences based on these experiences. Consistent with the theme of the conference, “Counseling Psychology at 75 Years: Reflections on Shared Identity, Cultivating Change, and Building a Counseling Psychology of Liberation,” our manuscript is framed from a liberation psychology perspective.

Qualitative Methods in Psychology (QMiP) Conference 2022, taking place on 13–15 July at De Montfort University, Leicester

Qualitative Methods in Psychology (QMiP) Conference 2022, taking place on 13–15 July at De Montfort University, Leicester

Division of Health Psychology (DHP) conference – through the eyes of a Health Psychologist working in Public Health

Division of Health Psychology (DHP) conference – through the eyes of a Health Psychologist working in Public Health

Experiencing my first annual Health Psychology Conference

Experiencing my first annual Health Psychology Conference

Exploring the need for an indigenous coaching psychology for the Middle East: A panel discussion at the International Psychology Conference Dubai (IPCD)

Is coaching different in the Middle East than in the rest of the world and, if so, do we need an indigenous coaching psychology (CP) for the region? The answer of a panel discussion at the IPCD conference in Dubai was ‘yes, and’. Several distinct differences in the coaching process emerged from the conversation. Some of these differences centred on how trust and safety are created in the regional culture. Another part contrasted regional and Western understanding of coaching itself. All members of the panel indicated the need for coaches to increase their awareness for the coachee culture and the role of cultural facets in the creation of the coaching relationship. A general outline for future directions for CP in the Middle East emerged around education of coaches and coachees, understanding their lived experiences, creating an evidence-base for the coaching in region and ways to evolve coaching research and practice. Rather than simply serving a cultural ‘niche’, such developments have the potential to enrich global CP.

Division of Clinical Psychology Conference 2021; ‘Doing what matters: Value-driven clinical psychology in action’

Caragh Maher,Trainee Clinical Psychologist, shares her review of this year’s DCP conference, hosted virtually.

Student Advocacy in Canadian Counselling Psychology Programs: 2018 CCPC Working Group Outcomes

The second Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference, held in Calgary in October 2018, provided an opportunity for conference attendees to participate in one of seven working groups that met over the course of 2 days. Members of one group were tasked with delving into the topic of student advocacy in Canadian counselling psychology. Student advocacy was defined as students speaking up for themselves about what they need in their various graduate programs and educational experiences across Canada. The resulting discussion identified the following broad areas of need and potential program improvement: (a) practicum process and opportunities, (b) preparation for the “real world,” (c) partnerships between university programs and professional communities, (d) increased student funding, and (e) clarity and consistency in program requirements and professional credentialing. Members of the working group developed detailed recommendations and plans of action for each of these areas. This paper reviews the relevant literature on the above topics and expands upon the group’s recommendations for addressing the needs of counselling psychology students in Canada.

Internationalization of Canadian Counselling Psychology: A Collaborative Endeavour Grounded in Social Justice

During the Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference held at the University of Calgary in 2018, participants in a working group met to discuss the internationalization of counselling psychology and to articulate the ways in which the values of Canadian counselling psychology can inform international interactions. As an outcome of the working group process, the authors report on the themes that emerged: mapping the territory, movements and tensions, and challenges and opportunities. Taking these themes into consideration, the authors discuss the implications for researchers, educators, and clinicians in Canadian counselling psychology.

Reconciling Relations: Shifting Counselling Psychology to Address Truth and Reconciliation

In 2018, the Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference (CCPC) convened a working group to address how the field of counselling psychology ought to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Attendees were asked to share their perspectives on reconciliation, current efforts toward reconciliation in counselling psychology, and recommendations for the future of counselling psychology in relation to reconciliation. The current paper documents the findings and implications of the working group, offering concrete suggestions for how researchers, educators, clinicians, and trainees in the field can support reconciliation in a good way, shifting counselling psychology to serve Indigenous people and communities better.

The Future of Counselling Psychology Education and Training in Canada: A Post-Conference Reflection

This article summarizes and elaborates upon the themes discussed by members of the “Future of Counselling Psychology Education and Training in Canada” working group at the 2018 Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference (2018 CCPC) by 19 participants in attendance. Complexities in program requirements, external and internal program regulations, research competency and advancement, and cultural/social justice responsiveness and internationalization are explicated and analyzed. The current state of counselling psychology education and training is highly intricate and nuanced, while many strengths and opportunities for growth exist despite some long-standing tensions. It is hoped that this article not only will help outline and contextualize the current status and challenges facing the future of counselling psychology education and training in Canada but also will recruit others in helping to improve Canadian counselling psychology education and training. Advocating for what is needed to achieve this is consistent with the theme of the 2018 CCPC. Continued dialogue, program evaluation, theorizing, and research are needed on the nature and dynamics of Canadian counselling psychology education and training.

Clinical Practice and Clinical Supervision: Building a Firm Foundation

In this paper, the authors report on the “Foregrounding Clinical Practice and Clinical Supervision” working group of the Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference held on October 26 to 28, 2018, at the University of Calgary. Of the 12 working group participants, nine self-identified as students and three identified as licensed practitioners (two of the practitioners also held academic positions). This group of mostly early-career professionals identified an overarching theme of building a firm foundation for their future practice. Working group members identified three important contributors: the development of a strong, multi-faceted professional identity, including issues of licensure and certification, the interplay between counselling and clinical psychology, and the place of career psychology; the importance of clinical supervision, including the perceived variable quality of supervision and the apparent shortage of practicum placements; and professional role models. The authors provide their perspectives on the issue the working group raised and offer recommendations for counsellor educators and practice leaders.

Counselling Psychology and Under-Represented Groups: A Vision for Advocacy as Mutual Transformation

The discipline of counselling psychology in Canada has aligned consistently with social justice principles. Consistent with this, a working group at the 2018 Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference was assigned to consider the role of Canadian counselling psychology in advocating for the needs of members of under-represented groups. This brief report captures insights from the working group and focuses on two primary themes: a critical reformulation of advocacy as mutual transformation for personal and social change and a need to engage with change processes at multiple levels. The group conceptualized effective advocacy as recentring historically marginalized perspectives while decentring “expert” roles and traditionally dominant perspectives.

Advocating for Ourselves, Advocating for Our Communities: Canadian Counselling Psychology Into the Next Decade and Beyond

This special issue of Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy is an outgrowth of the landmark 2018 Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference called “Advocating for Ourselves, Advocating for Our Communities: Canadian Counselling Psychology Into the Next Decade and Beyond.” This conference centred on seven working groups: the future of counselling psychology education and training in Canada, foregrounding clinical practice and clinical supervision within the field of Canadian counselling psychology, student advocacy in Canadian counselling psychology, responding to the TRC in Canadian counselling psychology, internationalization of counselling psychology, the role of Canadian counselling psychology in advocating for the needs of members of under-represented groups, and the responsibility of Canadian counselling psychology to reach systems, organizations, and policy-makers. This introduction highlights the seven articles included in this special issue, each of which summarizes the discussion included within one working group and elaborates upon topics that emerged within each working group discussion. We expect that, after reading the articles contained within this special issue, readers will be able to experience some of the intellectual stimulation and inspiration felt by many who attended the working groups in person. We also hope that this collection of articles will inspire those who did not attend the conference to advocate for and to help increase the presence and the influence of Canadian counselling psychology locally, provincially, nationally, and globally as it seeks to promote the best interests of the various communities it serves.

‘Yes Woman’: A career coach reflects on the experience of doing a PhD and its contribution to coaching psychology

Natalie Lancer has been invited to submit this article as winner of the ‘Student Project Award’ at the 2019 Special Group in Coaching Psychology Conference. She discusses the nature of doing a PhD and the opportunities it affords, both personally and for the coaching psychology community, as well as providing an overview of her research.

An A-level student’s learning from a psychology conference: My experience in attending my first psychology conference

Mentoring opportunities are regarded as key stages in the development of future psychologists, by the Psychotherapy Section and by the BPS as a whole.

Qualitative Methods in Psychology and History of Philosophy and Psychology Conference, Cardiff Metropolitan University, 3–5 July 2019

Qualitative Methods in Psychology and History of Philosophy and Psychology Conference, Cardiff Metropolitan University, 3–5 July 2019

Introduction to Chicago Issue

With pleasure, I’m presenting in this issue a sampling of the knowledgeable, thoughtful, clinically sophisticated, and deeply felt papers from the Chicago Self Psychology Conference in 2017. Given ...