It was with great anticipation and ultimately great satisfaction that I attended the annual meetings of the California, Georgia, and Ohio Psychological Associations. In addition to networking with some of the most dedicated colleagues, I was able to attend workshops on topics such as the use of music in therapy, working with patients with HIV status from an integrated approach, managing cognitive decline in the elderly population, evaluation and treatment of the suicidal patient, and dealing with microaggressions in the LGBTQ population.
Many attendees were eager to meet with me and share their concerns as well as their contributions to the profession. Through all of these conferences, a theme that continued to emerge was the need for effective and consistent advocacy. These meetings have helped me to further develop my platform about the use of psychological science in improving people’s lives.