We have a room block reserved at Homewood Suites by Hilton Orland Park for March 5, 2026 through March 9, 2026 for $149/night.
Please be sure to book before February 6, 2026.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Registration Pricing:
- Friday Only, Member Rate: $99
- Friday Only, Non-Member Rate: $129
- Saturday Only, Member Rate: $99
- Saturday Only, Non-Member Rate: $129
- 2-day package, Member Rate: $184
- 2-day package, Non-Member Rate: $244
CEs are available for LPC/LCPC, LSW/LCSW, LMFT, and Psychologists
FRIDAY KEYNOTE (March 6th)
Digital Divides and Mental Health: Clinical Implications for Aging Clients in the Social Digital Age
Presented By: Janelle L. Jones, PhD, LPC, NCC
As digital technology transforms how we connect, work, and access care, aging clients face unique mental health challenges from social isolation to online scams shaped by social determinants like income, education, and their built environments. This keynote examines how the digital divide exacerbates anxiety, depression, and financial vulnerability in aging populations, while offering clinicians practical strategies to address barriers such as low tech literacy and limited internet access. Through research and case studies, counselors will learn to navigate the intersection of aging and digital equity. Together we will help clients harness technology’s benefits while mitigating risks like doomscrolling or exploitation, ensuring no one is left behind in an increasingly connected world.
By the end of this keynote session, attendees will be able to:
1.Identify how social determinants of mental health impact aging adults’ access to and use of digital tools
2.Recognize the psychological effects of social media, scams, and digital exclusion on aging clients (e.g., anxiety, depression, isolation)
3.Develop clinical strategies to assess and address digital literacy gaps in therapy
4.Explore practical ways to integrate (or limit) technology in client treatment plans
SATURDAY KEYNOTE (March 7th)
Training the Next Generation: Ecological & Trauma-Informed Approaches to Clinician Development in the Social Digital Age
Presented By: Claudia Pitts, PhD, Judith Kent, PhD, Suzette Fromm Reed, PhD, Wytress Richardson, EdDIn this interactive session, presenters will guide participants in a discovery of the interplay between clinical and community psychology as it applies to clinical supervision in the digital age:
- Presenters will first provide an overview of pertinent community psychology principles.
- Presenters will discuss ecological and trauma-informed frameworks as applied to clinician development both online and in-person.
- Participants will analyze applicable key digital key digital influences across ecological systems.
- Participants will explore supervision strategies to enhance hybrid clinical environments.
- Participants will examine ethical and developmental challenges that arise for supervisees and clients in digital settings.
- Presenters and participants will collectively create list of strategies to implement in the varied types of practice and supervision.
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Apply ecological and trauma-informed frameworks to conceptualize clinician development in the context of the social digital age.
- Identify key digital influences across ecological systems (e.g., microsystem to macrosystem) that shape developmental experiences and trauma exposure for clients and supervisees.
- Implement supervision strategies that foster digital literacy, boundary-setting, and reflective practice in trainees navigating online and hybrid clinical environments.
- Evaluate ethical and developmental considerations related to supervisees’ and clients’ experiences in digital spaces, including issues of access, identity, and online trauma.
BREAKOUT PRESENTERS (March 6th and 7th)
*More Presenters to be announced soon
Digital Sexual Abuse & Recovery
Presenter: Sarah J. Rohret, MS Clinical Mental Health Counseling 2026
Description: Artificial Intelligence has reached the capability of creating realistic, but fake, photos and videos of victims. Women of all ages, but young women in particular, are being targeted by classmates and acquaintances with blackmail and visual sexual abuse. Therapists need to understand how this happens, the harm it causes and how to stand beside victims. While many of us have training in counseling someone who has experienced physical sexual abuse, digital sexual abuse has both similarities and important differences. The primary difference is that physical sexual abuse ends, and digital abuse can continue on with evidence of it on the internet for the entirety of one's life.
Connection Conferences: Making Meaningful Connections in a Digital World
Presenter: Theo Stripling, LCPC
Description: Personal connections are important to maintain, and counselors can help! An increasingly digital world has a mixed impact on interpersonal interactions. This workshop builds knowledge and skills to help adolescents and adults increase interpersonal connections. In the literature section, we will explore recent literature. This information will help counselors build knowledge and educate clients on the benefits of connecting with others. In the practice section, we will engage in an interactive activity to foster meaningful connections. The goal of the activity is to practice making connections and offer skills for use with groups to build better connections. Make space to learn, then get up and connect with others in this interactive workshop.
The Desire for More: Clinical Implications of Internet and Social Media Use in Process Addictions in Adolescents and Adults
Presenter: Kimberly Cho, LPC, MS
Description: This presentation examines how digital platforms contribute to compulsive behaviors across process addictions, including gaming, gambling, pornography, and social media use. Through a trauma-informed lens, it explores the neurobiological and psychological mechanisms behind digital compulsivity and offers practical interventions grounded in CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, and harm reduction. Attendees will gain tools for assessment, treatment planning, and ethical navigation of tech-related clinical challenges.
Preserving and Strengthening Cognitive Health in the Digital Age
Presenter: Elisa Woodruff, PhD, LCPC, NPT-C, EMDR-PT-II, ADHD-PT
Description: A plethora of recent research and popular non-fiction has addressed the impact of technology on our cognitive health. These sources have described impacts to attention span, emotional regulation, sleepless, and memory, as well as a host of social and physical implications, but many counselors do not know how to apply these ideas to skills that can be used in therapeutic practice.
The Digital Age Impact: A Polyvagal-Informed Approach to Supporting Clients
Presenter: Rita Romero, LCPC, EMDR Consultant & Therapist, CADC
Description: This workshop offers clinicians a Polyvagal-Informed framework to understand and treat the effects of digital age. We will examine how the constant cascade of notifications and social media engagement alters a client's "neuroception"—their nervous system's unconscious assessment of safety.
"There's an app for that!" -- Enhancing Client Care via Technology
Presenter: Marcia Suelzer, LPC, JD
Description: There are over 22,000 mental health apps currently available. These range from those that support wellness, via mindfulness and meditation, to FDA-approved apps with demonstrated clinical efficacy in the treatment of specific mental disorders. This workshop will provide an overview of various categories of applications, explore key apps within those categories, and provide guidance for integrating apps into clinical practice. Participants will be encouraged to explore applications on their own smart devices.
Navigating Online Dating for Autistic Individuals: Benefits, Challenges, and Safety Consideration
Presenter: Jaime Langosch, LPC, MA
Description: This interactive workshop explores the benefits, challenges, and safety considerations of online dating for autistic individuals. Drawing from current literature, we’ll examine how digital platforms can offer structured communication, reduced social pressure, and greater autonomy in social interactions. We’ll also address common challenges, including interpreting social cues, navigating dating norms, and vulnerability to exploitation. Participants will engage with clinical case vignettes to practice applying strategies that promote safety and empowerment in online dating. Emphasis will be placed on neurodivergent-friendly approaches and the role of mental health professionals in supporting healthy, authentic connection.
16235 South La Grange Rd
Orland Park, IL 60467
UNITED STATES
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| 3/6/2026 - 3/7/2026 |    |