Association for Adult
Development and Aging
2022 AADA Annual Conference
A Two-Day Virtual Event
August 19, 2022: Challenges Across the Lifespan
&
August 26, 2022: Advocacy Across the Lifespan
August 19th Agenda
8:30amCST Welcome
8:45am - 10:15amCST Michael Kocet
Driving While Grieving: Working, Playing, Thinking, and Living with Grief Throughout the Lifespan
This keynote presentation will address how grief and loss impacts almost all aspects of our daily lives, from work, school, relationships, mental health, driving, shopping, and other daily activities. Grief can permeate our entire being and impact our physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological well-being. Participants will learn about different forms of grief, such as anticipatory grief, disenfranchised grief, ambiguous grief, absent grief, and complicated grief and how grief impacts development and growth (Hooyman, Kramer, & Sanders, 2021; Kwoh, 2021; O’Connor, 2022). This keynote will share examples of tools, resources, and interventions counselors can integrate into their work with grieving clients of diverse backgrounds and experiences.
10:30am - 12:00pmCST Suzanne Degges-White
Mapping your Friendscape: Helping People Craft Connections
Friendships function as vital components of emotional, physical, and psychological wellbeing, but it can be challenging for some to create the circles of support that we need. This session will present counselors with new research addressing friendship needs and ways in which the pandemic shifted perspectives on friendships. Participants will also learn specific interventions that can facilitate the development of healthy support networks.
12:00pm - 1:00pmCST Lunch
1:00pm - 2:30pmCST Gerard Lawson & Jordan Westcott
Trauma Across the Lifespan: Implications for Relationships, Career, and Spirituality
People experience trauma at every life stage, with cumulative effects that influence all domains of their lives. As counselors, we should be prepared to support clients as they heal from individual traumas, as well as recognize and address the impacts of trauma as they arise. Following an overview of trauma's effects on clients' wellbeing, we will provide a deeper exploration of the long term effects of trauma on relationship, career, and spirituality. We will also provide an overview of select evidence-based approaches to trauma treatment.
2:45pm - 4:15pmCST Everett Worthington
Understanding and Promoting Forgiveness for Adults of All Ages
I briefly review forgiveness within the stress-and-coping model of forgiveness. I examine adult transitions and points when forgiveness might be particularly relevant across the adult lifespan. I review the REACH Forgiveness model, an evidence-based practice, and show how to apply it to adult transitions and issues.
4:15pmCST Closing
August 26th Agenda
8:30amCST Welcome
8:45am - 10:15amCST Victoria Kress
Becoming an Advocate for the Counseling Profession:
Getting Started and What you Can Do
In order for the counseling profession to thrive, counselors must become effective advocates. Many counselors feel overwhelmed by the mere prospect of engaging in advocacy. They may question what the important issues are and wonder where to begin; they may question their ability to engage in advocacy; they may worry they do not have the time to be an advocate. Attendees will learn about various advocacy issues of importance to the profession, and they will be challenged to consider their role as advocates. Suggestions for becoming an effective advocate will be provided along with practical tips that counselors can apply to enhance their professional advocacy efforts.
10:30am - 12:00pmCST Matthew Fullen
Medicare Reimbursement for Counselors: Advocacy Updates & Policy Implications
60 million Americans use Medicare to access health care services. Counselors are currently restricted from serving Medicare beneficiaries, leading to many having to turn away or refer clients. Using research, case studies, and advocacy tips, this presentation will focus on the present state of Medicare reimbursement advocacy within the counseling profession, as well as what attendees can do to continue the current momentum on this issue.
12:00pm - 1:00pmCST Lunch
1:00pm - 2:30pmCST Christian Chan & Jane Rheineck
LGBTQ Older Adults: Trends, Disparities, & Intersectional Counseling Practice
Recent reports (SAGE, 2020) estimate that there are approximately 3 million LGBTQ adults over age 50. That number is expected to grow to around 7 million by 2030. Consequently, it is imperative that professional counselors who work with LGBTQ older adults be sensitive to the histories and concerns of LGBTQ people. Professionals need to be open-minded, affirming, and supportive towards LGBTQ older adults to ensure accessible, competent, quality care.
2:45pm - 4:25pmCST Kelly Duncan
Promoting Professional Counselor Identity While Advocating for Legislation Impacting the Profession
While the profession of counseling has been around for decades, it is still a relatively new profession as compared to other mental health professions. The road to achieving counselor licensure across the nation was not easy and it is important to consider the efforts of those who initiated that work. Counselors have continued these efforts and worked toward a method of licensure portability for decades. The Counseling Compact has reached the threshold for enactment and counselors are seeking to understand how the Compact will be implemented and the impact of the Compact upon counselor education, counseling practice, and the regulation of counseling. This presentation will present information on the Counseling Compact and will focus on the need for continued advocacy to protect the public and to promote a strong Counselor Professional Identity while simultaneously supporting the privilege to practice.
4:15pmCST Closing
