Conference Speakers

Dr Keith Dobson

Depression and COVID- 19: What the global pandemic has taught us about models of risk, resilience, and treatment

^{5 July 2021, 9.30am-10.00am (UTC+8)}

Dr. Keith S. Dobson, PhD, is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Calgary in Canada, where he has served in roles such as Head of Psychology and Director of the Clinical Psychology program. His research has focused on both cognitive models and mechanisms in depression, and the treatment of depression, particularly using cognitive-behavioural therapies. Dr. Dobson’s research has resulted in over 270 published articles and chapters, 15 books, and numerous conference and workshop presentations in many countries.

In addition to his research in depression, Dr. Dobson has recently been engaged in the examination of psychological approaches and treatments in primary care. He is also a Principal Investigator for the Opening Minds program of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, with a focus on stigma reduction related to mental disorders in the workplace. Further, he has written about developments in professional psychology and ethics and has been actively involved in organized psychology in Canada, including a term as President of the Canadian Psychological Association.

Among other awards, Dr. Dobson has been given the Canadian Psychological Association’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Profession of Psychology, the Donald O. Hebb Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Science of Psychology, and the Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Development of Psychology.

Dr Debbie Joffe Ellis

REBT: History, Impact on CBT Development, and Relevance during the COVID-19 Pandemic

^{5 July 2021 8.30pm (UTC+8)}

Dr Debbie Joffe Ellis was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. New York City has been her home base for the past two decades. She is a licensed psychologist (Australia), licensed mental health counselor (New York), presenter, writer and adjunct professor at Columbia University in New York City where she teaches Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Comparative Psychotherapies.

For years she worked with her husband, the brilliant and renowned pioneer of modern cognitive therapies: Dr Albert Ellis, giving public presentations and professional trainings in his approach of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), as well as collaborating with him on writing and research projects until his death in 2007. Before his passing he stated and wrote that he entrusted her to continue his work.

She is recognized as a world-renowned expert on REBT, and regularly presents, throughout the USA and in countries around the world, to students, academics, practitioners in the helping professions, and to members of the general public.

She wrote the second edition of the book Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (published 2019) that she co-wrote with her husband in its first edition. She is also featured in a DVD produced by the American Psychological Association (APA) demonstrating and discussing the REBT approach. She has written chapters for various text books, articles, and has reviewed publications for APA’s PsycCritiques Journal.

In 2014 she was named “Legend in Counseling” at the American Counseling Association annual conference, and has received various other awards and acknowledgments for her work. She joyfully and passionately continues her mission of informing as many people as possible – through her presentations, teaching, writing, and the ways she strives to ‘walk her talk’ – that each one of us has the power to create our emotional destinies despite and including challenging circumstances, and through teaching the ‘how-to’s’ of doing so!

Dr Judith S. Beck with Dr Allen R. Miller

Training in CBT: A Pilot Study of a New International Training Program

6 July 2021 8.30pm (UTC+8)

As President of the Beck Institute, Dr. Judith S. Beck, PhD, provides the vision and leadership to further the mission Beck Institue: to improve lives worldwide through excellence in Cognitive Behavior Therapy. She is also Clinical Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania where she teaches second and third year psychiatric residents. She received her doctoral degree from Penn in 1982. Dr. Beck divides her time among administration, supervision and teaching, clinical work, program development, research, writing, and course development. She has been a consultant for several National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) studies, has developed widely-adopted assessment scales for children and adolescents, and has made hundreds of presentations nationally and internationally on various applications of cognitive therapy. She is also a distinguished founding fellow and past president of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Dr. Beck has written over 100 articles and chapters on different aspects of cognitive therapy. She is the author of the primary text in the field, Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond (2nd ed.), which has been translated into 20 languages, as well as books, workbooks, and pamphlets for consumers.

Dr. Allen R. Miller is CBT Program Director at Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. His responsibilities include development, implementation, and measuring outcomes for training and supervision programs internationally. He founded and served as Chief Psychologist for an APA-Approved Internship for doctoral students in Clinical Psychology at WellSpan Health, served as Chair of Psychology at a teaching hospital, and was an Adjunct Faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. He held leadership positions and led many clinical initiatives in health care systems. Special areas of interest for Dr. Miller have included dissemination and implementation projects in health care, and for new learners of CBT. Multiple initiatives he led involved integrating CBT therapists into primary and specialty care medical programs that resulted in benefits to patients, medical professionals, and were financially sustainable. A current research interest is development of efficient, effective, and cost-conscious training and supervision models for international trainees. Dr. Miller routinely reports the results of his work in presentation, workshops and professional writings.

Dr Freedom Yiu Kin Leung

Dr Freedom Y.K. Leung, PhD, is a Professor and Head of Shaw College, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Dr Leung also serves as the senior consulting clinical psychologist for the Office of Student Affairs and the Human Resources Office of CUHK. His research expertise includes eating disorders, borderline personality disorder, self-harm behavior and mindfulness therapy.

Dr. Leung graduated from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada with a PhD in Clinical Psychology. He spent three years working as the clinical research associate at the world renowned Douglas Hospital Centre in Montreal before returning to Hong Kong in 1992. He has taught clinical psychology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for over 25 years. His research expertise includes eating disorders, borderline personality disorder, self-harm behavior and mindfulness therapy.

Dr. Leung has received numerous Best Teaching Awards, including the Best Teaching Award of the Faculty of Social Science (2004), the Vice-Chancellor’s Exemplary Teaching Award (2005), and the General Education Best Teaching Award of Shaw College (2019).

Dr. Leung was the past president of the Hong Kong Psychological Society (1996 – 1997), and the senior advisor for the Society of Clinical Psychology in China and Taiwan (2004 – 2014). He is also a committee member of the Asian Cognitive Behavior Therapy Association (2018 – 2021). Besides serving as the Head of Shaw College, Dr. Leung also serves as the senior consulting clinical psychologist for the Office of Student Affairs and the Human Resources Office of CUHK

Dr Lata K. McGinn

Dr Lata K. McGinn, PhD is a tenured Professor of Psychology and Director of the Clinical Program and CBT training program at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology,Yeshiva University and is the co-founder of Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants (CBC), an evidence-based center in New York. She specializes in the prevention and treatment of stress, anxiety, trauma, OCD, depression, and related disorders.

Her extensive publications span peer-reviewed journal articles, chapters, and her co-authored books, “Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder” and, “Treatment Plans and Interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders.” She is the associate editor of the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Practice and is on the advisory board of the Journal of Cognitive Behavior Psychotherapy.

In recognition of her achievements in the field of CBT, Dr. McGinn has earned the title of Beck Scholar and was appointed a Fellow of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapies (ABCT). She won the Outstanding Service to ABCT award in 2020 and was awarded a certificate of appreciation by ABCT in recognition of her professional contributions made on a Trauma Taskforce following September 11, 2001.

Dr. McGinn is a founding fellow and certified trainer of the Academy of CBT, serves as Representative-at-Large on the Board of Directors of the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy (IACP), and is the Chair of the international Associates Committee of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapies (ABCT).

In 2019, Dr. McGinn spearheaded a global initiative to found the World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (WCCBT) and currently serves on its Board of Directors.  Dr. McGinn also helped found the Indian Association of CBT (IACBT) and presently serves as its honorary president. She is also a founding fellow of the New York CBT (NYC-CBT) association. Dr. McGinn is the Past President of the Academy of CBT (A-CBT) and the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy (IACP), and has served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapies (ABCT) as Representative-at-Large.