Expert Insights

This Welcome marks the commencement of this inaugural enriching and purpose-driven Expert Insights Virtual Conference. During this session, our Executive Director, Nathan Victoria, will extend a warm welcome to all attendees. Attendees can look forward to a conference filled with invaluable insights from renowned experts in the field of psychological science. Join us in embracing the power of knowledge and collective expertise as we embark on this meaningful learning experience together.

Nathan Victoria | Society for Personality Assessment 

Psychological assessment is typically viewed as an information gathering process used to diagnosis psychological disorders, provide treatment recommendations, or assess risk with sometimes mixed results for clients. Moving beyond the traditional view of assessment as an information-gathering tool, Stephen Finn and colleagues developed and researched Therapeutic Assessment, a collaborative effort between client(s) and the assessor with the goal being therapeutic change. Since 1992, when the first research on TA was published (Finn & Tonsager, 1992), TA has been studied with adult inpatient and outpatient clients, adolescents, inpatient and outpatient children, and couples. There are now over 40 controlled research papers and 3 meta-analyses published on TA and its close cousin, Collaborative Assessment. These meta-analysis have consistently shown that even in a brief period of time, when compared to no treatment, assessment as usual, or other credible brief therapies, C/TA has a significant impact on: 1) clients’ symptomatology (with effect sizes in the range of .19 to .37), 2) clients’ motivation for and satisfaction with subsequent treatment (effect sizes from .59 to 1.11), and 3) their views about themselves, with clients showing less shame and increases in self-esteem after a TA (effect sizes 37 to .42) (Aschieri et al. 2023; Durosini & Aschieri, 2021; Poston & Hanson, 2010). Through the core values of TA: respect, humility, curiosity, compassion, collaboration, and openness, TA is uniquely poised to provide positive experiences to clients that will help them change their story about themselves and move forward in their lives.

Pamela Schaber | Center for Therapeutic Assessment

Discussions about issues of race, diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice are often seen as controversial rather than necessary. Negotiating these discussions may feel daunting and precarious due to limited knowledge of key terminology, regional differences in how these issues are discussed/addressed, and/or personal discomfort with one's personal role in these systemic issues. This non-exhaustive list includes just some of the critical challenges professionals grapple with when incorporating DEISJ issues into their work. Assessment psychologists play many roles, and gaining the skills to successfully manage these challenging discussions is necessary for ethical research, practice, and training. Appreciation of the salience of power dynamics underlying these conversations serves as a common thread in conceptualizing and addressing issues of DEISJ across all roles and contexts. 

 

The SPA Graduate Student Board of Directors and the EISJ Committee are proudly co-sponsoring this session about the role of power dynamics in how we address and conceptualize issues of race and EISJ in personality assessment research, practice, education, and supervision. These conversations often lack the perspective of the individuals on the disadvantaged side of a power dynamic. This session will highlight students' experiences with difficult conversations facilitated by professors, supervisors, and other professionals. The presenters will provide a framework for better handling these conversations informed by the viewpoint of the people most impacted. 

 

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the role of power dynamics and privilege in successfully navigating discussions regarding issues of DEISJ among professionals in the field of personality assessment.
2. Clarify the ethical imperatives and considerations regarding the role of power dynamics and privilege in addressing and conceptualizing issues of DEISJ in personality assessment.
3. Introduce features of multiple models of practice for the facilitation and management of difficult discussions that are relevant to research, practice, and training in personality assessment.
4. Identify opportunities for incorporating issues of DEISJ into various aspects of personality assessment research, practice, and training.

Presenters

Ksera Dyette | Cup of Tea Counselling and William James College

Sarah Gottlieb | William James College 

This talk will begin by reviewing some of the primary tenets of Buddhism, including mindfulness and the other four Brahmaviharas (noble virtues): compassion, metta (loving kindness), empathic joy, and equanimity. Current developments in neuroscience that help illuminate the therapeutic potential of mindfulness will be explained. We will discuss how understanding and cultivating the Brahmaviharas can deepen our clinical assessments of patients and enhance our own personal development, particularly by focusing on what mindfulness can reveal about our relationships with suffering, addiction, and the body. We will discuss how mindfulness can facilitate resiliency and vitality for both clinicians and those they treat. Clinical and personal examples will be provided.

Learning Objectives 

• Participants will be able to describe some of the primary tenets of Buddhism, including mindfulness and the other four Brahmaviharas, or noble virtues
• Participants will understand how current developments in neuroscience illuminate our understanding of mindfulness
• Participants will learn how to apply this understanding of mindfulness to enrich their clinical assessments, including a focus on patients’ relationship to their body and how they cope with suffering.
• Participants will also be provided the opportunity to apply this knowledge to their own lives to enhance their well-being 

Heather Churchill | Austen Riggs Center

This 45-minute session will begin with mindful movement, including gentle Qi Gong exercises, and then transition to a Yoga Nidra session in which participants will be guided through a progressive relaxation exercise that promotes a state of calmness and wellbeing.

Presenter 

Heather Churchill | Austen Riggs Center

Artificial intelligence (AI) offers exceptionally high levels of measurement precision, greater accessibility, and novel strategies for test administration, scoring, and data analysis. AI’s impact on the practice and study of personality assessment has yet to be seen, and detailing the ethics and best practices surrounding its use in clinical practice and research must be a priority. This webinar introduces attendees to the fundamental concepts, best practices, and ethical considerations related to AI in the context of personality assessment as they are currently conceived, and then concludes with an instructional demonstration of an AI model built to screen text data for indicators of depression.

This webinar introduces attendees to key fundamentals, best practices, and ethics of using AI in personality assessment practice and research. The webinar will begin with a conceptual overview of AI and common procedures for its use, followed by a summarization of key terms and concepts. The presenters then provide an in-depth review of ethical considerations and best practices for the use of AI by Psychologists as these are currently conceived. The webinar concludes with an instructional demonstration of an AI model built to screen text data for indicators of depression.

 

Learning Objectives

• Acquire familiarity with fundamental terms and concepts of AI and a rudimentary understanding of common procedures for its use.
• Be able to discuss potential opportunities and limitations in the ethical use of AI in personality assessment practice and research.
• Be able to explain currently defined best practices and ethical considerations for the use of AI by Psychologists.

 

Presenters

Adam Natoli | Sam Houston State University 

ABM Rezbaul Islam | Sam Houston State University

Ethical codes, testing standards, and practice guidelines impact the ways in which psychological tests are developed, standardized, selected, administered, and interpreted .Increasing controversies around the use of psychological assessment practices with respect to diversity, fairness, intersectionality, and cultural context are reported as central by professional organizations and marginalized and oppressed communities. Large scale assessments used as gatekeepers to educational opportunities as well as psychological measures used to diagnose, determine interventions, and measure effectiveness and outcomes face challenges of systemic bias against marginalized and oppressed communities. This workshop presents an ethical and best practices framework for the assessment process integrating current guidelines and standards. In addition, complementary models of cultural competence and cultural humility are presented as a backdrop for discussion of contextual factors in relation to the usage of the most popular assessment. Tools to be used to gather relevant background information will also be highlighted (e. g., culturally based interview protocols). Application of an assessment framework will be a critical piece of this workshop as participants will engage in discussion around particular assessment cases. This is an introductory workshop designed for new professionals as well as those interested in re-conceptualizing the assessment process through exploration of standards of assessment focusing on a cultural lens. 

Radhika Krishnamurthy | Florida Institute of Technology 

Lisa Suzuki | New York University 

This webinar will address the formation of racial trauma in African Americans and other minoritized populations.   The session will trace the path from socialization around issues of race and how this often culminates in oppression and trauma.  The impact of such trauma is far-reaching and impacts most aspects of life for minoritized populations, including mental health.  We will then look at how the field of psychology and assessment has incorporated race, often in a way that either ignored race, over-pathologized certain populations or otherwise played into existing stereotypes.  The webinar will then turn to race in the assessment room, including bias that presents itself in the diagnostic/assessment process.  We will conclude with addressing practical and growth-based solutions to individual and systemic bias in the testing room.

 

Learning Objectives

•  The webinar will outline the developmental formation of racial trauma from race socialization and awareness to oppression and trauma.
• The webinar will also equip the clinician to identify racial trauma and the impact on the psyche and functioning of African Americans.  Particular focus will be on how trauma is largely ignored or misinterpreted in the testing process.

We will identify how the fields of psychology and assessment often reflect the same biases demonstrated in other parts of society.  Practical and growth-based solutions to bias in the testing process will be the focus.

Dr. Clemence is the current President of the Society for Personality Assessment. She has been an active member since 1997 and has devoted much of her career to the study and practice of Personality Assessment. She served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Personality Assessment from 2013-2016 and has investigated the role of Personality Assessment on Internship. In addition, she has co-authored numerous articles and book chapters on the science of Personality Assessment. She has an interest in advocating for high quality training in assessment across all stages of professional development.  She left a position as a Research Scientist at the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in 2011 to pursue clinical work full-time. She currently practices as a Clinical Psychologist at the Vermont Orthopaedic Clinic at the Rutland Regional Medical Center in Vermont where she works to integrate therapeutic assessment components into routine treatment of individuals coping with extreme medical events and conditions.

Ksera Dyette, Psy.D. (she/her) is a Queer Black West Indian, Immigrant, who is Founder and CEO of Cup of Tea Counselling, & Consulting, LLC and Staff Psychologist at the William James College Juvenile Court Clinic. She has been a member of SPA since 2012, joining during her graduate training at Widener University. Dr. Dyette is passionate about all things personality assessment but always had a focused concern on systematically oppressed populations, identifying as being part of several, herself. Dr. Dyette is honored to be able to give back to SPA through her role as Chair of the Diversity and Social Justice Committee.

Sarah Gottlieb is a third-year clinical doctoral student at William James College, currently serving as Member-at-Large on the SPA graduate student board. After completing her M.A. in Applied Child Development at Tufts University in 2017, she went on to join the Boston Juvenile Court Clinic team where she assisted in developing the first embedded forensic case management program. Sarah's interest in personality assessment blossomed during her time with the court clinic, as she was able to learn about the application of these assessments in the forensic setting and in developing effective and tailored service plans. Sarah then worked with the Juvenile Diversion Program at the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office in Boston, MA where she conducted standardized risk assessments as well as developed and implemented service plans for youth diverted from the standard prosecution process. She now has a private case-management practice working as a contractor with public defenders. Sarah decided to pursue her PsyD in order to develop the skills and expertise needed to best service the populations she is most passionate about helping, especially gang and street-involved youth and young adults. She hopes to use her education and training to learn about using personality assessments in culturally sensitive ways to assist in developing a more holistic understanding of clients who face undue stigma and discrimination. Sarah is grateful for this opportunity to attend the SPA conference and looks forward to continued involvement with SPA.

LaTara began practicing yoga 27 years ago as it was offered in school and helped her quickly recover from athletic fatigue. After experiencing positive changes, LaTara decided to start teaching to help others find healing through yoga/union of the mind, body, and soul. She brings the discipline of Hatha Yoga and guided Meditation. As an Indigenous healer, LaTara loves to include sound elements from native musical instruments to stimulate brain codes.

Chris Hopwood is Professor of Personality Psychology at University of Zurich. His interests include personality assessment, interpersonal processes, psychopathology, psychotherapy, sustainability, and animal rights.

Lisa Suzuki conducts research in the area of multicultural assessment in particular understanding how culture impacts the process of cognitive assessment. Her work also focuses on the usage of qualitative research strategies with diverse ethnocultural groups. She serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development and Psychological Assessment. She is also a consulting editor for the Asian American Journal of Psychology. She is senior co-editor of the Handbook of Multicultural Assessment now in its third edition (with Joseph Ponterotto) and co editor of The Handbook of Multicultural Counseling (with Manuel Casas, Charlene Alexander, and Margo Jackson) also in its third edition. She is co-author of Intelligent Testing with Minority Students (with Richard Valencia), co-editor of Using Qualitative Methods in Psychology (with Mary Kopala) and Qualitative Strategies with Ethnocultural Populations (with Donna Nagata and Laura Kohn-Wood). She is working with a group of undergraduate and graduate students on a study focusing on meaning making among survivors of the Holocaust in collaboration with the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. Suzuki is the recipient of the Distinguished Contribution bestowed by the Asian American Psychological Association (2006) and the Visionary Leadership Award from the National Multicultural Conference and Summit (2007). Suzuki served as the Vice-President of Diversity and Public Interest for the Society of Counseling Psychology (Division 17) of the American Psychological Association (2002-2005). Suzuki received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1992 and has taught in the counseling psychology programs at Fordham University and the University of Oregon.