March 2025 | Newsletter Updates
Grand Rounds | Culture in Assessment | Convention News | HiTOP Convention | MMPI/MPQ Workshops & Research Symposium | Nominations | Community Events & News | Job Postings
Grand Rounds - Free Member Benefit
May Grand Round
The Current State of the SCORS-G Affairs: Summary of Research, Meta-Analytic Insights, Limitations, and Practical Guidelines for Clinical Use
May 7th | 12:00 pm ET | 1 CE
Presenter: Dr. Michelle Stein
This presentation provides a comprehensive review of over 25 years of research on the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale-Global Rating Method (SCORS-G), a widely used tool for analyzing Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) narratives in personality assessment. While primarily focusing on SCORS-G’s use with the TAT, the session will also cover its application to other narrative data, standardization practices, reliability, validity, limitations, and practical guidelines for clinical integration aligned with Evidence-Based Practices in Psychology (EBPP).
June Grand Round
Psychological Assessment of Emotional Dysregulation in Children and Adolescents: An Overview of Essential Considerations
June 4th | 12:00 pm ET | 1 CE
Presenter: Dr. Anthony Bram
This presentation explores the psychological assessment of emotional dysregulation in children and adolescents, with a focus on identifying bipolar spectrum conditions. It will cover an evidence-based, diversity-sensitive multimethod approach, the use of collateral-report, self-report, and performance-based measures, differential diagnosis considerations, and the importance of treatment implications.
Culture in Assessment Webinar Series
February 14–July 29
This webinar series is presented by SPA and the Society for Clinical Psychology, Division 12 of American Psychological Association. Based on the Wiley publication, Essentials of Culture in Psychological Assessment, this series features editor A. Jordan Wright and chapter authors exploring the role of culture in psychological assessment. Designed to help assessors acknowledge and address cultural influences, these webinars offer up to 9 essential CE opportunities for your practice.
- March 11 | Social Justice in Psychological Assessment (Dr. Hadas Pade & Dr. A. Jordan Wright ) | 1 CE
- April 8 | Collecting Cultural Information (Dr. A. Jordan Wright) | 1 CE
- April 30 | Ensuring Fairness and Mitigating Boas in Psychological and Educational Testing (Dr. Jessica Jonson & Dr. Janet F. Carlson) | 1 CE
- May 19 | Culture and Cognitive Measures in Psychological Assessment (Dr. Lisa Suzuki, Jen Ang, & Aakriti Prasai) | 1 CE
- June 18 | Assessment of Academic Achievement in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (Dr. Jeffrey P. Braden) | 1 CE
- July 15 | Culture and Tests of Personality and Psychopathology (Taylor Rodriguez & Dr. Joye Anestis) | 1 CE
- July 29 | Assessment of Behavioral and Social-Emotional Functioning Children (Dr. Vincent C. Alfonso, Miriam W. Carlson, & Ridge Joseph Bynum) | 1 CE
You can register for one webinar, a few, or the entire series. Previous webinar recordings are available. Click here for more information.
2025 SPA Convention
March 26–30 | Denver, CO– Register Here (Virtual Tickets Now Available)
Volunteer
Will you have extra down time at the convention? Consider volunteering for a workshop! As a workshop volunteer, you will be there to assist the presenter if needed and ensure things run smoothly throughout the presentation. Plus, you will be able to listen in and partake in the workshop for FREE. Please note, this is on a first come first serve basis and spots are already being taken. Sign up today!
Workshops
At this moment, we have 14 full-day and half-day workshops being presented at the Convention. Add-on a workshop to get an in-depth learning experience with experts. Not only will you be able to ask questions and network with presenters and fellow attendees but you will also earn continuing education credits. Click here to learn more about each workshop.
Mind Meld at Meow Wolf: A Networking Adventure
Join us for an immersive, psychedelic, and mind-bending networking adventure at Meow Wolf art exhibition. This off-site event will take place on Wednesday, March 26 between 5:00–9:00 pm MT. You will be able to network with fellow attendees in a more relaxed environment with small bites and drinks provided. Add your ticket by clicking the button below.
Book Signing
Did you publish a book recently? Consider having a table at the convention for book sales and to sign copies. Submit a request for a table by Monday, March 3 for a book signing table.
2025 HiTOP Convention
March 27–29 | Denver, CO
The HiTOP Convention is designed for personality researchers and practitioners alike and is a must-attend event. This event gives you the opportunity to:
- Stay updated with research
- Earn Continuing Education Credits
- Network with experts
- Gain Professional Development
- Learn from Diverse Perspectives
- Showcase Your Research/Studies
- Become a part of an Inspiring Community
Board Nominations
Deadline to Nominate is April 30
We're now accepting board nominations for the following positions. Click here to learn more.
- Presidential Roles
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Representative-at-Large
MMPI/MPQ Workshops and Research Symposium
June 2–5 | Minneapolis, MN
Join us for two days of workshops then the research symposium and earn continuing education credits! You can register now with an early bird discount until Tuesday, April 1. Click here to learn more about this event.
Community Events & News
- New Book: Psychological Assessment of Emotional Dysregulation in Children and Adolescents -The Bipolar Spectrum and Beyond by Dr. ANTHONY D. BRAM. This book explains the process by which assessment psychologists can evaluate and report the nature and severity of emotional dysregulation in their young patients.
Click here to access the flyer with more information AND to get a discount code. - Survey:
We are currently conducting a Delphi study on the incremental validity of criterion A and B of the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD). This study seeks to address one of the key questions in the field, “Do Criterion A (severity of personality functioning) and Criterion B (maladaptive personality traits) offer distinct and valuable contributions to diagnosing personality disorders?”, and aims to ask this question directly to clinicians and researchers who are familiar with the AMPD model.
Because of your previous research and/or expert knowledge on the AMPD model we would like to invite you to join this study and be a part of the expert panel evaluating this question.
This Delphi study consists of 3 rounds, in which the participants will be asked to fill in a survey on the topic of the incremental validity of both AMPD criteria.
You can join the study and find extra practical information via this link: https://vubpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3E0sVcqm0uytaM
- Joint Letter: APA coordinated a letter that was sigened by many researchers, educators, and acadmics of the United States regarding the continued decline in public trust in scientists. A copy of the letter can be found here: https://unitedsciencealliance.org
- Request to Contact Policymakers: APA has also organized this action alert to allow individuals to contact policymakers to stop proposed policy changes at NIH that would harm the ability to continue to do research: https://www.votervoice.net/APAAdvocacy/Campaigns/121382/Respond
- Training: Wartegg Level 1 Training: A virtual training sequence for the Crisi Wartegg System (CWS) will begin in April 2025! The CWS is an empirically validated and standardized methodology (administration, scoring, interpretation) for the clinical use of the Wartegg Drawing Completion Test (WDCT)—an easy, efficient, and non-overwhelming performance-based personality measure that can be completed in 5-10 minutes and is appropriate across the lifespan. The CWS is recognized as a valid performance-based personality test that can be used for certification in Therapeutic Assessment. The Level 1 workshop focuses on history and statistical foundations, reviews standardized administration procedures, and builds proficiency in the normative scoring system. Following completion of Level 1, clinicians are able to independently administer the test with clients but require consultation for accurate scoring and interpretation. Levels 2 and 3 of the training sequence are described in the attached flyer. Online registration can be made at: https://sc-cca-com.3dcartstores.com/.
- Call for Symposium: ISSPD is currently accepting proposals through February 28th! Here's your chance to present a thought-provoking session that will explore successes and shortcomings in bridging the research-practice gap, empowering participants to deliver innovative, evidence-based care. You may include up to four speakers in your symposium proposal. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should submit a proposal. Click here for more information. Become an ISSPD Social Media Influence and you could win a complimentary registration to the Congress. Click here for more details.
- Training: The MNCCTA Winter 2025 Introduction to Therapeutic Assessment (TA) will occur February 7th, 14th, and 21st. This three-day, 9-hour virtual workshop is designed for professionals and graduate students interested in learning about the adult TA model. Participants will come to understand the core values and concepts of TA and the interpersonal stance that contribute to successful application of the model. We will walk through the distinct steps of the TA model, and clinical vignettes, including video and test data, will illuminate the application of this approach. Many takeaways will be provided, so assessors can begin applying these ideas in their practice. More information can be found here: https://www.mnccta.com/training-consultation
- Training: Rorschach Supplementary Scales Training with Dr. Jason M. Smith. This four half-day workshops on zoom will take place on Nov. 6, Nov. 13, Nov. 27, & Dec. 4, 2025. Click here for more information.
- Training: Complete Crisi Wartegg System (CWS) Online Training Sept.–Nov. 2025 with Drs. Emiliano Muzio and Alessandro Crisi. Click here for more information.
