OCA Fall Conference 2026

Forgiveness is examined under a cultural and developmental perspective by examining how environment and religion might influence how forgiveness is conceptualized.  The model presented in this presentation approaches forgiveness from a theoretical model initially conceptualized from Judaism and broadened to a general population.  A validated measure and the research findings related to both the measure and the model are provided and explained, so that attendees obtain a tool for themselves or working with others in a clinical setting.
 

Counselors increasingly encounter clients describing exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, diminished emotional capacity, social disconnection, financial worry, information overload, and distress related to social and political uncertainty. These experiences are often conceptualized separately as anxiety, burnout, chronic stress, loneliness, or attentional difficulty. This presentation asks whether some may also reflect a broader “adaptation gap”: a mismatch between rapidly accelerating technological, informational, economic, and social environments and comparatively stable human needs for attention, recovery, connection, agency, and belonging.
Drawing from research on chronic stress, burnout, social connection, financial strain, digital stress, political polarization, cognitive offloading, and emerging human-AI interaction, the session will critically examine evidence both supporting and challenging this framework. Technology and AI will be considered as potential sources of both cognitive burden and cognitive relief.
Participants will explore implications for counseling assessment, case conceptualization, psychoeducation, prevention, and advocacy across clinical, school, college, career, and community settings. The session emphasizes an evidence-informed, nonpartisan, and nonpathologizing approach to understanding distress within rapidly changing social environments.

Many people have questions about the recently published updates to the LPC rules, the Counseling Compact, and other issues related to our role as LPCs. Join Eric Ashmore, Executive Director of the Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (BBHL) and  LPC representatives on the Board as they share information related to these and other issues and answer your questions. 

This workshop introduces clinicians to the clinical value and evidence base behind Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. Participants will explore the core mechanisms of EMDR, review current research and compare EMDR’s efficacy to other leading trauma treatments. The session highlights why EMDR training enhances clinical outcomes, expands therapeutic competencies, and strengthens trauma‑responsive care across diverse populations. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of EMDR’s impact, its rapid‑response applications, and the professional advantages of becoming an EMDR‑trained therapist. We will also discuss the OKC Trauma Recovery Network and how they can become involved to help their community in times of crisis/natural disaster.

In this presentation, we will explore how substance use impacts the brain, how those changes to the brain make Cognitive Behavioral Therapy challenging for individuals in early recovery, and how Mindfulness can give recovering individuals tools and insights they can employ in all stages of recovery. We will also learn the basics of Mindfulness and practice Mindfulness exercises.

Cultural responsiveness extends beyond race and ethnicity. Today’s clinicians and educators must also understand the digital, linguistic, and social ecosystems that shape Gen Z and Gen Alpha identities. This workshop explores how online communities, social media, gaming culture, evolving language, identity development, and digital citizenship function as important cultural influences for today’s youth. Participants will learn practical strategies for strengthening therapeutic engagement, avoiding generational biases, and integrating culturally responsive interventions that honor the diverse identities and experiences of Gen Z and Gen Alpha clients.

This session would focus on increasing understanding of a developmental model of clinical supervision and how this can also translate into a developmental model of team and organizational growth. Participants will hear real world scenarios designed to help supervisors and leaders combat the biggest challenges in supervision and leadership in today’s changing climate including early-onset burnout, poor morale and workplace culture challenges, and scaffolding and exposure and growth in a new clinical workforce. 

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing clinical and behavioral health practice, offering new opportunities while raising important ethical and professional questions. This keynote explores practical applications of AI, including documentation, treatment planning, psychoeducation, and other clinical workflows. Attendees will examine key risks involving confidentiality, bias, informed consent, and overreliance on technology while distinguishing appropriate from inappropriate uses of AI in clinical decision-making. Through practical examples and ethical considerations, participants will learn strategies for integrating AI into practice in ways that enhance efficiency and quality of care while preserving professional standards, clinical judgment, and the essential role of the clinician.

Think you know counseling? Put your knowledge to the test at the OACES Academic Bee, an engaging and competitive event bringing graduate counseling programs together for a friendly battle of knowledge, ethics, teamwork, and critical thinking.

Teams of 3–4 graduate counseling students with a faculty sponsor will represent their counseling programs as they advance through three elimination rounds. The competition begins with general counseling knowledge, progresses to the ACA Code of Ethics, and concludes with a final challenge in which remaining teams receive an ethical dilemma and deliver a 10-minute analysis and response.

More than a test of what students know, the OACES Academic Bee challenges future counselors to think quickly, collaborate effectively, apply ethical principles, and communicate their clinical and professional reasoning. The event also creates an opportunity for counseling students and faculty from programs across Oklahoma to connect, build community, and celebrate excellence in counselor preparation. 

And, of course, there are bragging rights—and cash prizes for the top three teams!

The OK Mental Health Policy Panel Presentation will cover topics related to recent and upcoming policies impacting mental health in Oklahoma from experts. This presentation will include Bradley Horn, LPC, GRC Chair; Bobby Stem, J.D., OCA Lobbyist; Brittany Hayes, J.D, VP of Policy at Healthy Minds Policy Initiative, and Kelly Roberts, PhD, LMFT, Policy Analyst with Healthy Minds Policy Initiative. The main focus of this presentation will be recent proposed legislation from 2026 legislative session, current and upcoming interim studies impacting mental health in OK, ways to engage policymakers effectively, and the landscape of mental health policy in OK.  

Many clients make meaningful progress in therapy yet continue to feel that something important has been overlooked. This session explores why autism often goes unrecognized in women and individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB), even after years of mental health treatment. Participants will learn how diagnostic bias, masking, and diagnostic overshadowing contribute to delayed identification and will leave with practical, neurodiversity-affirming strategies to improve recognition, referral, and treatment planning for late-diagnosed autistic adults.

Recovery from substance use is more than just being abstinent. It is the death of a former life, the challenges in between, and the birth of a new life. In this training, clinicians will analyze how the path from one version of a person’s life to the other has many intricate grieving processes, and how clinicians can use this information to increase compassion and empathy to improve long term outcomes.  

This interactive exploration will dive into the real-world gray areas of counseling ethics. Rather than simply reviewing what the Code says, participants will step into the counselor’s role and work through challenging scenarios-- choosing from artificial intelligence, veteran concerns, rural dual relationships, multicultural stigma and misdiagnosis, or counselor ethics around neurodivergence. Through discussion and collaborative problem-solving, participants will consider competing perspectives, examine context and culture, and develop practical responses to complex situations. A shared ethical decision-making framework will help participants move from “What does the Code say?” to “What should I actually do?”—and why?

Clinical supervision is required for emerging therapist, but new clinicians are rarely taught how to effectively use it. This interactive session moves beyond the traditional case update and explores how supervisees can take an active role in their professional development. Participants will learn strategies for preparing for supervision, developing meaningful clinical questions, strengthening case conceptualization, discussing uncertainty and mistakes, recognizing personal reactions and countertransference, and identifying what they need from their supervisor. The session will also explore how supervisors can create a balance of support, challenge, accountability, and psychological safety that promotes clinical growth and increasing professional confidence.