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Victor Armstrong joined North Carolina DHHS as ‪Director of the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, Substance Abuse Services in March of 2020, with responsibility and oversight of the public community-based mental health, intellectual and other developmental disabilities, substance use, and traumatic brain injury system in North Carolina. Prior to accepting this role, Victor spent six years as Vice President of Behavioral Health with Atrium Health. Based in Charlotte, NC Victor had responsibility for operations of Atrium’s largest behavioral health hospital, Behavioral Health Charlotte (BHC). The BHC campus contains the southeast’s only psychiatric emergency department, staffed 24/7 with board certified psychiatrists, as well as 66 inpatient beds, and 10 outpatient programs. Victor has over 30 years of experience in human services, primarily dedicated to building and strengthening community resources to serve individuals living with mental illness.    Victor currently serves on the board of directors of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) NC and was recently named to serve on the board of directors to the American Association of Suicidology (AAS). He is also former board chair of NAMI NC, and member of National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Victor is a former member of the Board of Directors of National Council for Behavioral Health, i2i Center for Integrative Health, and RI International.    Victor’s awards and recognitions include 2019 Black Mental Health Symposium -Mental Health Advocate of the Year, 2019 Atrium Health Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award, 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award from East Carolina University School of Social Work, Pride Magazine 2018 "Best of the Best", and i2i Center for Integrative Health 2018 Innovation Award for "Whole Person Care", 2012 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) NC, Mental Health Professional of the Year.   Victor graduated, Magna Cum Laude, from North Carolina Central University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and received a Master of Social Work (MSW) from East Carolina University. He is the husband of Dr. Charletta Armstrong and the father of 3 sons, Carter, Alonzo, and Victor Jr.Session:Perception Is Everything: Stigma, Mental Health & Suicide in Historically Marginalized Communities

Speaker

MFT student at Appalachian State University, studied Psychology and Public Health Studies at Elon University '19 I am a master's student completing the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Appalachian State University. This presentation along with the recent events of 2020 are inherently public health related, therefore I am looking to further connect previous academic content I have been exposed to, to real world applications through experiences such as this in hopes of better preparing myself for my practice post-licensure. Session:Hopeful Frames:  Postmodern Therapy in a Post-COVID World

Speaker

Kristen Benson, Ph.D., LMFT, is an Associate Professor and Program Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy at Appalachian State University. She earned her B.S. in Family Science from Florida State University, M.A. in MFT from Appalachian State University, and Ph.D. in Human Development from Virginia Tech with an emphasis in MFT. Her research, clinical, and teaching centers on social justice and inclusion, with a focus on providing inclusive and supportive therapy to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) people and relationships. She has published and presented her research nationally and internationally. Dr. Benson is a clinical fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and a member of the National Council on Family Relations. She is a contributor in the forthcoming AAMFT Systemic Family Therapy Ethics textbook and was recently appointed to the AAMFT CEO Workgroup on Identifying Guidelines for LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy. Session:Justice Informed MFT Ethics

Speaker

The presenter has extensive experience presenting at the local, national, and international level (including several pre-conference institutes at AAMFT), and has received very high ratings on each of those presentations. Also, the presenter has been involved in several research projects exploring the impact of technology on couple and family relationships. This presenter also has an extensive history presenting on issues involving attachment, EFT, and the use of attachment-based couples interactions over the course of the past 20 years. This presenter has been in private practice for more than 15 years and specifically focuses on helping men and couples overcome destructive patterns reinforced by gendered stereotypes.Session:AM Ethics SessionPracticing Ethically in a Technologically Saturated World

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Joy Brunson-Nsubuga is a native of South Carolina. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Francis Marion University in 2006 and Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with a certificate in addictions counseling from Appalachian State University in 2009. She completed one year of Executive Leadership Coaching utilizing Oxford Leadership Principles in 2019.  She currently holds full licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, and Certified Clinical Supervisor as well as the AAMFT Approved Supervisor designation. Joy is an expert in Systems Thinking and Therapies, Behavioral Health Crisis Systems, and Substance Use and Medication Assisted Treatment. She has experience in leading multi-state operations and is currently the Vice-President of SouthEast operations for RI International overseeing North Carolina and Louisiana programs. She also owns a private practice, Relatively Speaking Therapeutic Center, and provides supervision for marriage and family therapists, licensed mental health counselors, and substance use professionals seeking full licensure as well as offers presentations on systemic approaches to treatment, crisis intervention and systems, and addictions treatment. Joy is also the Professional Practice Board Chair for the North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Association.  Joy resides in Apex with her husband and two boys ages 8 and 4 years

Speaker

Hello! My name is Caroline Bundesman, and I am in my second year of study in the Marriage and Family Therapy Masters program at Appalachian State University. I am a recent graduate of the University of Alabama (2019), where I majored in Human Development and Family Studies and minored in Addiction and Recovery Studies. I am currently completing my Clinical Internship at Children's Hope Alliance on the TASK (Treatment Alternatives for Sexualized Kids) Team in Charlotte, NC. My internship experience consists of providing therapeutic intervention to adolescents, caregivers, and families. In addition, I serve as a Graduate Assistant in Appalachian State University's ACT Office (Appalachian and the Community Together). In my Graduate Assistant role, I serve as a liaison between local non-profits and university resources. I believe that strong community engagement can facilitate the evolution of personal and community transformation, well-being, and understanding. Upon graduating in Spring 2021, I plan to pursue opportunities to work with couples and families to promote inclusive health and healing. Session:Justice Informed MFT Ethics

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Dr. Greg Cheney is an active-duty Army Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) and serves as the Deputy Director of the Family Life Chaplain Training Program at the Watters Family Life Center for Counseling and Resiliency on Fort Bragg. He is an International Centre of Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) certified trainer, supervisor, and therapist. Dr. Cheney specializes in training therapists in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) who provide therapy for the military, veteran, and first responder communities. His training is informed by spending years deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan while assigned to Special Forces and airborne infantry units and caring for these combat heroes upon their return.Session:Helping Veterans and First Responders Find Hope in Hopeless Spaces with Emotionally Focused Therapy

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David W. Covington, LPC, MBA is CEO and President of Recovery Innovations, Inc. (d/b/a RI International). He is a behavioral health innovator, entrepreneur and storyteller. He is also a partner in Behavioral Health Link, and founder of the international innovations "Moving America's Soul on Suicide," "Zero Suicide," "Crisis Now," "Crisis Talk" and "Hope Inc. Stories."    A licensed professional counselor, Mr. Covington received an MBA from Kennesaw State and an MS from the University of Memphis. He previously served as Vice President at Magellan Health responsible for the executive and clinical operations of the $750 million Arizona contract. He is a member of the DHHS Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) established in 2017 in accordance with the 21st Century Cures Act to report to Congress on advances in behavioral health.    Mr. Covington is a two-time national winner of the Council of State Governments Innovations Award (2008 & 2012). He also competed as a finalist in Harvard's Innovations in American Government in 2009 for the Georgia Crisis & Access Line, and the program was featured in Business Week magazine.    Mr. Covington has served on the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Executive Committee since 2010. He was also the Vice-Chair of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline SAMHSA Steering Committee from 2005 until 2020 and served as a former President of the American Association of Suicidology. He has served on numerous committees and task forces on clinical care and crisis services, including the National Council for Behavioral Health Board of Directors.  Session:Every Storm Runs out of Rain: Stories About Hope and the Decade of the 2020s

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Evie is a PhD student at East Carolina University in the Medical Family Therapy Program. She received her Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy from Purdue University Northwest in 2013. Between the completion of her Master's and beginning of her PhD, she transitioned from being a stay-at-home mom, working part-time in a faith-based counseling practice outside of Chicago, Illinois, and then more recently, to working full-time as Therapeutic Support Staff and Admissions Coordinator/Utilization Reviewer at two different eating disorder treatment centers in Atlanta, Georgia. Her personal and professional experiences have led her to seek to better understand the gaps in treatment for families and couples battling eating disorders, specifically, anorexia nervosa. She currently lives with her husband and  three daughters in Greenville, NC.  Session:The Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Way Forward for Understanding Anorexia Nervosa: A Call to Action

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Katharine W. Didericksen, PhD, LMFT is an Associate Professor at East Carolina University. She is a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist and AAMFT Approved Supervisor. and primarily teaches and supervises within the Marriage and Family Therapy and Medical Family Therapy Programs. Her current research interests focus on familial approaches to addressing health inequities and weight-stats related health conditions. Session:The Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Way Forward for Understanding Anorexia Nervosa: A Call to Action

Speaker

Jeff Krepps, PhD, LMFT is the Director of Behavioral Health Education & Research and Associate Professor of Behavioral Health at Campbell University's Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine. He is a North Carolina licensed marriage and family therapist, and a clinical fellow and approved supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Dr. Krepps received his PhD in Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University where he also completed a specialization in Medical Family Therapy. He received his Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Appalachian State University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has also completed training in clinical hypnosis and mindfulness. Dr. Krepps has more than 25 years of clinical experience working with individuals, families, and couples experiencing a variety of difficulties, and, in his current role, he provides therapy/counseling services to medical students and medical residents, as well students in the pharmacy, physician assistant, physical therapy, and other health professions graduate programs at Campbell. His clinical experience includes work in multiple settings, including private practice, family medicine clinic, university counseling/therapy clinic, sexual assault treatment center, private and public mental health clinics, community substance abuse treatment center, and home based therapy. In addition to his clinical experience, Dr. Krepps is the former Site-director and Assistant Professor of Pfeiffer University's marriage and family therapy (MFT) graduate program (Raleigh/Durham campus). He is a former Assistant Professor with the MFT graduate program at East Carolina University (ECU), and a former adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry within ECU's Brody School of Medicine. He was President of the North Carolina Association for Marriage and Family Therapy from 2013-2014 and served on the board for 12 years.Session:Caring for Caregivers: MFT's Helping Physicians and other Medical Professionals move from Burnout and Disillusionment to Positive Engagement and Satisfaction with their Work-Lives

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Ashley Moser, LMFT, is a Regional Assistant Vice President for The Renfrew Center where she oversees the clinical and administrative operations of the Chicago, IL; Mount Laurel, NJ and the Charlotte, NC locations. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Northwestern University. Ms. Moser has extensive experience in providing family therapy and clinical supervision, and is a frequent speaker on the topics of body image, evidence-based treatment of eating disorders and engaging families in the treatment process.Session:Helping Families Navigate Their Emotions to Enhance Recovery Support in the Treatment of Eating Disorders

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I will be obtaining my M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Appalachian State University in 2021. I graduated from Converse College in 2019 with a B.A. in Psychology. Throughout my undergraduate career, I was a NCAA Division II athlete which has shaped my fascination with systems theory and led me to pursue a career as an marriage and family therapist.Session:Hopeful Frames:  Postmodern Therapy in a Post-COVID World

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Bio coming soon!Session:Justice Informed MFT Ethics

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 Diamond Slone Couch is a 2nd year graduate student in Appalachian State's Marriage and Family Therapy program. She currently works as a graduate assistant for the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) office where she advises the undergraduate Leadership Studies Minor and co-facilitates an undergraduate course, Leadership for Social Change.    As an advocate of social justice and the wellbeing of her community, Diamond is a AAMFT Minority Fellow and co-president of the Black Graduate Student Association in which she dedicates time and space to the care of black students and other marginalized communities.   Diamond holds a BA in psychology and linguistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Session:PM Ethics SessionJustice Informed MFT Ethics

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Rebecca Stone is a graduate of Columbia College in New York where she was named the Henry S. Coleman Leadership Scholar. There she served on the University Senate and on two student governing boards.  Rebecca also holds a graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Reformed Theological Seminary and has extensive teaching experience.  She started tutoring privately at age ten and has taught many subjects, including essential counseling concepts to college resident assistants, General Psychology as an adjunct university instructor of psychology for five years, and communication, managing difficult interactions, and mastering change in the corporate environment.   Rebecca has been a Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Specialist in private practice since 2012, working with groups and numerous individuals to help them heal from the devastating effects of this form of abuse.  Clients often tell Rebecca, "I've finally found someone who understands just how painful and difficult this is, and I feel hope for the first time." Her efforts to combat narcissism extend outside the therapy room and classroom.  In response to the increasing number of alarming narcissistic acts devoid of empathy recounted by her younger clients (teens and preteens), Rebecca authored a character and kindness curriculum for schools and families. She also is seeking to create an internet option which protects those most vulnerable from psychological assault.  Other current projects include the creation of narcissistic abuse recovery and marriage psychoeducational programs.Session:Healing from Narcissistic Abuse: A Journey Towards Hope

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Lori Torres, LMFT, AAMFT Approved Supervisor is the owner of Towers Counseling Services, a private practice in Charlotte, NC. Her practice welcomes a diversity community of clients serving adolescents, adults, couples, and families. She also works with a variety of Health Care Professionals from local hospitals and other settings in addressing work-load stress, burnout, and vicarious trauma. She co-hosts a local peer consultation group with interdisciplinary mental health providers to build natural supports within the Charlotte mental health community. She is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor and provides supervision and professional development for therapists in both private practice and community mental health settings. Her supervision work incorporates building "Self-of-the-Therapist" and provider resiliency. She has presented locally for in-service trainings for agencies and community events on a variety of topics such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Risk and Resiliency, Vicarious Trauma, and Wellness and Stress Management.  Session:Healing Hope in the Therapist: Addressing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

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Jon Winek has been practicing and teaching marriage and Family therapy for nearly 30 year.  He is currently working on a book exploring how a postmodern approach to therapy can help clients achieve second order change in families.  As a faculty member of a COAMFTE accredited program at Appalachain State University.  Has published and presented on a variety of topics related to family Therapy at both the state and national level.Session:Hopeful Frames:  Postmodern Therapy in a Post-COVID World