Byron Johnson, PhD

Byron Johnson is Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University. He is the founding director of the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR) as well as director of the Program on Prosocial Behavior.  Johnson is a faculty affiliate of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, and is the project co-director of the Global Flourishing Study, a five-year panel study with annual data collection on more 200,000 participants from 22 geographically and culturally diverse countries.  He also serves as co-executive director of the Center for Faith and the Common Good at Pepperdine University. In 2016, he co-founded of the Religious Freedom Institute, based in Washington, DC, and is a leading authority on the scientific study of religion, the efficacy of faith-based organizations, and criminal justice.

He is the author of more than 200 journal articles, monographs, and books including More God, Less Crime (2011), The Angola Prison Seminary (2016), The Quest for Purpose (2017), Objective Religion: Competition, Tension, Perseverance (2021); The Restorative Prison (2021), Objective Religion: Problems, Prosociality, Progress (2022), and The Faith Factor and Social Problems: Rethinking Evidence, Practice, and Polity (forthcoming 2024).

His keynote address will focus on initial findings from the Global Flourishing Study with a particular focus on the impact of religion among Americans.

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CAPSx – Realigned: Contemporary approaches to addressing spirituality and religiosity in clinical training and therapy.

This series of talks explores how faculty and therapists are incorporating spirituality and religiosity into their clinical training and practice, along with the realigning necessitated by ever-changing student and client cultures.

The presenters are:

Brian W. Fidler, PhD
Assistant Professor, Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Colorado Christian University

Jessica Pae, PsyD
Restoration Psychology, Private Practice
Centennial, CO

Theresa Clement Tisdale, PhD, PsyD, ABPP
Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology
Asuza Pacific University

Veronica R. F. Johnson, PsyD
Envision Counseling Clinic, Licensed Psychologist
Castle Rock, CO

Psychopharmacology Update: New Developments and Novel Mechanisms of Action

James Childerston, PhD

This workshop covers practical and applied issues regarding psychiatric medication treatment. The focus is on the non-medical therapist as collaborator with medication prescribers. An overview will be provided of the most recently released and most popular psychotropic medications as well as a discussion of current medication trials regarding the treatment of depression and psychotic disorders utilizing novel mechanisms of action.

Navigating Ethical Issues in Psychotherapy: Integrating Compassionate Care with Ethical Practice

Randolph K. Sanders, PhD

Most clinicians try to navigate ethical dilemmas successfully. Ethical decision-making models can help. Using case examples, this workshop focuses on a flexible model that integrates compassionate care for the client with prudent ethical practices. It stresses the importance of ethical codes as a foundation but asserts that codes are only one part of the process. Selective consultation with colleagues, careful self-examination, and appreciation for the uniqueness of each ethical situation are also important. We will also consider findings from decision science that speak to the impact of emotions and intuition on ethical decision-making both for good and for ill. We will discuss strategies clinicians can use to recognize and manage their emotions. We will also review a model for helping clients work through their own moral and ethical dilemmas.

Psychoanalytic Track – The Edge of Our Seats: Fostering Resilient Clinically Integrative Practice

Earl Bland
Brad Strawn

Maintaining a vibrant and engaged curiosity about how the Spirit moves in our clinical work speaks to the heart of our task as integrative clinicians. This paper/presentation explores how to cultivate a dynamic attitude of expectancy and wonder regarding the unique and unpredictable ways God emerges in therapeutic relationships.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Introduction and Faith-Based Applications for Working with Christian Clients

Joshua Knabb, PsyD, ABPP

In this pre-conference workshop, Dr. Joshua Knabb draws upon the second edition of his recently published book Faith-Based ACT for Christian Clients: An Integrative Treatment Approach to present the theory, research, and practice of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a “third-wave” cognitive behavioral therapy that balances acceptance of the inner world and value-based behavioral action in the outer world. In particular, Dr. Knabb explores the theoretical foundations and six processes of ACT, focusing on a faith-based version he developed for working with Christian clients. Faith-based ACT metaphors and techniques are also provided, along with clinical applications for depression, anxiety, and trauma.

Psychoanalytic Track – God Is Our Refuge: Transforming Attachment to the Living God

Geoff Goodman

This presentation discusses four distinct attachment relationships to the Living God; the God of personal spiritual experience. Each of these four attachment relationships has implications for how to treat spiritually curious or spiritually grounded clients. A case illustration of Attachment-Informed Psychotherapy applied to a client’s relationship to God is offered.

Christian Flourishing in a Secular Age: Challenges and Opportunities

Elizabeth Hall
Victor Counted, PhD
William Hathaway, PhD
Pamela King, PhD, MDiv
Katelyn Long, MA

In a world increasingly influenced by secular ideologies, the practice and understanding of Christian beliefs may seem at odds with prevailing cultural norms. Yet, these beliefs and practices may be key to a flourishing life, raising a complex and compelling question: How can Christians flourish in a secular age? The session “Christian Flourishing in a Secular Age”; addresses this question by exploring the intricate relationship between secular values and Christian living. Presenters will dissect the challenges and opportunities that arise from this interaction, discussing empirical evidence, psychological insights, and practical strategies for living out faith vibrantly in contemporary society. Emphasizing the concept of “abundant life,” this session offers insights into how Christian virtues can lead to individual and communal well-being, even in the face of secular dominance and human suffering. It invites attendees to a nuanced and critical examination of spiritual growth and flourishing in our current age.