2023 SPA Convention

Workshops Featured Lectures | Pricing | Continuing Education Credits | Schedule-at-a-Glance | Full Schedule | Volunteer Here | Community Partners | COVID-19 Meeting Policy

Access the Mobile "App"

Over 100 Continuing Education Credit Hours to Choose From!

Skyline of Austin, TXThe Society for Personality Assessment (SPA) is THE place where personality researchers and practitioners alike come together to stay at the forefront of what is possible in terms of evidence-based and treatment useful assessment developments. Providing a range of CE workshops and scientific and clinical talks, the SPA Convention is of interest to people who are just learning about assessment, to those who would like to brush up or learn about the newest finding techniques, to skilled experts interested in staying at the cutting edge.

At this moment, we are planning on having a virtual component which will include all the Featured Lectures along with other select concurrent sessions. However, workshops happening before and after the convention will NOT available for virtual viewing. 

Registration is now OPEN! 

Register Here


Workshops

Click on each day below to view workshops. To view full workshop abstracts, please click here

Full Day Workshop (8:30 am- 5:30 pm) 

Collaborating in the Past, Present, and Future: Pre-Conference Institute on Therapeutic Assessment 

See Full Schedule Here

Full Day Workshops (8:30 pm - 5:30 pm) | 7 CE Credits 

Multi-Method and Contextual, Diversity-Sensitive Methods in Assessment 

Presenters: A. Jordan Wright, PhD, and Hadas Pade, PsyD

MCMI-IV and MACI-II: Operationalizing the Millon Inventories from Adolescence through Adulthood

Presenters: Seth Grossman, PsyD, and Robert Trigone, PhD

Therapeutic Assessment with Children: A Brief Intervention to Address the Current Mental Health Crisis in Children and Families 

Presenters: Stephin Finn, PhD, Marita Frackowiak, PhD, and Dale Rudin, PhD

TA in the Bedroom: Fostering Intimacy in Couples in an Era of Fear and Disconnection 

Presenters: Pamela Schaber, PhD, and Filippo Aschieri, PhD

Half Day Workshops (8:30 am - 12:15 pm) | 3.5 CE Credits

Personality Assessment Consultation Opportunites with the Federal Aviation Administration: An Orientation to Practices and Standards, V. 2

Presenter: Ray King, PhD, JD

Half Day Workshops (1:30 pm - 5:15 pm) | 3.5 CE Credits 

From SPSS to R, Why and How to Make the Transition

Presenters: Ruam R.F.A. Pimental, MA, and Gregory Meyer, PhD

Using the Personality Assessment Inventory-Adolescent in Clinical and Forensic Settings

Presenters: Nora Charles, PhD, and Paula Floyd

Half Day Workshops (8:30 am - 12:15pm) | 3.5 CE Credits 

Assessing Multicultural Clients with Bipolar Disorder: Challenges, Implications and Solutions 

Presenter: Linda McGhee, PsyD, JD

Clinical Application of the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Persoanlity Disorders (AMPD) 

Presenters: Bob Krueger, PhD, and Tanya Freedland, MPS

Risk Assessment of People Convicted for Sexual Offenses: Where Are We and Where Do We Go From Here? 

Presenter: Wineke Smid, PhD

Recent Developments with the PAI

Presenter: Les Morey, PhD

Using the AAP in an Adolescent Therapeutic Assessment: The LIngering Effect of a Mother's Attachment Trauma on Her Daughter's Failed Mourning

Presenters: Carol George, PhD, and Melissa Lehmann, PhD

Full Day Workshop (8:30 am - 5:30 pm) | 7 CE Credits

Introduction to the MMPI-3 for Psychology Practice 

Presenters: Martin Sellbom, PhD, and Dustin Wygant, PhD 

Therapeutic Assessment (TA) in Clients with Personality Disorder(s): Pitfalls and Adaptions

Presenters: Hilde De Saeger, PhD, and Jan Kamphuis, PhD

   


Featured Lectures 

To view additional information on Featured Lectures, please click here. 

Presenter: Dr. Apryl Alexander 

Racism, discrimination, and prejudice harm People of Color's physical and mental health and well-being and are potentially traumatic incidents. However, racial, cultural, intergenerational, and/or historical trauma are rarely consistently considered in the assessment of trauma along with other common forms of trauma, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, and intimate partner violence. Racial trauma refers traumatic events related to real or perceived experiences of racial discrimination, which can include threats of harm or injury, humiliation, or witnessing harm to People of Color (Carter, 2007; Comas-Díaz et al., 2019). Psychologists have also suggested that cultural factors, such as cultural mistrust and exposure to police violence, should also be considered in evaluations (Dixon et al., in press; Isen, 2022). This aligns with other recent calls for anti-racist psychological assessment. Indeed, Byrd et al. (2021) note, “An antiracist psychology will consistently identify, accurately label, and directly address racism as it is encountered” (p. 280). From daily microaggressions to contacts with law enforcement, it is important for psychologists to capture these incidents in the process of their evaluations. Dr. Alexander will discuss how assessment tools that can be used to evaluate racial and cultural trauma to engage in better anti-racist psychological practice. 

Presenter: Dr. James Pennebaker

The ways people express themselves in everyday language is consistent across time and context. These linguistic fingerprints are most visible in people's use of function words (e.g. pronouns, prepositions) rather than in the content of their speech. Multiple studies point to the power of text analysis in the assessment of personality and in the prediction of important social, emotional, and cognitive behaviors in people's lives. Self-reports certainly have their role but it's time to expand our thinking.

Presenters: Panelist TBD

We are excited to announce the inaugural SPA Career Development Plenary, a new take on the plenary session, empowering attendees to learn and grow with each other as we explore the complexities of careers in personality assessment. 

The Plenary’s innovative format is being designed to facilitate communion, collaboration, and inspiration, with the majority of the session taking place in five small group interactions, each focused on a different personality assessment career: Personality assessment science in academic psychology, Personality assessment training, Applied practice, Large governmental/medical organizations, and Forensics. 

Free to move to and from different groups as suits your focus and interest, the conversations will cover the full range of careers in personality assessment, exploring the considerable diversity and distinctions within each. The goal of the experience is for SPA members and conference attendees to further their understanding of the career landscape in personality assessment through the experience and wisdom of senior personality assessors facilitating the discussions and sharing lessons from the navigation of their unique professional paths. Our facilitators will promote productive and inclusive conversations about what life is really like in each of these domains of personality assessment. Discussion topics may include issues of power, diversity, and equity; practical issues such as how to best allocate one’s time or when and how to apply for different positions; brass tacks questions about workload, pay, management, and benefits; and anything else that might come up.

We encourage all conference attendees of every career stage to participate, including students and early career professionals who are still considering career options, more advanced trainees seeking the best preparation for their chosen path, and experienced professionals willing to share their experiences and support learning together. Join us for an opportunity to network in community with a diverse group of personality assessment professionals, explore the many professional applications of personality assessment, and enrich our professional pipelines by supporting emerging professionals as they prepare for productive and satisfying careers. 

Presenters: Jan Kamphuis, Arjen Noordhof, Christopher Hopwood
Panelist:  TBD

Utilizing the article “When and How Assessment Matters: An Update on the Treatment Utility of Clinical Assessment (TUCA)” as a starting point, this interactive plenary will provide attendees the opportunity to think about how to advance and study the Treatment Utility of Clinical Assessment (TUCA; or the extent to which clinical assessment enhances subsequent treatment benefits for patients), and what this might mean for SPA. Following a brief introduction lecture, a subsequent panel discussion will engage the membership in thinking about concrete ways how the SPA community might advance this concept and its practice. With defining TUCA and then communicating its value as a strategic focus for the 2023 calendar year, we encourage all research teams interested in applying for the Treatment Utility of Clinical Assessment grant to attend and contribute to this plenary. Please see the (adapted) public significance statement of the article below for more information:

Public Significance Statement: The degree to which clinical assessment has treatment utility , i.e, the extent to which clinical assessment enhances subsequent treatment benefits for patients has long been controversial. We suggest specifying and examining more closely the conditions under which assessment can—or cannot—contribute to treatment process and ultimately patient benefit. Clear thinking about this important topic can contribute to improved research as well as more efficient practice of clinical assessment. We distinguish direct and indirect benefits of assessment and advocate the implementation of some form of stepped assessment in clinical practice.

The science-based technology of personality assessment by self-report is approximately a century and a quarter old. In this presentation, I review its historical foundations and evolution to contemporary approaches. I then discuss the strengths and challenges of these techniques and propose ways the field may advance. Key points include the advantages of: Grounding self-report-based measures in empirically developed and supported personality and psychopathology models; considering setting-specific variables when interpreting test scores; incorporating diversity-sensitive practices; and capitalizing on the heretofore unrealized potential of computer technology.

View All Sessions Here

 


Pricing

Click here to access information on Convention scholarships. 

In-Person Tickets
Member Type

Early Registration

(11/1/22 - 2/14/23)

Regular Registration

(2/15/23 - 3/24/23)

Late Registration

(3/24/23 - 4/9/23)

Student $99 $124 $164
Early-Career $159 $184 $224
Member/Fellow/Associate $259 $309 $359
Non-Member Student $129 $154 $194
Non-Member Early-Career $214 $239 $279
Non-Member $334 $385 $434

 

Virtual Tickets 
Member Type

Early Registration 

(11/1/22 - 2/14/23)

Regular Registration

(2/15/23 - 3/24/23)

Late Registration

(3/24/23 - 4/9/23)

Student $49 $59 $79
Early-Career $74 $94 $134
Member/Fellow/Associate $124 $144 $184
Non-Member Student $79 $89 $109
Non-Member Early-Career $129 $149 $189
Non-Member $199 $229 $269

 

Half-Day Workshop Tickets 
Member Type

Early Registration

(11/1/22 - 2/14/23)

Regular Registration

(2/15/23 - 3/24/23)

Late Registration

(3/24/23 - 4/9/23)

Student $59 $84 $124
Early-Career $104 $129 $169
Member/Fellow/Associate $129 $179 $229
Non-Member Student $89 $114 $154
Non-Member Early-Career $159 $184 $224
Non-Member $204 $254 $304

 

Full-Day Workshop Tickets 
Member Type

Early Registration

(11/1/22 - 2/14/23)

Regular Registration

(2/15/23 - 3/24/23)

Late Registration

(3/24/23 - 4/9/23)

Student $99 $124 $164
Early-Career $154 $179 $219
Member/Fellow/Associate $199 $249 $299
Non-Member Student $129 $154 $194
Non-Member Early Career $209 $234 $274
Non-Member $274 $324

$374

Cancellation Policy - Cancellations will be accepted for the Annual Convention and/or a workshop, less a $75 administrative fee, until February 28, 2023. After that date no refunds will be granted.


Book a Room 

Austin Marriot Downtown 

304 East Cesar Chavez Street
Austin, TX 78701, UNITED STATES
The Austin Marriott Downtown features over 600 iconic guest rooms including 25 stunning suites, a rooftop pool with breathtaking views, two-level lobby bar, a signature restaurant, Corinne, and a rooftop tropical bar with tiki cocktails. The hotel offers over 60,000 square feet of stunning meeting space
THE HOTEL ROOM BLOCK HAS NOW BEEN CLOSED!

Continuing Education Information

This year, we have over 100 hours of continuing education credits available for you to earn by attending LIVE in-person or virtually. More information will be made available for those who watch a recorded session after the Convention and would like to receive CE credits in March. 

View Sessions with CE credits Available  
 

 

 

The Society for Personality Assessment (SPA) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. SPA maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

 

Society for Personality Assessment is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0218. 


2023 SPA Convention Programming Committee

  • Anita L. Boss

    Anita L. Boss

    Clinical & Forensic Consulting, PLC

    Committee Co-Chair

  • Christopher J. Hopwood

    Christopher J. Hopwood

    Professor of Personality Psychology, University of Zurich

    Committee Co-Chair

  • Joye Anestis

    Joye Anestis

    Associate Professor, Rutgers University

    Committee Member

  • Lindsay Ingram

    Lindsay Ingram

    PsyD, ABPP

    Forensic Psychologist, Oregon State Hospital

    Committee Member

  • Jan H Kamphuis

    Jan H Kamphuis

    University of Amsterdam

    Committee Member

  • Shannon Elaine Kelley

    Shannon Elaine Kelley

    Assistant Professor, Williams James College

    Committee Member

  • Jennifer Marie Laney

    Jennifer Marie Laney

    Self-employed

    View Profile

    (860)303-7405

    Committee Member

  • Abby L. Mulay

    Abby L. Mulay

    Medical University of South Carolina

    Committee Member

  • Adam Paul Natoli

    Adam Paul Natoli

    Assistant Professor, Sam Houston State University

    Committee Member

  • Pamela McDonald Schaber

    Pamela McDonald Schaber

    Center for Therapeutic Assessment

    Committee Member

  • Nathan Victoria, CAE

    Nathan Victoria, CAE

    Executive Director, Society for Personality Assessment

    View Profile

    (703)534-4772

    Committee Member