Event Publications

Full-day, in-person Workshop: Current Topics in Professional Ethics

Published:   •  1 minute read

Friday, September 29, 2023 – 9 am – 4:00 pm
Mount Saint Vincent University, McCain Centre, Room 105/106
Presented by Dr. Natalie Stratton

Workshop Overview:

Psychologists have a duty to make ethical choices that promote the welfare of society and its members. Respect for individuals and their rights as well as practicing non-discrimination are central components to ethical psychological care. In this 1-day skills-focused and interactive workshop, participants will review the Canadian Code of the Ethics for Psychologists, professional standards for psychologists, and relevant provincial and federal legislations.

Participants will learn and practice, step-by-step, how to apply the 10-step ethical decision-making process to current issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in psychology. Participants will also learn and practice strategies to identify and evaluate personal biases related to current topics in professional ethics.

Download the brochure for more information and to register.

Full-day, in-person workshop: Understanding Paramedic & Crown Attorney Culture & the Impact of Trauma

Published:   •  1 minute read

Friday, October 27, 2023 – 9 am – 6:00 pm
Maritime Express Cider Co., 325 Main St., Kentville, N.S.

Facilitated by Dr. Dion Goodland, R.Psych; with Katherine Houde, ACP, Carla Ball & Mark Heerema, Crown Attorneys

This workshop is a collaboration between EMC, the NS Public Prosecution Service (PPS) and APNS, in response to a need for psychologists across Nova Scotia, who are trained and skilled in evidence-based treatments for PTSD, as well as having an awareness of the culture of paramedics and Crown Attorneys. The goal of this particular workshop is to develop a Registered Roster of Service Providers for referral by EMC and PPS in the Annapolis Valley and SouthWest Nova area. The program will be divided into four sections:

1. A review of the culture facilitated by paramedics and Crown Attorneys. Also, participants will be able to have an experiential experience in the paramedic and legal environment.
2. Assessing and Diagnosing PTSD
3. Treatment of PTSD
4. Vicarious Traumatization

Download the brochure for more information and to register.

Please note there are a limited number of spaces available for this workshop.

Culturally Informed Practice with Indigenous Youth

Published:   •  1 minute read

Speaker: Dr. Christopher Mushquash, HBSc., M.A., Ph.D., C.Psych.

Time: Monday, June 26, 2023 – 9 am-4:30 pm
Location: Cineplex Auditorium, IWK Health

This workshop is presented by IWK Psychology & the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia, as part of the Dr. G. Wayne MacDonald Professional Lecture Series.

For more information and to register please download the brochure or the fillable registration form.

The Town of Kentville and APNS invite you to “sit and chat” to promote wellness

Published:   •  2 minute read

Kentville/Halifax:  The Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia (APNS) and the Town of Kentville are reviving the old saying: “sit and chat a while”.

APNS has been donating park benches to raise awareness of the value of personal interaction as a way to enhance mental and physical health. We kicked off the initiative in Yarmouth in 2017, followed by Stewiacke in 2018 and Blockhouse in 2019. This event in Kentville is the first since our shutdown for the pandemic.

The unveiling will take place at the Kentville Visitor Information Centre at 125 Park Street on Friday, June 2nd, 2023 at 2 pm.

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Professional Ethics in Psychology: Examination Preparation and Refresher

Published:   •  1 minute read

Presented by Dr. Natalie Stratton
Friday, May 26, 2023 – 9 am – 1:00 pm, Rm 2016, McCain Bldg., Dalhousie University, Halifax

Overview:
An essential component of the Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology’s (NSBEP) oral licensing examination is the candidate’s ability to describe their ethical decision making
process. In this interactive workshop, attendees will receive a thorough overview of the Canadian Code of Ethics as well as relevant guidelines, standards, and laws.

For more information or to register download the brochure here.

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The In-person APNS Annual General Meeting is Back! Friday, June 9, 2023

Published:   •  1 minute read

Please join us for the Annual General Meeting on June 9th from 12:00 noon to 1:15 p.m.

This is our first in-person AGM since 2019 and we are pleased to hold it in conjunction with our workshop:

When you dread your next session: Applying DBT principles to therapy with clients that leave you feeling helpless, demoralized, and resentful

Presenters: Dr. Jacquie Cohen & Dr. Marie-Eve Couture

Date: Friday, June 9, 2023 – 9 am – 4:30 pm

Venue: Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building, Room 1007, 6100 University Ave, Halifax

The AGM will be held during the workshop lunch break and we invite all who are attending the workshop to join us .

In addition to the annual business meeting we will be awarding the annual APNS awards.

To attend please rsvp to apns@apns.ca

WORKSHOP: When you dread your next session: Applying DBT principles to therapy

Published:   •  2 minute read

Friday, June 9, 2023 – 9 am to 4:30 pm

Venue: Dalhousie University, Room 1009, the Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building, 6100 University Ave. Halifax

Presented by: Dr. Jacquie Cohen and Dr. Marie-Eve Couture.

We all work with clients who test our capacity to connect with them, feel compassionate, and act competently. Clients may present as relentlessly hopeless, passive, and incapable. They may direct their anger toward us or accuse us of being ineffective. Or they may be especially high-risk, causing us to worry that they will harm themselves or someone else, and that we will face professional or legal consequences.

Download the registration brochure here.

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Workshop: Building Intercultural Competence

Published:   •  2 minute read

Friday, January 20, 2023 – 9 am to 4 pm

Venue: Dalhousie Student Union Building, 2nd Fl., 6136 University Ave, Halifax

This workshop is presented in partnership with the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia. (ISANS).

Presented by: Colleen Belle, M.A., Coordinator, Welcoming Communities Program, ISANS.

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WORKSHOP: Creating a Culturally Safe Space in Clinical Practice

Published:   •  3 minute read

DATE: Friday, October 14, 2022 – 9 am – 5 pm.

Description

Creating a Culturally Safe Space in Clinical Practice: An Introduction to Cultural Competence, Cultural Humility, and Culturally Informed Therapeutic Care – presented by Dr. Ben C. H. Kuo, Ph.D.

Location: Admiral Room, Lord Nelson Hotel, Halifax

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WEBINAR: Don’t Let the “TR” Fool You: The DSM-5-TR is Far More Than a Text Revision

Published:   •  3 minute read

Date:  Friday, August 26, 2022 – 3 pm to 5 pm Atlantic time by Zoom

This workshop is presented by APNS and a coalition of over 35 State, Provincial and Territorial Psychological Associations of APA.

Registration Fee

$95 Cdn for APNS members; $25 for APNS student members.

May be paid by Visa, MasterCard or etransfer to apns@apns.ca

Space is limited to please register early. Deadline is August 22nd. For more information please download the brochure or contact admin@apns.ca

Description

This workshop overviews the key diagnostic developments and departures of the DSM-5-TR in relation to its predecessor, the DSM-5.  Critical diagnostic developments in the Text Revision include the return of Mood Disorders, the inclusion of ICD-10 codes for Suicidal Behavior and Non-suicidal Self-Injury, and the addition of Prolonged Grief Disorder, among others. These inclusions are joined by diagnostic revisions or clarifications to dozens of additional disorders, in addition to more comprehensive attention to issues of race, equity, and discrimination.

Workshop Overview

I.   The new DSM-5-TR: Who, What, When, Where and Why (now)?

II.   Dual/Dueling Diagnostic Systems: The ICD and the DSM

III.  New Disorders in the DSM-5-TR

  • Prolonged Grief Disorder and Differential Diagnosis
  • Unspecified Mood Disorders
  • Suicidal Behavior and Non-suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI)
  • Gender Dysphoria

IV.  Criteriological Changes to Disorders

V.   Revisions in Assessment Tools

VI.  Culturally Sensitive and Affirming Revisions

VII. “To Infinity and Beyond”- Future Developments in the DSM and the ICD.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Identify at least three new inclusions in the DSM-5-TR

2. Discuss the rationale for at least three of the diagnostic manual’s novel inclusions or revisions.

3. Distinguish grief from depression.

4. Describe the prevalence and criteria for Prolonged Grief Disorder.

5. Explain the rationale for the change from Gender Identity Disorder to Gender Dysphoria.

6. Compare and contrast the DSM-5-TR with the DSM-5 and the ICD-11.

Presenter

Dr. Greg Neimeyer is professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida, where he served as Director of Training and Graduate Coordinator of the doctoral training programs and taught courses on the DSM, the ICD, and psychopathology.  A Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Neimeyer is also the recipient of its Award for Outstanding Contributions to Career and Personality Research.  Dr. Neimeyer was invited by the American Psychiatric Association to serve as one of two psychologists originally trained on the DSM-5, and subsequently has provided hundreds of professional trainings on the DSM and ICD both nationally and internationally. The author of more than 200 scholarly articles and 10 books, Dr. Neimeyer is a lifetime inductee into the Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars.  He currently serves as the Director of the Office of Continuing Education in Psychology at the American Psychological Association in Washington, D.C.