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 Award for Distinguished Contributions to DEI: Affirmative Behavior Therapy: What Is It and Who Does the Affirming? |
| Monday, May 26, 2025 |
| 9:00 AM–9:50 AM |
| Marriott Marquis, M2 Level, Marquis Salon 1-5 |
| Area: DEI |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Chair: Kaitlynn Gokey (Florida Institute of Technology) |
| CE Instructor: Christopher Martell, Ph.D. |
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| Award for Distinguished Contributions to DEI: Affirmative Behavior Therapy: What Is It and Who Does the Affirming? |
| Abstract: This address provides a review of the work of Christopher Martell, 2025 recipient of the ABAI Diversity Award. Dr. Martell was first author of a 2004 book on providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapies in an affirmative manner with Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Clients, the first such book to do this. Affirmative therapies not only apply to sexual or gender minority individuals. The admonition “nothing about us without us” from various disability and diversity advocates is relevant in work with any minoritized or marginalized groups. Affirmative behavior analysis accounts for the role of culture and can provide insight into behavioral change that is relevant to individuals and non-discrimatory. Dr. Martell will speak to the process by which affirmative CBT for LGB clients was begun, and how taking an affirmative stance can extend to functional analytic treatments like behavioral activation. |
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| CHRISTOPHER MARTELL (University of Massachusetts Amherst) |
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 Christopher Martell, Ph.D., ABPP is Director of the Psychological Services Center and Professor of Practice in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Massachusetts, USA. Dr. Martell is first author of one of the first books on CBT with sexual minority clients, and has co-authored many chapters and articles on affirmative care with sexual minority and gender diverse clients. He was in private practice in Seattle, Washington for 23 years prior to turning his attention to training the next generation of students. He has conducted workshops around the world on topics of behavioral interventions for depression, and on conducting LGBTQ+ affirmative CBT. Dr. Martell is known internationally for his work on Behavioral Activation (BA) in the treatment of depression and other disorders, and provides clinical consultation and training on BA worldwide. |
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