Lead Through Discovery at the APA 2026 Feature Stage

In a sociopolitical climate marked by fear, surveillance, and heightened risk for immigrant and marginalized communities, psychology is being called to move beyond performative solidarity toward collective action. This session centers radical hope, radical joy, and radical resistance as a call-to-action for advancing inclusion, belonging, and accountability in our field, with particular attention to students and early-career psychologists.

Featuring perspectives from Ethnic Psychological Association (EPA) presidents, the discussion examines how psychologists can operationalize values during periods of increased political tension. Panelists will share strategies for strengthening coalition-based leadership, improving transparency and communication, and identifying pathways for support that reduce harm. Attendees will leave with practical approaches to (a) center student and community needs in decision-making, (b) mobilize coordinated responses across organizations, and (c) translate shared commitments into non-performative action.

Speakers Include:

Wendi S. Williams, PhD, 2026 APA President
Donna Lynne Demanarig, PhD, Visiting Assistant Professor, College of the Holy Cross;A sian American Psychological Association
Mark SE Baez, LSP, LCDC, CCBT, MA/MS, PhD, Society of Indian Psychologists; Bemidji State University
Oswaldo Moreno, PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University
Layli Khaghani, PsyD, AMENA-Psy

Clinicians are providing care amid ongoing societal, political, economic, and environmental crises that strain clients, families, providers, and systems. This Critical Conversation highlights the impact of intersecting stressors and parallel experiences of trauma on care. Strategies for sustaining trauma-informed care will be collaboratively explored.

Speakers Include:

Keaton Somerville, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Ernestine C. Briggs-King, PhD, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Jennifer Shepard Payne, PhD, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Jennifer Serico, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Marilyn Camacho, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

The intersection of psychology and the legal system is dynamic and critically important for the public good. Psychological science has implications for the fairness and effectiveness of legal procedures, informing development of policy, interpretation of the law, and the practice of law. This session will highlight the vital contributions of psychological science to ensuring that legal systems and legal decisions are informed by evidence concerning human behavior, cognition, and development.

Speakers Include:

Leslie Ellis, PhD, Founder and Senior Jury Consultant, The Caissa Group LLC
Margaret Bull Kovera, PhD, Presidential Scholar and Professor of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Graduate Center, CUNY
Alisa K. Lincoln, PhD, Director of the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research Professor of Sociology and Public Health, Northeastern University
Jennifer L. Woolard, PhD, Moderator, Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs, College of Arts & Sciences Professor of Psychology, Adjunct Professor of Law, Georgetown University

Breaking into consulting offers psychologists the opportunity to turn expertise into real-world impact. Consulting psychology applies knowledge from diverse disciplines to enhance the effectiveness of individuals, teams, organizations, and systems. This session provides actionable strategies and practical insights to leverage your academic and professional foundations and build influence and impact.

Speakers Include:

Ryan C. Warner, PhD, Consulting Psychologist, RC Warner Consulting
Gregory Pennington, PhD, Managing Partner, Pennpoint Consulting Group, LLC

This symposium centers Black immigrant mental health, an understudied yet growing segment of the U.S. Black population. Presentations examine socioecological stressors, intra-racial variation in the Strong Black Woman schema, and culturally grounded healing among Liberian peacemakers, highlighting methodological and theoretical considerations for psychological research and practice.

Speakers Include:

Nancy A. Adane, MEd, Tennessee State University
Vanessa E. Anyanso, PhD, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Koree Badio, University of Florida

Money is a pervasive yet under-addressed topic in clinical training and practice. This skill-building session introduces feminist financial psychology, guiding participants to examine personal money beliefs, identify common financial schemas, and apply ethical, practical tools for integrating money-related conversations into psychotherapy.

Speakers Include:

Courtney Crisp, PsyD, Crisp Psychology Group; Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP)
Diane W. Darling, PhD, Southern Utah University