lead through

impact

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Presidential Opening Session

8:30–9:30 a.m. ET

APA 2026 opens with a vision for psychology's role in leading through today's most pressing challenges—and a celebration of the profession that makes it possible. 

Speakers Include:

Headline Event

Childhood Reconsidered: What Growing Up Digital Actually Does to Development

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. ET

1.0 CE Credit

Becoming yourself has always been psychology's territory—we understand identity formation, the developmental tasks of adolescence, and how young people try on selves and consolidate who they are. But the entire infrastructure of that process has shifted. Previous generations experimented privately, failed quietly, and had do-overs. This generation performs every version of self publicly, permanently, algorithmically amplified, and sometimes to AI audiences. Psychology is leading through this unprecedented shift—not judging or panicking but working in real time alongside families to understand what's actually happening and what we can do about it.

Learn more about Headline Events.

DIVISION SESSION

AI Therapists, Friends, and Assistants: Understanding AI Across Disciplines

1–2 p.m. ET

This critical conversation examines how AI is being applied in therapy, social relationships, and work through three different disciplinary lenses (clinical, social/developmental, and industrial/organizational psychology). Speakers will consider how insights from diverse fields can inform our understanding of the implications of AI use across psychological disciplines.

The Ethics Committee Presents

Unintended Ethical Consequences of AI Adoption

4–5 p.m. ET

1.0 CE Credit

Led by members of the APA Ethics Committee, this session examines ethical considerations when AI systems are implemented in educational and organizational settings, focusing on informed consent challenges, data privacy protection, and the need to safeguard vulnerable populations during institutional AI adoption.

Learn more about Ethics Committee Presents sessions.

THE ETHICS COMMITTEE PRESENTS

Sustaining Ethical, Respectful Conversations

8:30–9:30 a.m. ET

1.0 CE Credit

The program will demonstrate how psychologists can use the underlying values expressed in the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct to facilitate respectful and productive conversations that build bridges within our families, organizations, and communities. This session will include issues relevant to all psychologists.

Learn more about Ethics Committee Presents sessions.

Headline Event

Adulthood Unmoored: Psychology for the Overwhelmed

10–11 a.m.  ET

1.0 CE Credit

Adulthood is genuinely, structurally hard right now. The relentless cognitive load of caregiving, work that never stops transforming, financial pressure, and relationships strained by impossible logistics—this isn't a personal failing; it’s the predictable result of how we've organized modern life. And these pressures aren't evenly distributed: race, class, caregiving burden, and access to resources all determine who bears the heaviest load. In this session, psychologists offer a genuine understanding of what chronic overwhelm does to people and practical frameworks for navigating impossible conditions without losing yourself in the process. 

Learn more about Headline Events.

CEO Spotlight

1:00-2:00 p.m. ET

CEO Spotlights are hand-selected by APA's Chief Executive Officer to address the issues most vital to the profession right now. These sessions bring together experts on the topics where psychology can have its greatest impact — from translating research into real-world solutions to equipping psychologists with new skills for a changing landscape.

Check back soon for this year's CEO Spotlight topic and speakers.

DIVISION SESSION

Psychedelics in Practice: Lessons from APA CODAPAR Initiative

4–5 p.m. ET

1.0 CE Credit

This critical conversation uses findings from an APA CODAPAR–funded interdivisional project on psychedelic-assisted therapies to explore how psychologists can responsibly engage with rapidly evolving psychedelic science. Brief presentations on research, clinical applications, and training needs will launch an interactive dialogue on ethics, equity, and practice guidance for frontline clinicians.

THE ETHICS COMMITTEE PRESENTS

Bridging Ethics and Advocacy

8:30–9:30 a.m. ET

1.0 CE Credit

This session clarifies the distinction between mandatory ethical standards and value-based advocacy and moves beyond it by introducing the concept of “ethical praxis” as a model for integration in real-world practice.



Learn more about Ethics Committee Presents sessions.

Division Session

What It Means to Live With Diabetes: Mental Health and GLP-1 Medications

10:30–11:30 a.m. ET

This session addresses the psychological and emotional challenges associated with living with diabetes and examines how these concerns present within this population. This session is designed to enhance psychologists’ competence in diabetes-informed care by identifying often-overlooked stressors and presenting evidence-based strategies for integrating these considerations into clinical practice.

DIVISION SESSION

STAY With Grief: A Skill-Building Framework for Counseling Psychologists

12–1 p.m. ET

1.0 CE Credit

Grief frequently appears in counseling psychology practice and can leave clinicians unsure how to respond. This skill-building session introduces STAY, a practical framework for assessing grief, navigating ethical and cultural complexity, and selecting evidence-informed interventions. Participants will gain immediately applicable tools for clinical decision-making when grief emerges in therapy sessions.

Headline Event

The Aging Paradox: Change, Growth, and Psychology's Essential Role 

1:30–2:30 p.m. ET

1.0 CE Credit

People often assume aging brings compounding challenges — cognitive changes, physical decline, social isolation, loss of purpose, and anxiety about the end of life. Yet here's the paradox: research consistently shows that adults aged 65 and older report greater emotional well-being, clearer priorities, and deeper satisfaction than younger people. The brain doesn't only decline; it reorganizes. People don't lose all abilities; they refine. This session confronts the complexities and diversity of aging, exploring what it means to "age well," the barriers that make the aging experience more difficult for some, and what psychology knows about helping people navigate these decades of life while promoting dignity and well-being.