10th Annual • Virtual • All Times Eastern

Schedule of Sessions

A pre-conference day of networking, career connections, and student posters — then two full days of breakout courses, our signature panel, and the awards ceremony and keynote address. September 9–11, 2026.

Plenary & Ceremonies Keynote, Awards & Panel Breakouts & Posters Wellness & Networking
12:00 PM60 min
Networking

First-Time Symposium-Goer’s Welcome

New to BMHS? Join our breakout welcome and networking session — meet fellow first-timers and ask returning attendees what to expect.

12:00 PM3 hours
Career Fair

Virtual Career Fair

Drop in for 30-minute job talks from hiring organizations throughout the afternoon. Final job talk begins at 2:30 PM.

1:00 PM60 min
Posters

Student Poster Presentations

Support the next generation of Black mental health scholars.

View the 4 poster presentations
  • 1:00 – 1:30
    Naming the Wound: Father Absence, Masculinity, and the Emotional Lives of Black MenDavid Awoyemi — MS, LPC
  • 1:00 – 1:30
    The Impact of ADEI Dismantling on Black LGBTQIA+ Individuals: A Theoretical and Social Work AnalysisJasmine Dunnaville — LCSW
  • 1:30 – 2:00
    Reclamation for “Angry Black Women”: Transforming Our Rage into Community Empowerment and HealingDejia Jackson
  • 1:30 – 2:00
    Remembering the Wound, Resetting the Lens, Reclaiming Healing for Black Women Impacted by Intergenerational TraumaElaine Smith
2:00 PM60 min
Community

Film Screening with Moderated Q&A

Close out pre-conference day with a community film screening and discussion.

Pre-conference events do not carry CE credit — they’re open networking, career, and community programming to kick off your Symposium experience.

9:00 AM
Plenary

Welcome and Opening Act

9:15 AM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit

Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 9:15 to 10:15

Choose one of five concurrent courses for one CE credit.

View the 5 courses in this block
  • Breakout 1
    Healing Racial Trauma: Rhythm and Processing (RAP), Anti-Racist Psychotherapy, and Complex PTSDDavid Archer — MSW, MFT
  • Breakout 2
    Mama, Auntie, ‘n Them: The Intergenerational Impact of Domestic ViolenceTaylour Neal — MS, NCC, LCMHC
  • Breakout 3
    Reclaiming Joy: Integrating Creativity and Expressive Arts into Clinical CounselingNiah Singletary — PhD, LCMHC, CRC
  • Breakout 4
    Functioning on Fumes: Somatic Suppression in High-Functioning Black WomenJasmine Lawrence — MA, MS, APC
  • Breakout 5
    Beyond Survival: Reclaiming Identity, Emotional Safety, and Healing in Black Men’s Mental HealthRaymond Benton — M.A., LCMHCA (NC) (UT), NCC
10:30 AM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit

Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 10:30 to 11:30

Choose one of five concurrent courses for one CE credit.

View the 5 courses in this block
  • Breakout 1
    The Body Remembers What We Were Never Allowed to Say: Somatic and Energetic Healing for Trauma in BIPOC CommunitiesAsha Sims — MA Counseling
  • Breakout 2
    Suicide Prevention Among Young African American Males: Implications for Evidence-Based PracticeOliver Johnson — Ph.D., LCSW, LCAS, CCS
  • Breakout 3
    Melody as a Map: Using Music to Foster Cultural Humility and Relational Attunement in Clinical SupervisionBrianna Higgins — MA, LPC, NCCCo-presenter: Dr. Vincent W. Sears, PhD, MHC-LP
  • Breakout 4
    Breaking the Silence: Black Counselor Educators Naming, Navigating, and Coping with Racialized Experiences of Compassion FatigueKaren Jubert — Ph.D., LPC-S, NCC
  • Breakout 5
    Evaluating Equity: Using Research and Program Evaluation to Understand Service Access for Black FathersDr. Toni Sparrow — DPA, MBA
11:45 AM60 min
Special Event1 CE Credit

Panel Discussion & Press Conference

The State of Black Mental Health — our signature panel and press conference. One CE credit.

1:00 PM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit

Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 1:00 to 2:00

Choose one of six concurrent courses for one CE credit.

View the 6 courses in this block
  • Breakout 1
    Silencing as Violence: Understanding and Challenging Epistemic Injustice in Counseling, Supervision, and ResearchClaire Martin — PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS, BC-TMH
  • Breakout 2
    Culturally Responsive Trauma Care for Black Families: Attachment, Resilience, and HealingDonielle Cohen — LMFT, PhDCo-presenter: Zachary McNiece, PhD
  • Breakout 3
    When Worship Hides Wounds: Grief, Praise, and Mental Health in the Black ChurchDemetrius Jifunza — MSCo-presenters: Tremaine N. Leslie, PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS; Elaine Smith, MS, LCPC, NCC
  • Breakout 4
    No One’s Coming to Save Your Private Practice: Marketing Basics & Strategies Every Private Practice Owner Should Know in Today’s Tumultuous LandscapeNatasha Oates — MA
  • Breakout 5
    Training the Next Best: Succession Planning for Executive Leaders and Senior CliniciansDebra King — PhDCo-presenter: Channing Moss, M.A., LPC, NCC
  • Breakout 6
    Stuck in Survival Mode: Understanding the Neurobiology of Trauma and Pathways to Healing in Black CommunitiesValeea Sutton — MSN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC
2:15 PM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit

Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 2:15 to 3:15

Choose one of six concurrent courses for one CE credit.

View the 6 courses in this block
  • Breakout 1
    We Have a Problem: Navigating Relational Dynamics and Challenges in Black Women and MenKalesha Jenkins — PhD, LPC, NCC
  • Breakout 2
    Algorithms Ain’t Neutral: Care Ethics, AI, and the Future of Black Mental HealthMichael Jones — PhD, LPC-S, NCC, BC-TMHCo-presenter: Tiffanie Sutherlin, Ph.D., LPC-S, NCC, ACS
  • Breakout 3
    From Trauma to Incarceration: Examining Unresolved Childhood Experiences Among Black Men in the Criminal Justice SystemTyronisha Williams — M.Ed.Co-presenter: Karla L. Sapp, EdD, LPC-S, LMHC-S, LCMHC-S
  • Breakout 4
    From Stigma to Safety: Recovery-Oriented, Healing-Centered Substance Use Care in Black CommunitiesLydia Thomas — MS, NCC, ACS, CAADC/CSAC
  • Breakout 5
    Beyond Resilience: Counterspaces of Care and Collective Healing for Black Women in Higher EducationTiffany Hollis — PhD
  • Breakout 6
    The Cost of Carrying It All: Reclaiming Self Through the Gator vs. Salamander ModelJason Branch — PhD, LPC, ACS, NCC
3:30 PM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit

Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 3:30 to 4:30

Choose one of six concurrent courses for one CE credit.

View the 6 courses in this block
  • Breakout 1
    Lean On Me: Creating Safe Spaces for Black Men’s Mental HealthCecilia Guyton — EdD, LMHC-QS (FL), LPC (TX)
  • Breakout 2
    From Burnout to Bloom: Reclaiming Black Joy as a Clinical and Communal Act of ResistanceDr. Patrice Dunn — PhD, LPC, LPC-S, NCCCo-presenter: Dr. Rebecca Opamen, LPC, LPC-S, NCC
  • Breakout 3
    Forgive & Forget: Examining the Neuroscientific Dilemmas and Cultural Context of Forgiveness as It Relates to Black AmericaMelissa Tate-Scruse — Ed.D, LCMHCS, C-NPT
  • Breakout 4
    Using Black Storytelling as a Qualitative Research MethodAngela Banks — PhD, LPCC-S, NCC
  • Breakout 5
    From Historical Erasure to Identity Resilience: Introducing a Primary Prevention Model for Black Youth Mental HealthAndrea Alleyne — PhD, LCSW, CFNMP
  • Breakout 6
    Remember. Reset. Reclaim: Interrupting Suicide Risk in Black Youth Through Culturally Responsive, Systems-Based ActionKaren Stallings — DA, LCSW
4:30 PM30 min
Wellness & Ceremony

Sound Bath, Blessing of the Hands Ceremony & Closing

A restorative sound bath led by Danita Byrd, followed by our Blessing of the Hands ceremony and closing.

Maximum CE credits for Day One: 6 — one credit for each breakout block you attend, plus one for the Panel Discussion & Press Conference.

7:30 AM
Wellness

Trap Yoga with Ori Lotus

Start day two with our signature wellness session. (No CE credit.)

9:00 AM
Plenary

Welcome Back and Opening Act

Featuring a spoken word artist.

9:15 AM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit

Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 9:15 to 10:15

Choose one of six concurrent courses for one CE credit.

View the 6 courses in this block
  • Breakout 1
    Addressing Opioid Use Disorder in Black Communities: Evidence-Based Prevention, Treatment, and Relapse Prevention Funded by Opioid Settlement DollarsShon Smith — EdD, MA, LMHC, LCAS-A, LS, CRC, HS-BCP
  • Breakout 2
    Transformational Spaces: Reflecting on, Observing, and Applying Yalom’s Curative Factors in Black BarbershopsBredell Moody — Ph.D, LCMHC, LCAS-ACo-presenters: Kourtney Royseter, LCMHC, NCC; James Love; Montrell Staton; Jimmy Evans — Entrepreneur, Barbershop Owner, Barber
  • Breakout 3
    Training Gaps and Growth: Counselor Trainees’ Experiences Serving Black Women Experiencing HomelessnessNatese Dockery — PhD, LPC
  • Breakout 4
    Perceived Black Maternal Narcissism and Their Daughters’ Delinquency: Chronicles from a Daughter’s InterpretationDr. Nzinga Cates — PhD
  • Breakout 5
    Beyond Survival: Reimagining Black Mental Health Through Cultural Humility, Faith, and Housing JusticeMonique Willis — DSW, MSW, ASW
  • Breakout 6
    Real Rap: A Study on African American English in Cross-Cultural SupervisionShantanique Johnson — LPC
10:30 AM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit

Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 10:30 to 11:30

Choose one of five concurrent courses for one CE credit.

View the 5 courses in this block
  • Breakout 1
    Beyond Survival: Slavery’s Psychological Legacy and Clinical Implications for Work with Black WomenAngela Banks — PhD, LPCC-S, NCC
  • Breakout 2
    The Cost of Constant Readiness: The Neuroscience of Burnout, Racialized Stress, and Healing for Black Mental Health ProfessionalsGinavra Gibson — Ph.D., NCC, ACS, LPC (SC, GA), LPC-S (SC), CDBTCo-presenters: Alexis Roberson, Ph.D. Candidate, MS, LPC; Latisha Chambers, MS, LCMHC
  • Breakout 3
    From Masked to Mobilized: The POWER Framework as a Path to Racial Identity Reclamation, Clinician Wellness, and Embodied EntrepreneurshipJesaira Glover — LPC, NCC
  • Breakout 4
    Betrayal, Loneliness, and App Use for Affectional Minority MenBreon Rose — PhD, LCPC, LPC, ACSCo-presenters: Dae’Qwaun Landrum, PhD, LCADC, NCC, ACS; Alfonso Ferguson, PhD, LPC, LMHC, NCC, ACS; Marcus Smith, PhD, LCPC
  • Breakout 5
    Chipping Away at Monolithic Blackness: An Investigation of African Origin Clients’ Perceptions About Their Counselor’s Ability to Discuss Race, Ethnicity, and CultureNorma Day-Vines — PhDCo-presenters: Miguel Agustin, M.S.; Caiya Henderson, B.S.; Bethan Mwombela, B.S.; Mikayla Hennings, B.S.; Mide Pecku, B.S.
11:45 AM60 min
Special Event1 CE Credit

Awards Ceremony & Keynote Address — Dr. Michael Hannon

Presentation of our annual awards and scholarship, followed by the keynote address. One CE credit. Meet our keynote speaker →

1:00 PM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit

Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 1:00 to 2:00

Choose one of six concurrent courses for one CE credit.

View the 6 courses in this block
  • Breakout 1
    Still Showing Up, Quietly Breaking Down: Remembering Rest, Resetting Survival, and Reclaiming Wholeness Among High-Achieving Black WomenNatika Johnson — PhD, LPC, LCDC, NCC
  • Breakout 2
    The Blind Spot: How Internalized Oppression Shapes Black Clinicians’ Work with Black ClientsXanthia Johnson — LPCCo-presenter: Aisha Tyehimba, LPC
  • Breakout 3
    Cracking the Code from the Inside Out: Racialized Trauma, Neural Adaptation, and Clinician ResilienceAllura Pulliam-Feemster — PhD, LPC-A, Licensed School Counselor
  • Breakout 4
    More Than Misbehavior: Understanding Trauma in Black YouthKimberly Ward — LICSW, LCSW-C, LCSW, RPT
  • Breakout 5
    Reimagining Parenting and Family Systems in Black Mental HealthKaren Cameron-Petroski — MA
  • Breakout 6
    Ethical Resilience and Trauma-Informed Practice in Today’s Social WorkMariah Maurice — DPA, LMSW
2:15 PM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit

Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 2:15 to 3:15

Choose one of five concurrent courses for one CE credit.

View the 5 courses in this block
  • Breakout 1
    Counseling and Cooperative Extension: Expanding Access to Mental Health Resources in Black CommunitiesNatese Dockery — PhD, LPC
  • Breakout 2
    We Do This Till We Heal Us: Risk and Protective Factors of Burnout and Secondary Racial Trauma of Black Mental Health ProfessionalsEric Brown — PhD, LPC
  • Breakout 3
    Heartbreak & Hormones: A 3-Part Framework for Identity RestorationKenya Dennis — LPCS, LPC, AMSR
  • Breakout 4
    Inquiry-Based Learning in a Culturally Responsive Power of Difference Course: Impact on Student Belonging, Cultural Humility, and MotivationVictoria McNeil-Young — PhD, LCP
  • Breakout 5
    Virtual Play Therapy with Children of Incarcerated ParentsZachary McNiece — Ph.D.
3:30 PM60 min
Breakouts1 CE Credit

Concurrent Breakout Sessions — 3:30 to 4:30

Choose one of five concurrent courses for one CE credit.

View the 5 courses in this block
  • Breakout 1
    Diagnostic Colonialism in the Age of AI: The Epigenetic Transfer of Human Error and the Erasure of Black Cultural IdentityRyan Feemster — Ph.D., LCMHC, NCC
  • Breakout 2
    When Money Hurts: Understanding Financial Trauma, Attachment, and Economic Healing in Black CommunitiesAlicia Tetteh — LCSW, CFSW, DSW
  • Breakout 3
    Beyond Cultural Competence: A Three-Framework Approach to Serving Black Immigrant Men in Mental Health SettingsBernice Yamoah — PMP, M.Phil.
  • Breakout 4
    Reclaim Your Practice: What Every Black Mental Health Provider Must Know About ADA Accommodation, FMLA, and Short-Term Disability ClaimsRachel Muchai-Taylor — Nursing Certificate, ADA and FMLA Certified
  • Breakout 5
    The Science of Success: Exploring the Mindset and Behavioral Shifts the Brain and Body Must Adapt to for Sustainable Clinical EntrepreneurshipDr. Siobhan Flowers — PhD, LPC-S, NCC, CSC
4:30 PM30 min
Plenary

Blessing of the Hands Ceremony & Closing

Maximum CE credits for Day Two: 6 — one credit for each breakout block you attend, plus one for the Awards Ceremony & Keynote Address.

Continuing education: earn up to 12 CE credits across the Symposium (a maximum of 6 per day) by attending breakout courses, the Panel Discussion & Press Conference, and the Awards Ceremony & Keynote Address. Trap Yoga and pre-conference, social, and networking events do not carry CE credit. The BMHS is accredited by the National Board for Certified Counselors; application is made to the National Association of Social Workers. Certificates are emailed within 48 hours after the Symposium.

Build Your Three Days of Healing

Every registration includes the full schedule — pre-conference events, the keynote and awards ceremony, our signature panel, your choice of breakout courses, Trap Yoga, and networking.

Register Now Meet the Speakers

The Black Mental Health Symposium is dedicated to improving mental health outcomes in Black communities.

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