Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference Shifts to Compact Workshop Format for 2022

Jeffrey K. Zeig, PhD, founder and director of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Phoenix, Arizona, shares what sets this Evolution of Psychotherapy conference apart from previous years. The 37th annual conference taking place in Orlando, Florida, from December 14 through December 17, 2022, will still offer more than 60 CE/CME credits but in a more compact schedule focusing on workshops and practical demonstrations.

Watch the video to hear more event updates and stay tuned in our newsroom for ongoing conference coverage.

Jeffrey K. Zeig, PhD, is the founder and director of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation. He has edited, co-edited, authored or coauthored more than 20 books on psychotherapy that appear in 14 foreign languages. Dr Zeig is the architect of The Evolution of Psychotherapy Conferences, the Brief Therapy Conferences, the Couples Conferences, and the International Congresses on Ericksonian Approaches to Hypnosis and Psychotherapy. A psychologist and marriage and family therapist in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona, Dr. Zeig conducts workshops internationally (40 countries). He is president of Zeig, Tucker & Theisen, Inc., publishers in the behavioral sciences.

Read the transcript: 

Question: How has the conference evolved since its inception in 1985?

Answer: The conference is now organized more around the events that attendees really value, which are clinical demonstrations and workshops. At first, we started by having an academic conference. We had proceedings, printed proceedings. Now we're more focused on educating students and providing the kind of education they need for the United States for re-licensure and also for people who want to improve their skills in psychotherapy through the workshops and demonstrations that we'll be presenting.

Q: What's going to be different about this year's event and what can people expect?

A: There are a number of different things. One, the format of the conference, having this core of workshops and demonstrations as being the centerpiece of the conference. Second, we have an addition to the conference called reTHINK, where we're bringing people to speak about topics that are of interest and that will help people in their licensure topics like ethics and topics like the use of psychedelics and psychotherapy. These are things that wouldn't normally be part of an evolution conference, but that will help people to get the education that they need, both for practice and for re-licensure.

Also, this conference is a little shorter, so this is an opportunity for people to take advantage of being in Orlando and the incredible number of family-oriented attractions that are there, especially during the holiday season. What we're trying to do is to have a smaller conference with a more dense impact around specific topics that can guide people to be better psychotherapists.

Q: What can you say about the relationships between the traditional Evolution in Anaheim, versus the shorter Evolution conference in Orlando this year?

A: We want the Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference to span as much of the scope of psychotherapy and psychotherapy expertise for masters as we can. The Evolution Conference in its grand form will be repeated in Anaheim in 2023. This smaller meeting brings together the expertise of an evolution conference in a more compact format, and it's going to be in person. We haven't been in person since 2017, so we want to resume the idea of bringing people together in one meeting hall, the Gay Lord Hotel in Orlando to marvelous venue. I have been there during the Christmas season and they have a lot to offer families.