Office of Professional Development

2026 Sue Fairbanks Lecture | Holding, Containing, Dissolving: A Psychoanalytic View of Psychedelic Therapies
October 2, 2026
1:00 – 4:00 PM CDT
In-Person – Walter Webb Hall
3.0 hours of CEUs
Free – Registration Required

Psychoanalytic treatment typically understands therapeutic change as a gradual process shaped by unconscious dynamics, transference, and resistance, while psychedelic therapies are often framed as catalysts for rapid transformation. This contrast raises clinical, theoretical, and ethical questions about how psychedelic experience may intersect with analytic work. Led by Kevin Barrett, LCSW, this talk examines ketamine-assisted therapy within long-term psychoanalytic treatment, highlighting both its possibilities and complexities.

2026 Dean Jack Otis Lecture | Humanities and Youth Justice: Policy and Community Approaches to Resilience
October 28, 2026
1:00 – 2:30 PM CDT
In-Person – Walter Webb Hall
1.5 hours of CEUs
Free – Registration Required

The 2026 Dean Jack Otis Social Problem and Social Policy Lecture will explore Humanities and Youth Justice: Policy and Community Approaches to Resilience. This panel will examine how the humanities—especially music and creative expression—can shape innovative policy responses to youth trauma and justice involvement. The program will highlight the partnership between Travis County’s Transformative Youth Justice (TYJ) initiative and Austin Classical Guitar (ACG), showing how collaboration between justice systems and community arts organizations can support rehabilitation, resilience, and positive pathways for justice-involved youth.

November 2-4, 2026
8:30 AM – 5:30 PM CST Daily
Zoom
40 hours of CEUs

PROGRAM FULL

This 40-hour training series is approved by the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners and fulfills the requirements to supervise candidates pursuing clinical licensure. Delivered virtually, the program features collaborative, experiential, and highly interactive sessions focused on real-world application and hands-on skill building.

November 6, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM CST
Zoom
6 hours of CEUs

This timely workshop, led by Mayan Herman from UT Social Work, equips clinicians to apply neuroscience-informed strategies, reduce stigma, and strengthen treatment planning for emerging addiction patterns.

January 15, 2027
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM CST
Zoom
3 hours of CEUs

Led by Tammy Linseisen, this virtual workshop will bring evidence-informed supervision to life through practical case examples and focused exploration of five key areas essential to supervisory best practice. Participants will evaluate their current approach and leave with actionable strategies to strengthen the ethical and effective delivery of clinical or educational supervision.

Introduction to the Oaklander Model of Child and Adolescent Gestalt Play Therapy

January 22, 2027
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM CST
In-Person – Austin, TX
6.0 hours of CEUs

Learn directly from Karen Fried, Psy.D., M.F.T., in this engaging, experience-based training grounded in Violet Oaklander’s influential model of Gestalt play therapy. Participants will explore practical, creative techniques—including drawing, clay, and the I/Thou relationship—to support children and adolescents in developing awareness, connection, and a stronger sense of self.

February 17-19, 2027
Hybrid – Austin and Online
15 hours of CEUs

The Annual Texas School Social Workers Conference is one of the longest-running and largest continuing education events dedicated to supporting the professional growth of school social workers across Texas. Now in its 36th year, the conference invites school social workers, educators, mental health professionals, community partners, and advocates to come together around the 2027 theme, The Heartbeat of Healing.

Conference registration is now open and the full agenda will be announced in late October.

REGISTRATION DEADLINES

In-person: 1/31/2027

Virtual: 2/19/2027