Winter Symposium on Addiction and Mental Health

Welcome to the annual winter symposium

General Information

The Advanced International Winter Symposium on Addictive Disorders, Behavioral Health, and Mental Health has provided addiction specialists, counselors, and behavioral health professionals with world-class education and training for over 45 years. This symposium creates unprecedented opportunities to share knowledge, perspectives, and cutting edge research.

The 2022 Winter Symposium attracted over 1,200 attendees, including 28 Educational Supporters and 85 Exhibitors.

The 2023 Winter Symposium includes exhibits, plenaries, and networking opportunities related to:

Substance use disorders
Families and the therapeutic process
Ethics training
Self care and partnering with peers
Trauma therapy
Integrative care
Mindfulness in recovery
Depression and bipolar disorder

Our attendees include many of the most esteemed addictions specialists, behavioral, and mental health practitioners including:

Addiction treatment providers
Mental health providers
Military and state agencies
Residential and outpatient providers
Psychologists
Psychiatrists
Addiction Medicine Specialists
LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCs, LACs, EAPs

Welcome 2023 Platinum Educational Supporter!

SYMPOSIUM PURPOSE AND CORE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

To improve health professional attendees' evidence-based diagnostic assessment, treatment, knowledge and practice skills specific to reducing health care provider care gaps and facilitating integrative care related to a broad spectrum of addictive disorders, behavioral and mental health disorders.

Attendees completing the full symposium will be able to identify 5 or more evidence-based diagnostic/assessment measures, treatment interventions, practice gap reduction measures and integrative care interventions including psychotherapies, psychosocial treatments, medical and integrative care, self-help care and adjunctive care interventions for persons manifesting the broad spectrum of disorders and conditions included in this educational program.

Gary G. Forrest, EdD, PhD

Clinical Psychologist, Executive Director and Founder of Psychotherapy Associates and the Annual Addictive Disorders, Behavioral Health and Mental Health Winter Symposium, Nationally recognized addictions consultant, educator, author, and clinician practicing in Colorado Springs, CO since 1974.

The Winter Symposium Staff includes:

Sarah Forrest, MS, Director of Operations
Jen Ochsner, MA, Symposium Coordinator
Allison Forrest, MS, Symposium Developer
Sandra Della-Giustina, Marketing Consultant
Dr. Robert Ochsner, Addiction Medicine Specialist

Thank you for caring for our community during this time of grief and loss.

Colorado Springs is our home. It has been the home of the Winter Symposium for 48 years. Our community is hurting. And our incredible network of mental health care providers, emergency responders, and health care professionals have been called to assist in the hard work of recovery. We are deeply appreciative of all the individuals and organizations that have and are working tirelessly to respond to the needs of the victims, their families and friends, and our community. Colorado Springs is not defined by this painful event but by our response and the actions we take to support each other as part of the recovery process. Our mental health care providers are integral to our healing. Our community is indebted to you.

The Winter Symposium stands firmly behind the LGBTQAI+ community, the victims, and their families. We are working diligently to provide high quality content on our agenda to support clinicians working with LGBTQAI+ clients and community members. As we move forward, our community will need support services in new and unforeseen ways because of the Club Q tragedy. We have created a thread of sessions offered throughout the symposium aimed at providing and strengthening clinical skills so that our network of professionals can better meet the challenges brought by the recent events.

Last weekend's hate crime is yet another call to action on so many levels. Our mission has has always been to educate, connect, and support the special people who have dedicated themselves to the service of others by providing mental health care. You are the community we serve, and it is an honor.

Thank you to everyone caring for and about the Colorado Springs community during this time of grief and loss. We are stronger together.

With Love and Gratitude,

The Winter Symposium Staff

48th Annual Winter Symposium Join us in January 2023

registration is open! january 29 - February 1, 2023

Welcome to the annual winter symposium

General Information

Earn up to 28 CECs Approved by NAADAC

SYMPOSIUM PURPOSE AND CORE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Gary G. Forrest, EdD, PhD

Contact Us

48th Annual Winter Symposium

Email us

Thank you for caring for our community during this time of grief and loss.

48th Annual Winter Symposium Join us in January 2023

registration is open! january 29 - February 1, 2023

Welcome to the annual winter symposium

General Information

Earn up to 28 CECs Approved by NAADAC

SYMPOSIUM PURPOSE AND CORE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Gary G. Forrest, EdD, PhD

Contact Us

48th Annual Winter Symposium

Email us

Thank you for caring for our community during this time of grief and loss.

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