Career Development

If you are attending ADAA's Annual Conference for the first time, welcome. With over 1,200 attendees expected and more than 150 engaging sessions anticipated, events, and networking opportunities, it could be easy to be overwhelmed.

Are you a newly trained CBT therapist, wondering how to start your first independent practice?  Perhaps you want to join an existing group of therapists, or you dream of renting an office and having your own practice.  When I talk to our students and members at

1. Know the conference theme.

Every year, ADAA's annual conference has a theme. Be sure to consider how your submission may fit within the conference theme, and reference this in your submission!

2. Establish your target audience.

If you're like me, this may be one of the first in-person professional conferences you've attended for the past 2 years!

ADAA’s conferences are incredible, offering unparalleled learning, networking, and engagement opportunities. However, for many attendees – both new and seasoned – the constant hustle can be overwhelming.

During the fall of 2019 I was at a pivotal point in my career trajectory. I had just started my pre-doctoral internship year and was preparing to apply for post-doctoral positions – a last step in my training as I pursued a career in research.