Family Matters: Focusing on all aspects of supporting families, children, couples, and caregivers
Join your fellow counselors at MaMHCA’s 2025 Annual Conference, Family Matters, happening October 24–25 at the Hilton in Dedham, MA. Whether you’re a student, a supervisor, or a seasoned clinician, this event is designed with you in mind. With three targeted tracks and four unique breakout sessions per track, you’ll explore critical family-centered topics—like play-based self-care, ethical therapy practices with cases in litigation, sexual health resources for counselors, addressing privilege and bias in family work, and so much more!
Earn 7 CEUs towards the 2024 - 2025 renewal cycle!
Location: Hilton Boston/Dedham, 25 Allied Drive, Dedham, MA
Want to buy a table (10+)? Check out our bulk ticket options.
Friday Evening, October 24, 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:45 PM
The weekend begins Friday evening with a lively student poster contest viewing, dinner, and escape room, our Annual Meeting and Awards, and plenty of networking opportunities.
Saturday Morning, October 25, 2024, 9:00 AM -12:15 PM
Welcome to the Conference and Agenda 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM
Breakout sessions are organized into three different recommended tracks: Supervisors and Counselor Educators (Track 1), Students and Emerging Professionals (Track 2), and Experienced Professionals and Specialists (Track 3).
Breakout Session 1: 9:20 AM - 10:40 AM
- The Relational Supervisor: Cultivating Systemic Thinking and Self of the Therapist in Supervisees with Niko Wilson, LMHC/LMFT/Ph.D (Track 1)
- What Kind of Play Do You Need? Self-Care Using Play with Denise Galford-Koeppel, LMHC and Life is Good Playmaker and Howard Moody, Life is Good Playmaker (Track 2)
- Guiding Your Clients through Divorce with Dignity with Ben Stitch, LICSW (Track 3)
Breakout Session 2: 10:50 AM - 12:10 PM
- Digging at the Root: Uncovering Layers of Privilege and Internalized Bias When Working with Families with Cassandra Carroll, LMHC (Track 1)
- How to Speak Tween: The Therapist's Role in Strengthening the Caregiver-Tween Relationship with Elana Jones, LMHC (Track 2)
- Harm Reduction as a Family Intervention for High Risk Teens with Charity Chaffee, LMHC (Track 3)
Saturday lunch 12:10 PM - 1:00 PM
You will have time during lunch to take a walk, network, and chat with our sponsors. The raffle and poster winner will be announced.
Saturday afternoon, October 25, 2025
Legislative Session: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Breakout Session 3: 2:10 PM - 3:40 PM
- Navigating Child Therapy: Policies and Ethical Consideration for Clinicians with Amanda Nicely, LMHC (Track 1)
- Holding Both: Family Engagement & Clinical Resilience with Raluca Honciuc, LMHC (Track 2)
- Beyond Communication: Nervous System Regulation in Couples and Parenting Work with Annabelle Coote, LMHC (Track 3)
Breakout Session 4: 3:50 PM - 5:10 PM
- Playing Around with Supervision of Family Therapy with Denise Galford-Koeppel, LMHC and Life is Good Playmaker (Track 1)
- Substance Use: Family Systems Dynamics with Martha P Deering, LADC 1 and LRC (Track 2)
- Sex Matter 101: Helping Clients by Learning Essential Sexual Health Concepts and Resources with Stephanie Baird, LMHC (Track 3)
Conference Check-Out: 5:10 PM - 5:30 PM
