UAMFT Spring 2026 Conference

Earn up to 19.5 CEs at this relationally focused conference!

May 7 - 9, 2026  ·  Hilton Salt Lake City Center

Join us at the UAMFT Spring 2026 Conference, May 7-9 at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center! With relationally focused trainings, valuable networking opportunities, and updates on the latest mental health legislation in Utah, you won't want to miss this opportunity to earn up to 19.5 CEs! 

Not an MFT? Not a problem! Other mental health providers can still earn CEs toward license renewal. Come learn more about mental health issues from a relational lens!

With both in-person and virtual attendance options, this conference offers a meaningful opportunity to learn, grow, and connect with Utah's mental health community. 

Agenda

Thursday, May 7
8:00 AM
8:00 AM
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
A trauma-responsive training for clinicians working with sexual trauma. This course focuses on safety, attunement, and ethical care, offering practical tools to support survivors, navigate clinical challenges, and reduce the risk of retraumatization.
The first three sessions can make or break couples therapy. Learn what to assess, identify cycles early, spot safety concerns, deliver clear feedback, and introduce interventions that create traction. Leave with scripts and a repeatable roadmap.
Neurodivergent children do not mask in isolation. This session explores unmasking as a family process and how play therapy shifts families from behavior management to relational safety, using neurodiversity-affirming interventions that support connection.
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Join us in a less crowded room with self-care activities while still receiving CEs from the presentations in the Main Ballroom. Many of the activities are portable, so you can take them with you into the ballrooms as well.
10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Visit vendors in the hallway and let them scan your badges to be entered into a raffle for a prize! *Please note: this break does not include snacks, but the break at 3:15 will include cheese and crackers
10:15 AM - 12:30 PM
10:15 AM - 12:30 PM
As laws change, supervisors must translate compliance into practice. This workshop reviews key changes and practical strategies to meet requirements, including direct observation and supervision contracts, while strengthening ethical supervision.
This training reviews core systemic concepts—circular causality, homeostasis, feedback loops, and process vs. content—and applies them to modern clinical work. Case examples help clinicians strengthen skills while considering power, identity, and context.
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Nearby food: Spencer's (hotel restaurant), Jimmy John's, Pretty Bird Hot Chicken, Salt Lake Litty Street Tacos, Apollo Burger, UGC Urban Gyro & Chicken, P.F. Chang's, Spitz Mediterranean Street Food, Blue Iguana, From Scratch, City Creek Food Court, etc.
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Professionally, what can and should we do as therapists when a disaster strikes? This workshop explores how to ethically prepare with the purpose of giving each therapist a beginning disaster prep plan for their own practices.
This experiential IFS training explores the "parts-of-the-therapist" that contribute to empathetic distress, burnout, and countertransference. Learn to befriend, unblend, and nurture your parts that overshadow your capacity to be compassionate.
Perimenopause significantly affects mood, identity, intimacy, and conflict cycles, often creating misunderstandings in couples. This session provides a hormone-aware framework for assessment and intervention to help partners navigate this transition.
5:15 PM - 6:15 PM
5:15 PM - 6:15 PM
Come see what the UAMFT Board is up to!
Friday, May 8
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Visit vendors in the hallway and let them scan your badges to be entered into a raffle for a prize!
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Join us in celebrating the accomplishments of fellow professionals and see what research local students have done while enjoying delicious food. *Please note that this will not be broadcast, and CEs will not be awarded.
1:30 PM - 3:15 PM
1:30 PM - 3:15 PM
Review of legislation from the most recent session and the impact on our field and the populations we serve
Infidelity is often considered out of control sexual behavior. As systemic therapists, how do we understand the purpose or motivation behind the behavior when clients have childhood trauma? What interventions might support partners in the relationship?
As work with LGBTQ+ clients becomes more politicized, therapists may feel tension between ethics, external pressures, and authentic practice. This training offers ethical frameworks and guidance to support affirming, competent care.
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Visit vendors in the hallway and let them scan your badges to be entered into a raffle for a prize! *Please note: this break does not include snacks
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
This lecture will help clinicians better recognize how they can assist ASD individuals, their family members and friends by providing psychoeducation on causes of ASD, as well as providing several successful alternative treatment options.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often misdiagnosed, delaying treatment and affecting individuals and families. This training brings awareness and highlights screening strategies to help clinicians identify OCD and support timely, appropriate care.
This presentation provides therapists with strategies and a toolkit for supporting clients with ADHD. It explores the latest understanding of ADHD, its impact on academic and social-emotional development, relationships, and evidence-based interventions.
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Join us for some laughs after a long day of learning!
Saturday, May 9
8:00 AM - 9:45 AM
8:00 AM - 9:45 AM
This presentation explores how Gestalt Play Therapy enhances family therapy by viewing the family as an interconnected system. Through experiential play, participants learn to foster awareness, connection, self-regulation, and change across generations.
Extend systemic thinking beyond clinical work into policy, law, and public discourse. Learn to analyze policies as relational systems, navigate ethical boundaries, and engage polarized conversations while maintaining professional identity and integrity.
Through creative, experiential activities, explore metaphor as a tool for therapy, self-awareness, and systemic understanding.
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM
Visit vendors in the hallway and let them scan your badges to be entered into a raffle for a prize!
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Migration is often treated as a transition, yet for many it is a traumatic experience. This presentation explores loss, identity disruption, and acculturation stress, and offers culturally responsive, trauma-informed strategies.
This presentation reframes resistance in family therapy with autistic clients as meaningful communication rather than noncompliance. Come learn neurodiversity-affirming frameworks, autism research, and adapt family therapy models to increase engagement.
Religious trauma does not live in individuals alone, but in family roles, emotional silence, and attachment patterns shaped by faith. Come explore how religious systems organize family dynamics, reinforce emotional neglect, and create relational wounds.
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Nearby food: Spencer's (hotel restaurant), Jimmy John's, Pretty Bird Hot Chicken, Salt Lake Litty Street Tacos, Apollo Burger, UGC Urban Gyro & Chicken, P.F. Chang's, Spitz Mediterranean Street Food, Blue Iguana, From Scratch, City Creek Food Court, etc.
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
This presentation will review suicide rates for teens in UT and identify teens who are at greater risk. It will discuss the importance of assessment and safety planning, from the lens of different stakeholders: therapist, pediatrician, teachers, parents.
Stop treating licensing rules like "Terms & Conditions" pop-ups. This breakout cuts through the bureaucratic fog to clarify your legal and ethical responsibilities. Join us to master the latest rules and protect your practice.
3:00 PM
3:00 PM

Speakers

Steven Harris

Steven M. Harris, Ph.D., LMFT - Professor of family therapy, Family Social Science Dept., University of Minnesota.

Andrés Larios Brown, LMFT

Andrés Larios Brown (they/elle) is a Utah-based therapist, educator, and Training Director at the Simple Modern Institute, specializing in LGBTQ+ care, trauma, and liberatory clinical practice.

Brittney Santillo, LMFT, LCADC

Learn how to structure the first three sessions of couples therapy to create safety, clarity, and direction. This training covers assessment, identifying patterns, and aligning partners to support early engagement and meaningful progress.

Connor Barham, LMFT

Wellspring Healing and Therapy is an outpatient mental health clinic located in Utah and Washington that specializes in Internal Family Systems therapy, trauma-informed models, and relational therapy.

Annie Johnson Reeves, AMFT

Annie is an associate marriage and family therapist and is supervised by Connor Barham.

Jeremy Bailey, LMFT

Jeremy is focused on supervision and consultation, supporting clinicians and agencies in becoming effective change agents through experiential and self‑of‑the‑therapist approaches.

John Robbins, PhD

John Robbins, PhD, LMFT is President of PassageWise, a training company guiding healthy and effective professional practices. He is Core Faculty for Walden University's CMHC program. John is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, instructor, and Mentor.

Jennifer Morgan Smith, LMFT, MBA

Jennifer Morgan Smith, LMFT, MBA. Jennifer is passionate about therapy supervision and trauma‑informed care. She loves building meaningful connections and empowering others, believing strongly in the resilience resulting from supportive relationships.

Katie Gooch, LMFT

Katie is an LMFT with graduate degrees in marriage and family therapy, adult education and training and curriculum instruction, as well as a graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Michael Allison, LMFT, ABS

Michael Allison LMFT is a therapist in private practice in Layton Utah. He is a specialist in working in recovery from severe trauma.

Roberto De Giorgio, LMFT

Roberto De Giorgio is the current Davis County Crisis Receiving Center Program Supervisor, located in Layton UT.

Shara Jackson Harper, CSW, PMH-C

Shara Jackson Harper specializes in the intersection of mental health and the hormone variation across the female lifespan.

Patrick Hardy, LL.M. CEM, CBCP, MBCP, CRM

Disaster Patrick trades "doom and gloom" for high-energy stunts. Using the 5-Pocket Method, he proves you don't need a hero when you have the skills.

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Exhibitors

Utah Association for Play Therapy

The Utah Association for Play Therapy is an independent organization representing the Utah branch for the Association for Play Therapy (APT).

Utah Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

The Utah Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (UAMFT) is dedicated to advancing the profession and practice of marriage and family therapy in our communities.

Peaceful Divorce Solutions

Peaceful Divorce Solutions is a comprehensive divorce mediation service. Our team provides a structured, neutral process designed to reduce conflict and safeguard families by avoiding unnecessary financial strain and emotional harm.

Sage Canyon Counseling

Sage Canyon Counseling is led by Damon Bryan, LMFT, who brings 23 years of clinical experience. Damon specializes in working with autistic individuals and their families. He is trained in DBT, EMDR, ART, and Gottman Couples Therapy.

Youth Care

Youth Care is a premier behavioral health treatment center for adolescents ages 11–18. We offer clinically excellent, transformative care in a homelike environment that fosters mutual respect, growth, and healing.

Aspen Grove Behavioral Hospital

Aspen Grove Behavioral Hospital serves adolescents, adults and older adults from around the nation with a spectrum of inpatient and outpatient treatment for mental health and chemical dependency.

BYU MFT Program

The BYU MFT Programs (MS and PhD) provide training that recognizes the divine worth of all God's children, and promotes spiritual, intellectual, and character growth in future professionals. Applications for both programs are due Dec 1.

Utah Tech University MFT Program

MFT graduate program at Utah Tech

Clark Mediation

Clark Mediation provides mediation services to all of Utah specializing in all types of divorce and family disputes.

Clerie

An AI-Native EHR platform that automates the admin and billing side of your practice.

Simple Modern Therapy

We are a secular sanctuary for "everyone else." We provide expert, inclusive healing for those who don't fit the traditional mold. We're here to help you resolve conflict, embrace your identity, and finally thrive.

USU MFT Program

The USU marriage and family therapy program is one of the COAMFTE-accredited master's program in the state of Utah. We also offer a PhD in marriage and family therapy.

LÉVO Mind Care

Primary Mental Healthcare providing assessment, diagnosis, and a clear path to better mental health.

Utah Marriage Commission

The Utah Marriage Commission provides free, research-based relationship education to help Utahns build and sustain healthy relationships and stronger marriages.

NextTherapist

Taking lead generation, booking, and waitlisting off of your plate. Giving time for therapy back.

Healthy Mind Map

Healthy Mind Map bridges therapy and daily life with validated assessments, habit tracking, and real-time analytics — giving clients meaningful insight into their mental health and clinicians a clearer view of their progress.

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Sponsors

This conference wouldn't be possible without our sponsors!
Gold

Location

Location: Hilton Salt Lake City Center, 255 South West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

More...

Register

To register, go to uamft.org/events