The Beck Institute Excellence Summit is Beck Institute’s signature educational and networking event. We have held this annual event both virtually and in-person in the past. No matter how the event is hosted, the Excellence Summit brings together clinicians, researchers, academics, administrators, and students in the health and mental health fields to learn about current CBT research, advancements in clinical care, and important issues facing the field. Programming includes:
- Research presentations: Leading experts in CBT present their current research in a short 45-minute format, followed by time for audience Q&A and discussion.
- Clinical roundtables: Dr. Judith Beck moderates a discussion among clinicians working with a specific diagnosis or population. Clinicians present and discuss case material (with identifying details disguised).
- Public-facing panel discussions: Experts from a variety of backgrounds shed light on a pressing issue in the field of mental health.
- New this year! A lived experience conversation: An individual and therapist discuss treatment.
- Opportunities for community engagement: These include speed networking sessions, discussion boards, private messaging, group and one-on-one virtual meeting scheduling.
Since 2017, we have grown the Excellence Summit from a small, in-person gathering to a large-scale, international virtual event. Past presenters have included prominent CBT researchers and educators, such as Dr. Stefan Hofmann, Dr. Cory Newman, Dr. Donna Sudak, Dr. Torrey Creed, Dr. Robert Friedberg, and many others. (See a complete list of past Excellence Summit presenters here.) We have always intended for the Excellence Summit to foster relationships among the CBT community, and have been particularly thrilled to learn about new collaborations and connections that have occurred as a result of past Summits.
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we made the decision to move the Summit online. Much to our surprise, the 2020 Summit ended up breaking previously set attendance records. It has been incredible to see the growth in participation from our colleagues around the world. Spurred on by the success of the virtual program, and amid continuing concerns about the health and safety of our participants, we again held the Summit virtually in 2021, again exceeding attendance records.
Sadly, the 2021 Summit was followed by the news of Dr. Aaron Beck’s passing on November 1st, at the age of 100. As we began to make preparations for the 2022 Summit, we realized that one meaningful way we could honor Dr. Beck’s legacy was to make the Summit programming available to all health and mental health professionals. Dr. Beck was so proud of the Summit and spoke so fondly of the wonderful conversations he had had with colleagues from around the world, and we knew he would have been thrilled to share this important program with a wider audience. 2022 will mark the first year that we are opening up Excellence Summit invitations to the broader community of health and mental health professionals.
The Excellence Summit helps Beck Institute deliver on its mission of improving lives worldwide through excellence and innovation in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy. It is our hope that this program will inspire and inform attendees, strengthen our community of mental health professionals, and make cutting-edge research and current clinical information accessible and available to health and mental health professionals everywhere. Wherever you are in your career, we hope you’ll join us!
Learn more about the 2022 Excellence Summit and register now!