University Welcomes Mental Health Professionals from Europe and the US for 63rd EB-ACA Conference

Hellenic American University proudly hosted the 63rd Annual Conference of the European Branch of the American Counseling Association (EB-ACA) on October 21-22, 2022. The hybrid event, which brought together academics and mental health professionals from around the world, was held at the University’s Athens campus and coordinated on-site by Dr. Alessandra Sax, Associate Professor of Psychology at Hellenic American University and Director of the Psychology programs and the Counseling Center.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Moving through Together: Addressing a Changing World”. The two-day event featured 40 talks, poster presentations, and panel discussions that explored international counselling and social justice issues in a wide range of counselling disciplines. The conference’s keynote address, delivered by Drs. Joshua Kreimeyer and Carol M. Smith, explored training for trauma counselling in the context of the war in Ukraine.

The University’s faculty, staff, and alumni were well-represented at the conference. Dr. Sax was joined by adjunct faculty member and coordinator of the University Counseling Center, Dr. Maria Agorastou, in a roundtable session where they presented case studies of using creative art and mindfulness in treating trauma. Aikaterini Aranitou (MSPSY ’23) presented her research on mental resilience during military service in an award-winning poster presentation, and Arthur Antonopoulos (MSPSY ‘22) delivered a talk on deciphering deception signals. Six students from the undergraduate and graduate psychology programs served as volunteers during the conference.

In the words of Dr. Sax, the 63rd EB-ACA Conference was an unqualified success: “The fruitful exchange and positive collaboration at the conference,” she says, “helped strengthen existing ties between Greece, Hellenic American University/Hellenic American College with the EB-ACA organization.”

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