We are pleased to announce the return of ACA Conferences in 2023, to be held in Sydney, New South Wales from Friday, 29 September to Sunday, 1 October 2023.

This event will showcase leading mental health research from Australia’s foremost educational institutions and best practice applications from local experts before an expected audience of around 400 domestic and international delegates; it is a highly anticipated event for 2023.

Objectives and outcomes: The conference aims to build the professional capacity of front-line mental health providers, academics, researchers and private practitioners, by providing insight into the delivery of mental health services at all levels.

Theme: The theme for this conference is Resilience. We welcome all interpretations including and not limited to community trauma, climate anxiety, neurodiversity, drugs and alcohol, human centred design and innovation, etc.

To submit an abstract: Mental health professionals, researchers, students, community workers, teachers, academics, policy and project officers and other interested parties are invited to submit theoretical and empirical research abstracts related to the conference theme, Resilience, to [email protected]. Abstracts must directly explain the relevance of the chosen topic, the research question, theoretical background and the contribution that research makes to the development of mental health service delivery. Empirical papers should provide an overview of their methodology, analysis and main findings. Ultimately, the conference paper will comprise 3,000 words maximum.

Submission procedure: Abstracts are subject to blind review by an independent reviewer to ensure selection is based on merit. Please insert your name and membership number, where applicable, for both categories (paper and alternative), in Microsoft Word or PDF format with double-spaced, 12pt Arial font and numbered pages. Please email to [email protected].

Alternate Format Submissions (Symposia, Panels, etc.): We also welcome submissions for alternative types of sessions, including symposia, interactive panel discussions, workshops, and other innovative formats (feel free to be creative!). These submissions should include a title page with the names, affiliations, and roles of people who will be leading, presenting, or speaking in the session. Alternate format submissions should be no longer than 3,000 words (including title page, abstract, figures, references, etc). Successful submissions will typically be assigned a 1.5-hour session within the conference program, there is, however, limited capacity for alternative session formats; allocation will be based on merit.

Deadline: 18 January 2023 4pm AEST

Further Information: Further conference information will be announced in due course.
Alternatively, please contact [email protected] if you have any questions about submitting an abstract.

The Australian Counselling Association thank you for your submissions and look forward to reading your work!