BABCP

The BABCP Annual Conference is now only a few months away, and we are delighted to be hosting it at the University of Manchester this year. Manchester is a great venue for the conference, particularly because of the strong local involvement in CBT. 

Manchester has long been the site of key developments in the field of cognitive behaviour therapy in this country, and the links throughout the NHS and with other Universities in the region make it an ideal location for the BABCP conference. Manchester also has an international reputation as a vibrant metropolitan city, with a diverse art and cultural scene, and a wide range of bars, clubs, restaurants, and music venues. 

The conference programme features pre-conference workshops, keynote addresses, symposia, debates and roundtables, skills classes, open paper sessions, and poster presentations. The whole programme is organised into 11 streams; broad areas within psychology such as Adult Mental Health, and this year the programme focuses on a number of key themes that are both timely, and showcase the regional expertise.

This year's key themes are:

• Advances in Understanding and Treating Psychosis
• Self Regulation and Control
• Innovations in Parent Training
• The Interface between Health Psychology and CBT
• CBT for an Aging Population
• Imagery and CBT
• IAPT and Beyond 

We are particularly pleased to have a large number of international keynote speakers: Arnoud Arntz, David A. Clark, Robert DeRubeis, Kurt Hahlweg, James Pennebaker, Matt Sanders, and Antonette Zeiss.

A full listing of this year's keynote speakers is provided on the first page of the conference insert supplied with this issue, where you will also find a number of flyers detailing the content for a number of the key streams and themes within the conference programme. 

Full abstracts for all of the pre-conference workshops are available online at www.babcpconference.com. Places on the workshops are limited, so please register early to avoid disappointment.

The conference is a great opportunity to broaden your skills and knowledge base, and for Continuing Personal Development (CPD), as well as a brilliant chance to network and meet new people. The social programme of this conference also promises to be excellent, featuring a live music night, a gala dinner at the renowned Lowry hotel, and a late bar each evening.

We hope to see you there!

BABCP Scientific Committee