Appalachian Psychoanalytic Society
a local chapter of the Division 39 of the American Psychological Association

presents a 

Saturday Morning Seminar 
with 
Joyce Cartor, PhD,
Leticia Flores, PhD, and
Frank Pittenger, PhD, ABPP

on

Struggling to Do Good
in a Bad, Bad World

Saturday, September 13, 2025
8:30am - 12:15pm

University of Tennessee Medical Center
Morrison Education and Conference Center
1924 Alcoa Highway
Knoxville, TN 37920

Description of Program

This introductory level program will introduce participants to the new APA Draft Ethics Code (APA, 2024), which was recently made available for public comment before its codification. Speakers will compare and contrast the current and the new Codes, and discuss the influence of current social, technological and cultural conditions on professional ethics, such as artificial intelligence (AI; Farmer, et al., 2025), unilateral termination, and the political landscape’s impact on providing care. Participants and speakers will discuss ethical dilemmas drawn from clinical, training, and administrative environments and experiences to demonstrate the applicability and relevance of the draft Code's contents.

This program is designed to meet the requirement for psychologists licensed in the state of Tennessee to obtain continuing education in ethics and the law, including the requirement to obtain continuing education on Tennessee State Law. For further information, please refer to the Rules and Regulations of the Tennessee Board of Examiners in Psychology.

Participants are advised to review the following articles/documents prior to the program:

See http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx for the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.

American Psychological Association, (2024).  Draft, Ethical Principles
of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. 

http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/tncode/ 
for Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapter 11.

1180 - Board of Examiners of Psychology (tnsosfiles.com) 
for an Official Compilation of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Tennessee, Chapters 1180-1, 1180-2, 1180-3, and 1180-4.

Presenters

Joyce Cartor, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Knoxville, Tennessee. She has been a member of APS for more than 30 years and has served at various times as Treasurer, Member-at-Large, and President. She is currently serving as President.

Leticia Flores, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and director of UT Knoxville's multidisciplinary graduate training clinic for clinical and counseling psychology and social work students. Dr. Flores teaches a graduate course in Psychodynamic Therapy as well as a graduate course in Psychology and Ethics. She is a past president of the Association of Psychology Training Clinics, and has served on numerous local and state boards that focus on the mental health and well-being of Tennessee citizens. She focuses her clinical and supervisory work on treating the mental health needs of LGBTQ+ adults and their families.

Frank Pittenger, PhD, ABPP, is a substance use disorder psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Knoxville and also maintains a part-time private practice. He received his PhD in clinical psychology from Duquesne University in 2017.

Schedule
8:30am Registration 

Learning Objectives

After attending this introductory program in full, participants will be able to:
1. List and describe one new principle being considered in the Draft APA Ethics Code.  

2. Describe one new ethical code related to technology in the Draft APA Ethics Code.  

3. Compare at least one Tennessee state law with a relevant element from the APA's Code of Ethics.  

Participants

This program is open to all APS members and other interested mental health professionals who may not be members. It is not limited to individuals practicing in a predominately psychoanalytic mode. The material will be appropriate for clinicians with introductory levels of experience and knowledge.

Registration Fees and Policies

BY September 8, 2025:

Professional Members and Scholar Members: $45
Non-members: $60
Early-Career Professional Members: $35
Graduate Student Members: Free.

AFTER September 8, 2025:
Professional Members and Scholar Members: $60
Non-members: $75
Early-Career Professional Members: $50.
Graduate Student Members: Free

Registration will close on September 12, 2025.

Although walk-ins will be accepted, please register online at www.aps-tn.wildapricot.org in advance to assure adequate food and seating.

If you prefer to pay by check, please print the Program Registration form, and mail with your payment to:

Rebecca Skadberg, PhD
APS Treasurer
3400 Tupelo Way
Knoxville, TN 37912.

Refunds honored with written/electronic notice at least 48 hours before date of program. Contact Rebecca Skadberg, PhD. 

Contact the APS President Joyce Cartor, PhD to negotiate fees, if needed.

Facility is accessible to persons who are physically challenged. If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. Please address requests, questions, concerns and any complaints to Joyce Cartor, PhD.

APS Membership
Eligible professionals can join APS or renew their membership for the 2025-2026 program year for $120. Scholars can join/renew for $80 and Early-Career Professionals can join/renew for $65. Graduate students may join or renew for $25.

American Psychological Association Approval Statement
Division 39 is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Division 39 maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Continuing Education
This program, when attended in its entirety, is available for 3 continuing education credits. With full attendance (sign-in at start of program) and completion of a program Evaluation and Learning Assessment, a certificate will be issued. Psychologists will have their participation registered through Division 39.  Partial credit is not available for partial attendance.  

This program is designed to meet the requirement for psychologists licensed in the state of Tennessee to obtain continuing education in ethics and the law, including the requirement to obtain continuing education on Tennessee State Law.

APS and Division 39 are committed to conducting all activities in conformity with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists. APS and Division 39 are also committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in continuing education activities. Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If program content becomes stressful, participants are encouraged to process these feelings during discussion periods.

Selected References/Recommended Reading

American Psychological Association, (2024).  Draft, Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. 

Barnett, J. E., Serafim, G., & Sharara, D. (2024). Telepsychology: Key Recommendations for Ethical, Legal, and Effective Practice. Practice Innovations (Washington, D.C.), 9(2), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000224

Coelho, David R.A, Alexander L Chen, and Alex S Keuroghlian. (2025). “Advancing Transgender Health amid Rising Policy Threats.” The New England Journal of Medicine, 392 (11), 1041–1044. Web

Farmer, R. L., Lockwood, A. B., Goforth, A., & Thomas, C. (2025). Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 56(1), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000595

Westmacott, R., & Hunsley, J. (2017). Psychologists' perspectives on therapy termination and the use of therapy engagement/retention strategies. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 24(3), 687–696. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2037

Contact
If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. Please address requests, questions, concerns and any complaints to the APS President Joyce Cartor, PhD.

There is no commercial support for this program nor are there any relationships between Division 39, APS, presenters, program content, research, grants or other funding sources that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest. During the program, the validity/utility of the content and risks/limitations of the approaches discussed will be addressed.