Jamaican Psychological Society
JAMPSYCH CONFERENCE 2022
Join us online for the JamPsych's inaugural conference on Friday June 24, 2022! We will be hosting a half-day event themed: Many Sides of Trauma: What's In Your Practitioner's Toolbox? You will hear from two experts in the area, network with colleagues and experience a brief body work session! We look forward to having your support as we launch what we hope will be an annual event.
Focus of the Conference
The collective trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic and upsetting global and local events are taking a toll on the mental and emotional health and well-being of practitioners and clients alike.
In response to this wide scale problem, we are inviting you to attend our inaugural half-day conference to provide you with skills and support in working with trauma
Juleus Ghunta
Juleus Ghunta is a Chevening Scholar, children’s writer, a member of Jamaica’s National Task Force on Character Education, and an advocate in the Caribbean’s adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) movement. Ghunta holds a BA in Media from The University of the West Indies, Mona, and an MA in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Bradford, UK. His work explores the links between toxic stress and academic underachievement, and the varied effects of false positivity and emotional invalidation on the choices and hopes of survivors of complex trauma. His poems and essays on ACEs have appeared in 30+ journals across 16 countries. His picture book, Tata and the Big Bad Bull, was published by CaribbeanReads in 2018, and he is the co-editor of the December 2019 and March 2020 issues of Interviewing the Caribbean (The UWI Press), focused on children’s literature and ACEs in the Caribbean. He is also the co-editor of a special issue of PREE magazine on ACEs and storytelling (Dec. 2021). Ghunta’s new book, Rohan Bullkin and the Shadows: A Story About ACEs and Hope, was published by CaribbeanReads on December 31, 2021. His Notebook of Words and Ideas, which features prominently in Rohan Bullkin and the Shadows, will be published in 2022. Ghunta’s story and work have been featured on several media platforms, including BBC and NPR.
Meet Our Other Presenters
Julie Dunstan
Dr. Julie Dunstan has partnered in a wide range of community settings .
She has conducted policy research on child development, family needs, addictions, literacy amongst inmates, learning differences and general education. Julie has translated research into practice by driving innovations such as the ICAN Math programme and the I PLAY early childhood pre-reading intervention. In 2015, she also founded the reFLEXions® initiative, a team that builds Flexible Mindsets to reframe teaching as the pathway towards resilience and adaptability.
Kai Morgan
Dr. Kai Morgan is the Immediate Past President of the Jamaican Psychological Society (JamPsych), the Co-Chair of the Professional Practice & Standards Committee of the Caribbean Alliance of National Psychological Associations (CANPA), sits on the Executive Board of the Lister Mair / Gilby School for the Deaf, and is a member of the American Psychological Association's Global Psychology Alliance. Her interests for both research and clinical practice include trauma, sexual behaviour, couples / relationship dynamics, and Caribbean psychology.
Stephanie Guthman
Dr. Stephanie Guthman has worked in school settings and non-profit agencies, providing therapeutic interventions for children and families and administering psycho-educational and systemic assessments. She has delivered technical assistance, trained and worked collaboratively with service organizations and government agencies on initiatives aimed at empowering and creating systemic, community-targeted change.