We Did It! Celebrating 50 Years of WAMFT and Everything That Comes Next
After months of planning, countless emails, more spreadsheets than we would like to admit, and one very memorable weekend together, the 2026 WAMFT Annual Conference and our 50th Anniversary Celebration are officially in the books!
And what a weekend it was.
Apparently, Mother Nature wanted to make sure our milestone conference was really memorable. Losing power on Day One was certainly not on the agenda, but in true therapist fashion, we pivoted, adapted, problem-solved, and kept going.
And so did all of you.
As our team worked behind the scenes with the Great Wolf Lodge to keep sessions running, projectors powered, and Zoom connections going, you met the unexpected with patience, flexibility, and understanding.
Thank you for staying with us. For continuing to learn, connect, ask questions, and celebrate, even when the day looked a little different than any of us had planned.
A Note for Our Virtual Attendees
We want to acknowledge the technical difficulties that prevented virtual participants from joining the first half of KJ Glaves’s “Launching” session and the Neurodivergence session. We know it was frustrating to miss part of a session you had planned to attend, and we’re sorry for the interruption. Thank you for your patience as our team worked to restore access after the swift change in our programming. You can catch the portions you missed by opening the corresponding session in Eventleaf and clicking “Watch Recording.”
On that note...
The People Who Made It Possible
This conference happened because so many people brought their knowledge, energy, and generosity to it.
Our keynote and special guest speakers challenged us, inspired us, and invited us to imagine what systemic practice can continue to become.
Our presenters and poster presenters shared scholarship, lived experience, creativity, and expertise that gave us so much to take back into our work.
Our incredible volunteers jumped in wherever they were needed: answering questions, helping attendees find their way, supporting presenters, and adapting right alongside us. And our poster judges generously contributed their time and expertise to recognize this year’s outstanding submissions.
To everyone who attended, whether in person or virtually: thank you for showing up for our community and for this special moment in WAMFT history.
Celebrating Our 2026 Poster Award Winners
Not everyone had the chance to hear the poster awards announced during the conference, so we’re delighted to celebrate the recipients here!
Professional Poster Award — $350
Creative Expression as a Pathway for Trauma Processing Across Clinical & Community Settings
By Kayla Bocek, LMFTA, Alina Samko, LMFTA, and Rebecca Cobb, PhD, LMFT
Student Poster Award — $250
Through the Eras: A “Swift” Lifespan Assessment
By Kaitlyn Walsh & Rebecca Cobb, PhD, LMFT
Congratulations to our winners and to all of this year’s poster presenters! Thank you for bringing your ideas, research, and creativity into our shared learning space. And another heartfelt thank-you to our judges for the thoughtful attention they brought to this work.
Recognizing Our Sponsors and Exhibitors
We are deeply grateful to the sponsors and exhibitors whose support helped make this milestone gathering possible. Thank you for investing in our community and connecting attendees with resources, training, and opportunities.
A Post-Conference Gift From Lovewell Initiatives
One of our wonderful conference sponsors has a little more to share with attendees!
Lovewell Initiatives sends a thank-you to everyone who stopped by their table and a happy 50th anniversary to WAMFT.
They also extend congratulations to Haley Archer, the winner of their drawing for a free 3-hour training!
As a thank-you to conference attendees, use code WAMFT26 for 20% off any upcoming Lovewell CE training through Friday, October 2.
Thank you, Lovewell Initiatives, for supporting our conference and extending this opportunity to our attendees!
Keep the Learning Going: CEs, Slides, and Recordings
The weekend may be over, but there are still resources to revisit and a few post-conference details to wrap up.
Accessing Your CE Certificates in Eventleaf
Ready to download your CE certificates? Here’s how:
Open the conference in Eventleaf using your attendee access.
Select the session by clicking on the name of the session you attended.
Complete the session feedback if you haven’t already.
Download your certificate. In the session summary panel, look for “Download Certificate” or “Attendance Certificate.” Click the button to download your personalized PDF.
Don’t see your certificate? Check your attendance status:
Virtual attendees: You were automatically checked in when you joined the session through Zoom.
In-person attendees: You needed to tap the “Check In” button for each session in the Eventleaf app.
Attended a session but forgot to check in? You can still return to that session in the app, tap “Check In,” and complete the session feedback. Your CE certificate will then become available. Please only check in for sessions you attended.
If you’re still having trouble, email us, we're happy to help!
[Add confirmed Eventleaf instructions here, including any required evaluations and how to access or download CE certificates.]
If your attendance record appears incomplete or you need help accessing your CE documentation, please contact wamft@wamft.org so we can help review it.
Presentation Slides and Resources
Want to revisit something you learned or download a presenter’s resources? Here’s how:
Open the conference in Eventleaf using your attendee access.
Select the session by clicking on the session name.
Scroll all the way down to find and download the available slides and materials.
Don’t see the materials you’re looking for yet?
Presenters who weren’t able to upload their materials before their sessions have been emailing their slides to me, and I’ll continue adding them as they arrive. Please check back for updates!
Thank you for your patience, and thank you to our presenters for sharing their resources so the learning can continue beyond conference weekend.
50 Years of WAMFT… and the Memory Project Is Still Open!
One of the most meaningful parts of this year’s gathering was having the opportunity to celebrate 50 years of WAMFT: 1976–2026.
Five decades of therapists, students, educators, supervisors, advocates, volunteers, board members, and community partners have shaped this organization into what it is today. And we’re not finished collecting that history!
The WAMFT 50th Anniversary Memory Project is still live, and we would LOVE for you to be part of it.
If you have a WAMFT memory, story, photograph, reflection, or piece of our history to share, there is still time to contribute:
Whether you have been part of WAMFT for decades or this was your very first conference, you are part of this story now, too!
A Note About Unwanted Emails and Your Privacy
Some attendees have let us know they are receiving unwanted or spam emails following the conference. We understand the concern and want to be clear: WAMFT does not sell attendee information or share attendee email addresses with sponsors, exhibitors, or other outside parties.
We cannot confirm the source of these messages. If you receive an email claiming to represent WAMFT or offering access to our attendee list, please forward it to wamft@wamft.org so we can review it.
Thank you for bringing these concerns to our attention.
Keep Connecting: Upcoming WAMFT Events
We would love to see you again! Here are a few opportunities to keep learning and connecting with our community:
Mentor Day — Oct 24, 2026 (10am-12pm) 2CEUs
WAMFT's Winter Gathering — January 12,2027 (5-8pm) Logan Brewing Company in Kent, WA.
One More Giant Thank You
Sometimes the lights literally go out. But this weekend reminded us how much is possible when people adapt together, extend grace, and keep showing up.
We are incredibly grateful that you were part of this milestone with us.
We honored our roots.
We celebrated this moment.
And now, we get to start imagining what comes next.
So in 2027, we’re asking:
What can grow from those roots?
That’s why next year’s conference theme is:
Here’s to the next 50 years of WAMFT.
See you next year!
With enormous gratitude,
Claudia Johnson, MA, LMFT-S, CST
President-Elect & 2026 Conference Chair
On behalf of the WAMFT Board, Conference Team & Volunteers
Comments