Welcome to ISPS-US

ISPS-US is the US branch of ISPS, an international organization promoting psychological and social approaches to helping persons experiencing psychosis (also known as “extreme states” or various diagnostic categories such as "schizophrenia"). We are committed to advancing understanding through education and dialogue. We bring together mental health professionals, people with lived experience of psychosis, and family members and carers, since we believe it will take people with diverse perspectives working together to accomplish our mission. Please consider joining us!

Upcoming Conferences

ISPS-US sponsors a variety of events and activities throughout the year, ranging from branch meetings in various locations, webinars, and discussions on our email list serves, exploring a wide variety of humanistic and innovative approaches to psychosis or extreme states. Then, once a year, we work to bring everyone together for our annual conference/meeting! Here’s what’s planned for 2022:

Opportunity Through Experience:  Psychosis, Extreme States, and Possibilities for Transformation

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Opportunity Through Experience: Psychosis, Extreme States, and Possibilities for Transformation Featuring keynote speakers Celia Brown, Carlos Padrón, and Dr Lionel Corbett.

Experience is an essential element of being human. Softly, subtly, welcome or relentless, it enlivens and envelops us. Experience can be filled with pleasure, ease, excitement, or hardship. Within every experience, however, lies opportunity.

We are happy to announce that the 2022 ISPS-US Conference, titled “Opportunity Through Experience,” is scheduled to be held in Sacramento, California, November 4-6, 2022.

Look for a special series of events that introduce the next generation of clinicians to the act and art of discovering opportunity in extreme states! We fully expect this conference to occur in person, but we also plan to take advantage of our newfound electronic savvy to include an online option, allowing participants and speakers to join us from around the world.

See you in Sacramento in 2022!

Learn More

Every other year, ISPS also has an international conference. Here’s what to look for in 2022:

The International Organizing Committee of the 22nd International Conference of the ISPS look forward to welcoming you to the Perugia conference on August 31st - September 4th, 2022.

Conference Themes:
CLOSING ASYLUMS / OPEN HEALING SPACES; INTERSUBJECTIVITY AND PSYCHOSIS; FAMILY INTERVENTIONS; EARLY INTERVENTIONS; TRAUMA, STRESS, ILLNESS AND PSYCHOSIS; COVID PANDEMIC COMMUNITY AND PSYCHOSIS; CREATIVITY AND NEW THERAPIES FOR PSYCHOSIS.

More information

Recordings are available from prior ISPS-US Annual Meetings

Free videos are available on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj_RECrQLppQS4U-YFeJgRA

Videos for sale or rent are available on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ispsus (ISPS-US members get a 50% discount on paid videos. The code is in your welcome letter, or email for more information: contact@isps-us.org.)

A few audio files are available at http://isps-us.org/blog/category/audio-recording/

If you find our free resources helpful, please make a donation to ISPS-US: http://www.isps-us.org/donate.php

Videos recorded at ISPS International meetings, webinars, and other events are available at the YouTube channel for ISPS-UK and on the channel for ISPS-International.

• 'What is psychosis?'
• Rai Waddingham keynote
• Kwame McKenzie keynote
• Grainne Fadden & Shelagh Musgrave keynote
• Jim Van Os keynote
• Debra Lampshire keynote
• Luciana Berger, Sir Robin Murray & Debra Lampshire keynote
• Svein Friis, Anne Berit Eie Torbjørnsen & Jon Vidar Strømstad keynote
• Alison Brabban keynote