Description
What does it mean to live creatively, and how does creativity itself become a form of psychological practice? In this engaging and thought-provoking session, Dr. Barton Goldsmith explores the intersection of creativity, emotional fitness, and the pursuit of happiness, drawing on more than 30 years of clinical experience and his nationally syndicated column, Emotional Fitness. Dr. Goldsmith examines how creative expression functions not only as artistic output, but as a dynamic process of self-discovery, resilience-building, and psychological healing.
Through vivid storytelling, research-grounded insights, and his signature warmth and humor, Dr. Goldsmith invites clinicians and mental health professionals to rethink how they integrate creativity into their own lives and therapeutic work. He draws from his own eclectic journey, including his work in the film and television industries, his role as an NPR radio host, his decades as a keynote speaker, and his authorship of seven books, to illustrate that a creative life is not a luxury, but a clinical imperative. Participants will leave with concrete, immediately applicable tools for cultivating creativity as a daily psychological practice, both personally and with their clients.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Discuss how creative engagement can support emotional regulation, resilience, and psychological well-being.
Identify at least two evidence-informed creative strategies for use in clinical work addressing mood, relational, or trauma-related concerns.
Discuss how humor can serve as a therapeutic tool to strengthen alliance, reduce resistance, and promote emotional well-being.
A Creative Life = A Creative Practice, Barton Goldsmith, PhD, LMFT, CADAC (1 hr)
Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D., LMFT, CADAC is a multi-award-winning psychotherapist, nationally syndicated columnist, author, and radio host with more than 30 years of clinical experience. Recognized by Cosmopolitan Magazine as one of America's top therapists, Dr. Goldsmith has spent his career making psychology accessible, engaging, and genuinely useful to audiences worldwide.
His weekly column Emotional Fitness, syndicated by Tribune News Service, appears in more than 400 publications including The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Time Magazine. His Psychology Today blog has surpassed 15.5 million views. For nearly a decade, "Dr. G" hosted a weekly program on NPR affiliate KCLU, interviewing leading thinkers for nearly 90,000 listeners.
The author of seven books, including the Emotional Fitness series and The Happy Couple. Dr. Goldsmith has appeared on CNN, Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, CBS News, and NBC News. He has served as an on-set therapist in film and television and as a national public health spokesperson.
His honors include the Clark Vincent Award for Writing (CAMFT), the Peter Markin Merit Award (AAMFT), the Giannantonio Award as Outstanding Educator in Addiction Medicine, and induction into the CAADAC Hall of Fame. He received special recognition from the City of Los Angeles for his crisis work following the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
Dr. Goldsmith holds a Ph.D. in Human Behavior Psychology and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor. A National Merit Scholar and former Professor of Psychology, he connects with every audience through clinical depth, warmth, and an irrepressible sense of humor.