The Delaware Psychological Association held its 23rd annual convention Nov. 6-7, at Hyatt Place Dewey Beach, drawing nearly 75 psychologists and other mental health professionals from Delaware and surrounding states.

Dr. Mary Beth Wilkas Janke, a forensic and clinical psychologist and former U.S. Secret Service agent, keynoted the event, leading an immersive workshop titled Resilience Across the Lifespan.

“Resilience is important at any age,” Wilkas Janke said. “It’s not something you’re born with or not born with; it’s something you can work on every day.”

Participants learned the foundations of resilience and what it means, as well as how to build their own resilience so they can better help their clients develop theirs.

“My analogy is when you get on a plane, and the flight attendant says, ‘In case of [emergency], if the oxygen masks drop, always put yours on first and then help others,’” Wilkas Janke said. “If you're going to be taking care of others, you’ve got to make sure you yourself are squared away.”

She also led separate resilience and mental health training sessions with members of the Dewey Beach Police Department prior to the convention. She taught them about the importance of self-care and the signs of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and burnout – conditions that are especially common among those in law enforcement.

Overall participant engagement, both in the DBPD sessions and at the convention, was high, Wilkas Janke said. She is hoping that the participants will use what they learned to become more resilient in both their personal and professional lives.

“They were amazing,” she said. “One woman at the very end said, ‘This was so refreshing. As psychologists, we spend all day listening to everybody else, and it was really nice for me to be able to share and to hear my colleagues share.’”

The convention also featured undergraduate and graduate student poster presentations, an evening social hour and live music by local musician and neuropsychologist Dr. Rob Mapou.