Program Hiatus Announcement
July 2026
For more than 30 years, the Center for the Study of Aging & Clinical Applications (CSACA) has provided interdisciplinary education exploring the clinical, psychological, social, and cultural dimensions of aging while preparing clinicians to work more effectively with older adults.
Following the successful completion of our six-conference educational series in May 2026, CSACA is entering a planned hiatus from offering conferences and certificate programs.
During this period, our faculty and leadership will be reviewing and redesigning the program's format and curriculum to ensure that future offerings reflect the rapidly evolving landscape of aging. Our goal is to continue providing timely, evidence-informed education that addresses the emerging challenges and opportunities facing clinicians, older adults, families, and communities.
We appreciate the support of the many participants, faculty members, and colleagues who have been part of CSACA over the past three decades, and we look forward to sharing updates as our future plans take shape.
Please visit this site periodically for announcements. If you have questions or would like to learn more, please contact our Program Chairs:
- Margo Silberstein – margosil@aol.com
- Rob Bamberger – rbamberger1@gmail.com
If you are interested in helping shape the next chapter of CSACA—as a faculty member, collaborator, advisor, or thought partner—we warmly invite you to reach out to our Program Chairs. We welcome conversations with colleagues who are passionate about aging, interdisciplinary dialogue, psychodynamic thinking and advancing education for clinicians working with older adults. We welcome the opportunity to expand our community of educators and colleagues as we build the next generation of CSACA.
Participation in the conferences is open to professionals interested in increasing their knowledge and skills in working with aging adults and increasing their awareness and understanding of the developmental tasks associated with this stage of development, aged 55 – elderly. Previous work serving aging adults is not a prerequisite. These conferences provide important knowledge and skills to better serve the aging adult population in a wide range of settings. This longest life stage and its phases require specialized training.
Conferences are delivered virtually via Zoom are not recorded. No conference dates at this time.
CEUs/CMEs pending.
The conferences offer interactive, didactic, and experiential learning based on theory and research. Content areas include clinical person-centered approaches such as individual, couples, family psychotherapy, group, and expressive psychotherapy. Conference topics give attention to distinguishing manifestations of normal aging from systemic illness, caregiving and attachment styles in care partnerships, socioeconomic factors bearing on responses to changing needs imposed by aging, as well as end-of-life preparedness and decision-making.
Psychotherapeutic techniques for communicating effectively in difficult situations are woven throughout the conferences and case discussions.
The conference themes and calendar for the 2024 – 2026 cycle include:
- Psychodynamic & Expressive Psychotherapy with Older Adults [6.0 CEUs]
Date: October 27, 2024
Conference Chair: Tybe Diamond - The Relevance of Attachment Style to the Process of Aging [6.0 CEUs]
Date: January 12, 2025
Conference Chair: Glory Dierker - Ageism Unveiled: Understanding & Overcoming Prejudice [6.0 CEUs]
Date: May 4, 2025
Conference Chair: Jane Brewster, MSW & Tybe Diamond, MSW - The Critical Role of Place in the Aging Adult Process [6.0 CEUs]
Date: October 19, 2025
Conference Chair: Annemare Russell and Jane Brewster - Care Partnerships in Aging [6.0 CEUs]
Date: January 18, 2026
Conference Co-Chairs: TBD - Living with Chronic Conditions & Serious Illness: The Role of Palliative Care [6.0 CEUs]
Date: May 17, 2026
Conference Chair: Judith Peres and Yara Moustafa
There are two options for participation:
1. Apply for admission into our Certificate Program prior to the beginning of our two-year cycle. Upon acceptance, the applicant attends all six conferences and pays tuition in a single installment for the entire cycle of six conferences or pays in two installments over the two semesters. Additionally, from September-May, Certificate Program participants meet in weekly consultation sessions with a member of the CSACA faculty. These sessions may be in an individual or group format, at the participant’s option. There is a nominal fee for these weekly sessions. They may continue over the summer months at intervals subject to the expressed wish of the participants. Participants receive a list of members of the faculty available for consultation and may choose a different consultant for the second semester at their option.
Participants who attend all six conferences over the 2-year cycle, along with weekly consultation, receive a New Washington School of Psychiatry Certificate upon graduation from the program.
2. Attend on a per-conference basis. You can register for individual conferences, attending each on a per conference basis, registering when an announcement is made of the conference roughly six weeks before its scheduled date. All conferences are held virtually on Zoom. You will receive a Zoom link for the conference two days before.
Rob Bamberger, MSW graduated from the Social Work program at George Mason University. He also holds a B.A. and M.A. in History from UCLA. He leads and co-facilitates caregiver support groups at IONA Senior Services, and co-leads a therapy group comprised of individuals in their 70s and 80s discussing issues facing Aging Adults. He’s a member of the Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis [ICP&P], the Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Society [MAGPS], and was himself a student of the Aging and Clinical Applications Program before being invited to serve on its Steering Committee. Saturday evenings, you will find him hosting the long-running program, Hot Jazz Saturday Night, which airs live on public radio affiliate WAMU (88.5 FM).
Margo Silberstein, EdD is a Psychologist practicing in Washington. D.C. for 40 + years. A graduate of the National Group Psychotherapy Institute at WSP (2002) and the Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy program (2007), Margo served as faculty in ISTDP ( 2011- 2022 ) and is a certified Trainer and Supervisor through the International Experiential Dynamic Therapy Association. A Psychodramatist trained in the 1970s at St Elizabeths Hospital she has directed psychodrama services with community members across the life span. A longtime Steering Committee and faculty member of the Center for the Study of Aging and Clinical Applications, she has promoted a focus on experiential expressive arts therapies as essential best practices for working with and deepening our understanding of this stage of life.
Jane Brewster, MSW
Glory Dierker, PhD
Linda Geurkink, PhD
Yara Moustafa, MD, PhD
Judy Peres, MSW
Annemarie Russell, EdD, MPH, MSW, CAGS (Gerontology), CASFT
George Saiger, MD
Tybe Diamond, MSW
Guest speakers will be announced in conference materials.
A refund of your registration fee, less a $50 administrative fee to cover the cost of credit card charges and refunds plus administrative time, will be allowed if requested in writing more than 14 days prior to a scheduled event to admin@newwsp.org.
Between 7 and 14 days prior to an event, a cancellation request in writing will result in a refund of 50% of the registration fee less a $50 administrative fee (A $200 registration will be refunded as $100 less $50 or $50).
We regret that cancellation requests made 7 days or less prior to an event will not be accepted.
Need this info.
For questions and additional information on the program or individual conferences, contact either of the CSACA program’s Co-Chairs:
Margo Silberstein
margosil@aol.com
Rob Bamberger
rbamberger1@gmail.com.
Both Margo and Rob encourage you to explore the New Washington School of Psychiatry website to familiarize yourself with the School’s many educational opportunities. While we are – naturally – quite proud of the CSACA and always trying to refine and improve its curriculum, we are also quite proud to be in the company of the School’s many other creative and forward-thinking educational offerings.
