How do we thrive in this work and become more effective?

David S. Prescott

While our field has rightly discussed the importance of self-care in our work, very little focus has been placed on what research shows about becoming more effective as a practitioner. This presentation will illustrate what research has found about what does and doesn’t contribute to professional development and will offer observations on current trends in def-care and compassion. 

A mental health practitioner of 39 years, David Prescott is the Director of the Safer Society Continuing Education Center. He is the author and editor of 25 books in the areas of understanding and improving services to at-risk clients. He is best known for his work in the areas of understanding, assessing, and treating sexual violence and trauma. Mr. Prescott is the recipient of the 2014 Distinguished Contribution award from the Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse (ATSA), the 2018 recipient of the National Adolescent Perpetration Network’s C. Henry Kempe Lifetime Achievement award, and the 2022 recipient of the Fay Honey Knopp Award from the New York State Alliance for the Prevention of Sexual Abuse and New York State ATSA. He also served as ATSA President in 2008-09. Mr. Prescott currently trains and lectures around the world. His published work has been translated into Japanese, Korean, German, French, Polish, and Dutch. He has served on the editorial boards of four scholarly journals.