FACES Conferences inception was in 1991 with our first major conference in Seattle, Washington. Over 350 mental health and alcohol/drug professionals attended this Co-Occurring Disorders conference.
FACES has a stellar reputation as one of the top mental health continuing education companies. We have trained tens of thousands of therapists, and given a voice and platform for a variety of mental health and alcohol/drug recovery topics to include - co-occurring disorders, mindful relapse prevention, PTSD and trauma treatment, depression and anxiety, family systems, couples therapy, domestic violence, ethics, and personality disorders. In 2009, FACES began to shift to mindfulness and compassion conferences and workshops. We are a brand that exemplifies high-quality continuing education for social workers, psychologists and therapists.
Our Mission
Over the last several years, FACES has focused on the integration of “mindfulness” and “compassion” in the counseling field. Mindfulness has been viewed by some as the third wave in the counseling field (after Freudian psychoanalysis, and cognitive-behavioral therapy).
Our mission is to bring mindfulness and compassion skills to the mental health field, alcohol/drug recovery field, their clients, and the general public. We are passionate about developing and delivering the best mindfulness and compassion conferences, with the best teachers/educators, clinicians/therapists, and researchers, on the most current mindfulness and compassion topics.
Our Teachers
Our teachers are remarkably talented and dedicated individuals. They are leaders in their fields, innovators, motivated and dynamic teachers.
Continuing Education Conference Accreditation
FACES Conferences, Inc. is a provider of continuing education credit for psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists.
FACES Conferences, Inc. provides the following credit: APA, CA Board of Registered Nursing, meets the requirements for CA Board of Behavioral Sciences, NAADAC, NASW, NBCC, TX Boards of MFT’s and SW’s, and FL Board of SW’ & MFT’s.
Learn more about CE Conference Accreditation.
Meet The Team
Richard Fields, Ph.D., Founder, Director
Richard has over thirty-five years of experience in developing educational conferences and workshops.
He served as the Assistant Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) Western Regional Training Center – providing training to alcohol/drug counselors in the eleven Western states.
Dr. Fields has over thirty years of experience in outpatient counseling, specializing in alcohol/drug recovery, and relapse prevention. He is the author of the college textbook, Drugs in Perspective, 9th Edition, McGraw Hill, 2016.
He developed and teaches a course entitled “Quieting the Hungry Ghost: Mindfulness Relapse Prevention for Maintaining Healthy Habits”.
He is also the editor of three books –
- A Year of Living Mindfully: 52 Quotes and Weekly Mindfulness Practices, 2012
- A Year of Living with More Compassion: 52 Quotes and Weekly Compassion Practices, 2013.
- A Year of Living with More Compassion, 52 Quotes and Weekly Compassion Practices, 2nd Edition, 2016.
Deborah Jerome, Co-founder, Director of Operations
Deborah has been a member of the team since the very beginning. She oversees operations and wears many different hats. Prior to FACES, Deborah worked in the medical field at some of the top hospitals on the West Coast.
When not making sure everything is running smoothly at FACES, Deborah enjoys hiking and the great outdoors, and is always on the lookout for the next good book to read.
Pouria Montazeri, MA, Onsite Assistant Director, Audio Visual Director
Pouria manages all aspects of onsite production, including audio-visual. Pouria has been with FACES for 10 years as a consultant.
In his daily life, Pouria draws from his 28 years of experience with Sufism, Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, and other mystical and contemplative practices and his experiences as a teacher, spiritual director/coach, speaker, poet, mindfulness instructor, sangha guide, mentor, and filmmaker to support himself and others to live more creative, peaceful, and meaningful lives.
He wrote, directed, and shot Shams & Rumi: The Fragrance of Axis Mundi, which won many international film awards. Pouria is passionate about sharing his love of Rumi and mystical poetry. He teaches a seasonal 8-week experiential exploration course on the teaching on Rumi entitled, In The Footprints of Rumi, both in person and online (http://www.footprintsofrumi.com/).
Pouria loves nature and can always be found on one of his sunrise contemplative hikes with scraps of poetry in his pocket in his home state of Colorado.
Beverly “Bev” Edwards, Bookstore
Bev manages the onsite bookstore, and assists with operations onsite. She has been with FACES for 15 years as a consultant. She makes sure that the bookstore runs smoothly, and ensures that a good selection of books by conference speakers are available for participants.
When not managing the bookstore, Bev spends time with her grandchildren in Atlanta, and enjoying travel to Central America.
