Upcoming Event:

    • 16 Oct 2026
    • 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
    • Fort Whyte Alive, Buffalo Crossing, 1961 McCreary Rd
    Register


    Small Changes, Big Impact: An Evidence-Based Approach to Sustainable Mental and Physical Health

    *Please note that this will be an in person only event and no recording will be available afterward. 

    This Fall, the Manitoba Psychological Society is welcoming you to join us for an in- person, day-long session with Dr. Lesley Lutes. Attendees will be introduced to principles and application of the Small Changes Approach to behavior change treatment: an evidence-based approach to sustainable mental and physical health for people living with obesity and other chronic health and mental health conditions. 

    The day spent with psychologists, other medical providers, trainees and affiliates, will offer opportunities for networking. Fort Whyte Alive will welcome attendees to its spacious and inspiring space at Buffalo Crossing, with King Cole providing catering. Thank you for informing us of dietary preferences and accessibility needs. 

    Speaker Bio

    Dr. Lesley Lutes is a Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan and Director of the Centre for Obesity and Well-being Research Excellence. Her research focuses on developing evidence-based interventions that improve mental and behavioral health while reducing the impact of chronic physical health conditions. She has secured more than $8 million in research funding, published over 80 peer-reviewed papers, and delivered more than 100 national and international presentations. In 2024, she was named UBC Researcher of the Year in Health. Dr. Lutes also leads initiatives to improve access to integrated mental health care and has been a strong advocate for expanding publicly funded psychological services in Canada.

    Session Summary

    This session explores the evidence supporting the Small Changes Approach to behaviour change treatment as a sustainable alternative to traditional weight management strategies for people living with obesity and other chronic health and mental health conditions. Participants will review the current health landscape in Canada, the evolution of evidence-based treatment for people living with obesity over the past 40 years, including the recent advancements in biologics. We will introduce the theoretical foundations of the Small Changes treatment approach as an alternative to traditional treatment approaches. Evidence from RCTs across diverse populations will be presented, along with a detailed review of each treatment session. Clinicians will then engage in applied group exercises learning how to successfully implement and tailor this treatment approach to improve long-term mental and physical health outcomes in patients.

    MPS celebrates the sponsors who made this event possible:


    This event is CPA Accredited 

    Contact us at ContEd.MPS@gmail.com about sponsorship and marketing opportunities for this event!

Past events

08 Jul 2026 [Recording] MPS Spring Institute 2026: Session 2
08 Jul 2026 [Recording] MPS Spring Institute 2026: Sessions 1+2
07 Jul 2026 [Recording] MPS Spring Institute 2026: Session 1
15 Jun 2026 MPS Spring Institute 2026
26 Mar 2026 MPS AGM and Member Night
20 Mar 2026 Antiracism in Action: Clinical Skills for Ethical Mental Health Practice (CE Opportunity)
30 Jan 2026 The Desperate Identities of Dangerous Men (CE Opportunity)
03 Nov 2025 [Recording] Trauma-Focused and Trauma-Informed Care
24 Oct 2025 Trauma-Focused and Trauma-Informed Care
06 Jun 2025 Mindfulness for Clients and Ourselves
06 Jun 2025 (Recording) Mindfulness for Clients and Ourselves: Concepts, Benefits, and Practices
20 Mar 2025 MPS AGM 2025
28 Oct 2024 Is This Autism? Recognizing and Understanding the Less Obvious Presentations of Autism
07 Jun 2024 Here, Now, and Between Us: Functional Analytic Psychotherapy and the power of the therapeutic relationship
23 May 2024 Manitoba Psychological Society Legislative Reception
21 Mar 2024 MPS AGM 2024
17 Nov 2023 An Introduction to Compassion-Focused Therapy
24 Oct 2023 MPS Meeting With CHP Psychologists
26 May 2023 Indigenous Wisdoms for Psychology: Shifting towards Survivance-Based Practices
21 Apr 2023 Respect, Reciprocity & Relationality: Psychologists Responding the the TRC
30 Mar 2023 MPS AGM 2023
14 Nov 2022 Values in therapy: Working with values from an ACT perspective
26 Aug 2022 Don’t Let the “TR” Fool You: The DSM-5-TR is Far More Than a Text Revision
27 May 2022 Spring Workshop: Treating Trauma with ACT: Revitalizing Interrupted Lives
24 Mar 2022 MPS AGM 2022
24 Jan 2022 Presentation and Readings from the Truth and Reconciliation Committee's Final Report: A Zoom Event Organized by the MPS Social Action Committee
26 Nov 2021 Advanced Acceptance and Commitment Therapy skills using the Matrix Method
14 May 2021 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Mental Health
25 Mar 2021 MPS AGM 2021
15 Dec 2020 MPS Virtual Town hall
16 Oct 2020 Assessing Allegations of Trauma in Civil and Forensic Contexts
24 Apr 2020 ASSESSING ALLEGATIONS OF TRAUMA IN FORENSIC CONTEXTS
30 Mar 2020 MPS AGM 2020
30 Oct 2019 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) for complex cases
24 May 2019 Promoting self-recovery from cannabis misuse with brief motivational interventions
18 Mar 2019 MPS AGM 2019
20 Nov 2018 Cognitive Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder in Adults and Adolescents
04 May 2018 Current Conceptualization and Assessment of Somatoform Disorders
19 Mar 2018 AGM 2018
10 Nov 2017 Making a Determination of Intellectual Disability: 
The Right, The Wrong, and The Ugly
21 Apr 2017 The Pain Paradox: Mindfulness/Compassion-Based Approaches for Complex trauma
20 Mar 2017 AGM 2017
24 Feb 2017 MPS 50th Anniversary Gala
04 Nov 2016 Innovative CBT for Difficult Anxiety Disorders
22 Apr 2016 Innovations in Clinical Assessment and Treatment of Suicidal Risk
21 Mar 2016 AGM 2016 | Trauma: Workers, Helpers, and Treatment
05 Feb 2016 Cultural Competency Training Opportunity Exclusively for MPS Members
05 Nov 2015 Uppers, Downers and All-rounders: Knowing the Drugs your Clients are Abusing
01 May 2015 Science-Driven and Method-Driven Psychological Evaluation, Especially for Medical-Legal Claims of all types
23 Mar 2015 Mental Health in the Workplace: The Three Pillars
23 Mar 2015 AGM 2015 | Mental Health in the Workplace: The Three Pillars
21 Nov 2014 2014 Continuing Education Workshop

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