• The Conference
  • Our Story

INSPIRE - EQUIP - CONNECT 

OUR STORY

With decades of experience in the mental health field, we’ve come to understand just how unique this work is. We often find ourselves in offices, schools, homes, and hospitals, face to face with the rawest parts of the human experience. We are not just listeners, we are guides, helping people find peace, clarity, and hope.

 

This work is not a job we leave at the end of the day. It stays with us. We carry the weight of others’ stories, often alongside our own, while continuing to care for our families and communities.

 

In 2020, as the world changed, the demand for mental health care surged. We stepped up to meet it, but we also realized something essential, we need each other too.

 

From that need, Clinician Connection was born.

 

In April 2024, we hosted our first Clinician Connection Conference in Virginia Beach, welcoming around 100 attendees. The response was powerful. In 2025, we returned with a second conference, growing to nearly 130 participants. Each year, clinicians come together to learn, connect, and take a deep breath by the ocean.

 

Since then, our work has grown. We’ve hosted local networking events, built a community of like minded professionals, and launched our first online Ethics Summit in May 2025, helping counselors explore real and relevant ethical challenges.

 

Clinician Connection is more than events, it is a movement to support and sustain the people who support others.

Lisa describes herself as a dedicated advocate for clinicians. Her journey began with a vision to redefine leadership in mental health, leading her to establish her solo practice in 2016, which she later expanded into a successful group practice by 2019. As the CEO of a thriving group practice in Hampton Roads, Virginia, Lisa prioritizes the well-being of clinicians and champions trauma-informed care. With over two decades of experience as a trauma therapist and leader, Lisa provides valuable consultation to practice owners. She shares her expertise as a respected speaker and trainer on topics related to trauma, leadership, and clinician care. She is also the founder of "Clinician Connection" and, along with her partner, Chris, created the Clinician Connection Conference. This conference aligns with the values of equipping, inspiring, and connecting clinicians, providing them with the necessary support and experiences to thrive as mental health professionals. Lisa's commitment to empowering clinicians and promoting mental health excellence.

Lisa Duez, LCSW

Co-Creator of Clinician Connection

Chris has been a licensed professional counselor since 2014, having worked in a wide variety of mental health settings, including small private practices, nonprofit organizations, and large community mental health corporations. What drives Chris's passion? It's his unwavering belief that everyone deserves access to top-notch mental health care. He firmly believes that investing in mental health professionals with genuine respect and care is a vital, yet often overlooked, element needed to make this a reality. Drawing from his own experiences with burnout and fueled by a heartfelt concern for the well-being of his friends and colleagues in the field, Chris, along with his partner Lisa, has invested his focus in creating the Clinician Connection Conference; a one-of-a-kind conference designed to inspire, equip, and connect mental health professionals, enabling them to continue their meaningful work without falling to burnout or losing their joy.

 

 

Chris Conley, LPC

Co-Creator of Clinician Connection

  • Our Mission

    Our mission is to inspire, equip, and connect mental health professionals to collectively shape a brighter world.

  • Our Vision

    We envision a global community of mental health professionals who are inspired, equipped, and connected to be agents of growth and positive change in the mental health landscape. We envision a future where mental health professionals passionately engage in their practice, advocate for the mental health needs of their communities, and collectively impact the world for the better.

  • Our Purpose

    The Clinician Connection Conference is designed to inspire, equip, and connect mental health professionals by providing a space where they can learn about relevant topics in the field, build meaningful connections with one another, and find space to rest.

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Contact us at hello@clinicianconnection.net.

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