The Importance of Belonging in 2025

Join us for an inspiring online symposium that will transform your professional and personal world. This year's symposium brings together health professionals from all disciplines to explore the vital theme of "Belonging." In a world increasingly marked by hyper-individualism, this event aims to cultivate community and connection as essential components of well-being.

Hosted by STAR, this symposium will feature renowned speakers, including Drs. Briget Carter, Gail Whiteford, Amy Pearson, and Lovette Jallow Together, they will share insights and practical strategies to foster belonging in healthcare settings, emphasizing the importance of collective well-being over isolation.

Throughout the event, attendees will engage in a variety of sessions, including:

• Keynote Lectures: Hear from leading experts on the significance of community in health care and the detrimental effects of loneliness and hyper-individualism.
• Interviews: Interviews with authors and researchers will explore innovative approaches to supporting belonging.
• Breakout Discussions: Collaborate with fellow attendees in breakout sessions designed to share experiences and strategies for promoting connection in your practice.
• Q&A Opportunities: Engage directly with our speakers to address your questions and deepen your understanding of the topic.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn practical tips for intentionally fostering belonging in your professional environment.
• Understand how to combat loneliness and promote community as a priority in health care.
• Discover how connected relationships can guide your practice and enhance the well-being of those you serve.
• Recognize that self-care is not just an individual pursuit but a connected and collective act that strengthens our communities and supports our shared resilience.

This symposium is a call to action for all health professionals dedicated to creating inclusive, supportive environments that prioritize the well-being of individuals and communities. Join us in this essential conversation and take a stand against the loneliness epidemic.

Register now to secure your spot and be part of a movement that champions connection and belonging in health care!

---

What We'll Be Discussing - CONFIRMED TO DATE

Symposium Day 1 | Friday, October 17 | 8am - 5pm

Understanding Belonging in a Changing World | Dr. Karen Gravett

Wired for Connection: How Isolation Derails Cognitive Growth in Adolescence | Interview with Dr. Livia Tomova

KEYNOTE - TBA

Mini Lecture: Professional Isolation |  Dr. Patrick Bowman

Breakout Sessions | Confronting Isolation in Clinical Practice

Sponsor Highlight | Landscape Structure Inc

TBA | Dr. Gail Whiteford

 

Symposium Day 2 | Saturday, October 18 | 8am - 5pm

KEYNOTE | Lovette Jallow

Triggered by the Work I Love: A Conversation on Burnout and the Communality of “Self” Care | Interview with Amelia Nagoski

Breakout Sessions | Real Talk on Burnout, Loneliness, and Self-Renewal

KEYNOTE - TBA

Sponsor Highlight | Theratrak

From the Margins to the Center: The Journey Toward Belonging | Dr. Brigit Carter

TBA | Dr. Virginia Spielmann

---

Get to Know Our 2025 Speakers - CONFIRMED TO DATE

Virginia Spielmann PhD, OTR/L (she/her) Executive Director STAR Institute Host	Brigit M. Carter PhD, RN, FAAN (she/her) Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer American Association of Colleges in Nursing	Karen Gravett  PhD (she/her) Associate Professor University of Surrey	Livia Tomova  PhD (she/her) Assistant Professor in Psychology Cardiff University
Lovette Jallow (she/her) Author, Advocate	Amy Pearson PhD (she/her) Assistant Professor Durham University	Amelia Nagoski DMA (they/them) Author	Patrick Bowman DMD, MS (he/him) Dentist Wash Park Pediatric Dentistry

---

Thank you to Our Sponsors

 

Become a Sponsor

We are delighted to invite you to the 2025 STAR Sensory Symposium, held virtually on October 18, 19, and 26. This premier event brings together experts in disordered Sensory Processing and related conditions to explore cutting-edge research, intervention strategies, and collaborative approaches.

To maximize your impact, we offer a range of exhibitor and sponsorship packages designed to align with your objectives and ensure a meaningful presence at this transformative event.

Benefits include:

• Increased visibility and exposure for your products and services to a highly targeted sensory audience of 400+ attendees, including some of the most influential leaders committed to improving the lives of people living with sensory processing challenges and related conditions
• Increased network of vendors, professionals, and researchers working in the neurodivergent community and individuals and families living with sensory processing challenges
• Growth of your customer base, greater visibility for your organization, and enhanced brand recognition in a vibrant atmosphere

To register, please visit https://bit.ly/star-sponsorship or contact: Crystal Hays, Marketing Manager at marketing@sensoryhealth.org or Tory Englund, Assistant Director, at development@sensoryhealth.org or 303-221-7827 (Ext: 143) with any questions.

---

Group Discount
Register 5 or more participants in a group and automatically receive a 10% discount!

Use the promotional code SYMGROUP25 upon checkout to automatically receive the discount on 5 or more registrations.

If participants of the group must pay separately, please:

1. Register all participants separately.
2. Send the names of all participants in your group to Education Team at education@sensoryhealth.com by October 1, 2025.
3. Once at least 5 registrations are received, each person will be partially refunded for the discounted amount.

Groups must be determined and paid in full before the start of the conference. 

---

Who Should Attend: Healthcare and education professionals, as well as caregivers, who want to better support neurodivergent individuals through neurodiversity-affirming, sensory-informed, and trauma-informed practices.

Level: Introductory

---

Continuing Education

CEUs for AOTA and ASHA are currently pending and will be confirmed upon approval. The event will offer between 13–15 contact hours, dependent on final content approvals.

---

Attendance Policy

Participants may join the conference at any time during the live broadcasts and/or view the recorded presentations for 60 days after the livestreamed event. All participants may otherwise receive a Certificate of Attendance.

To receive the Certificate of Completion, participants must meet the following criteria:

1. Attend the event or watch the recordings.
2. Complete and pass brief CEU quizzes for each approved presentation by November 17, 2025.
   • A passing score is at least 80%.
   • Quizzes must be completed in the order of the presentations.
   • You may retake each quiz as needed.
3. If you wish to have your credits reported to the ASHA CE Registry by the STAR Institute, please submit the ASHA CE Registry Reporting Form no later than November 17, 2025.
4. No partial credits will be provided.
5. All participants will receive a Certificate of Attendance.
6. You will have access to the recordings until December 31, 2025.

---

Do you have a disability that would require special accommodations?

Please contact us at education@sensoryhealth.org and describe how we can help accommodate your needs.

---

Cancellation Policy

Since this program is recorded and available for on-demand access, cancellations are generally not accepted. If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with education@sensoryhealth.org.

In the rare event that this program must be canceled due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, fire, strikes, war, acts of God, or other disruptions beyond our control, STAR Institute will make every effort to reschedule. If rescheduling is not possible, all registration fees will be refunded.