Live webinar air date: February 27, 2026, 3 p.m., Eastern time
Date
CE credits
1
Exam items
6
Description
In today’s complex and evolving professional landscape, psychologists are increasingly working within systems or organizations influenced by corporate structures, business models, and philosophies. Whether employed in private practice, healthcare systems, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, or elsewhere, psychologists often find themselves navigating environments influenced by corporate culture. These environments can present unique ethical challenges that require thoughtful consideration and principled decision-making. This timely and thought-provoking program is designed to explore the ethical dilemmas that arise when psychological practice intersects with corporate interests. The program will delve into how business models and marketing philosophies—often designed to maximize efficiency, visibility, and revenue—can lead to ethical dilemmas in areas such as technology use, data use and privacy, social media communications, and marketing campaigns. Real-world scenarios will be used to engage the audience and demonstrate how psychologists can use the APA Ethics Code to facilitate ethical decision making as they navigate ethical issues.
Learning objectives
- Identify and navigate ethical concerns related to corporate influence within their work, including related to issues of confidentiality and social media.
- Apply a process-oriented approach to ethical decision making using the APA Ethics Code in complex organizational contexts.
- Develop strategies for ethical behavior within corporate-influenced systems.
Presenters
Lindsay Childress-Beatty, JD, PhD
Childress-Beatty serves as APA’s Chief of Ethics. With nearly two decades of experience in psychological and organizational ethics, she is a licensed attorney also trained as a clinical psychologist. Childress-Beatty presents internationally, contributes to ethics publications, and co-authored a chapter in Professional Practices in Association Management. She is a founding member of the Ethics Professionals Network and a former chair of the ASAE Ethics Committee.
Latoya C. Conner, PhD
Conner is a clinical forensic psychologist, ethicist, and full professor. She serves on APA’s Ethics Committee, teaches advanced ethics, and has contributed to the pediatric bioethics committee at Children’s National Medical Center. Her work emphasizes trauma-informed and interdisciplinary ethics across psychology, law, and medicine. A Fulbright Specialist, Conner completed advanced training at Columbia University, Yale University School of Medicine, Harvard University Medical School, and Morehouse School of Medicine.
Laura Lamminen, PhD
Lamminen is a licensed psychologist and consultant with over 20 years of experience with ethical practice, trauma-informed care, and high-risk populations. She is board certified in behavioral and cognitive psychology and has served on multiple ethics committees, including the APA Ethics Committee (2022–24). Her work includes ethics consultation and systems-level experience in corporate and tech-driven mental health settings, with a focus on supporting ethical innovation and responsible clinical practice.
Leanna Fortunato, PhD
Fortunato is a licensed clinical psychologist and the director of quality and innovation within the Office of Health Care Innovation at APA. Fortunato’s work focuses on finding creative ways to harness technology to make high-quality mental health care more accessible for all. She contributes to the development and implementation of strategies that promote psychological practice innovation in the realms of digital mental health and measurement-based care.
