DANGEROUS

STORIES

A THERAPY SALON

October 1–3, 2026 · Beckman Center · Irvine, California

MORE THAN A CONFERENCE.
A SALON.

Dangerous Stories is a gathering where mental health meets culture, art meets activism, and healing meets the hard questions we are afraid to ask.

This is not a typical clinical conference. It is three days of keynotes, workshops, live art, conversation, and a little dancing, all built to challenge how we think about therapy, identity, and what it means to be human right now.

Hosted by California Family Institute, 100% of proceeds support our mission to bring sliding-scale therapy to Orange County families who need it most.

KEYNOTES

Three mornings, three thinkers who challenge the status quo on mental health, culture, and society.

WORKSHOPS

Small rooms, real conversation, and a choice of two every session. Disagreement is welcome.

ART IN THE BUILDING

Two works installed for all three days, one of them hidden somewhere in the building.

SALSA

Thursday ends on the dance floor. Because dangerous ideas deserve one.

The venue

The Beckman Center of the National Academies

100 Academy Way, Irvine, CA 92617

(949) 721-2200

Getting here
3 miles from SNA
John Wayne Airport
Parking
Free
On site, no permit required
Dates
October 1–3, 2026
Thursday to Saturday

With support from

AMFM Healthcare

Residential and outpatient mental health treatment for adults and teens.

amfmhealthcare.com — AMFM Healthcare, opens in a new tab

Resurface Group

Home-based clinical care for families in Orange County.

resurfacegroup.com — Resurface Group, opens in a new tab

The Trust

Professional liability insurance and risk management for mental health professionals. trustinsurance.com — The Trust, opens in a new tab

Our supporters help fund the salon. They have no role in selecting content, presenters, or continuing-education material. California Family Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

KEYNOTES

marcela polanco

Living Otherwise

marcela polanco

Catherine Liu

Trauma and Transference

Catherine Liu

Chris Hoff

Beyond Therapy

Chris Hoff

Get Tickets

Up to 16 CE hours

PRESENTERS

Larry Zucker

Helping Couples Reclaim the Relationship They'd Meant to Create

Larry Zucker

J D'Arrigo

Who Has the Right to Mandate Living?

J D'Arrigo

Jonathan Miranda

A Human Experience

Jonathan Miranda

Courtney Olinger

I'm Not Going to Give You a Map

Courtney Olinger

Heather Black-Coyne

Unreasonable Curiosity: The Problem is not the Problem

Heather Black-Coyne

Danny Livingston

Reclaiming the Myth

Danny Livingston

Heather Sprague

Embodied Connection - Beyond the Thinking Mind

Heather Sprague

Will Sherwin

Notes from My Suicide Reading Project

Will Sherwin

Stacy Marsh

Eating Disorder Resistance and Recovery

Stacy Marsh

Charley Lang

First Couple Session

Charley Lang

Casey Tucker & Mariia Shurkhal

Improvisation for Therapists

Casey Tucker & Mariia Shurkhal

Kamran Afary & Pam Dunne

Narradrama

Kamran Afary & Pam Dunne

Michelle Myers

Undercover Anti-Bullying Teams

Michelle Myers

Jonny Kosmo

Scribbling Your Practice

Jonny Kosmo

Dea Jenkins

The Library of Repair

Dea Jenkins

Finishing School

Classified

Finishing School

SECURE YOUR SEAT

Three days of bold conversation, up to 16 CE hours, and 100% of proceeds supporting CFI’s sliding-scale therapy mission.

CAMFT CE provider #1000083 · What counts toward CE

CE credit

Up to 16 CE hours. California Family Institute is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs (CAMFT provider #1000083). California Family Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Refunds, grievances, accommodations, and certificates: CE details.

STAY IN THE LOOP

Get speaker announcements, schedule updates, and event-day details.

I'm interested in:

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.