Volume 28, Issue 2 / Summer 2008

Welcome to our New Online Version of
The Monterey Bay Psychologist

The publication of the Monterey Bay Psychological Association, a not-for-profit association of licensed psychologists in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties

The Monterey Bay Psychologist is a bi-monthly publication for the membership of the MBPA to advance psychology as a science, a profession, and as a means of promoting human welfare. MBPA reserves the right to edit, reject, omit, or cancel submitted material which is not in the best interest of these objectives. Any opinions expressed in the Newsletter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Monterey Bay Psychological Association or its Board of Directors.

The Monterey Bay Psychological Association strives to promote the psychological well-being of the counties' residents and to advance psychology as a science and as a profession. We are dedicated to practice, prevention, and research in the field of psychology. MBPA membership provides professional growth through continuing education programs, meetings, forums for professional interaction, publications, legislative representation, and access to social and professional events.

The mailing address is MBPA, 519 Capitola Avenue, Suite C, Capitola, CA 95010. Phone (831) 475-9091, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

MBPA is a chapter of the California Psychological Association. www.mbpsych.org

A Case of Domestic Violence*

Donald T. Saposnek, Ph.D.

*First published as part of an editorial in the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Family Mediation News, Spring 2008. Reprinted here with permission.

I recently presented a training to divorce professionals in Canada. The topics that I covered in the workshop included dealing with difficult divorce relationships, their multifaceted problems and the involvement of other non-disputants (e.g., friends, families, lovers) in the couples’ disputes that make mediation more challenging.

Theory and research are clean and fun to present; reality is messy and often not so fun. The evening following the workshop was ironic and eventful, as theory and reality unexpectedly converged. As I was trying to fall asleep in my beautiful hotel room about 10:30 p.m., I heard a man screaming and crying directly outside my hotel room door. He and a woman (his wife? lover?) were staying in the room directly across the hall and they were apparently having an argument (although only his voice could be heard). He was cursing foul words at this woman as he repeated his refrain: “How could you leave me, after what you did?!” He kept referring to “that man you f----d.” He continued screaming, crying and cursing at her for about an hour. I called the front desk to alert them and they sent a young man who just listened for a while in the hallway and then left. After another hour of this man cursing this woman, she left the room, and he remained in the hallway crying and screaming. The woman eventually returned and they re-entered the hotel room. His anger and distress escalated and he began screaming even more loudly at her. (I learned later that the reason others on that floor of the hotel had not intervened and called the front desk was that this couple and I were the only hotel guests staying on that floor.

Unable to sleep, and being quite concerned, I once again called the front desk and told them to call the police, since the situation was now sounding dangerous. Before the hotel kid came up again, the man bolted out of the room carrying a limp woman. He laid her down in the hallway, directly in front of my door. His face was covered in blood, and she was unconscious—I thought dead! He was yelling at her to keep breathing and then he picked up her body and started to carry it to the elevator. In my thinking that he could more seriously injure her, if she was still alive, or dispose of her, if she wasn’t, I went out in the hallway and told him, “Leave her right here,” and that help was coming. He complied, but, with an absolute crazed looked on his face, he raged at me, so I closed my door and waited for help to arrive (I learned from my response that my instinct to survive was strong and that my inner mediator pretty much got paralyzed in the middle of the night!).

The hotel clerk finally called an ambulance, and after about 10 minutes of the man alternately shaking the unconscious woman, kissing her, slapping her and yelling at her to wake up, with blood all over, the paramedics arrived. When they arrived, the man told the paramedic that “she just fell and hit her head while we were dancing.” Upon hearing this, I told the hotel clerk to call the police also…that it was more than just a fall. The paramedics couldn’t revive her, so they tried to prepare to take her to the hospital, but the man insisted aggressively on coming with them. They had to restrain him. The police finally arrived, and when they asked him his identity the man explained to one officer that he was not her husband, he was just trying to help her, but that her husband was down the hallway. He told the other officer that he was her husband and they had just gotten married. He was hysterical.<

Several hours after this incident began, at about 2:30 a.m., just as the paramedics had finally taken the unconscious woman into the ambulance and to the hospital, the police came into my room to interview me. I told them the story, and they quickly dispatched another officer to find and interview the man (and look for the possible “other” man). I later heard that the woman had at least temporarily gained consciousness at the hospital, but I heard nothing more than that. I headed off to the airport—I don’t know if she survived or not.

The whole experience, while commonplace for the police (about 80% of police calls are for situations of domestic violence), was quite surreal to me. Talking about domestic violence and seeing it play out in front of you are really different experiences, yet the elements in theory and reality are the same: the inability to communicate effectively and resolve domestic conflicts, the involvement of other players in the relationship with the attendant friendship and sexual betrayals (both misperceived and real), and the dearth of preventative, educational and emotional resources that might forestall this intense scene from being played out nightly, locally, nationally, and internationally, as in this case. I was reminded of a quote by computer scientist Jan van de Snepscheut, "In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is."

Donald T. Saposnek, Ph.D.

Contact Information:
Donald T. Saposnek, Ph.D.
Family Mediation Service
6233 Soquel Dr., Ste. E.
Aptos, CA 95003
831.476.9225
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www.mediate.com/dsaposnek

To Be or Not to Be . . . Balanced

Dani Beckerman, Psy.D.
CPA CLASP Chair

Reprinted with permission from the California Psychological Association and The California Psychologist.

Balance is an easy concept to grasp and a much more difficult one to practice. Balance is a state of being in which our lives, our work, and our relationships are attended to with a presence of mind, a conservation of resources, and perceived sense of fit. Our health and well-being will be improved by cultivating and revitalizing our internal, external, and natural resources through the practices of gratitude, forgiveness, and mindfulness. This in turn will enhance balance, self care, and holistic health by reducing stress, conflict, and resentment.

Balance and well-being: how do we cultivate a healthy self, family, and community in a world with economic instability, war, declining health care systems, withering natural resources, global warming, and continual models of conflict, hostility, and unrest? Even though we are met with multiple challenges there are opportunities for cultivating balance and growth.

Gratitude and forgiveness are practices taught by Fred Luskin, PhD (April, 2008). In our society where disrespect and hostility are encountered daily and widely tolerated skills of forgiveness, mindfulness and gratitude can help us not get caught up in these toxic encounters. Luskin explores the concept of gratitude and refocusing on the heroic aspects of ourselves versus getting caught up in negative ruminations and things outside our control. He suggests opening up your heart to someone or something that brings love, hope, and grounding, and then breathing into this image, a sense of calm, peacefulness and happiness will awaken. From this place, take a moment and think about what you are grateful for. Luskin states, “I’m grateful for breathing.” How basic and yet not. We get so caught up in our daily stressors, our wants and desires, the injustices that occur during the day that, at times, we may forget that we are alive and that we have more power in our worlds then we imagine. Luskin explores the concept of forgiveness and that it’s for us; we hold the anguish, the grudge, and the ill feelings of anger. We create the secondary issue in which we live. The initial insult has passed. Now this is what we are doing to ourselves. By personalizing, blaming, and playing the victim, we create a lack of self care, wellness or balance. He notes that we stimulate a different part of our brain when we have gratitude versus anger, hostility or fear and suggests a gratitude exercise. Twice a day for 30 seconds, open yourself up to (be aware of) what you feel grateful for. Our coping strategies emerge from the region of our brain that is stimulated.

This leads into the work recently presented by Daniel Siegel, MD (February, 2008). He highlights the essential practice of mindfulness as a path to wellness, self care, and balance. According to Siegel, mindfulness cultivates new growth and connections in our brain which are associated to our abilities to regulate our emotions, enhance our self observing capacity, reduce stress, decrease impulsivity, increase emotional attunement and empathy, and thus, evolve psychologically and relationally. How great is that.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. (1990) who created the Mindfulness Stress Reduction Program also discusses the importance of mindfulness and well-being. He refers to mindfulness as moment to moment awareness without judgment and being present and in the now. How often are you somewhere other than now, rehearsing or rehashing (Stahl, 2005). Engaging in mindful practices has been shown to decrease stress and widen the gap between stimulus and response. Having more moment to moment awareness without judgment allows us to be more sensitive, responsible and respectful with the choices we make, how we live our lives, and the coping strategies we put into place. Balance begins with being present to the different realms and relationships in our lives, learning how to cultivate and nurture our internal and external resources, and validating our experiences without judgment.

References

Luskin, F.M. (April 25, 2008). "Forgive for Good Workshop." Aptos CA.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). "Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness." New York: Random House.

Siegel, D. (February 29, 2008). Keynote Presenter. The Jon E. Nadherny/Calciano Memorial Youth Symposium. "Reflections on Resiliency: The Mindful Brain and the Cultivation of Emotional and Social Intelligence." Santa Cruz, CA.

Stahl, R. & Flowers, S. (2005). "Mindful Living Program Retreat." Common Wheel, CA.

Bio

Dani Beckerman, Psy.D., chairs CPA’s CLASP and has a private practice in Santa Cruz, specializing in self care, sexuality, intimacy and desire. She has taught on these topics across the Bay area. Dr. Beckerman is active in developing collaborative communities of support and consultation groups for health care professionals.

Upcoming Training/Workshops

Transgender Clients
Clinical Issues, Standards of Care and Assessment of Gender Identity

By Shane Hill, Ph.D.

October 17, 2008, 9:00-5:00
At the University Inn and Conference Center, 611 Ocean St, Santa Cruz
$130 (members) includes lunch.
$140 (non-members)

Transgender culture and continuum-based gender identity are cutting-edge concepts for our clinical practice and society in general. It has only been in the last 9 years that transgender has become a well-known and non-pathologized concept in the mass media. Clinical approaches for transgender clients are changing as we more fully understand their experience.

This training will include:

Transgender Clinical Issues
Current Cultural Terminology
Key Concepts for Clinicians
Standards of Care from WPATH (World Professional Assoc for Transgender Health)
Assessment of Gender Identity
Differential Diagnostic Assessment
Documentation Changes and Legal Issues
Effective Therapeutic Approaches
Working with Transgender Client’s Family Members
Local and National Trans Resources
Agency Environment Recommendations

Workshop Leader

Shane Hill, Ph.D.

Shane Hill, Ph.D.

Shane Hill, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and family therapist in private practice in Santa Cruz. He has provided counseling and clinical work for 26 years and has been working with transgender clients for over 15 years. He was a clinical supervisor at Children’s Mental Health, a clinical director at Youth Services, and has been a celebrated workshop facilitator and clinical trainer for the past 10 years.

UPCOMING TRAINING/WORKSHOPS

The Embodied Mind:
Trauma, Attachment, and Psychotherapy

By Helen Resneck-Sannes, Ph.D.

September 19, 2008, 8:30-4:00
University Inn and Conference Center, 611 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz
$120 (members + $5 Ph.D. CEs and $7 for MFT CEs) includes lunch
$130 (non-members)

“No longer is the skull a black box, its clockwork invisible as it was to Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and I will add here, Reich and Lowen and the seminal thinkers and clinicians who have shaped 20th-century psychotherapy. For the past decade, in well-funded university neuroscience laboratories from Boston to Madison to San Francisco, the black box of the skull has been opening and spilling out diamonds” (Butler, 2005, p.28). These studies have informed and shaped the theories and treatment of traumatic events and attachment disorders.

“Recent findings from observing caretaker-infant pairs have confirmed what therapists working with the body have known for a long time; that is that early attachment experiences are encoded in the right brain, they remain there unsymbolized and are available through communicating with the body in relationship. Recently, the psychoanalytic literature has begun to focus on the empirical infant, the one who is known from infant observation and derived from investigating a diverse population of caretaker-child pairs. This research has led to the same conclusion regarding preverbal states and the importance of working with the body and touch in psychoanalysis.” (Resneck-Sannes, 2002)

“The relentless privileging of language . . . has in the past conveniently shielded clinicians from the vast wealth of confusing and even “messy” nonverbal data that is used consciously and more often, unconsciously, in work with patients. In recent years, however, therapists have come increasingly to understand the significance of nonverbal experience in human development. The explosion of research on the human infant has illuminated the astonishingly rich and complex nature of the continuing social dialogue that takes place between the infant and the mothering one, a dialogue that at least on the part of the infant, is primarily nonverbal.” (Toronto, 2001, p.40)

“Allan Schore has summarized this work, focusing on the right brain-to-right brain communication that occurs between the infant and her caretaker. Because of the infant's undeveloped and restricted coping capacities, the primary caregiver is the source of the infant's stress regulation, and therefore sense of safety. Indeed, the regulatory systems that integrate mind and body are a product of developing limbic-autonomic circuits (Rinaman, Levitt, & Card, 2000), and since their maturation is experience-dependent, during their critical period of organization they are vulnerable to relational trauma. Schore has extended the findings from infants relating to their caregivers to the therapeutic process. He asserts that the communication between clients and their therapists is derived from somatosensory cues that the therapist, like “a good enough mother” interprets, then provides the correct intervention required by the client at that time.” (Resneck-Sannes- 2002, p.111)

Also, in the last decade an enormous amount has been learned about the differences between memories of everyday experiences and those of overwhelming events. These memories are different, depending on the age at which the trauma occurs and the social support systems of the victims. Recent neuroimaging studies suggest where in the brain these memories are stored and what the mechanisms might be of the recovery of traumatic memories. While ordinary memory is an active and constructive process, traumatic memories are stored in ways that are different from the memories of everyday experience, namely as dissociated sensory and perceptual fragments of the experience. As Bessel van der Kolk states: “Since traumatic memories often are dissociated and may be inaccessible to verbal recall or processing, attention should be paid to the somatic re-experiencing of trauma-related sensations and affects which may serve as engines for continuing maladaptive behaviors (Van der Kolk, b, 1996, p.281 )

Bibliography

Butler K (2005) September / October, Psychotherapy Networker: 28.
Resneck-Sannes H (2002) Psychobiology of Affects: Implications for a somatic psychotherapy. Bioenergetic Analysis: 111–122.
Toronto, E. (2001) The human touch: An exploration of the role and meaning of physical touch in psychoanalysis. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 8,1.
Van der Kolk, B., McFarlane, A., Weisaeth, L. (1996) Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on body, mind and society, New York: The Guilford Press.

Objectives

1. Learn how the brain develops in relationship, which in turn informs our interventions as therapists
2. Learn how traumatic memories are stored and processed
3. Learn which interventions are effective for treating strain trauma vs. acute posttraumatic stress
4. Learn how to regulate your own body, so as to be the best possible therapist for this particular client as this particular time
5. Learn how the current research on the brain determines the choice of treatment for anxiety disorders vs. depression

Schedule

8:30-9:00    Registration

9:00-9:30    Into Our Bodies

9:30-10:30   The Brain (as an anatomical structure) and the Mind (as an information processing system)

1. The Orbitalfrontal Cortex -- Regulation of the Autonomic Nervous System
2. Limbic Brain and Attachment- - “What is that zing and is it a good or bad thing?”
3. Optimal Stress

 

10:30-10:45    Break

10:45-11:15    Therapeutic Relationship

1. What Is Empathy and How Does One Embody Empathy as a Therapist?
2. Right Brain to Right Brain Communication
3. Mirror Neurons

11:15-12:00   Dyadic Exercise on Limbic Attachment

12:00-1:00   Lunch

1:00-2:00     Psychobiological Regulation in the Therapeutic Relationship

2:00-2:15     Break

2:15-3:30     Depression, Anxiety, and The Brain

1. Depression -- Cognitive and somatic interventions
2. Anxiety and managing overarousal

 

 

3:30-4:00    Wrap-up and questions

Wear comfortable clothes, as the workshop will entail some exercises and movement.

Workshop Leader

Helen Resneck-Sannes, Ph.D.
216 Suburbia Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95062
831 426-2768, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Helen Resneck-Sannes, Ph.D.

Helen Resneck-Sannes, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Santa Cruz, California. In addition to having taught in several university psychology departments, she is a member of the faculty of the International Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis, has assisted in trainings for Peter Levine and Somatic Experiencing and has trained and lectured in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, and the United States. Her articles have appeared in various psychological journals and books, and she has served as coeditor of the Journal for the International Institute of Bioenergetics Analysis. She has a chapter in the book, Love is Ageless: Stories about Alzheimer’s Disease (Jessica Bryant, Ed.), and a book entitled: Father’s Rooms about her own journey with her father’s Alzheimer’s disease.

AMERICA ON THE COUCH:
Psychological Perspectives on the 2008 Presidential Election

with Sheila Namir, Ph.D. and
Alan Strachan, Ph.D.

Santa Cruz Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Society (SCPPS),
Co-sponsored by MBPA

September 27, 2008, 2:00-5:00 pm
Unitarian Fellowship Hall, 6401 Freedom Blvd., Aptos

Description

The U.S. socio-political climate is highly polarized, dominated by projection, and rife with religious dogma. Add to this the candidates’ increasingly sophisticated efforts to manipulate voters, the biased reporting by corporate media, and the many unconscious beliefs operating in the American psyche, and we are left with a tremendous need for a psychological clarification of the issues.

Psychoanalysts and psychotherapists, due to their specialized training, are uniquely positioned to examine social, political and religious attitudes and beliefs. However, they are often reluctant to (1) apply their clinical understanding to individuals or groups with whom they have had no direct contact; (2) examine their theories and work in terms of moral, ethical and political implications; or (3) discuss political and social issues during psychotherapy.

In part one of this workshop, Alan Strachan will explore the mythic structure of American identity, delineating some of the conscious and unconscious values and convictions operating in the collective psyche of the American people. He will then use this psycho-historical framework as a context for understanding the 2008 presidential election.

In part two, Sheila Namir will explore how social and political issues both complicate and are a part of our clinical work. She will present the purposes of and possibilities for “politics on the couch”, as well as the history of resistances and objections to bringing political considerations into the work of psychotherapy. Clinical examples of transference and countertransference will be highlighted in the context of the current election process.

ALAN STRACHAN, Ph.D., MFT, is a psychotherapist, workshop leader, teacher and author. He was the staff psychotherapist at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI International) for 9 years and has been in private practice since 1985. Alan trained in Process-Oriented Psychology with Arnold Mindell for eight years, and received specialized training and certification in gender issues from the Satyana Institute. He has been exploring the interface between psychology and spirituality for over 35 years, and, along with his wife, Janet Coster, he is co-founder of the Temenos Fellowship of AIWP, a non-profit organization that has offered support groups, as well as individual and couples counseling, for people on the spiritual path. Alan’s recent research is focused on the intersection of psychology, spirituality and politics. He is currently writing a book about the dialectic between democracy and dominance in politics, religion and the individual psyche, focusing on topics such as the psychology of religious fundamentalism, the spiritual nature of democracy, and the mythic dimensions of American identity. For more information, please visit Alan’s website at www.alanstrachan.com. License MFC21129

SHEILA NAMIR, Ph.D., is a training and supervising analyst at the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles and a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst practicing in Santa Cruz, California. She was on the faculties of UCLA Medical School, California School of Professional Psychology and the Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute in Los Angeles. She has published in the areas of psychosocial aspects of AIDS and cancer, medical psychology, trauma and feminist psychoanalysis. License PSY9304.

Schedule:

1:30–2:00 pm Registration

2:00-4:30 pm Program

4:30-5:00 pm Refreshments and Networking

Directions

From Santa Cruz traveling south on Highway I: Exit right on Freedom Blvd., then go left over the overpass, go past Aptos High School on your right. Unitarian Fellowship Hall will be on your right, approximately 1 mile from Highway 1.

From Watsonvillle traveling north on Highway I: Exit right on Freedom Blvd., exit and continue past Aptos High School to Unitarian Fellowship Hall, approximately 1 mile from Highway 1.

Registration

Cost: $35 ______ With CEUs $45 _______(2.5 CEU credits available for MFTs, LCSWs, and Psychologists)

Name: __________________________________________________ License # _____________________

To Register: Please mail the bottom portion of this notice, with your check to:

Robert Lundquist

550 Water Street, Bldg C-2

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Make checks payable to: Santa Cruz Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Society (SCPPS).

For questions: Please contact Jane Dawson at 425-3302 or Francine Lapides at 335-4830

Interdisciplinary Psychotherapeutic Salon

Saying Good-bye to the Psychotherapeutic Salon

At today's gathering of the Salon, it was a difficult decision and after much discussion we opted not to schedule any more Salon sessions.

So, at least we celebrated and passed our 8th birthday, having been conceived in 1999 and birthed in February 2000.

The ending left us appreciating the fullness and richness of our quarterly gatherings, knowing we will all continue to cross paths in other ways.

Personally, I wish to thank all of your for your support and participation, and on this last day, for the certificate of appreciation, flowers, cookies, and chocolate fudge cake.

My personal goal was to create a vehicle for getting to know others in the local psych community and to get a sense of who does what and how professionally. I take leave feeling satisfied and contented.

Happy trails, until we meet again, and

Take risks,

Rick Alloy, Ph.D.

Collaborative Consultation Group

Download the PDF.

Upcoming Training/Workshops

Metaskills for Therapy and Life

By John Mizelle, MFT

Friday, October 3, 2008, 9 am - 4 pm
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
6401 Freedom Blvd, Aptos
$95 (lunch included)

MBPA will be co-sponsoring an educational program with Santa Cruz County CAMFT on Friday, October 3, 2008. The presenter, John Mizelle, MFT, will speak about Metaskills for Therapy and Life. In this instance, John, who has served as a presenter to CAMFT in the past, will speak about deconstructing our attachment to the self-image, which we mistake for the true self, and explore what it means to live and work from a center that is deeper, more vital, and real. From there, the many tools of the psychotherapist find their appropriate application, as the mind begins to serve the True Self rather than the self-image.

John Mizelle, MFT, has taught psychotherapy, group dynamics and conflict-resolution internationally. His major area of interest is direct experience of the True Self rather than the self-image.

Application is being made to CPA for 6 CE credits for psychologists.

To make a reservation, please send your check payable to SC CAMFT, for $95.00 to P.O. Box 7563 Santa Cruz, 95061. For more information, contact: Elani Aquino (831) 427-5505 or Michael Paynter (831) 251-6425.

Summer 2008

Editor’s Note

By Jennifer Kaupp, Ph.D.
Editor, The Monterey Bay Psychologist
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831-429-9314

Hello –

As promised, the summer edition of your MBPA newsletter, The Monterey Bay Psychologist, is in electronic format. If you are reading this, you already know that your newsletter was emailed to you, or maybe you retrieved it from the website at www.mbpsych.org. As you’ll see, the features of the electronic newsletter are the same as the print version – MBPA board business, articles, workshop information, announcements, and ads – but now it’s in color!

For some of you, the transition to an electronic format may be difficult. For those of us who prefer a paper copy, you can download a version specially formatted for printing. The good news is that we will once again be able to publish the newsletter six times a year. And the MBPA website now offers the most current information about upcoming events and workshops (with online registration) and other news and information, continually updated directory listings and ‘Find a Therapist’ function, and resources for psychologists. We plan to expand the public pages to include information about psychotherapy, theories, local resources, and web links to relevant mental health sites (e.g., NIH, APA Help Center). Our new payment system will also be activated soon, allowing you to pay for workshops and membership dues online.

Our featured article is a harrowing account by seasoned mediator Dr. Don Saposnek, describing a close encounter with domestic violence at its deadliest. He emphasizes how ugly reality can trump research and theory. Also in this issue, Dr. Dani Beckerman reminds all of us –- people who help others for a living –- to take care of ourselves. Isn’t it ironic that we need such a reminder?

I’d also like to draw your attention to several upcoming workshops, Dr. Edda Schweid’s write-up of the CPA convention, current CPA Board (Dr. Jennifer Garbarino) and California Legislature (Dr. Cheryl Bowers) business of interest to psychologists, and the latest in the ongoing conflict between the APA leadership and those of us who denounce the role of psychologists in military interrogations, rendition teams, and torture (Dr. Jon Girvetz and myself, co-chairs of the Social Issues Forum). Also, our own Dr. Diane Bridgeman, a prominent Red Cross volunteer, was a key responder during the recent fires in Santa Cruz County. You can read about her work in disaster mental health in her Disaster Response Committee report. Thank you, Diane, for your generosity of time and spirit, compassion, and expertise in attending to both the victims and the men and women working day and night fighting these fires. You can find all of this and more in this newsletter. Members are encouraged to send articles for publication in future issues of The Monterey Bay Psychologist.

I especially want to thank Carol Layba and Charlie Kaupp. Without their technical and design expertise, this newsletter would not be possible.

Have a great summer.

Jenny

July 2008

President's Message

By Junell Silver, Ph.D.
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Welcome to MBPA’s first electronic newsletter! Great thanks go to Dr. Jenny Kaupp and the design services of Charlie Kaupp and Carol Leyba for their enormous efforts to get it launched. Moving from paper to digital not only saves us money, but is key to the Board’s strategy of communicating more effectively with the membership and the public. We are just getting started. The newsletter is still “evolving,” and we need your input. To learn more, please see the Newsletter editor’s column.

One of our goals for this year was to begin to offer several dinner/speaker events with CEUs, a request that came from our 2007 membership survey. The membership wanted more opportunities to socialize while hearing interesting speakers. So we give our thanks to Dr. Jim Beckett, who produced a very successful event with Dr. Helena Young from the Palo Alto Veterans’ Hospital. Dr. Young’s presentation was titled “Turning Ghosts into Ancestors: What the Vietnam Narrative Can Teach Us about the War in Iraq,” and included a discussion about PTSD issues with our current veterans.

Now for news of the 2008-2010 MBPA directory: Thanks to the untold hours put in by the directory committee, which includes Dr. Ann Bolger, Dr. Jenny Kaupp, Dr. Jim Beckett and myself, assisted by the technical services of Charlie Kaupp and Leslie Ward, it is now completed!

The MBPA BOD has decided to charge $20 per directory copy (plus $5 for mailing) to defray the cost of distributing directories to the community at large, as we have done in the past, as well as developing expanded directory capabilities online. While we dislike having to charge members for things that have previously been covered by membership fees, it is necessary in this case. Our membership fees are very low and our ability to raise money though training programs has been diminished. You will soon be receiving an email announcement with instructions about how to order your directory.

This is the last time the the MBPA Directory will be available in paper form, and we have already replicated the information in an online directory on our MBPA website (www.mbpsych.org). While the paper directory has always been valuable in helping readers find an appropriate psychologist or therapist based on clinical focus and location, now that capacity has been greatly expanded in the excellent and exciting online “Find a Therapist” function on the MBPA website. But the best part about having the directory on the website is our ability to maintain accurate member data. While the paper directory is current as of June 2008, membership data on the website is dynamic and serves as the central database for membership information. In the past, member information has been kept in many different files, difficult to keep in sync and nearly impossible to maintain with current accurate data.

Now that both the paper and website editions of the directory have been completed, the Board is focused on adding content to our website infrastructure. We intend the website to be “the place to automatically go” for information about our chapter, upcoming events, and advertising. Our committee chairs will not only be putting their current reports on the website, but it will also include basic information about that committee charter and important links and resources. Your suggestions and feedback are very important in moving forward and in making our chapter and website relevant to you, the membership. If you have ideas, please send them to Dr. Jenny Kaupp ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

I want acknowledge the dedication and leadership of Dr. Diane Bridgeman in the recent set of wildfires in our area. Her long-term efforts to build a strong collaborative disaster mental health team have proved especially valuable in our local crisis. Thanks also to the many MBPA members who made heroic efforts both during and after these disasters. Please see the Disaster Response report for more information about our local mental health response.

Finally, I’m saddened to report that early this month, our community lost Dr. Faith Robinson. Her colleagues and friends mourn her passing and will miss her. (For an In Memoriam notice, click here.)

Junell Silver, Ph.D.

Summer 2008

Highlights from July 11, 2007,
Board of Directors Meeting

Submitted by Drs. Jim Beckett and Junell Silver

Members Present: Junell Silver, Ph.D., Jim Beckett, Ph.D., Jenny Kaupp, Ph.D., Andy Carman, Ph.D., Cheryl Jacques, Ph.D., Cheryl Bowers, Ph.D., Jennifer Garbarino, Ph.D., Diane Bridgeman, Ph.D., and Jon Girvetz, Ph.D.

President’s Report: Junell Silver, Ph.D.
Dr. Silver reported that the 2080-2010 Directory is finished and ready to be printed and discussed issues regarding cost and distribution. The annual summer party is again at Junell and Bruce Silver’s house, and the directories will be available for purchase.

President-elect Report: Jim Beckett, Ph.D.
Dr. Beckett reported on a successful MBPA-sponsored CEU event on June 24 with Dr. Helena Young speaking about PTSD in veterans of war. In addition, Dr. Beckett will head the nominating committee for open MBPA Board positions, including CEU Program Director and President-Elect.

Treasurer’s Report: Andy Carman, Ph.D.
Dr. Carman reports the treasury has $7453, but this is not enough to defray Directory expenses and other 2008 budget commitments. The BOD voted that each couple attending the party will be asked to donate $20 to cover the costs of food, drinks, and set-up.

CPA Representative Report: Jennifer Garbarino, Ph.D.
Dr. Garbarino was not able to attend last CPA Board meeting. However, we will begin highlighting CPA information on our website, www.mbpsych.org.

Secretary: Cheryl Jacques, Ph.D.
Minutes were taken by Dr. Jacques.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Newsletter: Jenny Kaupp, Ph.D.
Dr. Kaupp discussed the format of our upcoming electronic newsletter developed by Carol Leyba and Charlie Kaupp. She reports this format should substantially reduce the cost of future newsletters.

Directory: Ann Bolger, Ph.D., and Junell Silver, Ph.D.
Dr. Silver discussed the cost of producing the last paper directory. The BOD decided to print 300 copies and charge $20 per copy. Those who buy the directory will be subsidizing its distribution to the community and the cost of integrating directory functions into our website.

Public Service/Education/Outreach Committee: Diane Bridgeman, Ph.D.
Dr. Bridgman reported the committee provided resource materials at several presentations and has arranged for a fall series of speakers at the Homeless Garden Project (with Tom Butz, Ph.D., as kick-off speaker).

Disaster Response: Diane Bridgeman, Ph.D., and Rick Allen, Ph.D.
Dr. Bridgeman reported on the enormous effort and dedication of mental health service providers in the recent set of wildfires in our county. She highlighted the many activities to support both the disaster relief effort as well as the follow-up post-disaster check-ins with volunteers and staff. Dr. Bridgman gave thanks to the MBPA members who dedicated many hours of their time.

Government Affairs: Cheryl Bowers, Ph.D.
Dr. Bowers discussed current state issues regarding the homeless population, Rx privileges, and confidentiality of electronic records. Information about legislative contacts will be available on our website.

Membership: Ann Bolger, Ph.D.
Dr. Bolger was not present but reported that member data has now been streamlined and that the website is the place-to-go for information. Her plan includes the use of Paypal on our website for dues collection in the new year.

Prescription Privileges: Michele DeAntoni, Ph.D.
Dr. De Antoni noted that SB1427 did not pass and that our website will have information as to why it is important for psychologist to prescribe. She described a pilot study for psychologists to prescribe in the prisons.

Programs and Continuing Education: Art Anton, Ph.D., and Jim Beckett, Ph.D.
Dr. Beckett discussed the marketing and advertising plans for the upcoming workshops with Dr. Helen Resneck-Sannes in September and Dr. Shane Hill in October.

Social Forums Committee: Jon Girvetz, Ph.D., and Jennifer Kaupp, Ph.D.
Dr. Girvetz reported about APA’s presidential candidate Reisner’s effort to dissociate the APA from the U.S.Government’s activity at Guantanamo.

Ethics: Sheila Namir, Ph.D.
No committee activities.

CLASP: Sheila Namir, Ph.D.
No committee activities this period.

Forensics: Myrna Glick, Ph.D.
No report.

Highlights from June 8, 2007,
Board of Directors Meeting

Submitted by Drs. Jim Beckett and Junell Silver

Members Present: Junell Silver, Ph.D., Jim Beckett, Ph.D., Jenny Kaupp, Ph.D., Andy Carman, Ph.D., Cheryl Jacques, Ph.D., Max Camarillo, Ph.D., Cheryl Bowers, Ph.D., Rick Allen, Ph.D., Jennifer Garbarino, Ph.D., Diane Bridgeman, Ph.D., Sheila Namir, Ph.D., Myrna Glick, Ph.D., Ann Bolger, Ph.D., Jon Girvetz, Ph.D., and Samuel Jain, (UCSC Student Representative to BOD)

President’s Report: Junell Silver, Ph.D.
The BOD approved an update to the MBPA bylaws to comply with those of CPA, and discussed legal issues around the “Find a Psychologist” website feature. A disclaimer meets the guidelines of CPA.

President-elect Report: Jim Beckett, Ph.D.
Dr. Beckett presented plans for a dinner/CEU program in June.

Treasurer’s Report: Andy Carman, Ph.D.
Dr. Carman discussed current revenue for membership fees and expenses for 2008 budgeted events.

CPA Representative Report: Jennifer Garbarino, Ph.D.
Dr. Garbarino reported on the 2008 CPA Leadership and Advocacy Conference she attended with Dr. Bowers. CPA goals are using force field analysis for sustaining and growing our membership; and using three major talking points for State Representatives: (1) problems with the insurance industry paying for mental health services, and poor mental health coverage, (2) inroads from professional counselors, and (3) prescribing psychologists.

Secretary: Cheryl Jacques, Ph.D.
Minutes were taken by Dr. Jacques.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Newsletter: Jenny Kaupp, Ph.D.
Dr. Kaupp announced that 130 printed newsletters were sent out to the membership for last time, and the next edition will be an electronic emailed version.

Directory: Ann Bolger, Ph.D., and Junell Silver, Ph.D.
The Board decided to keep the directory format the same as the last directory, to keep costs down. Members are responsible for updating their membership information at our MBPA website. The new 2080-2010 Directory will cost $20 for members, and copies will be made for distributing to the community. After this distribution, the MBPA directory will be available only online.

Public Service/Education/Outreach Committee: Diane Bridgeman, Ph.D.
Dr. Bridgman announced that a speakers program is in development. If interested, contact Diane.

Disaster Response: Diane Bridgeman, Ph.D., and Rick Allen, Ph.D.
Drs. Allen and Bridgeman attended a joint meeting with CAMFT, ARC and County MH. MBPA members will be attending training on large-scale disaster and mental health sheltering. Dr. Allen presented Dr. Bridgeman with an APA award in recognition of her leadership and effort in disaster response committees. Dr. Bridgeman will be teaching an ARC required course on “Foundations of Disaster Mental Health” soon and can be contacted for more information.

Ethics: Sheila Namir, Ph.D.
No committee activities.

CLASP: Sheila Namir, Ph.D.
No committee activities this period.

Forensics: Myrna Glick, Ph.D.
No report.

Government Affairs: Cheryl Bowers, Ph.D.
Dr. Bowers shared her impressions and ideas after attending the CPA Leadership and Advocacy Conference.

Membership: Ann Bolger, Ph.D.
Dr. Bolger proposed a new membership procedure: the Membership Committee has authority to approve new applicants after candidates have been vetted and after the Board reviews applications and the BOD has approved. The Board approved three new members.

Prescription Privileges: Michele DeAntoni, Ph.D.
Dr. DeAntoni reports that the continuing crisis at prisons regarding staffing and psychiatric services demonstrates the need for psychologist to prescribe medication.

Programs and Continuing Education: Art Anton, Ph.D., and Jim Beckett, Ph.D.
Dr. Anton announced upcoming workshops with Dr. Helen Resneck-Sannes in September and Dr. Shane Hill in October.

UCSC Student Representative: Samuel Jain
Samuel reports the Psi Chi (UCSC honors society for psychology majors) panel presentation with MBPA psychologists was a success, and there are plans to expand the event next year.

July 2008

CPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMITTEE REPORT

By Jennifer Garbarino, Ph.D.
CPA Board Representative
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There has been much activity since the last newsletter. This includes the CPA convention, Leadership and Advocacy Conference, the CPA semi-annual board meeting, and the CPA office move to 1231 I St., Suite 204, Sacramento, CA 95814! The following are highlights of recent CPA Board endeavors.

• The April 3-6, 2008, CPA convention at Disneyland was fantastic. Thanks to those of you who joined us, and for the rest of you—we missed seeing you there! It was, by all accounts, a good time for all. There were great reviews on speakers and the format.
• The Leadership and Advocacy Conference in April offered some important training onleadership and chapter development, using Kurt Lewin’s Force Field analysis approach, as well as training on lobbying your legislature.
• The CPA May Board meeting covered exciting possibilities available to CPA psychologists through the Public Education Campaign. Public education benefits all who are touched by it—the public benefits from learning how psychology can help with everyday difficulties and many times from specific coping skills; the profession benefits from a reduction of the stigma sometimes associated with seeking psychological services and from consumer advocacy; and psychologists who provide public education workshops or other services benefit from community exposure, which often leads to increased referrals. Finally, psychologists who provide public education presentations, whether they are in private practice or not, gain a tremendous sense of satisfaction from giving back to the community and have fun at the same time!
• Michael Ritz and Jana Martin, as Public Education Coordinators (PECs) for CPA and APA, invite you to support our efforts to keep California at the forefront of APA’s public education campaign by doing any (or all!) of the following:
• View, download, and/or request copies of the APA Practice Directorate’s materials on mind-body health, resilience, and antiviolence. (www.apahelpcenter.org):
• Encourage your chapter or division to designate a representative to the CPA Public Education Committee which meets by conference call approximately every 6 weeks and to form its own task force or committee to plan local events. Members of the Public Education Committee also will be participating in the newly formed CPAPEC listserv where ideas will be exchanged and materials shared.
• Encourage your chapter/division to plan and support training for your members on providing workshops and/or working with the media.
• Consider placing an article in your newsletter and/or your website outlining the opportunities available through public education.
• Consider a line item in your budgets for public education to cover travel expenses of your members, advertising of events, production of banners, posters, etc., meeting expenses, etc.
• The Government Affairs Committee met and began some very interesting discussions about how we might enhance our communication with our GAC reps in all of our Chapters and Divisions. Stay tuned for more information as we move this discussion along.
  
• Div III (I/O Psychology) is working with us to plan a very interesting one-day conference for CEOs and other senior executives in the Silicon Valley. This is something that our President, Dr. Miguel Gallardo, initiated and should be a very good opportunity to talk about the value of psychology in organizational settings. We’ll keep you posted.
• The CPA/Chapter Task force met and this time moved their focus to more concrete ways in which CPA might serve as a greater resource to Chapters, and how Chapters might serve as a resource to each other. There will be much more to come from this group—there was a lot of great ideas and enthusiasm around this discussion.
• Division VII (Public Interest) also met, as did the CE Committee, both with full agendas, moving ahead with projects that you will hear more about as they develop more fully.
• The board of Division V met in Sacramento for a full day with a packed agenda related to future directions for the division. Our discussion at the board meeting about RxP and the future drove much of the discussion.
• The Finance Committee met and had a first look at a very preliminary 2009 budget proposal. This early view of next year’s budget was prepared with information from Committee Chairs working with their staff liaisons, as well as all of us here preparing what we think will be normal operating costs next year. As usual we will need to go back now and look carefully at where we think we will be with regard to both revenue and expenses, and then we’ll prepare the 2nd round for the Finance Committee meeting in July. All of this moves us toward presenting a budget to the Board for approval at the October meeting.
• We sent a response to the National Psychologist article that appeared in their previous issue about the RxP legislation that NAPPP sponsored this year. The NP printed an article that characterized activity around that bill without asking us for comment. We have requested that we be allowed to submit a response to the article, and the NP agreed.
• We sent a letter to the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association asking them to reject a proposal that would limit the use of the term “doctor” – you have most likely seen something about this on various listservs. APA also sent a letter, but many state associations are sending letters as well.
• There has been recent activity on the CPA member listserv. The Board has responded to some of these messages as deemed appropriate. The listserv is there for information, referral, and as a resource. When only a few people offer comment it can become dominated by a very vocal few. So chime in—it’s very helpful to keep things on track.
• As you may know, the California Psychological Association (CPA) is the largest state psychological association in the country and has many APA members among its membership. A recent proposal to the CPA Board of Directors is for CPA to widely publish the rationale for including and seating the four representatives from the Asian American Psychological Association, the Association of Black Psychologists, the National Latina/o Psychological Association, and the Society of Indian Psychologists. Such would include the CPA listservs, newsletter, and email blasts to members, in addition to a posting on the website. The CPA BOD met and passed this motion unanimously! We are hopeful that disseminating the rationale for voting for this APA bylaws change will push the needed vote margin above the 2/3rds majority needed for passage.
• CAPP has awarded the California Psychological Association a 2008 Special Project Grant in the amount of $15,000.

Additionally, please make note of the following announcements:

1. The American Psychological Association's Committee on Women in Psychology (CWP) is seeking nominations for two new members to begin terms in January 2009. The committee functions as a catalyst by interacting with and making recommendations to the various parts of the APA governing structure and the APA membership, as well as other relevant groups. The committee also collects and disseminates information concerning the status of women and develops the means by which the participation of women in roles and functions of the profession could be increased.
2. The Committee on Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) is anticipating two vacancies in 2009. CYF welcomes nominations from individuals interested in linking research and policy for children and families within APA and the profession. The Committee is particularly interested in candidates with substantial expertise and demonstrated experience in applying psychological knowledge to the well being and optimal development of children, youth, and families; and in issues advancing psychology as a science and profession in the area of promoting health and human welfare.
3. The California Psychologist is requesting submission of photographs for their cover. Photographs should reiterate themes and content of upcoming editions, or reflect the natural beauty of our world and the power of psychology. Set your digital camera to the highest setting possible (300 dpi is the minimum) and send via email to Patricia VanWoerkom, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it at CPA.
4. There is a Call for Presentations for the 2009 convention in Oakland. Please consider submitting a proposal and share the information with your colleagues and students.

Jennifer Garbarino, Ph.D.
CPA Board Representative
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Summer 2008

DIRECTORY COMMITTEE REPORT

Print Version of Directory Now Available

Submitted by Junell Silver, Ph.D., Co-Chair, Directory Committee
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Ann Bolger, Ph.D., Co-Chair, Directory Committee
www.DrBolger.com
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The 2008-2010 MBPA directory is now available to order through our website at www.mbpsych.org. Due to the high cost of producing and printing our final paper directory, the cost per copy is $20.00 plus $5.00 for mailing. If you do not want to pay the mailing cost, directories are available at our offices at 412 Cedar Street, Suite C, in Santa Cruz. Those who buy the directory should know that the revenues are subsidizing its distribution to the community (e.g., hospitals, schools, doctor’s offices) for marketing our members' services. In addition, along with the creation of our last edition, our website now contains accurate member data plus the capability to individually update our profile so data is always up-to-date. Our website contains a “find a therapist” feature, which essentially represents the purpose of our directory which is to help select an appropriate therapist based on expertise, orientation and other factors. We appreciate your support in buying our final edition of the 2008-2010 MBPA Directory.

July 2008

FORENSICS COMMITTEE REPORT

Myrna J. Glick, Ph.D.
Forensic Chair
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What is MSP? No, it is not a gas additive, though at this point we could surely use one. Unfortunately, it is a dangerous psychological phenomenon. Rare though it may be, those of us who treat children and families should be alert to the possibility.

Munchausen’s Syndrome is named for Karl Hieronymus, Freiherr von Munchhausen (1720-1797). Although he was a remarkably honest businessman, Baron Munchhausen was also known as a remarkable bold-faced liar. He may have been implicated in the deaths of his wife and son. Because of his colorful, concocted adventures, he was the center of attention at social gatherings.

MSP stands for Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy, or a parent’s need to have his or her child perceived as ill. Sometimes this effect is achieved through simple lying; other times through actual harm done to the child. Most parents are telling the absolute truth about their children. Once in a while, they exaggerate, and then it is time to cool their anxieties. However, some disturbed parents have willfully hurt or even killed their children, garnering a great deal of sympathy and attention in the process.

By listening very carefully to parents and children, often a psychologist is the first party to discover that a client referred for psychological assistance is more in need of expert medical evaluation. Thus, a patient referred for treatment of supposed bulimia turned out to have a rare disorder that caused honeycombing of the lungs, liver and other organs. Several referred for panic disorder really were reacting to an overactive thyroid. Sometimes the process goes the other way. There are parents who have a pathological need to appear heroic in the face of a child’s baffling illness, hence MSP.

In this month’s The Forensic Examiner, Bruce Gross, J.D., presents an insightful discussion of this unfortunate disorder (“Caretaker Cruelty: Munchauser’s and Beyond”, pp. 54-57). In MPS, children are exploited to serve the needs of a parent. Often, the child undergoes needless or painful medical procedures, repeated hospitalizations or symptoms actually induced by a parent or other caretaker (http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/factitious_disorders/hicmunchausen_syncrome_b). Current thinking holds that there is no way to prevent the disorder. If discovered, it is usually treated by putting the child under protection and exposing the parent or other caretaker to psychotherapy. In the data that were reviewed, there was little outcome data, and the cases presented appeared to have very wide variation. For example, one woman was described who had numerous pregnancies marked by very early caesarian sections, putting the fetuses in grave danger.

MSP seems to be in a no-man’s-land of sorts, in that mental disorder and criminal behavior seem to blend as one. Under DSM-IV, it is categorized under Factitious Disorders. In some cases, the victim can be an elderly parent and the perpetrator a grown child. Often, it is very difficult to confirm suspicions. According to Thomas G. Keens, M.D., of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles ( http://sids-network.org/experts/msp.htm), covert video-surveillance is sometimes used to obtain evidence, but a court order may be necessary. In one case in upstate New York, a family had five recurrent early childhood deaths that were initially attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (J.D. DeCristofaro, M.D., SUNY@Stony Brook, NY, http://sids-network.org/experts/msp.htm).

Although there is no one profile associated with this form of abuse, often the perpetrators are in the health professions. They usually present as the most caring, concerned, friendly and cooperative parents. There may be several unusual illnesses among family members, and the parent may have Munchausen’s Syndrome, or the tendency to fabricate symptoms in themselves. Often, the child’s symptoms or test results do not agree with the diagnosis. Blood in lab samples may not match the blood of the child. Perpetrators may be such accomplished liars that they themselves have difficulty distinguishing fact from fiction. Child victims may suffer developmental delays and be kept at home for long periods.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the death rate for victims is about ten per cent. MSP is considered a form of child abuse and therefore subject to prosecution. Evaluators are advised to seek access to all parties for more accurate assessment. At the same time, they are warned of a high incidence of lawsuits against involved professionals, even when the charges are validated.

July 2008

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REPORT

By Cheryl Bowers, Ph.D.
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831-430-0100

As this newsletter goes to press there is some very good news for those of us working in the field of mental health and for the patients we serve. But before I share the news, let me begin by saying as the new Government Affairs Representative I have finally been able to get answers to my questions about why I pay APA dues and CPA dues and MBPA dues. The short answer is, because the principle goal of these professional organizations is to keep the profession of psychology a viable entity. If you should allow yourselves to become complacent (as I have in the past) rest assured, there are folks who would be happy for you to work harder, earn less, and have less decision-making options. And they knock on the doors of our governmental representatives every week. We have to make our presence known, our professional services valued, and our voices heard. That means you (and me). When you receive those requests to send in a letter or an email or make a call, believe me your opinions and efforts absolutely do make a difference.

In April of this year several of us from MBPA, along with GAC representatives from across California spent an afternoon speaking directly with our state senators and representatives. They were well informed on some issues that touch directly on our day-to-day professional lives (several shared stories of friends and family members who had directly benefited from psychological interventions) but in other instances not only unaware but misinformed. They were grateful to hear our comments, they took notes, and they asked excellent questions. Further, they sometimes shared their opinions and the way they would likely vote on the issues we discussed, with the obvious invitation to help in shaping that opinion. We count paychecks they count votes. In MBPA voting precinct we have 230 licensed psychologists. Was your voice heard on any of the following issues?

At the national level…

HR 6331 (Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008) the Senate ended the filibuster and passed this piece of legislation that had already passed the House of Representatives. This will restore for 18 months $45 million to psychotherapy and related services cut as a result of the five-year review, halt the 10.6% Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut, provide a 1.1% update for 2009, and phase in Medicare coinsurance. President Bush had threatened to veto the measure. The veto was overridden in a landslide!!

A-08 (American Medical Association House of Delegates Resolution 303 Restricted Use of the Titles “Doctor,” “Resident,” and “Residency”). Seeks to restrict the title of “doctor,” “resident,” and “residency” in medical settings to apply only to physicians, dentists, and podiatrists.

S. 1693 (Wired for Health Care Quality Act) This bill is designed to encourage the development of Health Information Technology (HIT) in the health care system [i.e., national electronic health records system]. While there are many advantages in moving toward a paperless process and allowing for comprehensive management of health-related information there are major risks (i.e., intentional or negligent disclosure on a massive scale causing a serious loss to privacy). There are important improvements being introduced (Senator Leahy D-VT) but not nearly enough to protect the highly sensitive information associated with mental health records.

At the state level…

SB 1553 (Lowenthal Managed Care Reform Bill) This bill seeks to deliver on the promise of mental health parity in California by ensuring access to mental health services for the millions of consumers enrolled in an HMO. This bill has now passed the Senate. It was sponsored by CPA (among others) as a part of our April lobby day (see above). Advocacy works!

SB 1427 (Calderon – Prescriptive Authority for CA Psychologists). While CPA is strongly in favor of prescription privileges for psychologists in CA, there are grave concerns regarding this bill, which proposed a nurse practitioner model in which physicians would supervise psychologists.

AB 1951 (Hayashi – Mandated Suicide Prevention Continuing Education Bill) The outcome of this bill represents another victory for CPA when psychologists were amended out of this bill, which would have mandated 6 hours of CE course in suicide prevention. While clearly a critical area of knowledge, the bill had made no distinction between psychologists and other mental health practitioners and the Author of the bill was satisfied that the doctoral education provided sufficient training.

AB1486 (Calderon) seeks to establish a licensing and regulation of “Professional Counselors by the Board of Behavioral Sciences.”This is a scope of practice concern with protection of the public consumer at its core. While CPA is not opposed to counselor licensure, this bill is very lenient and would allow counselors at the Master’s Degree level to provide all services that are currently restricted to the PhD psychologist level, including all aspects of assessment and diagnosis. This bill is currently in committee and the first hearing has been cancelled at the request of the author (Calderon). CPA opposes this bill.

QUICK QUIZ:

WHO ARE YOUR STATE LEGISTLATIVE REPRESENTATIVES? GIVE YOURSELF HIGH MARKS IF YOU CAN NAME TWO AND OUTSTANDING MARKS IF YOU CAN NAME THREE. IF YOU CAN NAME NONE—REREAD THE ABOVE LEGISLTATIVE ISSUES AND THEN GET BUSY.

SENATE:

Abel Maldonado
590 Calle Principal Suite 100
Monterey, CA 93940
831-657-6315

100 Paseo de San Antonio Suite 206
San Jose, CA 95113
408-277-9461

State Capital #4082
Sacramento, CA 94248
916-651-4015

ASSEMBLY:

John Laird
701 Ocean St. #318B
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-425-1503

State Capital #6026
Sacramento, CA 94249
916-319-2027

Anna Caballero
100 W. Alisal St. Suite 134
Salinas, CA 93901
831-759-8676

State Capital #5119
Sacramento, CA 94249
916-319-2028

Remember—no elected official can survive without voters. Your voice matters and your vote counts. CPA and MBPA make it easier for you to make your opinions heard through sample letters that can be easily downloaded through the CPA website or though the periodic mailings we send as a part of a legislative alert. If you do not receive a legislative alert, contact Cheryl Bowers at 831-430-0100 for assistance.

Cheryl Bowers, Ph.D.
Neuropsychologist
Clinical Psychology License #Psy 16211
Certified Rehabilitation Counselor #14460

July 2008

SANTA CRUZ INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICE REPORT

By Pam Kangas, Ph.D.
I & R Chair (Acting)
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Our fourteen members continue to field from one to ten calls a week on the I & R referral line. Calls can offer the opportunity to clarify the difference between a psychiatrist and psychologist, direct people to Medicare/MediCal services, or explain ways of entering the therapy process. The majority of our callers ask for a therapist referral. We give out three names and support the person to begin his/her calls.

At our next meeting (September 12, 2008, Dominican Hospital Education Building) we plan to evaluate our role as a community resource, and discuss ways that we can be a more visible resource to physicians, attorneys, courts and consumers.

Psychologists who are interested in joining the Santa Cruz Information and Referral Service are invited to call the phone line (831 429-7799). The on-call psychologist will return the call and provide information about the committee and how to join.

July 2008

MBPA DISASTER RESPONSE COMMITTEE REPORT

Submitted by Diane Bridgeman, Ph.D.
(831) 420-1109
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Our team's mental health services were in greater need this past month than they have ever been in the past 10 years. As you all know, we had three sets of wildfires -- The Summit Fires, The Martin Fire and The Trabing Fire -- all in Santa Cruz County within the last four weeks. The activities included staffing evacuation centers and shelters (albeit briefly yet on several occasions), escorting people to burned out and damaged areas, attending Cal Fire meetings, seeing clients, taking an avalanche of calls, giving out supplies, being at informational gatherings and re-unification centers. We then did follow-up post-disaster check-ins with the over 125 Red Cross volunteers and staff, as we are to be available to them as well as to the clients we serve. We also worked closely, as we usually do, with County Mental Health. We also provided post check-ins with many of our community partners.

So many of you stepped forward to offer your time, and it was and is greatly appreciated. Specifically, a few that truly were heroic with their time and talent, including some of our MBPA members, were Sheri Anselmi, Meg Sandow, Diane Cohan, Frances Rinaldo, Stan Einhorn, Dorene Blake, Marilyn Palla-Droke, Sharon Parker, Tom Burke, Michelle De Antoni, Beth Bennett, Donna Raposa, Jacob Sidman, Gary Shoemaker and many, many others.

If anyone is interested our future efforts, and would like to take part in disaster mental health trainings and programs, please contact me.

April 2008

MBPA DISASTER RESPONSE COMMITTEE REPORT

Submitted by Diane Bridgeman, Ph.D.
(831) 420-1109
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Disaster response team

Our last joint meeting with CAMFT, ARC and County Mental Health team members went very well. We want to acknowledge MBPA member Dr. Ann Bolger for her informative presentation. I am assisting in planning a drill – these are held once every two years or more for all ARC functions – on a large-scale disaster and mental health sheltering mentoring. Many MBPA team members will be attending this training. The National ARC is in the midst of a re-organization and specific information on how this affects our team will be outlined at future events.

Diane Bridgeman, Ph.D.

Co-chair, Disaster Response Committee

Rick Allen, Ph.D.

Co-chair, Disaster Response Committee

831-429-1340

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MBPA PUBLIC SERVICE/OUTREACH/EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT

Diane Bridgeman, Ph.D.
Chair, Public Service/Outreach/Education Committee
(831) 420-1109
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July 2008

Our committee provided resource materials at several recent presentations.

Currently, we are arranging for speakers for a Fall series of talks to the staff and volunteers at the Homeless Garden Project. Tom Butz, Ph.D., has graciously agreed to kick off the series, probably in October. It is meant to be a very informal, fairly brief talk to a small group of about eight people.
Topics of interest include identifying and coping with substance abuse, PTSD, sexual harassment, anger management and conflict resolution. If you are interested and available to give an informal presentation in November, December, and beyond, please contact me. The day and time are somewhat flexible. Thank you.

April 2008

MBPA had a presence once again at the annual Calciano Mental Health Symposium at the Coconut Grove, distributing our organization materials, membership forms, and psychological fact sheets. Thanks to Drs. Junell Silver, Jenny Kaupp, Jim Beckett and Ann Bolger for their assistance with these materials. Over 200 people came by our booth and took materials or requested additional information.

We are in the midst of coordinating a pro bono speakers program once again for a non-profit organization, this time, The Homeless Garden Project. The committee asked Dr. Lucretia Mann, psychologist at the Vets Center, to give a presentation on PTSD. Our committee is now arranging for speakers for the Fall on additional topics the Homeless Garden Project has requested. If you are interested in speaking to a small group in late September, October, or November on one of the following topics please do contact me. The topics are: Crisis & anger management/conflict resolution; Sexual harassment; Substance abuse; & Working toward & maintaining well-being/resilience. The exact day of week and time are open to some extent based on speakers’ schedules. Thanks for considering giving back to our community.

July 2008

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT

By Ann Bolger, Ph.D.
www.DrBolger.com
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During the past several months my focus has been on completing the 2080-2010 Directory. This effort involved creating both a paper directory product as well as an up-to-date directory on our website. The member database has been streamlined and the website now serves as our main go-to place for member data. I encourage all of you to log on and browse the website, as well as your profile. It is really quite nice.

My plan is to have a PAYPAL system set up for next year's membership renewal (beginning in late October), though lack of funding may prevent us from going ahead with this. The Directory was a large expense and membership numbers are lower than expected.

The MBPA Board approved Drs. Ellison and Berrenge, and doctoral candidate Leslie Whitcomb since the last board meeting. We now have a new vetting and approval process via email that has worked well so far, though in the interest of privacy, any concerns will be addressed on the telephone. We have 10 new members, year to date.

My main concern, and next task, involves increasing membership. I will update the board on this matter at the next board meeting.

Happy Summer to one and all,

Ann Bolger, Ph.D.

Summer 2008

SOCIAL ISSUES FORUM REPORTS

Of Foreign Concern

Submitted by Jon Girvetz, Ph.D.
831-425-0272
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Co-chair, MBPA Contemporary Issues in Psychology Committee

The concern regarding APA’s stance on the use of psychologists in the interrogation of prisoners has gone beyond our borders. Concerns were expressed and questions asked of Alan E. Kazlin, President of APA, in a letter from Tor Levin Hofgaard, president of the Nordic Committee of Psychologist’s Associations and President of the Norwegian Psychological Association (Oslo, 25th June 2008). After acknowledging that potential “loopholes” were filled in APA’s latest revision of their 2007 resolution on the subject, the following is a summation of their questions and concerns:

• They question whether the APA considers the stated aims of psychologists’ involvement in military interrogations are consistent with the UN Principles of Medical Ethics? The stated aims cited include “to evaluate where the potentially weak spots are, when to push or not to push the person under interrogation harder in pursuit of intelligence information” (Office of the Surgeon General, 2005) and to “teach interrogators how to exploit high value detainees” (Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, 2006).
• “We are concerned that the mere presence of psychologists in settings and environments where detainees are deprived of their most fundamental human rights may be interpreted as a way of condoning these practices, giving support and legitimacy to serious violations of international law and human rights (Oslo, 2008)?” They request APA’s opinion on this.
• They question the compatibility of APA’s 2007 Resolution and APA Ethics Code provision 1.02. The ethics code indicates that if there is a conflict between ethical principles and the law, “psychologists may adhere to the requirements of the law or other governing legal authority (APA, 2002).” The 2007 Resolution states that there “are no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether induced by a state of war or threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, that may be invoked as a justification for torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, including the invocation of laws, regulations, or orders.”
• “Furthermore, according to the Introduction and Applicability section of the APA Ethics Code (2002), psychologists should perform their work ‘in keeping with the basic principles of human rights.’ This entails that a psychologist acting in a professional capacity could not invoke the law to justify an abuse of human rights (Behnke, 2004).” “How does this apply to psychologists working in places and environments in which violations of human rights and international law systematically occur as a matter of institutional policy, such as at GuantanamoBay and CIA black sites (Oslo, 2008)?”
• They go on to point out that the applicability section of the APA Ethics code makes reference to human rights, but Ethics Code provision 1.02 does not. They point out that this gives the impression that psychologists’ adherence to fundamental human rights is “merely aspirational and not enforceable.” They ask,“Does APA deem it ethical for psychologists to actively participate in situations where enforced disappearances and incommunicado detention/imprisonment without charge or trial occur (Oslo, 2008)?”
• They question the wisdom of APA’s argument that the continued presence of psychologists in military interrogations is to ensure that they are safe, ethical and legal in their administration. They cite the issue of “dual loyalty” inherent in such settings thus restricting the psychologists’ freedom to act as “whistle blowers” in relation to human rights violations. “Is it not so that APA would promote the protection of detainees far better by working to secure/grant independent organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other independent human rights monitoring bodies, unlimited access to all detainees in order to prevent abuse and ill-treatment (Oslo, 2008)?”
• They finally question, “…what initiatives have been taken from the APA to secure that independent and thorough investigations have taken place in situations where allegations of psychologist involvement in torture and other ill-treatment have been presented (Oslo, 2008)?”

Though the pressure that MBPA and other organizations have put on the APA to alter and modify their position has had some positive effect, perhaps a taste of how we are perceived by those from without will have even more impact. Thank you to Tor Levin Hofgaard and the vigilance that he and his organizations are showing with the difficulties that we are having within our own APA.

Jon Girvetz, Ph.D.

APA Convention Protest

Submitted by Jennifer Kaupp, Ph.D.
831-429-9314
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Co-chair, MBPA Contemporary Issues in Psychology Committee

Stephen Soldz, Ph.D., sent the following announcement about a rally planned for the APA Convention in Boston, Saturday, August 16, 12-2 pm. Speakers include Drs. Stephen Soldz, Steven Reisner, Ghislaine Boulangier, Bryant Welch, and Dan Albers. This rally has been endorsed by APA Division 39, Section IX (Psychoanalysis and Social Responsibility). Based on MBPA’s long-held position denouncing psychologist involvement in military interrogations and rendition teams, and our participation last year, we have again offered our endorsement.

Psychologists for an Ethical APA Calls for Protest Outside APA Convention

"A government is not the expression of the will of the people, but rather the expression of what the people will tolerate."
Kurt Tucholsky

We as psychologists and American citizens have become aware that our government has adopted torture and the denial of human rights for detainees as official policy. Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, rendition and CIA "black sites" have irrevocably entered our language and consciousness. Waterboarding, sexual and religious humiliation, and denial of habeas corpus have become symbolic of a climate of disdain for human rights and human decency that has infected our government and been absorbed into our social fabric.

During the last several years, we have also become aware that psychologists have played central roles in the Bush regime of torture and detainee abuse. As has been documented by numerous journalists and official government reports, psychologists helped develop, implement, standardize, and disseminate abusive interrogation techniques that have led to torture. Other psychologists responsible for treating detainees, along with other health professionals, failed to act against abuses being committed upon those they were ethically obliged to heal and protect. Given the central role of our profession in perpetrating and abetting these abuses, the rest of us who represent the field bear a special responsibility to do all we can to stop the abuses and voice our objection.

Our professional association, the American Psychological Association, has failed us. While we expectantly listened for a clear moral voice opposing complicity with our government's abuses, the APA engaged in a pattern of denial, deceit and distraction in support of its policy keeping psychologists engaged in interrogations at detention centers where human rights and international laws have been grossly and systematically violated. When we needed an ethics policy that underscored the importance of ethical behavior, the APA created a revised code which allowed the following of unethical laws and regulations, and which removed protections for research participants when permitted by law or government regulation. When we needed deep ethical discussion, the APA appointed an ethics task force dominated by military-intelligence psychologists, most of whom served in precisely those interrogation settings under debate. When we needed clear statements condemning ongoing U.S, government abuses, the APA passed resolution after resolution condemning "torture" and "cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment" while failing ever to condemn, or even acknowledge, the ongoing abuses. When we needed action against those psychologists participating in abuses, we received denial after denial and delay after delay, making a continual mockery of ethics enforcement. And when we needed to indicate to the world that psychology was a profession with the highest ethical standards, the APA alone, of all the major health professions' organizations, not only allowed continued participation in interrogations, violating the centuries-old "do no harm" ethical standards for health professions, but kept silent on known harms.

Last February, over six years after the first reports of US torture and abuse in Afghanistan, Guantanamo, and later, Iraq, surfaced, the APA finally unambiguously condemned participation in 19 specific interrogation techniques. While this is a laudable, if long-delayed, first step, it is not enough.

• We must forever remove psychologists from detention centers where human rights and international law are violated; to do otherwise is to collude in those abuses.
• We must change our ethics code to no longer allow members to follow unethical laws or orders and to restore protections for all research participants.
• We must reevaluate the nature of the ties between the APA and the military-intelligence establishment to avoid participation in future unethical government activities.
• We must, in collaboration with other health professions, set up a Truth process to create a public record of the roles of psychologists and other health professionals in torture and other detainee abuse, and to recommend ethical, policy, and structural changes to reduce the likelihood that psychologists and other health professionals will collaborate with future abuses.

We call upon all APA members, psychologists, other health professionals, and citizens concerned with fundamental threats to human rights to let the Association know the time is long past due for real change. Please join us on the 16th of August to speak with a common voice against torture and for a return to an ethical psychology and an ethical American Psychological Association.

"A profession is not the expression of the will of its members, but rather the expression of what these members will tolerate."
Psychologists for an Ethical APA

Let the APA leadership know that we will not tolerate collaboration with detainee abuse. Psychology must once again become a profession based upon fundamental ethical principles.

When: August 16, 1:00-3:00 PM

Where: tba

For further information contact:

Stephen Soldz

Director, Center for Research, Evaluation, and Program Development

Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis

1581 Beacon St.

Brookline, MA 02446

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David Sloan-Rossiter

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MBPA Board Endorses Steven Reisner, Ph.D., for APA President

Submitted by Jennifer Kaupp, Ph.D.
831-429-9314
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Co-chair, MBPA Contemporary Issues in Psychology Committee

The Monterey Bay Psychological Association is pleased to announce the Board’s endorsement of Steven Reisner, Ph.D., for APA President. He is a champion of human rights and ethics, and a vociferous critic of psychology’s involvement in military interrogations, CIA Black Site activities, and renditions. Dr. Reisner has spoken out against the APA leadership’s apparent complicity in these practices with passion, eloquence, and knowledge. We need an APA president who will unequivocally adhere to APA’s time-honored ethical principles and restore respect to the profession. Do No Harm means Do No Harm. Further information on Dr. Reisner, his work as an activist, his position statement, and more can be found at http://www.reisnerforpresident.org/.

Time-Sensitive APA Referendum on Interrogations Policy

Submitted by Jennifer Kaupp, Ph.D.
831-429-9314
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Co-chair, MBPA Contemporary Issues in Psychology Committee

As you know, MBPA supports the position of Division 39, Psychologists for an Ethical APA, and others who are concerned about APA’s imprecise wording on the 2007 Resolution regarding psychology’s role in military interrogations. You can read about an upcoming referendum in the synopsis below, sent by Division 39 president, Dr. Nancy McWilliams. There is a link for more information on this issue and an opportunity for you to sign the petition.

Dear Division 39 members,

As you know, many members of our division have been working with other concerned psychologists to get APA to adopt a policy similar to the stance of other professional organizations (e.g., the AMA, the American Psychiatric Assn., APsaA) that would bar psychologists from working in sites that lack basic human rights protections (e.g., Guantanamo, the CIA "black sites"). The latest effort to influence our parent organization comes in the form of an APA ballot referendum that was mailed on Friday. You should receive it in the next few days.

Because the referendum has taken shape in the time since our April meeting, the Board has not had the opportunity to discuss whether or not to endorse it officially. But the referendum does call for the removal of psychologists from sites where detainees lack human rights protections such as those noted in the Geneva Conventions and the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Notwithstanding some disagreement on the means to achieve this end, the Division 39 Board has consistently and unanimously supported that overall goal.

Please vote in this critical referendum. Over 1000 signatures of APA members were obtained in order to put this vexed question to a vote of the entire APA membership. Your vote will matter. Those who want to learn more about this issue before voting can find pro and con statements about the referendum on the APA web site, center column: www.apa.com . Additional material is available at www.ethicalapa.com , a web site maintained by the people who launched this long fight, including many of our most prominent members. If you misplace your ballot, please contact Dr. Garnet Coad at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for a replacement ballot.

Thanks for your attention to this,

Nancy McWilliams, President, Division 39

July 2008

News & Information:

SPECIAL REPORT:
CPA Convention in Anaheim: April 3-6, 2008

By Dr. Edda Schweid
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831-476-3117

This year's CPA Convention, held at the Disneyland Resort Hotel, was a rich and varied experience. First of all, the setting was surprisingly pleasant and fun. I must confess I had expected old facilities -- instead, the rooms were very nice, the restaurant excellent, the swimming pools (heated to 75 degrees) marvelous, and the staff friendly. A nice surprise was an area called "Downtown Disney," a busy, long street starting from the back of the Dream Tower, where I stayed, full of shops, sidewalk restaurants, bands playing dance music Friday nights, a movie theater, etc. You did not want for entertainment, even without going to the rides at the Theme Park. A nice continental breakfast was served in the Exhibit Hall every morning as well.

Besides these wonderful side-dishes and amenities, the heart of our convention –- the speakers, papers/panels, and especially the Master Lecturers –- was inspiring and informative. I will mention the ones that were the highlights for me, sequentially.

I. Opening Plenary session: Elyn Saks, JD, Professor of Law, author of The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey through Madness. This was a harrowing story. It was hard to picture this erudite, well-spoken woman undergoing the paranoid schizophrenic episodes she so well described. They corresponded to the classical symptom array we hear if we work with psychotic individuals. But she is also obviously brilliant and ever so admirable.

II. J. Reid Meloy, Ph.D., "Stalking, Threatening, and Attacking Public Figures: The Pathway to Violence." Dr. Meloy gave a useful outline of two types of stalkers -- namely, the predatory kind who is cool, calm, and psychopathic, and the affective kind, who gets emotionally aroused, often acts on spur of the moment passion and does not necessarily pre-plan the crime. I only wish I had read the excellent article by Myrna Glick, Ph.D., in our MBPA Newsletter before that lecture. I would surely have asked Dr. Meloy about his complicity in the conviction of an apparently innocent young man, Tim Masters. Alas, I read the Newsletter article the day I got back!

III. Alice Van Alstine, M.D. and Morgan Sammons, Ph.D., “Psychological Aspects of Medical Disease." This talk was exactly what I had hoped for. Dr. Van Alstine was only able to cover about a quarter of her material, even though we had three hours. The many psychological concomitants of hormonal, autoimmune, neurological, circulatory, etc. diseases were a good reminder of how complex and integrated the whole organism is, and that any thinking of the body and brain as separate is nonsense. Dr. Sammons is a prescribing psychologist, trained originally by the Department of Defense. As a teacher of psychopharmacology at Alliant International University in San Francisco, he added that perspective to the program.

IV. Panel: "Ethics in Psychology" was presented by Ofer Zur, Ph.D. from Sonoma, CA, Melba Vasquez, Ph.D., from Austin, Texas, Eric Harris, Ed.D., JD, legal counsel for the APA Insurance Trust, and Stephen Behnke, JD, Ph.D., of the APA Office of Ethics. Two case histories were distributed and then discussed by the panel. One involved questions of who becomes "holder of the privilege" after a patient commits suicide (answer: the executor of the estate). And what is the psychologist’s ethical and clinically appropriate behavior vis-a-vis the family who wants information. The second case involved a psychologist whose patient confesses she loves him, leaves his care, and they meet again 2.5 years later. What is ethical and/or wise behavior in that case? Good discussions followed.

V. The Sunday luncheon speaker, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., spoke eloquently and with great spirit on "The Hoe of Happiness." She has conducted years of research on specific instrumental behaviors, such as keeping a thankfulness journal (once a week works better than three times a week), writing letters of gratitude, etc. She reported on short- and long-term effects and self-reported happiness scales. Her book, by the same title, is in print.

VI. The last was my favorite speaker and topic. "Aspects of an Effective Clinical Practice: Research Evidence," by Bruce Wampold, Ph.D., Professor at University of Wisconsin. I cannot do him justice in a brief summary here, so I recommend reading his article in The American Psychologist (November, 2007). The bare bones of his findings are that different theoretical orientations of therapists do not matter in the success of treatment. What matters is an alliance with the patient, setting up goals and tasks, making sense of the patient's difficulties, and reframing in new, positive, and beneficial terms. These ideas may not be new, but his research is.

I would be remiss not to mention our own psychologists, Dani Beckerman, Ph.D. and Diane Bridgeman, Ph.D., presenting on CLASP theory and applications. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend their presentation. But I heard from a reliable source that they did very well indeed –- the blue stress balls were a big hit!

CALIFORNIA PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION CLASP

When the Helper Needs Help

California Psychological Association
Colleagues Assistance and Support Program
Cultivating and Sustaining Wellness and Self Care
By Dani Beckerman, Psy.D.

Psychologists are people too. We are confronted with relationship issues, job stress, financial needs, grief, terminal illnesses, depression, anxiety, and burnout. Unfortunately, being a psychologist is not an immunity to the impact of these developmental and life stressors. As professionals, we need to model and encourage the important message and the practice of self-care, peer support , seeking therapy, personal time, and consultation; it is essential for optimal health. These relationships and interventions are an avenue to refueling, healing, and letting go.

We need to support ourselves and our colleagues to seek out preventive and early interventions as a strength-based approach to resiliency, healthier relationships, less stress, being present and more effective as people and professionals. The work we do is intense. Not only do we work with issues and emotions around health development optimism, and success, we also research, teach, and practice around topics of distress, loss, grief, pain, sadness, trauma, abuse, and anger. This can have impact on our emotional, relational, personal, and professional selves.

Invest in yourself and each other ~ CALL CLASP TODAY! 1-888-262-8293.

COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITIES OF SUPPORT

CPA CLASP offers a unique opportunity to become a provider and/or consultant for other psychologists across California as well as offers you the same resources of support for yourself. Research indicates that collegial consultation, individual therapy, and peer support are essential self care strategies to sustain andenhance your general well-being and mental health throughout all stages of your develepement as a persson and as a psychologist.

CPA CLASP’s Information and Referral Services is an invaluable resource for all psycholgoy graduate students and psychologists across California who may be seeking a referral for therapy, consultation, and/or assistance regarding a colleague. Become a provider and help support our community of psychologists. It is free to join. Once you become a provider, you practrice within your own policies and procedures, fee stucture and limitis of confidentiality. Call today 1-88-262-8292 and learn more about this service as well as other programs that CLASP offers at both the local and state level.

CLASP also offers Chapter based programs – Sheila Namir, Ph.D. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text70524 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //-->\n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 831-425-5300 is the MBPA CLASP Chair. Over time, the CLASP program will offer local support groups, discussion groups, consultation group, and book clubs over time as well as trainings and materials. The Sheila is also working to recruit members for the I&R service, if you are interested in becoming a provider, please contact her. She is also recruiting members for her committee to assist in putting on local programs, events and CE workshops.

Check out our website at: http://www.cpaclasp.org.

Dani Beckerman, Psy.D.
CPA CLASP Chair
831-426-4735

Colleagues Assistance and Support Program
(CLASP) ~ Cultivating and Sustaining Wellness and Self Care

1-888-262-8293
http://www.cpaclasp.org

"Working towards destigmatizing help seeking behavior for psychologists."

MISSION OF CLASP

• Provide resources on wellness and prevention that support us as psychologists in maintaining and enhancing our general health and mental well‐being throughout the developmental spectrum of our personal and professional lives.
• Destigmatize help seeking and health seeking behaviors and interventions.
• Endeavor to reduce the occurrence, frequency, and severity of stress, distress and/or impairment of California Psychologists through prevention education, early identification, and referral.
• Encourage collegial understanding, support, training, and referral for California Psychologists who are experiencing stress, distress and/or impairment.

THERE ARE MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS TO CLASP.

1. CPA CLASP EC ‐ Oversees the program - Has monthly conference calls, presents throughout the state on wellness, prevention, burn out, normalizing inherent stressors, etc.; develops materials and mentors Chapter Chairs. Additionally, we take calls and make referrals; and address P&P issues. Furthermore, the members may be asked to spearhead a project, either individually or in collaboration with other members of the EC or local Chapter Chairs. We have an opening on this committee, please contact Dani Beckerman, Psy.D. (831‐426‐4735) if you are interested in being part of this dynamic and important team
2. Chapter based programs – Sheila Namir, Ph.D., MBPA CLASP Chapter Chair ‐ The program will offer local support groups, discussion groups, book clubs, consultation groups, collaborations with neighboring psychological association, health promoting activities over time as well as trainings and materials. The Chapter Chair of CLASP will also work to recruit members for the CPA CLASP I&R service. Sheila is currently accepting new committee members to assist in cultivating this local resource, please contact he Sheil Namir, Ph.D. at 831‐425‐5300 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
3. CPA CLASP I&R Service ‐ Offered to all psychologists and graduate psychology students throughout CA. We encourage CPA/chapter members to become an I&R provider (need to be dual Chapter/CPA member to become a provider.) To become a provider, contact Sheila Namir, Ph.D. for an application or go to www.cpaclasp.org website and download an application and mail in along with a copy of your CV, Malpractice insurance, current License, and CE verification form. If you do not have your CE verification, staff can obtain this for you from the MCEP Accrediting Agency. Mail packet to:
   
   Patricia VanWoerkom, Director
   CPA Administration
   MCEP Accrediting Agency
   3835 No. Freeway Blvd., Ste 240
   Sacramento CA 95834‐1955
   (916) 286‐7979, ext 101
   (916) 286‐7971, fax
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   Once you become a member/provider in the CLASP I&R, you will receive referrals to your practice and you operate within your own P&P, fee structure and limits of confidentiality.

CALL TODAY ~ We encourage you to reach out for support anywhere along the continuum from wellness to crisis. ~ Be Preventive

ANNOUNCEMENT: APA Convention Protest

Download the PDF.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Submitted by Patricia Noel, Ph.D.

Interested in Referrals, Public Service, Contact with Colleagues?
Join the Psychology Information and Referral Service of Santa Cruz County
Call 831.429.7799 for more information.

ANNOUNCEMENT: IN MEMORIAM
Dr. Faith Robinson

To the members of the Monterey Bay Psychological Association:

It is with great sorrow that I report the death of Dr. Faith Robinson on Wednesday, July 9. She was at home, with friends around her.

Faith lived with intention, dignity, generosity and courage, practiced psychology with passion and focus, and had room in her life for both travel and contemplation. She will be missed by family, colleagues and friends.

Faith asked that her psychology books and some papers be offered to the members of MBPA. There are five boxes of books ranging from texts through existential psychology, dissociative disorders, group and family therapy, and more. If you would like to look through these boxes for books and papers that might interest you, please contact me and I will arrange a time to meet in my office.

Thank you.

Patricia Noel

820 Bay Ave., Suite 205

Capitola, CA 95010

831.464.2022