Dr. Norman Reed, a clinical psychologist specializing in the assessment and treatment of violent children and adolescents, has joined our Professional Advisory Board. For nearly 30 years he has worked in various programs for these youngsters in the State of Oregon. Welcome, Dr. Reed!
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.An intriguing article is presented in the current issue of the Journal of Counseling and Development, the academic journal of the American Counseling Association. The authors (Gill, Minton, and Myers) that a woman’s spirituality or religious commitment accounted for a good portion of their resilience and wellness. There are implications for training programs in psychology, […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.We are happy to announce that Janice E. Johnson has joined our Professional Advisory Board. Ms. Johnson worked for many years in the public sector in California, working with many children and women who were being abused. She is Phi Beta Kappa and her graduate degree is from the University of Minnesota. We are happy […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.As experts and the public ask for and learn more and more about bullying, not only is its presence in schools better known, but one begins to wonder about all the other situations across the lifespan where bullying occurs. Some possibilities: *Siblings bullying each other *Parents bullying teachers *Cliques that bully other cliques *Boys that […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.Eric J. Green writes about Jungian Play therapy in his article Traversing the heroic journey,” which appeared in the March 2010 issue of Counseling Today, published by the American Counseling Association Here are some of his ideas: “One of our primary tasks as child counselors is to provide an emotionally safe and protective space within […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.American Mental Health Foundation published its first book, featuring state-of-the-art research, on The Violent Person. Today’s New York Times reviews a book of especial interest on violence as visited upon women, specifically one woman who is an expert herself in the field, and the shameful stigma of silence associated with it. The book is called […]
By: Evander LomkeA different approach to the treatment of eating disorders–one combining elements of behavior therapy, flooding, and family therapy has become known as the Maudsley Approach. Rather than using psychological therapies and medication, this approach uses the family as the core element of treatment. What occurs is that the entire family makes a commitment to live/eat […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.To help provide us with a range of ideas and resources, AMHF is making the first two appointments to its Professional Advisory Board. This group of professionals will offer ideas and advice to AMHF regarding ways to implement the mission. This will help to five us a further diversity of viewpoints. The first two members […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.
All of us at AMHF wish Jack Fowler, our treasurer, the happiest of birthdays on June 18! Thank you, Jack, for all you do for us and so many others.
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.
We have noted previously that a number of insurance companies have found ways to minimize costs of serious and lifelong mental health problems that are covered under the Mental Health Parity Act. A similar dragging of feet seems to be occurring with providing health care (which includes mental health services) to 19-26 year olds. The […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.Glenn Close, award-winning actress who has become an advocate for persons with bipolar disorder and other severe mental illnesses, will be the Keynote Speaker at Neuroscience 2010 , the 40th Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience, to be held in San Diego from November 13-17th, 2010. Close has developed a special interest in mental […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.Kendra’s Law, passed by the New York State legislature about ten years ago, is set to expire. This law was passed and named after a woman who was pushed to her death by a severely mentally ill person who was not following the prescribed treatment regimen. One of the advocates of this bill is E. […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.The 2008 Law concerning parity for mental health treatment–making mental health care covered by insurance to be on a level with medical care–apparently is being circumvented by some businesses, the Boston Globe reported today. Therapists, previously required to only fax in treatment information, now are reported to participate in lengthy and sometimes intimidating phone interviews. […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.Many of the public and well as the mental health professions have never heard of the phrase “sports wound.” This refers to males who do not display athletic prowess or good eye-hand coordination. As much as we may want to deny this, boys who lack sports ability often are teased and bullied through their growing […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.Today on the news, television reporters spoke of a new law that will mandate school officials to intervene and report instances in bullying. The bill was proposed after one student committed suicide following bullying. One of the more-fascinating aspects of the increased awareness or incidence of bullying, and what appears to be ineffective adult intervention, […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.Does brain chemistry equate with emotional welfare or mental illness? We recommend respectful consideration of Robert Whitaker, Anatomy of an Epidemic, recently published by Crown Publishers. As a reporter who is not on the front lines of severe mental illness and emotional trauma, Whitaker, of course, could not have all the answers.
By: Evander LomkeThere’s too much bullying going on and not enough being done to stop it. In all fairness, many have the good will and courage and desire to confront bullying but want to make sure it is done properly so as to not make a bad situation worse. AMHF is monitoring the psychological damage done to […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.The New York Times today announced the death of Alice Miller. Dr. Miller is a writer in the psychoanalytic tradition who did not publisher her first book until her late forties and much experience in the field. The Gifted Child was the first of many books written by a first-class intellect who had the great […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.
Being released this week is an exceptional book. Bruce Feiler, best-selling author and historian, writes of being diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. He calls upon some of his friends to be resources for his daughter should he not survive, and calls them “The Council of Dads.” If you have children, read the […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.
On this centenary of Mark Twain’s death, we look back at Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. While psychologists have written thousands if not millions of words on the effects of separation and loss in all our lives, Mark Twain taught about these powerful forces in the lives of two young boys growing up. Tom Sawyer […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.
While riding the Lake Shore Limited–Ensconced in a small sleeping room, surrounded by a bag or two of books–I am sometimes reminded of Paul Theroux and his captivating books on Riding the Orient Express or going coast to coast on a train in Canada. In today’s New York Times, Theroux reflects on the Boy Scouts […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.As everyone is just beginning to sort out what exactly is in the new health-care laws, how they will apply, and whom they will affect, and when, AMHF is monitoring this legislation with a special interest with respect to mental-health care. More to come as the politicizing dies down and the implications become manifest.
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things, by Randy Frost and Gail Skeketee, is a book of interest to many, a cautionary tale in some respects, and a message of help for a group of others. The latter are those who suffer from one of the varieties of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): compulsive hoarding. For […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) now allows pilots to continue their in-air responsibilities if they are on certain antidepressants. Historically, pilots have not been allowed to fly while taking antidepressants as many of the original antidepressants had side effects which could be extremely serious if they occurred in flight. Side effects such as seizures or […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.Emily White is a lawyer who lived alone for six years in her 30s and said those were years of “savage loneliness.” She has written a book about this, “Lonely: A memoir”, just published by Harper Collins. Ms. White describes many of the pop psychology attitudes that even serious therapists adope. “Living alone gives you […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.The New York Post recently hired Ashley Dupre to write a column on relationships, “Ask Ashley”, and it appears each Sunday. Recently, Cara, age 35, residing in Park Slope, asked Ashley the following: “My boyfriend and I recently moved in together. I’m anal about keeping a straight apartment. How can I approach this so I […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.This week brings an intriguing story from Germany that raises questions concerning the duty to warn others when there is imminent danger of behaviors such as child abuse, suicide, or violent behaviors. In a story reported by the New York Times, a German psychiatrist has made public allegations that he warned a Roman Catholic Archdiocese […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.How might the manner of treatment in which behaviors indicative of mental-health problems on campuses be related to violence? The recent murders by a professor who was denied tenure in Alabama bring the issue of FACULTY mental health to the fore. Heather Munro Prescott has some tantalizing ideas on the massacre that recently occurred in […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.
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