Courts Criticize Medicare Rule Interpretation
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Author Archives: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.
Boosting Workplace Morale
The antics and dangerous deployment of an emergency jet chute by former Jet Blue Airlines employee Steven Slater captivated media attention a few months ago. The case his since been pleaded in court. Slater has come to represent to Americans disgruntled and disturbed employees of all kinds. Recently the American Psychological Association has showcased the […]
Acne and Depression
For many acne is the bane of growing up and for some acne continues through adulthood. Acne can elicit both teasing and sympathy from others, and like many things, perhaps it is only the sufferer of acne who realizes its true effect on the body and beyond. New research is looking at how acne affects […]
Group Therapy: Strength in Numbers
An article in a recent edition of “Counseling Today” (Published by the American Counseling Association) reported on the benefits of group therapy. “Strength in Numbers” is the title of the article, written by Lynn Shallcross, and its theme is that “the give and take of group work offers clients a nurturing environment for growth, change, […]
18 Million Americans Have Untreated Mental Illness
A recent article in the Huffington Post noted the following: WASHINGTON The government says 1 in 5 American adults suffered from mental illness during the past year. Most didn’t receive treatment. A survey being released Thursday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that 45 million experienced some form of mental illness […]
Mental-health Problems: Children of the Military
Another recent article in the Huffington Post reports on mental-health problems suffered by children who are from military families. “The latest study on military children, published this month in the Journal Pediatrics, looked at more than a half million military children ages 3 to 8 whose parents were deployed. Researchers found that behavioral disorders, such […]
No Beds for Children in Boston
Parents and those who work with children have long recognized the difficulty in gaining a bed for a child in a children’s psychiatric unit of a general hospital (these are rare), a large university or teaching hospital, or a specialized children’s psychiatric center. These kinds of placements are crucial when a child is psychotic, suicidal, […]
The Power of Dad
Two studies in Developmental Psychology were recently highlighted by the American Psychological Association. In the first, Melanie Mallers led a study of 912 men and women and discovered that men who reported a good relationship with their fathers were less affected by stressful events later in life. The reason? Rough-and-tumble play replicates real-life challenges and […]
Child Abuse in Ghana
Many of us will celebrate Mass with African priests who come to the United States from various countries in Africa. While these priests are helping us and bring us the Sacraments, at the same time many take advantage of educational opportunities in the United States with hopes to bring this knowledge back to their home […]
Kendra’s Law Again?
Headlines in New York newspapers this week have proclaimed Mentally Ill Son Kills Parents. Today’s New York Daily News reports “a fugitive suspected of stabbing his parents to death inside their Staten Island Home was captured in Israel while trying to buy a train ticket to China.” The newspaper accounts don’t yet give details of […]
Despite Association Endorsement, Oregon Psychologists Against Election of Senator
The Association for the Advancement of Psychology has endorsed Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) for U.S. Senate because of his stance on increasing reimbursement rates for psychologists under new Medicaid regulations. Not all psychologists in Oregon are happy with this endorsement in view of Wyden’s past efforts in voting for and blocking efforts to repeal Oregon’s Death […]
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a quality frequently preached about, talked about, and idealized: yet it may be very difficult to accomplish. The National Association of Social Workers has written about the value of forgiveness and how to bring this into one’s life. “Sometimes forgiveness is an important part of what a client wants to achieve in counseling. […]
DSM V: The Future of Psychiatric Diagnoses
For nearly the past 60 years, the psychiatric profession has published a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual describing different mental conditions that are treated by psychiatrists. The first manual was spiral bound and was made up of fewer than 80 pages. DSM IV has become a major reference work, with hundreds of pages and many auxiliary […]
Distrust in the Gulf?
Interstingly, some psychologists are weighing in on possible distrust toward the oil company BP and “government officials,” speculation that is not necessarily backed up by scientific evidence. What follows is from the website of the American Psychological Association The most visible damage from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill might be to the Gulf’s beaches […]
Time to Clear out Old Medicines
We have previously written how pack-rat tendencies in their extreme form can be a form of obsessive compulsive disorder. With this in mind, I think it’s fair to say that many keep old medications in the medicine cabinet for those just in case emergencies, unlikely as they may be. This tendency toward saving prescription drugs […]
Supreme Court Refuses Death Row Case
Yesterday the United States Supreme Court refused to hear the last minute request by Teresa Lewis to vacate her death sentence. Her measured IQ is 72 and in the borderline range of functioning. Her attorneys have argued that her diminished mental capabilities and lack of leadership in the murders are grounds for further review. For […]
Should You Disclose Your Depression in the Workplace?
There’s a very provocative article in CNN.Health today. If you are depressed (or have some other mental-health condition), should you reveal this at work? And if you decide to make this revelation, to whom should you share? In 1972, Thomas Eagleton’s revelation of his history of depression cost him the nomination for the Vice Presidency. […]
More on the Sports Wound
Also posted in AMERICA magazine; please go to here to make comments or read the comments of others Perhaps we cloud this topic with euphemisms: but many a boy or growing young man who is poor at sports faces hurdles of bias, loneliness, and rejection. Despite many ways of compensating (intellectual, musical, artistic), poor athletic […]
Celebrating the Nineteenth Amendment
On the AMERICA online magazine, here is an interesting profile of one of our upcoming authors: “Ninety years ago this week Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment, giving women a right to vote that should have been inalienable. This week, Joanne Gavin continues apace in coauthoring her third book, Live Your […]
More on the Bullying Epidemic
Joanna Weiss has a slightly different take on bullying as she analyzes the trial of six young women. They are accused of bullying another adolescent so brutally as to cause her to hang herself. The entire article is worth reading. See Article on Bullying by Joanna Weiss in the Boston Globe
7 Ways to Get Better Sleep
We all know unhealthy ways to get to sleep, but how aware are we of small habits and behaviors that reap a big reward when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep. Sleep studies have become an important medical field in both psychology and medicine and are discovering and organizing behavioral principles that promote […]
Brain Trauma Can Mimic A.L.S.
The New York Times reports on new medical research suggesting that repeated concussions and other brain trauma might be responsible for the constellations that are called “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” The article points out that Lou Gehrig probably suffered more head injuries and concussions than realized when one takes into account his career as a football […]
President Obama Proposes Care for Veterans
Karen Smith, writing in AMERICA, reports on President Obama’s talk at the beginning of the month in Atlanta, Georgia at the convention of the Disabled Veterans of America. After World War II, the country had built an impressive system of health care for Veteran’s. They had excellent clinical psychology training opportunities available for clinical psychology. […]
Preventing Violence through Church Involvement
AMHF has taken a special interest in the prevention of violence and in the many forms that coercion and abuse make themselves known. Recently we have been examining the extent of bullying in society and across the lifespan, a task that we suspect is only beginning. Errol Louis, columnist for the New York Daily News, […]
Dr. Norman Reed Joins Professional Advisory Board
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!
Low Income Rural Women and Spirituality
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, […]
Janice E. Johnson joins Professional Advisory Board
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 […]
Bullying Across the Lifespan
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 […]
Jungian Play Therapy
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 […]
A Controversial Approach to Eating Disorders
A 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 […]
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Boosting Workplace Morale
The antics and dangerous deployment of an emergency jet chute by former Jet Blue Airlines employee Steven Slater captivated media attention a few months ago. The case his since been pleaded in court. Slater has come to represent to Americans disgruntled and disturbed employees of all kinds. Recently the American Psychological Association has showcased the […]
Acne and Depression
For many acne is the bane of growing up and for some acne continues through adulthood. Acne can elicit both teasing and sympathy from others, and like many things, perhaps it is only the sufferer of acne who realizes its true effect on the body and beyond. New research is looking at how acne affects […]
Group Therapy: Strength in Numbers
An article in a recent edition of “Counseling Today” (Published by the American Counseling Association) reported on the benefits of group therapy. “Strength in Numbers” is the title of the article, written by Lynn Shallcross, and its theme is that “the give and take of group work offers clients a nurturing environment for growth, change, […]
18 Million Americans Have Untreated Mental Illness
A recent article in the Huffington Post noted the following: WASHINGTON The government says 1 in 5 American adults suffered from mental illness during the past year. Most didn’t receive treatment. A survey being released Thursday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that 45 million experienced some form of mental illness […]
Mental-health Problems: Children of the Military
Another recent article in the Huffington Post reports on mental-health problems suffered by children who are from military families. “The latest study on military children, published this month in the Journal Pediatrics, looked at more than a half million military children ages 3 to 8 whose parents were deployed. Researchers found that behavioral disorders, such […]
No Beds for Children in Boston
Parents and those who work with children have long recognized the difficulty in gaining a bed for a child in a children’s psychiatric unit of a general hospital (these are rare), a large university or teaching hospital, or a specialized children’s psychiatric center. These kinds of placements are crucial when a child is psychotic, suicidal, […]
The Power of Dad
Two studies in Developmental Psychology were recently highlighted by the American Psychological Association. In the first, Melanie Mallers led a study of 912 men and women and discovered that men who reported a good relationship with their fathers were less affected by stressful events later in life. The reason? Rough-and-tumble play replicates real-life challenges and […]
Child Abuse in Ghana
Many of us will celebrate Mass with African priests who come to the United States from various countries in Africa. While these priests are helping us and bring us the Sacraments, at the same time many take advantage of educational opportunities in the United States with hopes to bring this knowledge back to their home […]
Kendra’s Law Again?
Headlines in New York newspapers this week have proclaimed Mentally Ill Son Kills Parents. Today’s New York Daily News reports “a fugitive suspected of stabbing his parents to death inside their Staten Island Home was captured in Israel while trying to buy a train ticket to China.” The newspaper accounts don’t yet give details of […]
Despite Association Endorsement, Oregon Psychologists Against Election of Senator
The Association for the Advancement of Psychology has endorsed Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) for U.S. Senate because of his stance on increasing reimbursement rates for psychologists under new Medicaid regulations. Not all psychologists in Oregon are happy with this endorsement in view of Wyden’s past efforts in voting for and blocking efforts to repeal Oregon’s Death […]
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a quality frequently preached about, talked about, and idealized: yet it may be very difficult to accomplish. The National Association of Social Workers has written about the value of forgiveness and how to bring this into one’s life. “Sometimes forgiveness is an important part of what a client wants to achieve in counseling. […]
DSM V: The Future of Psychiatric Diagnoses
For nearly the past 60 years, the psychiatric profession has published a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual describing different mental conditions that are treated by psychiatrists. The first manual was spiral bound and was made up of fewer than 80 pages. DSM IV has become a major reference work, with hundreds of pages and many auxiliary […]
Distrust in the Gulf?
Interstingly, some psychologists are weighing in on possible distrust toward the oil company BP and “government officials,” speculation that is not necessarily backed up by scientific evidence. What follows is from the website of the American Psychological Association The most visible damage from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill might be to the Gulf’s beaches […]
Time to Clear out Old Medicines
We have previously written how pack-rat tendencies in their extreme form can be a form of obsessive compulsive disorder. With this in mind, I think it’s fair to say that many keep old medications in the medicine cabinet for those just in case emergencies, unlikely as they may be. This tendency toward saving prescription drugs […]
Supreme Court Refuses Death Row Case
Yesterday the United States Supreme Court refused to hear the last minute request by Teresa Lewis to vacate her death sentence. Her measured IQ is 72 and in the borderline range of functioning. Her attorneys have argued that her diminished mental capabilities and lack of leadership in the murders are grounds for further review. For […]
Should You Disclose Your Depression in the Workplace?
There’s a very provocative article in CNN.Health today. If you are depressed (or have some other mental-health condition), should you reveal this at work? And if you decide to make this revelation, to whom should you share? In 1972, Thomas Eagleton’s revelation of his history of depression cost him the nomination for the Vice Presidency. […]
More on the Sports Wound
Also posted in AMERICA magazine; please go to here to make comments or read the comments of others Perhaps we cloud this topic with euphemisms: but many a boy or growing young man who is poor at sports faces hurdles of bias, loneliness, and rejection. Despite many ways of compensating (intellectual, musical, artistic), poor athletic […]
Celebrating the Nineteenth Amendment
On the AMERICA online magazine, here is an interesting profile of one of our upcoming authors: “Ninety years ago this week Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment, giving women a right to vote that should have been inalienable. This week, Joanne Gavin continues apace in coauthoring her third book, Live Your […]
More on the Bullying Epidemic
Joanna Weiss has a slightly different take on bullying as she analyzes the trial of six young women. They are accused of bullying another adolescent so brutally as to cause her to hang herself. The entire article is worth reading. See Article on Bullying by Joanna Weiss in the Boston Globe
7 Ways to Get Better Sleep
We all know unhealthy ways to get to sleep, but how aware are we of small habits and behaviors that reap a big reward when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep. Sleep studies have become an important medical field in both psychology and medicine and are discovering and organizing behavioral principles that promote […]
Brain Trauma Can Mimic A.L.S.
The New York Times reports on new medical research suggesting that repeated concussions and other brain trauma might be responsible for the constellations that are called “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” The article points out that Lou Gehrig probably suffered more head injuries and concussions than realized when one takes into account his career as a football […]
President Obama Proposes Care for Veterans
Karen Smith, writing in AMERICA, reports on President Obama’s talk at the beginning of the month in Atlanta, Georgia at the convention of the Disabled Veterans of America. After World War II, the country had built an impressive system of health care for Veteran’s. They had excellent clinical psychology training opportunities available for clinical psychology. […]
Preventing Violence through Church Involvement
AMHF has taken a special interest in the prevention of violence and in the many forms that coercion and abuse make themselves known. Recently we have been examining the extent of bullying in society and across the lifespan, a task that we suspect is only beginning. Errol Louis, columnist for the New York Daily News, […]
Dr. Norman Reed Joins Professional Advisory Board
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!
Low Income Rural Women and Spirituality
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, […]
Janice E. Johnson joins Professional Advisory Board
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 […]
Bullying Across the Lifespan
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 […]
Jungian Play Therapy
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 […]
A Controversial Approach to Eating Disorders
A 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 […]
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