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 […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.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. […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.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 […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.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 […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.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 […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.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 […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.The New York Times weighs in on “the quantifying of consciousness” along with the possible benefits of successfully doing so: for example, to facilitate certain surgical procedures, making them less invasive, or to understand the nature of a class of brain malfunctions like seizures. It seems improbable that consciousness could be “digitized.” The very phenomenon […]
By: Evander LomkeThere’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. […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.Next to Normal is the bravest and one of the most talked-about Broadway musicals in years. It is recently the subject of an American Theatre Wing “Working in the Theatre” seminar. We highly recommend this landmark musical as a way, along with the efforts of AMHF, to raise public awareness about bipolar disorder and other […]
By: Evander LomkeThe New York Times weighs in with a thoughtful article on more than a child-rearing question: Are we doing right by the next generation when early signs of emotional distress are expressed? This is an issue of national concern. Even though AMHF is concentrating its efforts more toward “the other end” of the population spectrum, […]
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By: Evander LomkeOn 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 […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.A fascinating case was tried in 1993 in the state of Connecticut involving an est session, an est trainer named David Norris (among others on the scene), and the death of an est participant. How much stress is too much? How much of our own lives, including one’s own death (excepting by suicide), could be […]
By: Evander LomkeJoanna 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
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.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 […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.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 […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.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. […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.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, […]
By: William Van Ornum, Ph.D.In founding AMHF Books, the book-publishing arm of The American Mental Health Foundation, I along with our board sought two things. (1) To disseminate our knowledge in a way that also would preserve the lifework of the late Stefan de Schill. This would include books written in the spirit of Dr. de Schill’s work but […]
By: Evander LomkeNew York Times continues on the subject of Bullying through the Life Cycle.
By: Evander LomkeDr. 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.
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